An update from our Steering Committee regarding nominations and searching for new committee members; news about searching for an interim pastor as well as plans for forming a temporary Theological Discernment & Ministry team.
First, we would like to call attention to the upcoming listening circles which were mentioned in the interruption email last week. These are a space to process this season of transition for our church with facilitation from Credence & Co. These circles will be held on December 6th and January 5th- you can find more details and register through the Planning Center App. The Steering Committee will also be hosting its next office hour the evening of December 15th- this is a space to share and ask questions in a small group setting with two steering committee members, looking ahead to what is next for our community. Register here.
Second, we would like to share a specific need in our church. There is a need for further support in the children’s ministry to lighten Melodie’s load, as she has been working above and beyond her role duties in these last weeks. We are grateful to Melodie for continuing to support this need for the interim, but we would ask that if this is an area you would be available to support, that you please reach out to the Steering Committee or staff. If this particular role is not a fit for you but you would be available to support during this season of transition in a different capacity, we encourage you to connect with the SC or staff- we welcome your support!
Third, it is that time of year where we open nominations for new SC members! If you have giftings in areas such as strategic visioning and board experience, or know of someone in our congregation who does, and would like to step into a role of leadership in our community, please send along a nomination to us at sc@elevationwaterloo.org. If you have questions about what the role involves, please feel free to reach out! We will be gathering nominations until December 30th and would love to hear from you!
Finally, as we continue to vision what is next for our community, we would like to share some broad strokes of where we are headed in the coming weeks:
Please know that you can reach out to the SC anytime at sc@elevationwaterloo.org.
When a pastor leaves a congregation, congregants can experience a diversity of feelings and questions. This is especially true when a long-time pastor finishes at a congregation. Given this reality, Elevation has invited Credence and Co. to lead two listening circles for all from Elevation who wish to participate. Listening circles are led prayerfully. Participants are provided with an opportunity to share the impact on them of the changes at Elevation. The intention of the listening circles is to build understanding, deepen trust, and nurture hope. Listening circles allow congregants to release the past and turn toward the future.
December 6, 7:30 – 9:30pm (virtual)
January (date and time to be decided)
LEAD PASTOR TRANSITION FAQ
What prompted the governance changes that the Steering Committee proposed to the congregation?
Based on feedback from staff and members of the congregation over the last few years, the Steering Committee (SC) and Staff Partnership Committee (SPC) realized that the governance model on which Elevation was built was no longer serving a congregation of our size, maturity and diversity. It was becoming more and more evident that we need more than one voice to be heard at a leadership level, and to find ways to fully make use of the gifts people were offering in service to Elevation. Through feedback from people who had previously worked or volunteered, it was determined that changes would help us thrive and grow in the coming decades. From there, the SC commissioned Credence & Co to conduct a review and provide recommendations for moving forward. Credence & Co is a local team of consultants who provide services in the areas of leadership development and organizational culture.
Why was the Credence & Co report requested in the first place?
Before starting the hiring process of new staff in spring 2020, the Staff Partnership Committee conducted a review of past employee experiences and determined that employee retention was an area requiring improvement. One of the suggestions put forward to remedy this was for a third party consultant to review our governance and staff structure before bringing new people on board. In addition, Elevation had grown from a small student church to a larger, family-oriented community. The SC wanted to ensure that the governance and staff management structure matched the size of the church.
What work went into the recommendations that the SC presented to the congregation?
What challenges come with a Founders’ Model of leadership? Why is it so bad for the lead pastor to have a significant voice?
The Founder’s Model gives the founder or senior leader in an organization a strong voice and decision making authority at the highest leadership level. Although this model has advantages when an organization is small, there are challenges with it when the organization grows. Through the evaluation by Credence & Co, it was determined that the Founder’s Model in place at Elevation created a structure in which the lead pastor’s voice was often the only one being heard. Despite having a leadership team in the SC and various volunteer teams, communication and decision-making rested solely with the lead pastor. This is not sustainable for the leader or congregation, especially for a church of Elevation’s size. One of the objectives of the governance recommendations presented to the congregation is to shift away from a culture where the lead pastor has the only significant voice, to one that shares the responsibility of leadership across a team of people.
How will the Steering Committee ensure transparency throughout the governance changes?
There are confidential matters in any organization that are not appropriate to share more widely. For Elevation, these are the responsibility of the SC to manage in a respectful, thorough, wise, and professional manner. The SC is committed to transparency with the congregation wherever necessary and possible. The SC is committed to providing the congregation with updates throughout the transition process. Members of the congregation are encouraged to contact the SC at sc@elevationwaterloo.org with any questions or concerns they may have.
How have the staff been impacted by these changes and this news?
The Staff Partnership Committee (SPC) is a subcommittee of the SC. Their role has always been to provide support to the staff. Each employee has a representative on the committee that they can communicate with, and the SPC works together to handle broader staff issues. Both SC and the SPC are committed to our staff team, and have communicated our trust in them and their ability to continue their work. We will be working closely with the staff team in this transition period, leaning on them heavily for their support in navigating next steps and soliciting input from them on how we can support them and improve the Elevation employee experience.
