The Pastor Search Committee is grateful for your prayers and support. We continue to meet regularly and there have been significant developments since our last update. We hosted a "Discovery Weekend" at the church on the weekend of January 7-9th. The Shepherd's Staff search firm team had interactions with church members, leaders, and staff. The goal for Beech Haven was to have as much input into the process as possible and to get to know the people at Shepherd's Staff(SS). In turn, the goal for SS was to come away with the most complete understanding of Beech Haven as possible. We believe both goals were accomplished in a robust way. The information gathered has allowed SS to formally begin the search and this is reflected on their website. To date, there have been over 75 applications for the position and the screening process has begun. According to their staff, this is a very good response in so short a time frame. More important than the volume of applicants is that the quality and potential fit of these candidates is also very good. Over the next 3-4 weeks, SS will be interviewing and screening these potential candidates in a rigorous fashion. From these efforts, they will begin to form a list of potential best fits. About the beginning of March, our local Search Team should receive the names and resumes of 3-5 men. Prayer and discussion will follow. If we feel led, then our interviews will begin. It's important to note that if we feel the initial panel does not meet expectations, then other new candidates will be given to us. Once these interviews begin, the Search Team will have to devote a lot more time to the process - even more effort than what has been required to this point. Please continue to pray for wisdom, discernment, and stamina which can only come from Jesus. Thank you for everything you do for Beech Haven and please let us know if there are any questions along the way.

We had a great weekend with our search firm, Shepherd Staff. Thank you to those who participated in the forum and have supplied your thoughts and perspectives—which we remain open to hearing. Shepherd Staff was impressed with what the Lord is doing through our congregation and assured the Search Team that there will be many ‘high fit’ candidates for us to interview. Typical searches at this point last 4-6 months, though there is no guarantee and the Search Team is committed to identifying God’s man regardless of how long it takes. Over the next 6-8 weeks, Shepherd Staff will source and screen candidates. They will then present a batch for us to begin initial interviews. If a strong candidate emerges, discussions will continue. If not, Shepherd Staff will bring us other candidates to consider. As a Search Team, we are committed to prayer for our partners, Shepherd Staff, during this next phase. Will you please join us in asking that God superintends this process?

Thank you for your support for the use of a search firm as we seek God’s will for our next pastor. We are convinced that using the search firm Shepherd Staff will enhance this process tremendously. Shepherd Staff will send representatives to Beech Haven the weekend of January 8th. Their purpose is to form an opinion about the personality of our church so that they can pursue God’s man accordingly. There will be a church wide forum on Saturday, January 7th at 5:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall to allow you to interact with members of Shepherd Staff. In the meantime, as a Pastor Search Team, we want to hear directly from you. You have supported this process with your prayers and resources. Will you support it further by sharing your perspective with us? We want all members to share with us which characteristics and qualities they believe are important that fall outside the scope of biblical qualification—which are prerequisite. Please participate through this survey. Feel free to reach out to any member of the Pastor Search Team with any questions.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Our prayer from the beginning is that we hear from Jesus and that we obey His Word.  To date, there have been multiple formal meetings and many informal conversations. The majority of our discussions have centered around the possibility of bringing a professional pastor search firm alongside us to assist in this process. Some of the value in doing this includes: 1) Expertise and Experience The best firms have Christian professionals who know this area of church staffing in ways we do not. Their coaching and advice can help us make better decisions.  2) Efficiency Due to their expertise and wide reach across denominational organizations, these firms can help save time and money. While each firm has a process, there is flexibility. The average time frame once a search firm begins, start to finish, is 4-9 months. The average time for a church search committee to complete the process is 18-24 months. 3) Better Communication Their team (along with PST) helps create opportunity for more churchwide input. This collaboration also promotes transparency between church and candidates.  4) Exposure to a Wider Group of Compatible Candidates The firms assess our culture which helps to avoid spending efforts on persons who are not a good fit. Many, if not most, candidates nowadays go through these firms.  5) Candidate Evaluation Process Candidates are evaluated on basic competencies such as beliefs, leadership skills, and communication ability, as well as personal and professional background. They are subjected to exhaustive interviewing and personality profiling. This process is extremely important for a good fit. Historically, these firms have a very high success rate (>95%) and stay committed to Beech Haven even after a candidate is placed.  We have spent significant time in prayer and discussion (with numerous internal and external sources). We unanimously agree to ask that Beech Haven consider asking a search firm to assist us in the process of hiring our next senior pastor AND we have also reached agreement on which firm seems the best fit—Shepherd Staff. At this time, we plan to pass this recommendation on to the decision-making bodies as per our constitution, including the church congregation.  If this recommendation is approved, then a potential timeline is as follows:  Early January 2023----Discovery Weekend (search firm visits Beech Haven and gathers information and conducts meetings and interviews with various groups to get to know us and what we feel we need in our next pastor).  2-4 weeks later----we review and approve (or edit) the church and candidate profile the firm has developed Then, about 6-8 weeks are spent sourcing/screening candidates. PST receives detailed presentation packages on 2-3 highly qualified candidates.  If these candidates are not thought to be adequate, then we can ask for more.  Interviews between the PST and candidates begin.  This process will continue until the PST discerns God has provided the right man to recommend to the church. Feel free to reach out to any member of the PST with any questions. The work is just beginning. We sincerely ask for your prayers, input, and support. Thank you.

Pastor Search Team: