Candidating (part #2)...

Our meeting last night with the search committe went very well. In total we spent almost 4 hours with them chatting, asking questions, answering questions and just getting to know them.

There's nothing too crazy to mention, but it sure is fun to see how different typres of people ask different types of questions. We were also well prepared for them with some of our own:

• What are your expectations of me?
• What would a succesful youth ministry look like 12 months from now?
• What's a typical week look like?
• How does the leadership structure currently look?
• Give a little more history on the youth ministry.
• What is ecpected in terms of numerical and spirtual growth?
• What do typical youth events look like?
• What will i be involved in outside of the youth ministry? What can I be involved in?

There were more, but with all the questions I've answered and asked in the 24 hours, I can't remember some of them. But all in all, it went very well. i left feeling that we had articulated ourselves well and that they had done a good job in presenting us with teh facts. They were open and honest and that is a good thing.

This morning we headed out to SOA Church to have lunch with the pastoral staff and the elder's board. What was supposed to be a 35 minute trip turned into 45-50 minutes due to the never ending lake that is falling from the skies out here. And let's not forget the firetruck holding up traffic in our lane.

So we arrived late...not a good start, but they seemed fairly forgiving.

As we ate we were able to talk with a few pastors. We only had about 30 minutes before they kicked all the staff out. Then the fun began. The elders had a good number of questions on our personal history and stories, how we came to work with students, why it is we left our last church, where our priorities are, how we would handle certain hypothetical situations, what we would start doing if we were hitred, where we would live...whew...and that's only part of them.

We were also given time to ask away and I think it showed them that we aren't just jumping into anything. We have questions and expectations too.

• What are you expectations of me? Of my wife?
• What would a succesful youth ministry look like in 12 months?
• How would you define a healthy youth ministry?
• What's the youth ministry budget?
• How do you as elders protect, care for support your pastors?
• Talk about salary, days off, holiday time.
• How much time and money is there for professional development?
• How much time and money is there for further education?
• How do board meetings function?
• Who do I report to?

And there were likely a few more. We went back and forth for a couple of hours and then it seemed time to call it a day. Again, I left feeling that I explained myself well and shared my heart. I believe they were able to see who we are and what we are about: loving god and loving students.

I don't think they were prepared for as many indepth questiosn from us. In fact, they are looking into a couple of things and have said that they will get back to me with the details.

So far we are very satisfied with the way things have been going, but we also relize that we're missing a few significant pieces of information before we can appropriately make a decision. But I imagine they still need to know a bit more about us.

That day was a blur...but that seems normal for candidating.