Did the Steering Committee ask Brandon to leave? Did they expect he might leave?
Brandon has been involved throughout the process of reviewing and determining the governance changes; his voice and opinions have been valued. All of the work and planning the SC has done was with the intention of creating a healthy structure for Brandon to remain as the Lead Pastor of Elevation for the foreseeable future. At no point did the SC suggest, or even anticipate, that Brandon would decide to leave.
Why couldn’t the Steering Committee just work with Brandon over the next little while and see if the new model could in fact work?
When Brandon first contacted the SC about his departure, we asked whether there was anything we could do to support him in staying on staff. The SC offered to provide outside coaching or counselling if that would support his continued work in the lead pastor role. However, Brandon had come to the decision that this was in the best interest of Elevation and himself.
What is the SC doing now to get us through this transition period?
The SC has never navigated this kind of thing before, but we are confident in our ability to move forward together as a church and to thrive. We are getting support from other pastors, our membership with the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, advice from Credence & Co, and many volunteers. There are also resources through the Jesus Collective that we can make use of and we will be looking into what other kinds of support we can get. Together with these resources, we’re making steady progress towards our new future. The SC has committed to a standing weekly meeting where we will pray together, address congregation questions and concerns, and plan necessary action. Our plan is to update the church regularly on where we are in the process.
Are we going to have a new lead pastor?
Elevation has always done things a little differently, and we are looking at different models of shared leadership, which might include a team of pastors with various portfolios rather than a single lead pastor. Our team is currently considering hiring an Interim Lead Pastor to take us through this transition period.
Does this mean that the core values of Elevation will change?
These next 12 months are going to be a time of transition in governance and staff structure at Elevation, but we do not expect that our core values will change; these are our foundation and remain a stable cornerstone for decision-making and visioning. We value the voices of our congregation, and will continue to invite anyone that is called in service to join us in our work. We will be asking for your input and insights as we go forward, and our hope is that any decisions we have to make around core values will be directly informed by this. We invite your suggestions, your concerns, and most of all, your prayers. Elevation exists to serve God and we continue to believe that He is guiding us and taking us where we are meant to go.
When will we discuss the governance changes next and address unanswered questions?
While the SC still intends to move forward with the process of updating our governance structure, our focus now is on a healthy transition for Elevation and Brandon. Once many of the more urgent details of the next couple months are figured out, we will resume the work we’ve started, which will include sharing more information about the process and decisions.
What can I do to help Elevation during this time?
The greatest thing any of us can do is pray. We believe that God is with us, and is answering those prayers, taking Elevation down the path we’re meant to go. Aside from prayer, we ask you to engage with us and with the community. Participate in your Neighbours groups, email us at sc@elevationwaterloo.org with thoughts, comments, and concerns, and if you have the desire, join our teams that will be doing the important work to keep Elevation thriving. We are thankful you are with us.
How is Brandon being supported during this time?
Brandon will be working with Elevation until the end of November. We are committed to supporting him as he finishes well, and to providing financial support to the Malos as Brandon transitions to new work. A celebration of Brandon’s ministry with Elevation is being planned and there will be more details to come.
LEAD PASTOR TRANSITION FAQ
What prompted the governance changes that the Steering Committee proposed to the congregation?
Based on feedback from staff and members of the congregation over the last few years, the Steering Committee (SC) and Staff Partnership Committee (SPC) realized that the governance model on which Elevation was built was no longer serving a congregation of our size, maturity and diversity. It was becoming more and more evident that we need more than one voice to be heard at a leadership level, and to find ways to fully make use of the gifts people were offering in service to Elevation. Through feedback from people who had previously worked or volunteered, it was determined that changes would help us thrive and grow in the coming decades. From there, the SC commissioned Credence & Co to conduct a review and provide recommendations for moving forward. Credence & Co is a local team of consultants who provide services in the areas of leadership development and organizational culture.
Why was the Credence & Co report requested in the first place?
Before starting the hiring process of new staff in spring 2020, the Staff Partnership Committee conducted a review of past employee experiences and determined that employee retention was an area requiring improvement. One of the suggestions put forward to remedy this was for a third party consultant to review our governance and staff structure before bringing new people on board. In addition, Elevation had grown from a small student church to a larger, family-oriented community. The SC wanted to ensure that the governance and staff management structure matched the size of the church.
What work went into the recommendations that the SC presented to the congregation?
What challenges come with a Founders’ Model of leadership? Why is it so bad for the lead pastor to have a significant voice?
The Founder’s Model gives the founder or senior leader in an organization a strong voice and decision making authority at the highest leadership level. Although this model has advantages when an organization is small, there are challenges with it when the organization grows. Through the evaluation by Credence & Co, it was determined that the Founder’s Model in place at Elevation created a structure in which the lead pastor’s voice was often the only one being heard. Despite having a leadership team in the SC and various volunteer teams, communication and decision-making rested solely with the lead pastor. This is not sustainable for the leader or congregation, especially for a church of Elevation’s size. One of the objectives of the governance recommendations presented to the congregation is to shift away from a culture where the lead pastor has the only significant voice, to one that shares the responsibility of leadership across a team of people.
