PNC Blog Post 9-15-15

The PNC has narrowed the candidate applications down to our Top 5, and we have closed our MIF, so that no more applications will be received. We’re very excited to say that we have 5 great candidates for the Co-Pastor position. We now look forward to beginning the work of getting to know them better, so that we can determine which one is the best fit for DSPC. The technical work of background checks and calling reference is going on now. Then, the fun part! We are scheduling FaceTime/Skype interviews on September 27^th and October 4^th. We know this will help us get a much better feel for which of these candidates best meet the criteria outlined by you, the Congregation, in our surveys.

We ask that you continue to pray for the PNC – that we keep our minds open, and hear God’s guidance through this important process.

PNC Blog Post September 2015

The PNC met with Pastor Nancy today to discuss her initial review of applications for the position of Co-Pastor. The committee then met on our own to compare her notes with ours, and work toward dividing the candidates into three categories: (A) appears to be a very good match for DSPC, (B) has potential to be a match - worth further review, and (C) does not appear to be a good match for DSPC at this time. We will now re-visit the A & B candidates as we work to determine our short list.

We will meet with our representative from Presbytery on tomorrow 9/13 to present and review the top candidates and move onto the next steps, which includes interviews (on the phone, via Skype, and in-person) and checking references. When we have shortened the list to 2-3 pastors, we will travel to their churches, whenever possible, and bring them here to meet our staff and spend time with the members of the PNC.

As we move into this next, very exciting phase of the process of finding our new Co-Pastor, we ask that you continue with us in joyful prayer, that we clearly hear God's call and follow it.

The PNC
Coy Joyner (Co-Chair), Jennifer Dodson (Co-Chair), Tami Ballard, Ted Keyser, and Herk Johnson.

Blog Post August 2015

The PNC – Pastoral Nominating Committee – is making great progress! The initial tasks of creating the Church Resume (Ministry Information Form – “MIF”) is complete. That portion is time-consuming, but now that it's done, things will start to move quickly. The MIF includes information from the Church Survey that many of you completed, so thank you for taking the time to do that. Your input is critical to this process and very important to the members of the PNC.

Now that the MIF is online at the Presbyterian matching system, candidates that are seeking a Call as Co-Pastor are submitting applications. We already have more than 35 resumes from across the US, and even one from outside of the US!

We want to be sure we re-iterate that this process does not mean Pastor Nancy is leaving DSPC. We are hiring a Co-Pastor. Our congregation has been blessed with tremendous growth over the past year, and we have come to a point where the members and visitors of DSPC will be much better served with the duties of a Pastor mindfully divided between two people. 

As the PNC receives applications, we are carefully and prayerfully reviewing each one to determine which ones merit further review. We will soon begin conducting phone & Skype interviews, watching Sermons from the candidates, and working towards narrowing the field of potential Co-Pastors to the ones we feel are the most ideal fit.

If you have any questions about the process, please check back here to review PNC blog updates, and feel free to ask any of the members of the PNC.

We ask that you please keep us in your prayers as we work to find a Co-Pastor for DSPC.

PNC Synopsis

February 2015

The Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) is meeting weekly and making great progress in the initial steps toward finding our new Co-Pastor! The committee, as elected by the Congregation, consists of Tami Ballard, Jennifer Dodson, Herk Johnson, Coy Joyner & Ted Keyser. Click here to read more about these members.

We wanted to re-cap some of the information that has been published in the DSPC Newsletter, especially to bring new members up to speed. Here is a synopsis of the tasks to be performed by the PNC:

• Complete a Ministry Information Form (MIF), or "dossier" of the church.
  This document includes demographic information & statistics on DSPC, as well as your responses to the survey we recently sent out. This document is extensive and can take more than two months to complete. Once it is ready, the PNC will request approval from the Session and the Presbytery, and then submit it to our National Body - PC (USA) - for distribution to pastors seeking call. The applications submitted by interested pastors seeking call are referred to as "Personal Information Forms" or PIFs.
• Review all PIFs received and make initial contact with qualified candidates.
  Pastors can submit a PIF from anywhere in the world, so we anticipate receiving possibly hundreds of applications. This step of the process will include watching sermons on-line and talking with the candidates by phone.
• Complete reference checks on top candidates.
  PC (USA) completes background checks.
• Schedule face-to-face interviews with top candidates.
  This will involve meetings with Nancy, and watching sermons in-person, ideally at a neutral pulpit.

