Church Information Form Pilgrim Congregational Church

Search Committee Information
Date Posted:	3/28/2008
Last Modified:	07/14/2009
Name of Chairperson:	Joe Witcpalek
Address:	5025 Kelsey Lane
City, State, and Zip :	Clarkston, MI 48348
Work Phone:
Home Phone:	(248) 628-5093
Fax:
Email:	witcpalek@att.net
Name of Corresponding Secretary:	Donald B. Colliver
Address:	480 Madison
City, State, and Zip :	Birmingham. MI 48009
Work Phone:
Home Phone:	(248) 647-7512
Email:	dcolliver480@comcast.net
Number of Members on Search Committee:	7

Concerning the Vacancy
Position(s) Open:	Senior Minister Assistant Minister Minister of Youth Associate Minister Director of Christian Education Other: Part-time Senior Minister
This position is: An existing position
List duties of the position or a job description: - On Sundays: one worship service: leadership, sermon - Officiate at weddings and funerals - Keep posted office hours, which may include counseling, visitation - Work with church Boards and Committees, church secretary, Director of Music Other Duties might include: - Teach Teen Sunday School Class - lead/co-lead Pilgrim Fellowship (teen)meetings - General counseling, when needed - Ministerial community activities - Involvement with local, Michigan, and Nat'l Assoc CCC - Availability for emergency calls This position is currently about 30 hours per week; with the expectation that it will grow to a full-time position.
Indicate any special training or certification required:
Indicate and special skills required:
What does the church consider to be the most important attributes of a pastor? (Indicate where you place your priority on each point) PREACHING AND WORSHIP Top High Med Low Effectiveness as a worship leader   X     Well organized sermon content     X   Effective Delivery X       Effective use of Scripture in preaching X       Preaching which deals with personal issues   X     Preaching which deals with social issues     X   PASTORAL CARE Top High Med Low Ability to help people develop spiritual life X       Ability as a counselor   X     Effectiveness in dealing with crises     X   Maintains confidentiality     X   CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Top High Med Low Commitment to education ministry   X     Ability to teach     X   Ability to train teachers       X ADMINISTRATION Top High Med Low Effective administrator       X Ability to work in team relationships       X Effective promotion of stewardship       X Effective recruitment of new members X       Skill in planning and leading programs       X Ability to recruit and promote lay leadership     X   Ability to work with boards and committes     X   Ability to supervise others       X Understanding of church finances       X PERSONAL Top High Med Low Personal integrity X       Maturity       X Sensitivity to others' feelings     X   Ability to communicate personal faith     X   Effective role model   X     Ability to deal with conflict         Leadership         GENERAL Top High Med Low Commitment to the Congregational Way         Concern for Christian missions         Creative Planning

Salary, Fringe Benefits
Salary
	Base Cash Salary: (do not include value of parsonage or housing allowance)	$35,000 - $38,000 total compensation
Parsonage
	Is Parsonage Provided?	No
	If no parsonage, what dollar allowance is made for housing?	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Fair rental value of parsonage:	N/A
	How far from church is the parsonage?	N/A
Additional allocations for the ministry:
	Moving Expenses:	Negotiable
	Automobile Expenses:	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Professional Expenses:	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Parsonage Expenses:	N/A
	Retirement Fund:	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Continuing Education:	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Travel to conferences:	Negotiable
	Hospital and Med. Insurance:	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Family Protection Plan:	Negotiable - included in compensation
	Disability (Salary Continuance):	Negotiable - included in compensation
What policy do you have for reviewing the ministers' salary? Annually Explain: Part of the yearly budgetting process the minister's compensation package is evaluated. The compensation package is divided between salaray and additional benefits as the Minister desires.
What is the length of vacation granted?		Negotiable
Do you make provision for study leave or for other continuing education on a regular basis?   Explain: Negotiable
Do you provide for sabbatical leave?   Explain: Negotiable