How will the Steering Committee ensure transparency throughout the governance changes?
There are confidential matters in any organization that are not appropriate to share more widely. For Elevation, these are the responsibility of the SC to manage in a respectful, thorough, wise, and professional manner. The SC is committed to transparency with the congregation wherever necessary and possible. The SC is committed to providing the congregation with updates throughout the transition process. Members of the congregation are encouraged to contact the SC at sc@elevationwaterloo.org with any questions or concerns they may have.
How have the staff been impacted by these changes and this news?
The Staff Partnership Committee (SPC) is a subcommittee of the SC. Their role has always been to provide support to the staff. Each employee has a representative on the committee that they can communicate with, and the SPC works together to handle broader staff issues. Both SC and the SPC are committed to our staff team, and have communicated our trust in them and their ability to continue their work. We will be working closely with the staff team in this transition period, leaning on them heavily for their support in navigating next steps and soliciting input from them on how we can support them and improve the Elevation employee experience.
Did the Steering Committee ask Brandon to leave? Did they expect he might leave?
Brandon has been involved throughout the process of reviewing and determining the governance changes; his voice and opinions have been valued. All of the work and planning the SC has done was with the intention of creating a healthy structure for Brandon to remain as the Lead Pastor of Elevation for the foreseeable future. At no point did the SC suggest, or even anticipate, that Brandon would decide to leave.
Why couldn’t the Steering Committee just work with Brandon over the next little while and see if the new model could in fact work?
When Brandon first contacted the SC about his departure, we asked whether there was anything we could do to support him in staying on staff. The SC offered to provide outside coaching or counselling if that would support his continued work in the lead pastor role. However, Brandon had come to the decision that this was in the best interest of Elevation and himself.
What is the SC doing now to get us through this transition period?
The SC has never navigated this kind of thing before, but we are confident in our ability to move forward together as a church and to thrive. We are getting support from other pastors, our membership with the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, advice from Credence & Co, and many volunteers. There are also resources through the Jesus Collective that we can make use of and we will be looking into what other kinds of support we can get. Together with these resources, we’re making steady progress towards our new future. The SC has committed to a standing weekly meeting where we will pray together, address congregation questions and concerns, and plan necessary action. Our plan is to update the church regularly on where we are in the process.
Are we going to have a new lead pastor?
Elevation has always done things a little differently, and we are looking at different models of shared leadership, which might include a team of pastors with various portfolios rather than a single lead pastor. Our team is currently considering hiring an Interim Lead Pastor to take us through this transition period.
Does this mean that the core values of Elevation will change?
These next 12 months are going to be a time of transition in governance and staff structure at Elevation, but we do not expect that our core values will change; these are our foundation and remain a stable cornerstone for decision-making and visioning. We value the voices of our congregation, and will continue to invite anyone that is called in service to join us in our work. We will be asking for your input and insights as we go forward, and our hope is that any decisions we have to make around core values will be directly informed by this. We invite your suggestions, your concerns, and most of all, your prayers. Elevation exists to serve God and we continue to believe that He is guiding us and taking us where we are meant to go.
When will we discuss the governance changes next and address unanswered questions?
While the SC still intends to move forward with the process of updating our governance structure, our focus now is on a healthy transition for Elevation and Brandon. Once many of the more urgent details of the next couple months are figured out, we will resume the work we’ve started, which will include sharing more information about the process and decisions.
What can I do to help Elevation during this time?
The greatest thing any of us can do is pray. We believe that God is with us, and is answering those prayers, taking Elevation down the path we’re meant to go. Aside from prayer, we ask you to engage with us and with the community. Participate in your Neighbours groups, email us at sc@elevationwaterloo.org with thoughts, comments, and concerns, and if you have the desire, join our teams that will be doing the important work to keep Elevation thriving. We are thankful you are with us.
How is Brandon being supported during this time?
Brandon will be working with Elevation until the end of November. We are committed to supporting him as he finishes well, and to providing financial support to the Malos as Brandon transitions to new work. A celebration of Brandon’s ministry with Elevation is being planned and there will be more details to come.
Elevation is a young, vibrant church in Waterloo, Ontario, where students, families, and people of all ages gather to celebrate God and the journey of life. We are currently searching for someone to join our pastoral team with a portfolio of Families and Children.
OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:
The Member of the Pastoral Team: Families and Children will assume primary responsibility for big-picture thinking while also attending to small details. A successful applicant will have a deep love for children, good volunteer management skills, and a strong sense of ministry to the spiritual lives of children and families. This is a highly relational job that requires strong communication skills and organizational abilities. More details will be provided for those applicants who are invited to interview for the role.
The position of Member of Pastoral Team: Families & Children is a part-time (20 hour per week) role and will begin as a one-year contract. It is our hope that this contract will transition into a permanent position, however, in light of the uncertain times we’re navigating in response to COVID-19, we will be evaluating the needs of our church over the course of the year and recognize there may be a need to alter the role as circumstances change.
Applicants should visit our website and become familiar with our Key Values, Theological Commitment, and Unity in Diversity. To express your interest in joining our team, send your application to hiring@elevationwaterloo.org.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Elevation’s Hiring Team