Candidate Week - January 9 - 13

Candidate Week

January  7—12, 2013

Tuesday

7:00PM            Joel to meet with the Deacon Board

Wednesday 

5:30PM            The Lawrence family will be present for Super Supper

7:00PM            The Lawrence children will be attending programs and Joel and Myndi will be available for visiting in the garden room, church library, or just around church

Thursday

7:00PM            Joel to meet with the Board of Stewards

Candidate Sunday

January  13, 2013

9:00AM            Combined adult Sunday School classes meet with Joel Lawrence in lower auditorium for a brief introduction, followed by a time for questions and answers. Questions will be entertained from the floor, but if you prefer, you may submit questions in writing prior to this meeting to Kirby Stoll, in person or by email at krstoll@nwc.edu.

10:30AM            Morning worship

                             Dr. Joel Lawrence preaching

11:45AM            Church business meeting to consider a motion to call Dr. Joel Lawrence to be the next senior pastor of Central Baptist Church.

  

The Voting Process

Voting will be by paper ballot.

Regular voting will take place at the business meeting announced for January 13.

Absentee ballots will be sent out from the church office on     Wednesday, January 9 to any member who has requested one by  telephone (651-646-2751) or email (ssolson@centralbaptistchurch.com). Absentee ballots may be requested by any member who cannot be present on January 13, or who feels that he or she will not be ready to vote on January 13. Absentee ballots must be mailed so as to arrive on or before Friday, January 18.

Votes cast at the business meeting, together with absentee ballots will be counted on Saturday, January 19 so that results can be announced on Sunday morning, January 20.

We must have at least 75 votes to be official. The motion to call Dr. Lawrence as the next senior pastor must be approved by 75% of those voting in order to pass.

For Informational Purposes Only

Though the votes of non-members will not count in the official tally  to approve the next pastor, we are interested in the opinions of          non-members who are regular participants in church activities and encourage their vote; there will be an opportunity for non-members to register their opinion.

Sermons Online

Opportunities to hear Joel Lawrence speak are available on the internet. Recommended are the video sermon from August 19, 2012 and the  audio sermon from March 25, 2012. Check them out here.

Questions?

If you have questions that you would like answered, prior to the Sunday, January 13, please feel free to contact …

Kirby Stoll                 651.261.0761

Wayne Roberts          651.765.2871

Joel Lawrence -- Highlights

Family Snapshot

• Married to Myndi Helm Lawrence since January, 1997
• Children::
• Bethany, age 9;
• Twins Anna and Katherine, age 7;
• Micah, age 4 (although he's soon to turn 5)
• Currently residing in Shoreview, MN

Personal Mission

• The calling of God on my life is to shepherd a vibrant community of Christ-followers to grow up into maturity in Christ through intentional Christian discipleship, and to equip the church to engage the world with the good news of God’s Kingdom reign.  This mission is accomplished through Biblical preaching and teaching, vision casting, one-on-one discipleship, team mentoring, and equipping leaders to fulfill God’s calling in their life and mission.

Gifts / Skills

• Preaching
• Writing
• Vision Casting
• Strategic Thinking
• Relationship Building
• Mentoring
• Discipleship
• Team-oriented shepherd
• Empowering others to lead

Education

• B.A. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX – 1995
• ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX – 2001
• MPhil, Jesus College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England – 2002
• PhD, Jesus College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England – 2007

Strengths (from Clifton Strengths Finder assessment)

• Relator
• Strategic
• Developer
• Ideation
• Context

Personal Character Qualities (others’ perspective of Joel)

• Wise – wisdom beyond his years
• Solid – ordered in his life, his family, a ‘well lived life’
• Approachable – an anchor for people when the world around is feeling unstable
• A thinker – not satisfied with first answers or easy answers
• Presenting information in a way where that people haven’t heard before

Candidate Search Process -- Road to Next Senior Pastor

The PSC reached a decision on Saturday, November 10, 2012 to bring to the Board of Stewards Joel Lawrence. Looking back, there were a number of steps that led to the PSC arriving at this decision.

The CBC Pastoral Profile certainly set the stage for all who showed interest in this position and it served as one test for those who inquired about the position of senior pastor. Each component of the profile—Servant Leadership, Preaching, Urban/Community Focus, and Spiritual Formation—served as the basis for most every point of discussion. The PSC was very blessed to hear from many great people throughout the process.

There were several other documents and steps that aided in this decision making process. The MIBC was able to provide access to the Ministry Placement Network (MPN) assessment on those who made it into our top prospective candidate pool. This document listed spiritual gifts and values as well as a background on the person and a thorough listing of questions and answers on a number of topics.

One of the homegrown tools the PSC utilized during the team interview phase of the process as a series of questions that tied directly to the CBC Pastoral Profile document. Each person included in this phase was able to answer in writing questions we asked of them.

