On Sunday, September 18th, we had a Friends and Family Breakfast Meeting. During the meeting portion, Pastor Buck shared with us 4 new things that are happening or that we hope to happen soon at CTK. If you were unable to attend, we invite you to watch the video recording here. You can also see the FAQ that Buck answers in the video printed below.
BECOMING A PARTICULAR CHURCH
What is a Mission Church?
A mission church is distinguished from a particular church in that it has no permanent governing body, and thus must be governed or supervised by others. However, its goal is to mature and be organized as a particular church as soon as this can be done decently and in good order.
How is CTK currently being led?
CTK is governed by a provisional leadership team provided by the Georgia Foothills Presbytery. The current provisional leadership team is composed of six elders from our local geographic area. Three of these elders currently attend CTK, including the lead pastor.
How does CTK become a “particular” church?
CTK must appoint and install its own elders to become a particular church.
How does CTK appoint elders?
Our provisional leadership team has nominated a group of qualified candidates from our congregation. These candidates are currently being trained and vetted to serve as elders. After their training and examination, the candidates will be presented to the congregation for election.
How have the elder candidates been selected by the provisional leadership?
The men currently selected have all previously served as elders in PCA churches and have already been “eldering” (shepherding and stewarding vision) at CTK in formal and informal ways. These men are all biblically qualified, love Jesus deeply, and are aligned with the mission, vision and values of CTK. They have all expressed a willingness to be considered and have committed to pray toward serving as the first elder team at CTK.
When will the elder candidates be presented to the congregation?
We hope for these candidates to be introduced to the congregation by the end of 2022 and to schedule an election sometime in the first quarter of 2023.
Will this be the way elders will continue to be elected in the future?
No. Once CTK particularizes, the congregation will then nominate future elder candidates. They will then be vetted, trained, and examined by the CTK elders. Then they will go before the congregation for election.
How will the congregation participate in the election of this first group of elders?
• PRAY – We would ask the church to pray throughout this process for God to confirm the right men to serve as elders at CTK.
• PARTICIPATE – After the elder candidates are finalized and nominated by the provisional leadership team, we will introduce them to the congregation. This will be done through a series of interviews in worship and other gatherings so that the church can get to know them better. After a time of introduction, CTK will then hold an election for these elders.
• PARTY – After the election, our church and our friends from the presbytery will have a special worship service to install all the elected elders and officially become a particular church. We will then have a party and celebrate this new season of our church life together!
ASSISTANT PASTOR SEARCH
What is an assistant pastor?
An assistant pastor is an ordained elder called by the CTK leadership team to serve in a particular role as a pastor of the church. He is an employee of church but called by the church leaders (elders) instead of the congregation.
Why is CTK searching for an assistant pastor?
In the fall of 2021, our provisional leaders determined that we should begin this process for two reasons: First, the church was growing at a rate where we believed that the lead pastor and staff needed additional full-time help. Second, the provisional leaders wanted a minister who would help CTK grow specifically in the areas of mercy and missions.
What kind of assistant pastor is CTK seeking?
This position is for a Pastor of Teams and Outreach. This new minister would pastorally oversee all CTK’s ministry teams and lead in the areas of outreach, specifically mercy and missions. These roles are our greatest needs heading into our next season and compliment the gifts of the lead pastor.
How will this assistant pastor be selected and hired?
The provisional leadership team is conducting the search and will hire the minister. Some important qualifications for this position are: experience in teams leadership, experience in the areas of mercy and mission, and compatibility with the lead pastor. The provisional leadership is currently looking at some local candidates, but, if the search is widened, we will announce an opportunity to accept resumes.
What is the timeline to hire this assistant pastor?
We would like to hire this position as soon as possible.
How will the congregation participate in the call of this assistant pastor?
We ask that the congregation pray for the provisional leadership team and lead pastor as they continue to search for this pastor. Pray that God would provide a quick path to this new pastor, and that he would be a delight to our congregation.
COMMUNICATIONS
How will CTK’s church communications change this fall?
This fall our church will begin to communicate within the Church Center app. This will become the primary way we will communicate about community groups, ministry teams, and volunteering.
Why are we making this change?
As our church grows, the Church Center app will allow us more security and provide us easier systems to communicate and volunteer. It also allows our ministry teams to more easily schedule families to serve and avoid conflicts. This system also provides a church directory for our congregation (you can choose what information you’d like published) and allows much easier access to our podcast, livestream, resource pages and giving portal. Our hope is to use the app for all internal communication and volunteer scheduling by the end of the year.
Will there be any other communications changes?
We will also begin to pass blue sign-in books in our service and phasing out the use of QR codes to gain information from guests. We will be asking all congregants to sign in each week so that we will be able to better track attendance and have an improved chance of identifying and communicating with guests.
FINANCIAL GIVING
Is the way we give financially to CTK changing?
Yes. Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) has processed our online giving in our startup years. Within the next month, RUF will cease to process online funds and we will be transitioning to a new giving portal.
When do I need to transition my giving from RUF to the new portal?
Immediately. RUF will receive our donations for the remainder of September but will then no longer accept donations for CTK. If you give online, you will need to end your giving to RUF and begin your giving via the new portal immediately. If you have given to CTK in the past, you or your spouse should have received an email with detailed instructions about how to the switch.
If I give by check, will anything change?
You can still give by check in the offering basket each week, but if you mail checks the address will change. The new mailing address for checks is 5923 Riverwood Drive, Braselton GA 30517.
How does a transition like this normally affect churches?
If congregants switch their giving over without delay, it will have little effect. But if congregants wait too long, forget, or do not sign up to give by the new method, tens of thousands of dollars in regular giving can be lost in a transition.