Progress Report – Hiring a Director of Worship
Many of you are aware that we are in the process of searching for Elmhurst CRC’s first-ever full-time Director of Worship. The job description is made up of roles that, in the past, have been faithfully staffed by the likes of Doug Bardolph, Angela Buikema, Judy Doot, Marve Wolterstorff, Maria Vos, and Caryn Rivadeneira. What a cast of incredible characters that is!
Subsequent to Doug Bardolph’s retirement from his part-time Contemporary Worship Leader role in August, our Personnel Team published a Director of Worship job description in early October and have since received more than 30 applicants for the position. The first-round interviews via ZOOM have been completed, and we’ve narrowed the field down to a handful of finalists that will be interviewed in person in December.
A hiring team consisting of several Elders, staff members, and the Personnel Team, will be working hard through this holiday season on our behalf to keep the process moving forward. That’s dedication! The fruit of this labor will soon be visible in Sunday morning worship services between December 31, 2023 (the final worship service of the year) and the end of January, as the top three candidates (at minimum) for the position will have the opportunity to participate and lead music in our midst.
I hope that it will be a blessing to our congregation to be led by a series of gifted, qualified candidates for this significant hire. I also hope that hosting our applicants gives us an opportunity as a congregation to show genuine hospitality and appreciation, even if only one of the candidates is going to get the job! I trust that this will also help us build excitement in our community for what is going to be a significant hire and enhancement to our worship life together. We’re moving in a direction toward staffing our church to more fully inhabit our vision to grow in a three-dimensional life in following Jesus: Up, In, and Out. We already have an all-star leader in the Outward direction in Pastor Jeff, as he irresistibly pushes us into greater Christian service and witness. Having a full-time person leading the Upward journey into deeper, more spiritually vital worship will be a game-changer for us in 2024.
While a final recommendation for this position will rest in the hands of the hiring team, this will be a decision that impacts virtually everybody in our congregation, and it’s only right for us to be part of the process. While there won’t be a congregational vote about this, we do have the joyful job of enjoying the variety of gifts that our candidates possess and blessing them with our full, heartfelt participation when we’re together in worship.
I know it’s Advent season, the countdown to Christmas, but I’m also gleefully counting down the days till our hiring team is able to make a final decision – Lord willing by the end of January, 2024!
Join me in praying for God’s Spirit to guide us and connect the dots that we cannot even see!
Pastor Gregg