Seeking an Associate

Welcome to St Philips today. 30 of the ladies are away on retreat.  Their theme for the weekend is “Making Disciples”, which sounds like a “Jesus” thing to be doing.  They are at New Norcia, which will be cold, I imagine. I want to update you on our search for an Associate Minister. I have invited the Nominators – they are your elected representatives charged with finding a new Vicar, should you need one.  But I have invited the Nominators,  to perform the extra duty, to help find an Associate Minister.  These are busy people, but Peter Pratten, Toni Ollis and Paul Manley have kindly agreed to work with me on this. The benefit to me is, the more good people keeping the momentum up the better! Peter has considerable experience in finding Heads of Schools.  He has introduced us to a light weight but comprehensive 4 Stage process.  Interested people are asked to write a short essay on their view of where “church” is headed.  The Nominators narrow the field from this and invite Stage 2 people to short answer 10 questions in writing. This narrows things down a bit more.  Stage 3 is a phone interview and Stage 4 is an “in person” visit to St Philips. We want to hear God, honour applicants and do everything in our power to “get it right”.  This is a big step, for them and for us.  Margaret Armitage sent advertisements to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide this week.  Please pray for those who respond, please pray for the Nominators as they read responses and discern their sense of applicants and for Brenda Hogg, who in her inimitable “servant” style, has agreed to oversee the administrative process. Jesus chose people by living near them, watching them and inviting them into a challenge and a new adventure.  In a way, we are doing the same thing.  The process is a bit different but both Jesus and St Philips need to go aside and pray that what we do in good faith will fulfil the purposes of God.  This imperative of prayer is where you can join us.  Expect regular updates. By the way!  There might be topics you’d like me to muse about.  If so send me an email or ask me at church. In The AdventureMalcolm