(Update from January2009 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
Success - Lynn Erickson has been Called
- In November/December the Call Committee interviewed three candidates ... decided to ask two back for a second interview... after 2nd interviews it was clear that one of these candidates would be the best fit ... CC decided to move forward with the call process at Salem ... on Dec 10th the CC met to finalize the compensation package and the details of the transition.
- Lynn Erickson will be ordained on Saturday, January 24th and Salem will be her first call ... This may sound like we are getting an inexperienced person. However, Lynn has worked in ministry her entire life ...
• Her previous positions have included camp director where supervised 30 plus staff members and ELCA Campus Minister at Marquette University, where she revived a struggling program, trained student leaders, and solidified funding for the program ...
• Prior to attending seminary, she served as Children's Ministry Associate Director at Augustana in West St Paul ...
• Lynn told us that as a pastor she would build relationships, provide pastoral care, lead a vibrant worship, and recruit and develop lay leadership ...
• Lynn is married to Paul Erickson, who is also a pastor and serves in the St. Paul Synod's office. They have two children, David, who is 12, and Sarah, who is 8. She grew up on a farm in Iowa and currently lives in South St. Paul ...
- The CC could not have predicted that the process would have taken so long. The committee reviewed the papers of 21 candidates, interviewed and saw 13 candidates second interviews. We thought we were close twice, but clearly the candidate God had in mind was not ready to come to Salem until now ...
- The congregation will have an opportunity to meet Lynn Erickson on Saturday, January 10th. There will be a 2 hour open house when you can come and learn more about her ...
- The special congregational meeting to vote to call Lynn will be on Sunday, January 11. Please watch the mail and the Sunday service bulletin for details and times.
LS
[Pastor Lynn Erickson's first Sunday is February 1, 2009]
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(Update from December 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- The Call Committee received 3 names from the synod on Wednesday, October 29th ...
- The CC met on Saturday, November 8th and decided to offer all three candidates a first round interview ...
- The CC interviewed these candidates ...
- The CC will meet on December 3rd to decide which of these candidates we would like to bring back for a second interview ...
- The CC also received two names of candidates from the congregation. The synod contacted them on our behalf and only one is currently available for a new call. We reviewed the other candidate's papers and determined that they would not be a good fit for Salem at this time ...
- See the December 2008 Newsletter for more details ...
- Contact the CC Chair if you have questions regarding the call process ...
- Thank you again for your patience and support as we discern God's will for Salem. Your prayers for the call committee and the candidates are greatly appreciated ...
LS
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(Update from November 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- Thursday, October 2nd the committee conducted a second interview with our last candidate from the third round of names that were given to us by the synod ...
- The candidate contacted me on Monday, October 6th to tell me that they decided to withdraw their name from our call process ...
- A Question and Answer session with the congregation to further explain our perspective on the process occurred on Sunday, October 26th during the education hour ...
- The call committee will meet again on Wednesday, October 29th to receive another group of names from the synod ...
- The CC will meet again on Saturday, November 8th to determine which of these candidates we will interview ...
- I will give a report to the congregation on Sunday, November 9th on the process ...
- The call committee is committed to calling the "right" candidate for Salem ...
- Please continue to pray for the Call Committee and the candidates ...
LS
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(Update from October 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- Interviewed two candidates on September 4 and September 7 ...
- One candidate accepted offer of second interview ... earliest this candidate could interview is October 2 ...
- The call committee is committed to calling the "right" candidate for Salem ...
- Please continue to pray for the Call Committee and the candidates ...
LS
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(Update from August 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- One of the two candidates offered a 2nd interview was interviewed ...
- The committee did not vote to extend an offer to this candidate ...
- The call committee was not able to meet in July ...
- The call committee will meet again on Aug 20th to evaluate a new group of candidates offered by the synod ...
- Please continue to keep us and the candidates in your prayers ...
LS
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(Update from July 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- On May 14 the synod gave us four new names of candidates ...
- Three of these candidates were interviewed ...
- We have been listening to these candidates on tape recordings ...
- On June 12, we offered two of the candidates a 2nd interview ...
- Please continue to keep us and the candidates in your prayers ...
LS
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(Update from June 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- On Thurs, May 8th we interviewed a candidate for the second time. When they left, we voted 9/0 to extend a call to this candidate ...
- On Sunday, May 11 this candidate called to inform that they had accepted a call offered by another congregation ...
- On Wednesday, May 14th, we met with Rev. Susan Miller to discuss what had happened. She gave us the names of 4 new candidates ...
- The Call Committee will meet again on May 20th to determine which of these candidates we will interview. We plan to spend the month of June interviewing and listening to the candidates preach ...
- Please continue to keep us and the candidates in your prayers ...
LS
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(Update from May 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- On March 27, 2008, the Call Committee received the names of seven candidates to consider as Salem's next Pastor ...
- Interviews of these candidates took place during April ...
- We visited various locations to see the candidates preach and lead worship on Sundays in April ...
