Updates

Some of the folks in the early service have voiced displeasure at not having a welcoming time. We’ll put it back BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP! It’s awkward when we ask you to greet one another and a guest gets ignored. Often guests will sit in the back, near the outside corner, or at the front corner and get overlooked. On the other hand, it’s also awkward IF the only time a guest gets welcomed is during the welcoming time. Many years ago Judy and I visited a church where no one knew us. They advertised being “the friendliest church in town.” From our perspective they were guilty of false advertising. Oh, they WERE friendly with one another, but not with new folks. The only time anyone spoke to us was during the welcoming time, but these greetings were not backed up by any other indication they really cared we were there. We arrived early and stayed late and not a single person spoke to us, expect during the welcome time. WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN AT BACON HEIGHTS. A “staged” welcoming time will never be as powerful as the spontaneous welcoming when a person first walks in the door or lingers when the worship time is over.  

Many are wondering why we have not formed a Pastor Search Committee, a very valid question. It’s really a matter of the timing of Jerry’s departure and BHBC’s lack of experience in selecting pastors. When the original plan was put in place, BHBC was a much smaller church with only one worship service on Sunday mornings. Members knew each other. Now we have dual services with the early one being comprised of mostly older members and the late service made up of mostly younger members. Some of the older members have registered concerns over the Pastor Search Committee being made up of only people from the early service. They want the Committee to be representative of the whole church. Because of summer vacations and activities, we’ve not been able to assemble a quorum of the Personnel Committee and Church Council to develop plans to present to you, the Church Body, for selecting the Pastor Search Committee. We have called for a joint meeting on Sunday afternoon, August 10, at 2:00, in the hope that a two week notice will allow folks the time to make some scheduling adjustments and we can have a quorum present.

In the meantime, pray God’s choice of members for the Search Team be our choice as well. Pray for the man God has already chosen to be our next pastor. He’ll be coming to a great church with a bright future. We need him to come and provide the leadership to make our best days to be ahead of us.

(Judy and I leave Lubbock early--very early--Saturday morning and head to East Asia. If you have any interest in reading about our trip, I'll be posting on another blog I have. That address is:

        www.tumbler1.blogspot.com

See you in a few days.)

Search Team Selection

If you have read my previous post detailing the lack of direction for selecting a Search Team, then you know we have work to do before taking nominations. With the summer schedule in full-force, we've had a challenge assembling a quorum of folks who could work on a plan to present to you, the Church Body.

We're scheduling a joint Church Council and Personnel Committee meeting on Sunday afternoon, August 10, at 2:00.  We're hoping that by giving at least a two week notice we can have a quorum present.

If it seems to you that we are being overly cautions in getting a Search Team assembled, then you are accurate in your observation. The calling of a pastor is one of the most important actions a church can take. We will treat it with the importance and detail-watching this process deserves.

My role during this time is to provide support to the Council and Personnel Committee. I'll work with and for them as much as they need. Once a Search Team is selected, I'll call them together (because someone has to) and assist them in selecting a Chair. Once that is done, I'm out of the picture. From that moment on, I'll only know what they tell all of us. I'm also accepting the resumes that are now coming in and responding to the ones sending the resumes to let them know we have received their resume and our process.

In the meantime, pray for the man God has already chosen to be our pastor. Pray for us to find him in God's timing. Pray for Bacon Heights to continue to advance the Kingdom of God.

Software Pain

Bacon Heights is undergoing a change in church management software. For those of you who have lived through software changes, you can sympathize with our staff. If you've never been through such a change, you are probably asking, "So, what's the big deal?"

The big deal has to do with getting the new software to work, or in getting us to adapt to how it works. At times we've had both issues to work through. The repercussions are affecting you, the tithing Church Member. We've not been able to process your donations for the last few weeks. (The money is safely secured and we have cash reserves for such a time as this.) That's why your checks have not cleared your bank.

Later this week we will process our donations and get that money in the bank. Life will be good around the office once we get the glitches worked out. We WILL enjoy the benefits of the new AND we WILL survive the transition. Until then, please be patient with us. Our staff is working long, long hours to get this transition done.

Debt Free in Less Than 3

Yesterday morning (July 16, 2014) I took a check to Lubbock National Bank for the outstanding balance on our construction loan. Even though the loan had been arranged much earlier, we didn't activate it until May of 2012. Prior to that date we paid cash.

We arranged for a 15 year loan with a 7 year fixed rate. Due to your faithful giving, and the sale of our South Campus, we are DEBT FREE IN LESS THAN THREE years. Actually, it was about 26 months that we were in debt. Oh, what a joy to be debt free.

We need to celebrate that we were able to do a $2.7 million project and have any debt totally paid in 26 months. The sale of the land pushed us over the top, AND, we will be able to bank a little over a half-million dollars for Phase 2 of our long-term plan, which is a second floor over the preschool area.

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our construction fund. Your faithful giving provided for about $2.4 million of the money used in construction. The land had been paid for by the faithful giving of our BHBC family about 13 years ago. In reality all of the construction costs were paid by the sacrifices of our members, past and present. To God be the glory for providing through His people.

We will celebrate being debt free this Sunday night, following the ordination of Jeffrey Smith. Last Sunday I announced we'd have a note burning ceremony but I think a note shredding ceremony might be safer and just as effective. Hope you will be here for the ordination, brief (very brief) business meeting and the note shredding ceremony. Bring food and we'll party.

Search Team Thoughts

Clearly BHBC has not had to search for a pastor very often, so the process is not clearly defined.  We can only find the following directive from our by-laws: ARTICLE III CHURCH OFFICEERS, Section 2. Pastor and Church Staff Ministers, Paragraph A. Call and Election: The church shall call a pastor whenever a vacancy occurs….A search committee composed of not fewer than five members shall be elected at-large to seek out a pastor or church staff minister. The chairman of the deacons and the chairperson of the personnel committee shall be ex-officio members.

Our by-laws state, under Article X, CHURCH BUSINESS, Section 4. Parliamentary Procedures: Parliamentary procedures shall be guided by the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order or by other procedures as may be prescribed by the church.

Robert’s Rules of Order clearly state, in regards to ex-officio members, Without exception, ex-officio members of boards and committee have exactly the same rights and privileges as do all other members, including, of course, the right to vote. There are, however, two instances (only 2) in which ex-officio members are not counted in determining the number required for a quorum or in determining whether or not a quorum is present. (Neither exception applies in this case.)

In researching our by-laws, there is no exception provided for ex-officio members that would prevent them from voting. Therefore, the chairmen of the deacons and personnel committee ARE voting members of the Pastor Search Committee.

During the 2002 search, the Personnel Committee decided to exclude all persons who receive a salary from the Personnel Line Item of the budget. (As an aside; Merle Scott served on the Search Committee. Technically, she didn’t receive a salary from BHBC but did have insurance benefits paid by BHBC.) When Gib Weaver, then Chairman of the Personnel Committee, made the announcement of the Search Committee on Feb. 3, 2002, the following notes were recorded: The following are members of the committee: the top 7 vote getters who passed stewardship and membership requirements are on the committee, the next two are alternates (who will participate in all meetings, but not vote or have any say so, and will not travel, but they will be aware of the proceedings should someone drop out). The chairman of the personnel committee and the chairman of the deacons are ex-officio members. The minutes contained the names of the 7 members and 2 alternatives, but did not name the two ex-officio members.

If Robert’s Rules of Order was followed, then the 2002 Search Committee had 9 members and 2 alternates.

The nominating form that was used in 2002 contained the names of the two ex-officio members, then 7 lines for members to submit names. On the back was a listing of the members deemed ineligible to serve by virtue of either receiving a pay check from BHBC OR being the spouse of a paid employee.

In a called meeting of the Church Council on June 15, 2014, while discussing the impending sale of the South Campus, the question arose about the demographics of the Search Committee. The Council is greatly concerned that the whole church be represented on the Committee. One comment was made that large Sunday school classes could potentially select the Committee. The majority opinion expressed at that time was we need good representation from the younger membership of BHBC.  Another stated large classes would need to “police” themselves to make sure they were not filling all the slots on the Search Committee. One suggestion was to have one-half of the committee from each of the two worship times. 

Here's the bottom line as I see it. We still have a few details to work out as we begin the pastor selection process. The challenge has been the timing of Jerry's resignation coming at the beginning of summer. Just as soon as we can get the Church Council and Personnel Committee members in town we can work on the details and present a plan of action for your approval. Please don't think we're ignoring this or deliberately delaying the process, we just have plans for form and need as many people as possible to be involved.

In the meantime, continue to pray for our new pastor and for God to reveal to us who he is and in God's perfect timing.