Local Church Programming
Is your church a member of the NACCC?		Yes
Is your church a member of a state association or fellowship?		Yes
Which state association or fellowship?		Michigan Conference of Congregational Christian Churches, SE Michigan Assoc of Congregational Christian Churches
List the active boards, committees and organizations of your church: Name Of Group Group Size Purpose go to attachment
Total Number of Church Members
	Number of active members: 56
	Number of active families: 30
	Number of members in each age category: Under 20 20-39 40-59 60+ 7 16 33 36
	Average attendance (Sunday worship): September to June: 40 June through August: 40
	Occupations (what percentage of membership): Business 9 Clerical 1 Laborer 5 Professional 22.5 Homemaker 6 Skilled Trades 0 Farming 0 Student 17.5 Retired 39 Other
Church School Numbers:
	Total enrollment of the church school:	25
	Average attendance September to June:	25
	Are church school classes held in summer?	No
	Curriculum being used:	Youth - Standard Publishing 52 Week Bible Journey, Teens (custom using a Lucado book), Adult various bible studies
	Education programs for adults: Type of program Long/Short Term Attendance Sunday School Long Term 5-10 Bible Study Long Term 5-10 Soup, Bread & Books Short Term 5-10 Lenten Study Short Term 5-10
List the five most significant and meaningful programs or events in your church in the last two years: Special church events: In-Gathering dinner, Christmas Eve service, potlucks, Pentecost Music program: integration of service music and worship theme, Music Makers (annual children's musical), Ring 'n Sing (children's choir, 2-8gr) Worship service: Christ-centered, adherence to Scripture, lay participation Sunday School/Children: commitment to youth, Children's Message, special opportunites for children VBS Program: good community outreach, Music Makers (children's musical)
Youth Organizations: Type Age Group Total enrollment Average Attendance Pilgrim Fellowship Teens   4-6 Children's Church Elementary 10 10 VBS Elementary   50-70 Music Makers (Bible-based Musical) 3rd-8th   20-40
How many from your church have gone into full-time Christian vocations in the last ten years?		3

Theological Position of the Church

On each of the following statements, choose one out of the three possible words that best identifies your congregation. Most for the majority, Some for a division or Few if it is a minority. Most Some Few     X   All faiths have statements about God which are true. X     Jesus was born of a virgin and is the expressed visible image of God. X     Jesus is the fullest expression of God possible for human beings. X     Religious beliefs relate to every facet of our lives.     X Religious should remain seperate from secular affairs. X     Salvation is possible only through Christ.   X   God's salvation is available to all persons whether or not they are Christians.   X   The Bible is without error and is inspired Word of God.   X   The Bible should be interpreted in the light of modern scholarship. X     Satan is a real presence in the world today.   X   Evil and suffering in the world are solely the result of human willfulness. X     The true nature of God is expressed only through the Trinity - the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.   X   The Holy Spirit is an active presence of God made known in Spiritual gifts, i.e. speaking in tongues, prophecy, etc. X     Prayer has the power to change the world. X     Prayer is the primary means of achieving enough strength to accept reality. X     God speaks personally to us and directs out daily lives.   X   Evolution and the Biblical account of creation are compatible with each other.

Thinking of the faith and religious beliefs of the majority of the members of your church, mark on the continuum the theological position of your church: Conservative     X               Liberal

Comments on the theological position of your church: Pilgrim Congregational Church is a Christ-centered body of believers, led by God's Word and Spirit to love, honor and serve Him; to love each other and to reach out to others in the example of Jesus. We do this by our active commitment to: worship, spiritual growth, ministry through praying, serving, teaching, sharing, helping, outreach and stewardship.

Include a statement of the Theological and Biblical position which your committee feels would be representative of the church members. Pilgrim Congregational Church is a Christian Church. As such, its members accept the Scriptures as their authority in matters of faith and practice. They hold to themselves, as individuals, the right of interpretation of the Scriptures and accept the responsibility, as individuals, of nurturing a strong and abiding Christian faith within themselves and among all with whom they come into contact, and further, of working as they are capable for the glorification of God and the extension of Christian faith throughout the world.

