Dear Beloved Alleluia! Family,

It is with great excitement and anticipation that the Call Committee presents Pastor Joel Vander Wal as the candidate to be the next pastor at Alleluia! We firmly believe that Pastor Joel is the right person to guide our congregation, and we voted unanimously in favor of this call. 

The congregational vote on extending the call to Pastor Joel will take place on March 17. We ask that until that date you continue to respect the confidentiality of the process. Please do not share news of his candidacy by posting on social media or by seeking out mutual connections—we do not want any news to get back to members of his congregation before he has had a chance to tell them himself.

If you had the chance to meet Pastor Joel on March 3, you were probably struck as we were by how personable and caring he is. We were continually impressed by his warmth and genuine interest in our congregation, and by the way he effortlessly connected with all ages, including youth. We believe his dynamic and relatable approach will spark enthusiasm and engagement.

Pastor Joel’s spiritual leadership is rooted not just in knowledge but in a deep, personal understanding of scripture. His sermons are not just inspiring; they challenge us to grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with God.

He envisions a church that actively engages with the community. His commitment to outreach aligns seamlessly with our mission of enabling all “to come, connect, and commit to Jesus.” We are excited about the potential for meaningful impact on our community as we work together to serve and uplift those around us.

Youth have always been a critical part of Alleluia! and the committee is confident this will be an area of skill and focus for Pastor Joel from day one. His current position is as pastor for faith formation. His involvement and experience with a Christian preschool will bring new ideas for growth and innovation. He indicated a desire to have weekly dialogue with the classes and to get to know teachers and parents as well as children.

Throughout the search process, Pastor Joel’s collaborative and inclusive spirit stood out. He values the input of the congregation and seeks to work alongside all members to discern God’s will for our church. His humility and openness to different perspectives are qualities we believe will strengthen our faith community. 

He did his homework and was well prepared for the initial interview and every discussion thereafter. He knew in his heart Alleluia! was the home for him and his family.

The committee recognizes that there will be a learning curve for Pastor Joel in that this will be his first time in the role of lead pastor. However, Alleluia! has a strong support team to answer questions, and Pastor Joel has his own set of mentors to provide counsel when needed.

The journey to find the right leader for Alleluia! started in the summer of 2022. The committee screened literally hundreds of pastors, which was followed in the spring of 2023 with interviews and hosted visits with selected candidates. While each candidate had strengths, Pastor Joel emerged out of our reflection and prayer as the one most fitting for our congregation both at this time and for the future.

As we approach the vote on March 17, we invite you to a prayerful consideration of Pastor Joel’s call. We believe wholeheartedly that with your support we are embarking on an exciting new chapter filled with blessings and growth for our beloved Alleluia! May the Holy Spirit guide our hearts and minds as we collectively make this decision. 

With love in Christ,

The Alleluia! Call Committee,

April Blair, Deb Bostjancic, Kelly Cunningham, Kristin Doonan, Kerry Hunnius (chair), Rick Jasien, Caroline Ramirez, Mike Vrba, Matt White

The Call Committee continues its search for the Lead Pastor. We have spent the summer months working closely with the Bishop's office to find candidates. We have begun interviewing candidates and brought one candidate in for several in-person interviews. However, at this point we continue to search for someone more closely aligned to the mission of Alleluia! We are sorting through candidates presented by the synod, and we have expanded our search to include other candidates. The assistant to the Bishop is helping us sort through the candidates to find the best matches for our church. We ask for your continued prayers and patience in this process.

The Call Committee continues to search and interview potential pastors for the Lead Pastor position.  As we continue on this journey, we have established a set of minimum criteria in order to proceed through the process.  The next slate of candidates appears to be very promising, but will take time.  For balanced perspective, the number of pastors retiring annually far exceeds the number of new pastors being ordained.   

What we need from the congregation is to continue to come to worship, participate in activities, and pray that when we find the right Lead Pastor we can showcase how wonderful Alleluia! is.

We provide the following information in response to questions regarding the Ministry Site Profile (MSP).  Last October we surveyed the congregation regarding what they felt to be the most important ministry tasks and gifts for a new senior pastor.  The results are listed below:

Ministry Tasks   

1. Evangelism/Mission
   
2. Financial Management
   
3. Preaching/Worship
   
4. Building a sense of community
5. Conflict management

Ministry Gifts   

1. Help people develop their spiritual lives
   
2. Build a sense of community among those with whom they work
   
3. Be an effective communicator
   
4. Deal effectively with conflict
   
5. Be able to share leadership and work as a team
   

Additional Helpful Ministry Gifts   

• Provide care and nurture
  
• Be active in visitation of members and non-members
  
• Be an effective administrator
  
• Work regularly in the development of stewardship growth
  
• Bring joy and good humor to relationships
  

• Ministry Site Profile is completed and posted
• Candidate slate is being prepared by ELCA Synod
• Call Committee is preparing process and materials for interviewing candidates with initial interviews commencing in April