Discernment Team
January 2024
As a team discerning God’s plan for our church, we are entering the second phase of our search process. We open ourselves to God in prayer and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Even as we are discerning our future, so will the candidates for rector be prayerfully discerning what God wants for them.
The Rev. Canon Doris Westfall, Canon to the Ordinary, has responsibility for clergy recruitment under the auspices of the Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of Missouri. She provides guidance and faithful support to Grace and to other congregations seeking clergy leadership.
Our Vestry has charged the Discernment Team to present one candidate for their approval. Our overarching goal is to discern the best candidate to present to the Vestry. After prayerful discernment, the Vestry will call the new rector.
The Vestry has named the Discernment Team to take responsibility for the search for Grace's next rector. The team is led by Lyn Ballard (chair) and Dick Entenmann (vice-chair). The Vestry has assured that the team represents the full congregation in age, family structure, economic background, and involvement in parish activities. Team members are Lindsay Amen, Lyn Ballard, Dianne Casey, Kathy Davis, Dick Entenmann, Mike Gibbons, Mike Heyer, Lesley Hoffarth, Jackie Johnson, Yvonne Johnson, Janet Mika, Andy Miller, Brent VanConia, and Jenn Wethington.
Anne Schmidt, continues as our search consultant. She is our advisor on the logistics of the process. She manages communications with the Church’s Office of Transitional Ministry and the Diocese of Missouri. She advises the Discernment Team on best practices to ensure consensus at each major decision and throughout the discernment processes.
The Rev. Susan Skinner is our team chaplain. She reminds all of us that the meaning of “calling a Rector” is something much more profound than the process of hiring a person for a leadership role.
Discernment is a gift from God. It includes reason and prudence, and it goes beyond the practical, work-a-day level of judgment to envision a glimpse of the plan God has for us. Our transitional time has not been for resting, it has been filled with energy and lively conversations about who Jesus is in our lives, who we are for each other, and what God is calling us to be for our community and the world.
One of the most important things each of us can do is to pray for God's guidance as we go forward.
Be sure to read the Parish Profile on this website.January 2024