Your church covenant: We covenant with the Lord and one with another and do bind ourselves in the Presence of God to walk together in all His ways according as He is pleased to reveal Himself unto us in His Blessed Word of Truth.

Buildings and Facilities
How old are your church buildings:	Sanctuary-44 yrs; Ed Wing-30 yrs
Are they adequate?	Yes
Are they in good repair?	Yes
How many persons does the sanctuary seat?	200
Briefly describe the church building (include information about educational and recreational facilities) 3 small Sunday School classrooms on main floor; also a library-choir room-meeting room on main floor. Lower level, Fellowship Hall can be used for classrooms and child care.
Is there a private study for the minister?	Yes
Do you have any plans regarding the buildings? No Explain:
Does the church own the parsonage?	No
How old is it?	N/A
How many rooms?	N/A
How many bathrooms?	N/A
Is it in good repair?
Briefly describe the parsonage:

Church Financial Data
Sources of income (past five years) Year Pledges and Contributions Interest Rentals and Fees Other 2005 98,587 723 8405 4320 2004 107,612 378 7200 4887 2003 102,375 724 est 7000 4815
Savings:	77,000
Endowments:	none
What is your total operating budget?	112,000
Benevolence Budget?	5% of undesignsted plate receipts
Describe methods used to underwrite the budget:
Expenses (past five years): Year NACCC General Fund NACCC Other Funds Other Benevolences Operating Expenses Cap. Exp. & Debt Retire 2005 760 4457 4320 108,784   2004 1000 1727 4887 105,290   2003 1000 1360 4815 101,176   2002 1000 2470 5635     2001 1000 2596 6292
List paid positions in your church: Full Time Part Time   Music Director   Secretary

Community Information
Nature of community in which church is located:	Suburban
Population of town or city:	3860
Population of area served:	120000
Is your community growing in population?
Is church membership gaining or losing in the community?   Reasons: The community and church membership is fairly constant (neither growing or declining). This is pretty typical in the area due to the transient population.
Other churches in the community (list representative ones): 150 Christian Churches (Roman Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, etc.) within a 5 mile radius.
Church with the largest membership:	Kensington Community Church
Describe any situation existing in your church or community that might require particular skills on the part of the minister? None
Briefly describe your public school system: Many very good districts in the area (Troy, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester,etc.) are all districts the church has members. These are outstanding college prep school districts.
Number of private schools in the area:	Many
Percentage of the community student population in private school:
List the institution(s) of higher education in the area: Many in the area including: Oakland University Central Michigan University (local branch) Michigan State University (local branch) Rochester College Eastern Michigan University Wayne State University University of Detroit Mercy William Tyndale College Walsh College Center for Creative Studies University of Michigan Univerisity of Phoenix Lawerence Technilogical University Baker College Several Local Community Colleges
List the important businesses and/or industries in the community: Auto industry and suppliers High Tech Jobs Retail
What are the factors that make your community desirable? Good Public and Private Schools Cultural and Entertainment activities (Art and Science Museums, Theatres, Music Venues, zoo etc.) Major Sports Nearby to Canada (another country) Outdoor activites/natural (skiing, hiking, swimming)
List the chief problems facing your community: Economic

Cooperation in Community and with Other Churches
Does your church share in fellowship through Association and Conference meetings?	Yes
Describe: Member of NACCC, Michigan Chapter and Southeast Michigan Chapters
What community groups meet in your church? Narcotics Annonymous River Church
To what extent do you expect your minister to cooperate with and take leadership in community activities: As time allows and there is interest, the minister can participate. In the past, we have participated in the Community Good Friday Service (choirs sing and Minister preaches) and Thanksgiving service.
To what extent do you expect your minister to accept positions on National Association and/or local conferences and Association boards and committees? We support this, but this depends on the minister's interest. A previous minister held several positions in the NA. We support this as the minister desires.
...in camping programs: A previous minister was a camp director/counselor; we support this as the minister desires.
Describe your relationship with churches of other denominations in your community, with councils of churches, and/or other interdenominational groups: Cordial and supportive. We have participated in the community Good Friday Service Other Christian Churches have (and continue) to meet in the building we have been provided.

