The NPC Mission Study Taskforce, which was commissioned in May last year, has almost finished the church’s Mission Study Report – a document which describes Nacoochee Presbyterian Church, its history and current functioning, and summarizes all that was learned during the 2022 Mission Study, both from the churchwide survey and from the eight listening sessions held in November.
The draft document is currently 24 pages in length, and was written by all members of the Mission Study Taskforce. Jennifer Thomas wrote the summary of the Holy Cow ! survey results; I summarized what was learned from the listening sessions; Elizabeth Crittenden contributed a newly-documented, thorough history of the church; and Johnny Bailey and Gordon Fowler summarized our current functioning and community and church demographics.
Mike Coleman has recently edited the draft and improved it considerably, transforming it into a story which flows seamlessly from beginning to end.
Once final edits are incorporated in the next week, the report will be submitted to the Northeast Georgia Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry (COM) to be reviewed and hopefully approved at its March 9th meeting. Once approved, the document will be shared on the NPC website, and copies will be made available at the church for those who would prefer reading it on paper.
The most exciting aspect of the completion and approval of the Mission Study is that the church is then ready to elect the Pulpit Nominating Committee (PNC), which will undertake the search for the next Installed Pastor of Nacoochee Presbyterian Church. So, if you, or someone you know in the church, would, in your opinion, be a good addition to the PNC, please let one of our Nominating Committee members know in the next few weeks, as they will begin to meet soon to discuss whom to nominate to serve in this very important capacity. The Nominating Committee for 2023 is made up of Karen Brown, Jill Crunkleton, Jennifer Herrera, Cheri Luhn, and Kathie Meaders.
It is a long and detailed process that a Presbyterian church goes through to identify and call a new pastor, but much progress has been made at NPC, and I would estimate, based on the experience of other churches, that we are about halfway there.
As always, if you have questions about the process, please contact me by phone or email. I will be happy to answer your questions or to find answers for you, if I don’t have them readily available. My phone number is 706-499-8074. You can reach me by email at revteresafranklin@gmail.com.
Blessings,
Teresa