The following items were high on the list of major considerations as the PSC narrowed the field of prospective candidates based on the pastoral profile: 

• Must evidence excitement for the position and pursue Central Baptist Church and this position
• Must demonstrate what is means to honor the heritage of Central Baptist Church and to build all the generations of those who call Central their church
• Must be able to convey the Gospel message in a way that is real and practical to those who hear it
• Must show a commitment to urban ministry in St. Paul’s Midway community and be able to describe what that would look like
• Must have a heart for deep personal and spiritual development
• Must show the ability to raise the visibility of Central Baptist Church to throughout and beyond our community
• Must hold to an egalitarian framework with regard to women in ministry and leadership in the church

The following additional items were of major discussion as the PSC narrowed the focus a select few: 

• There was a desire to have a person whose academic background would allow the church to experience an intentional, challenging, and vibrant worship experience.
• There was a belief that the candidate should have a strong commitment to Christian discipleship and Christian spiritual growth. There should be a strong emphasis on prayer and understanding the Bible.
• Growing the church and attracting new people of all generations should be a focus of the next senior pastor. The skills need to include the capacity to be appreciated by younger people and the courage to try different ways of communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ.

PREACHING RESOURCES for Dr. Joel W. Lawrence

The following are preaching resources for Dr. Joel W. Lawrence. Please feel free to watch or listen to these sermons to get a taste of Joel's preaching gifts.

Video Sermon: 

Calvary Church – Grand Rapids, MI (www.calvarygr.com)

Date:  August 19, 2012

Sermon Title: The Deceiver

http://www.calvarygr.com/sermons/player?id=1054&type=flv

Audio Sermons:

Calvary Church – Roseville, MN | Shoreview, MN (www.calvarychurch.us)

Date:  December 18, 2011

Sermon Title: John’s Gospel: God Comes Near – No.4: The Word Gives Grace

http://www.calvarychurch.us/media/sermons/johns-gospel-god-comes-near-no.-4-the-word-gives-grace

Date:  March 25, 2012

Sermon Title: John’s Gospel: Come and See – No.23: The Crucifixion

http://www.calvarychurch.us/media/sermons/johns-gospel-come-and-see-no.23-the-crucifixion

Date:  March 11, 2012

Sermon Title: John’s Gospel: Come and See – No.21: The Denial

http://www.calvarychurch.us/media/sermons/johns-gospel-come-and-see-no.-21-the-denial1

Date:  March 18, 2012

Sermon Title: John’s Gospel: Come and See – No.22: The Criminal King

http://www.calvarychurch.us/media/sermons/johns-gospel-come-and-see-no.-22-the-criminal-king1

Please feel free to contact Kirby Stoll, chair of the CBC Pastoral Search Committee if you have any questions. krstoll@nwc.edu OR 651.261.0761

INTRODUCING ... the Joel and Myndi Lawrence Family

The Pastoral Search Committee of Central Baptist Church is proud to announce that Joel Lawrence is being recommended to the Board of Stewards to be the next senior pastor of Central Baptist Church.

Joel and his family currently reside in the Shoreview, MN area and excitedly anticipate moving into Saint Paul sometime in 2013, pending the Call.

Joel and Myndi have four children, three girls and one boy. Bethany is the oldest at nearly 9 years of age, followed by twins Anna and Katherine who are 7. Micah is five and is good at getting into his sisters’ stuff.

Joel has been the lead teaching pastor at Calvary Church’s (Roseville, MN) north campus for the past four years. He has also served as associate professor of Theology at Bethel Seminary from 2005 to the present. Joel is excited to transition to where he feels most called—to be the shepherd of God’s flock as senior pastor of Central. They have a heart for people and most days/nights their home is filled with kids and families from around the community.

GREAT NEWS! Approved Candidate for the next Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church

The Pastoral Search Committee met with the Central Baptist Church Board of Stewards on Monday November 19, 2012, to bring before the board a recommendation for the candidate for Senior Pastor. Dr. Joel W. Lawrence was introduced on paper and after a lengthy presentation and discussion, the recommendation to have Joel as the candidate for senior pastor was unanimously approved by the Board. The approved candidate was then announced at the Annual Meeting of the church on Sunday, November 25.

More information on Joel Lawrence and family will be provided in the next blog post.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support through this search process.

Kirby R. Stoll, Chair
CBC Pastoral Search Committee

Name Submission Process

Central is currently conducting a search for our next senior pastor. The following profile is intended to attract someone who will honor the past—our heritage—and bring vision for the future: someone who will be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring people to the eternal salvation found only through HIM!

Please consider who you might think fits these key elements. Please use the other side of this insert to write in your suggestion OR go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pscnamerequest. You have until Sunday, June 24 to submit your suggestions. THANKS! The PSC