Please know that we are open to your thoughts, suggestions, concerns, and questions regarding our pastor search. Feel free to contact us at anytime during this process. Click here to send us an email.

Update August 21, 2008

The Search Team met this past Monday to begin our search process anew.  We posted the job description and request on two new job sites within the Southern Baptist denomination and, within a week, we had over 60 resumes to pile through.  During our meeting last Monday we divided the resumes up into groups of who were the individuals most qualified for the job, and which were not.  We determined from there, which candidates we might like to look into further.  We will be meeting again next week to further discuss these candidates and see if we want to move to the next step with any of them.

We realize this task is daunting, but we ask for your continued prayer and support in this process.  We know you have heard it many times that God has already picked out who He wants to lead our church, but we would just ask that you continue to hold confident in that fact and that you would lift up the search team as we try to discern who that person should be.

Also, remember that if anyone has any input that they would like to contribute, please use the email link above. We want to hear from you.

Update July 23, 2008

The search team met on July 14th to begin the search process afresh.  The team is currently reviewing resumes and extending our search to a wider audience.  Please remember to pray for wisdom for our search team during this time.  We have entrusted them with an important task and they need our full support.   

Update July 8, 2008

To Harvest Community Church Members and Attendees:

We would like to take the opportunity to communicate to the body of Harvest about some of the things that have happened so far in our Senior Pastor Search process. 

The search process was initiated when the Stewards asked eight members of Harvest if they would serve on the search team, they are: Jennifer Gaskill, Teresa Syrios, Beckie Hoglund, Erik Mills, David Smirl, Jack Thomas, Jack Kirkham, and Craig Lawrence.  These members were selected due to various skills and talents as well as being part of a cross section of the church and having different ministry interests. 

We examined the traits that would be desirable in a Senior Pastor and also developed a list of responsibilities a Senior Pastor would have and this is part of the criteria that the search team has used to screen prospective candidates.

The search team has worked well together, been very dedicated to the task at hand, and has done exactly what has been asked of them so far in this process. We have sought out unity in all decisions; we have prayerfully sought out the Lord’s will in the search process.  We have acted in a careful and deliberate manner when examining resumes and considering potential candidates. 

To date we prayerfully considered a number of candidates brought to us by people familiar with Harvest and people who have had contact with past members and staff. We were very encouraged that people who recommended candidates to Harvest had nothing but good things to say about our church.

We recently had candidate Brian Nystrom and his wife Gay make the trip to Eugene to get to know them and for them to know the Harvest family.  It was a fast paced and full weekend for them and also for a lot of the members of the Search team, Church Staff, and the Stewards.  Although the Nystroms chose to go in a different direction we had some very positive things come out of that weekend. 

We reaffirmed that God is leading the process and timing of the search and selection of the person that God is raising up to be our next Senior Pastor.  We have had a renewed interest in prayer for the church body, prayer for unity in the church, prayer for whoever God sends to us to be our next shepherd.

We saw that the body of the church has high interest in seeing who might be the next Senior Pastor.  We determined that through discussion with the body of Harvest that Brian and Gay’s visit awakened a need to confirm that we were indeed a biblically based church; that we live out what is taught us in scripture.  We also brought out of this experience the need to be sure that the leadership of the church is focused on seeking God’s will in all decisions.

The next phase of the search process is about to begin, we will widen our scope to include several Western states.  The amount of candidates is expected to increase as the scope increases, so we ask that you pray for guidance from God for the Search Team to make his choice clearly discernable for the Search Team, the Stewards, the Church Staff, and for the membership of Harvest when they are presented with the candidate.

So far this search process has gone smoothly . . . it is just not over yet.  Rest assured, God is firmly in control.  We ask that you would join us in praying for the unity of our church during this time.  Please pray for wisdom for the search team as we recognize the importance of this task.

May God bless you all,

Harvest Stewards