How you can help:

• Trust God and the process.
• Pray for the PNC as a whole, and the members individually.
• If you know someone that you think should be considered, ask that person to submit their PIF to the DSPC PNC via this link. (Our MIF will not be listed until we complete it and have it approved by the Session and the Presbytery.)

The PNC is obligated to keep information about the candidates confidential, but we will update you as we move through the process. We welcome your questions, which you can ask in-person or via email to: dspc.pnc@gmail.com.

You can learn more about this process by reading "On Calling a Pastor", from the PC (USA) website.

Meet the PNC Members

2015 Dripping Springs Presbyterian Church PNC (Pastor Nominating Committee)

Tami Ballard
Tami, her husband Howard joined Dripping Springs Presbyterian Church in 2008. They have two daughters: Kelsi, a senior, and Kylie, a sophomore - both at Dripping Springs High School. The girls are very involved in the church youth group and mission opportunities. Tami has served as a Deacon at DSPC and currently serves as a member of the DSPC Mission team. Howard, currently serves as an Elder at DSPC. Tami works for Dripping Springs ISD in the department of Learning and Innovation.

Jennifer Dodson
Jennifer and her husband, James, are charter members of DSPC. They have two children: Kayleigh, an 8th grader at DSMS; and Megan, a 5th grader at DSES. Jennifer has served as an Elder at DSPC, Chair of the Community Outreach Committee while on Session, and has organized our Vacation Bible School as well as helped plan many of our Women's & Family Retreats. Jennifer is a meeting planner for HelmsBriscoe and Board President for the Dripping Springs Kids Fun Foundation; a non-profit organization that grew out of a committee within DSPC to help children in our community participate in extracurricular activities when they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it.

Herk Johnson
Herk and his wife Judy have been married for 53 years. They have three children, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. Herk is a charter member of DSPC, has served as an Elder and Deacon at DSPC and is currently a member of the DSPC gardening crew. Herk previously served as an Elder at Shepherd of the Hills and Westlake in Austin. In addition, he served at Bethany in Council Bluffs, Iowa and served on the PNC at Bethany. Herk is a retired educator, having taught junior high science at Council Bluffs Public Schools and Iowa School for the Deaf and serving as Principal at the Nebraska School for the Deaf and the Texas School for the Deaf. He retired from the Texas Education Agency from the Division of Accreditation.

Coy Joyner
Coy, his wife Shannon, and their family joined Dripping Springs Presbyterian in 2012, just after moving to the area from Pflugerville in late 2011. Introduced to Nancy and the DSPC Ministry by his parents, Tommy, an elder, and Carolyn, clerk of the session, DSPC has become a central part of their lives. They have two kids: Connor, a 5th grader, and Madelyn (Maddy), a 1st grader, both at DS Elementary. Coy is a Vice President of Product Management for Q2 eBanking, a financial services software company. Shannon is a frequent volunteer at the kid’s school, and involved in numerous church programs, including Vacation Bible School. In his spare time, Coy enjoys coaching basketball, Following UT sports (Hook ‘Em!), and spending time with good friends.

Ted Keyser
Ted and his wife Leslie moved to Austin from Dallas in 2004 and have lived in Dripping since 2008. After enrolling their children into the preschool program; they joined DSPC in 2010 where Ted is an Elder while Leslie helps with the children’s ministry. 8 year old daughter Jordan and 5 year old son Davis attend Walnut Springs Elementary. Leslie is a Corporate Attorney, and Ted is the Executive Director of Helping Hand Home for Children; one of Austin’s oldest nonprofits in its 122nd year of operation. The Keyser’s live on the west side of DS where they enjoy the active hill country lifestyle of hiking, biking, running and swimming.

Welcome to the DSPC PNC Blog!

Dear DSPC Congregation -

Your (Co-) Pastor Nominating Committee would like to welcome you to our new blog!

First question for many will be "what is a blog?"

A blog (a truncation of the expression weblog) is an informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first).

Next question is "why a blog?"

It is important to all of the PNC members that we share as much as we can about our search for a new co-pastor to work alongside Nancy. A blog is an easy way to do that. We are also considering other ways (ie Town Hall Meetings, brief updates during church service announcements, etc.) and will keep you posted on those.

We're already off to a good start, so check back periodically for updates.

Blessings,
The PNC