Goals of your Church

What definitive hopes and objectives does your congregation have for the next year: Pilgrim's goal for 2009 is to support each other while searching for a new pastor and to encourage lay leadership.

...for the next five years Long term goals include: growth in membership spiritual growth continue strong on-going programs integrate new minister

Are your members ready to consider changes in their purpose and program to achieve these objectives: yes

Any other information you feel will be helpful: (Attach latest annual report and budget to the congregation, if available.) We worship in an informal, joyful manner. We accept people as they are, respecting and treasuring our differences. We teach and preach the truth and lessons of Scripture. Communion is served to all Christians. We share our pulpit with ministers, lay speakers, missionaries, and educators from many denominations. We are happy to accommodate non-members for wedding ceremonies, baptisms, funerals and other events as needed. Our minister serves with us, encouraging and modeling worship, witness, and service. Church members assist the minister in leading worship each week. Our service includes a children's message. Childcare is provided for all ages during the service. A children's service is conducted in the fellowship hall during part of the regular service. Additional information can be found at our website: http://www.pilgrimcongchurch.org

Conflict
Churches experience conflict at various times. Please identify your church's experience with conflict given the following possibilities. Indicate the extent to which each statement describes your church
Closely	As a church, we respect and listen to each other and work things through without generating divisiveness.
Not at all	As a church, we try to respect and listen to each other, but it is not uncommon for differences of opinion to be a problem and for some people to choose sides.
Not at all	Some have left our church because of conflict.
Not at all	Conflict hurts our sense of unity, but we tend to not talk about it.
Not at all	Painful experience with conflict has been present, but it has been worked through and we have learned from the experience.
Not at all	We have had some painful experiences with conflict, and they linger in the background.
Not at all	Open conflict is present, and we need a minister who can help us deal with it.

Relationship with Prior Leaders
Characterize your church's experience with pastoral leaders over the last 10 years
Yes	We have had a solid relationship with persons involving pastoral leadership.
No	We have had some fairly rocky moments, but we have worked them through, and relationships with pastoral leaders have grown in significant and important ways.
No	We have had some tough times and things did not always work out.
Indicate the tenure of the last three installed persons who filled the position you are seeking to fill. Do not include interims:
Name From To Jack Brown 1978 2005 Joe Hutchison 2007 2007
If a previous minister is currently a member of the church, describe his or her role in the life of the congregation: N/A
In addition to financial support, describe how your church supported the most recent person to hold the position you are now seeking to fill: Embraced ideas of the previous minister to modify the worship/building. Provided emotional support as he was going through some problems in his personal life. He ultimately decided to resign, though.
Involuntary Terminations: Have any of the last three persons serving the position you are seeking to fill left involuntarily or under pressure? Yes
	If yes, respond to the following: Choose all of the issues that may have contributed to the termination: No Conflict of personalities in the church No Inadequate performance No Pastoral style inappropriate for this church Yes Other, Specify inappropriate behavior over 30 years ago Indicate, if you can, which of the following best describe the congregation's behavior toward that person prior to his/her leaving. You may select more than one: Yes Civil Yes Supportive No Harsh/Indifferent Describe what your church has learned from the experience about itself and its relationship with persons who provided ministerial leadership: God will provide
Does the church have a pastoral relations committee? No
If there is a periodic assessment of the nature of the work and of the performance of that work for the position you are seeking to fill, describe it: Yes, the Board of Deacons reviews with the Minister on a yearly basis.