Where we have been, where we are now & where we are going

Dear LTCC Family,

Last December we introduced “Pause, Affirm, Restore and Resume” to describe a path forward during a time of transition here at LTCC.  It outlines our intention to work sequentially through a series of phases:

  • Pause our Sr. Pastor succession process.

  • Affirm our leaders.

  • Restore relationships, trust, and church unity through prayer and petitions.  Examine church governance structures, leaning on outside help as needed.

  • Resume our Sr. Pastor succession when restoration is progressing well. 

We paused our Sr. Pastor succession process last December and we affirmed our leaders in January.  

In March we announced our intention to partner with Interim Pastor Ministries (IPM) as a major step to assist us with our Restore phase.  The interim pastor will:

  • Fill the pulpit on a consistent basis.

  • Provide pastoral care during our transition.

  • Guide and advise us in a church assessment and a review of our church governing structure and processes.

  • Guide and advise us in our Sr. Pastor search process once it resumes.

  • Help onboard the new pastor to a thriving church family.

IPM is 2 weeks into a search process for our interim pastor and we are encouraged by the latest report of preliminary search results.  As IPM works through their search process, the elders and deacons are meeting twice monthly to work through matters of church governance in preparation for our time with a pastor from IPM.  This is the work we described in February where we would focus on matters of:

  • Elder led church governance structure.

  • Plurality of elders governance structure.

  • Nomination and affirmation of elders and deacons.

  • Reporting structures for elders, deacons, and church staff.

While the elders and deacons are working through these items we invite you to play a role in it as well.  Many of you have provided feedback over the last few months and it has provided great insight.  To take it a step further, we are holding interactive sessions we’re calling “Family Forums”.  These will be informal sessions for leadership to provide brief updates, but mostly to hear your thoughts and questions, and talk through the answers as best we can. Our first one is this Sunday at 12pm.  You can check out the church calendar for additional Family Forums that are scheduled.

 

They say it takes seven times to effectively communicate a message.  Maybe we all are tired of hearing about Pause, Affirm, Restore, and Resume?  Perhaps!  But we thank you for your patience as we repeat ourselves often so that everyone in our church family can be informed and aware of how God is working through this process and how we can continue to pray for His guiding hand as we pursue His will together. 

Perry,
on behalf of the elders and deacons

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Perry Maxfield