- Next step will be to determine which of the candidates will be asked to return for a second interview ...
- These interviews will take place in early May ...
LS
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(Update from April 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- The Call Committee has spent the month of March preparing to begin the interviewing process ...
- Our job as Call Committee members is to call a Pastor that will serve the entire congregation ...
- The Synod has given us the names of 6 potential candidates ...
- The congregation submitted 6 potential candidates ...
- The Call Committee will begin interviewing candidates in mid-April ...
LS
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(Update from March 2008 - Newsletter)
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News From The Call Committee
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(Some Excerpts:)
- The Call Committee will report monthly on the call process ...
- The call process involves confidentiality ...
- We will be able to tell you that we are interviewing but not whom we are interviewing nor what was discussed ...
- The congregation will be able to submit names of candidates for Pastor ...
- Please pray for each member of the Call Committee that we are able to put aside our own personal desires and to listen to God's will for Salem ...
- Contact any member of the Call Committee with questions ...
LS
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(Update on 18 Jan 2008)
Call Committee Members
(Selected at Congregational Meeting on 13 Jan 2008)
J.R. Berg
LeAnn Bush
Kathy Hanson
Clyde Hause
Beth Martin
Julie Reed
Leanne Schmiesing (Elected Chair)
Johni Wilczyk
Warren Zenk
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(Initial info from Newsletter (PDF) for January 2008)
See also: Call Committee Members
See also: Council Items
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The Call Process
The following information is taken from Salem's Constitution and Bylaws and from the Saint Paul Area Synod's Call Process Manual.
As Lutherans we believe it is our Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Call Process. Many people report that serving on a Call Committee turned out to be one of the most important things they ever did as members of the church. It allowed them to experience first-hand how the Holy Spirit works through committed Christians to help the church be faithful to its calling.
According to Salem's Bylaws, the Call Committee must consist of 9 congregational members.
It is important for the Call Committee to be clear about its task. The foremost question for the Call Committee always is whether this is the person God requires this congregation to have as its pastor. Human preferences and personalities never come before the mission to which God calls the church. That is why every meeting of the Call Committee should include prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the work that is being done.
An ideal Call Process builds on trust, openness and good communication.
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Responsibilities of the Call Committee
- Meet with a Synod staff person to determine the call process.
- Review the existing letter of call and position description.
- Hold closed meetings but keep this congregation as informed of its progress and procedure as possible while maintaining necessary confidentiality of the candidates being considered.
- Determine by consensus of the Call Committee members present at a properly called and publicized meeting, the best pastoral candidate for a position at Salem.
- Recommend a candidate to the congregation.
- Upon the installation of the pastor, the Call Committee will meet as a transition advisory team with the pastor up to three times during the first year.
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Who should be on the Call Committee?
The Call Committee should intentionally reflect the makeup of the congregation. There should be a diverse representation of the following:
- gender
- age
- ethnic/racial identity
- all segments of the ministry of the congregationÐpeople involved in the congregation's mission as represented by the Nurturing Board, Sharing Board, Operating Board
- balance of long-term and newer members
- people from different elements of the congregation
- a variety of contributing styles and gifts
- representation of one member of the Mission Profile Task Force
A Church Council member as a liaison with or without a vote. This person would report back to the Council on the progress of the Call Committee but may not violate the confidences of the Call Committee.
A Call Committee made up of mostly people of one age group or length of membership or any other similarities would be less equipped to represent the congregation.
The over-arching consideration is that this should be a combination of people in whom the congregation has confidence to have the gift of discernment and to not be concerned about their own agenda for the congregation.
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Requirement for participation in the Call Committee
- Be willing and able to commit to regular, sometimes weekly, meetings of the committee
- Be available for up to at least 6 months for that commitment (According to the Synod, the average Call Committee takes about six months.)
- Put the work of the Call Committee ahead of other commitments that might hinder full participation
- Be able to visit other churches to hear potential candidates preach
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After the Call Committee is elected
- The congregational president shall convene the first meeting of the Call Committee. The Call Committee shall select a chair, and other officers, if desired.
- January 14th from 6:00 Ð 9:00 PM at the Synod offices, there will be a Calling, the Called meeting for all congregational representatives involved in the call process. All potential Call Committee members should try to hold that date.
- Susan Miller, our Synod representative, will come to meet with the committee in the first few weeks.
- The Call Committee will need to review the Mission Profile. The Synod will review the Mission Profile and consider that, plus what Susan Miller has learned, to determine names of pastors to recommend to the committee.
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Before the Congregational Meeting on January 13th
- Consider people who might add to the diversity of the Call Committee and to its ability to discern by their presence
- Invite those people to nominate themselves or be nominated.
- Consider whether you want to be nominated for the Call Committee and whether you can fulfill the requirements for membership
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If you have questions about the formation or responsibilities of the Call Committee, please talk with Pastor Marilyn or Kay Tellekson, congregational president.
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