Some Thoughts on My Interview Experience (Another Update)

As most of you know, I have been interviewing with Charles Town Baptist Church. Things have been going well and I hope to have some "official" news to share in the near future. What I would like to do is share some of the things that has stuck out to me the most as I have gone through this process.

1. Pastor Brian and the team truly cares about me. One of the things that Pastor Brian has made clear is that, if I am called to join the ministry team, he wants me to be in ministry for the long haul. He has told me that he will be working closely with me to make sure that I am not burning out and that I am not growing tired of ministry. He said that he will mentor me and make sure that I am sustaining and taking care of myself.
   
2. Pastor Brian and the team truly care about the health of my family. As we have been discussing things, one thing that keeps popping up over and over is to make sure that I am taking care of my family. With so many marriages in our society ending in divorce, it is clear that they do not want my marriage to become a casualty as well.
   
3. Pastor Brian and I have a similar vision. Without a common vision, the team would be incompatible. We both have a desire to see people come to Christ and develop into true disciples. This means that we love them, even if they (horror of horrors) don't believe the same things we do. We will love them and treat them as family, praying for them, and sharing our faith in the hope that they will come to a knowledge of Christ. Someone can belong before they believe.
   

As I said, I am praying for the process and hope to have "official" news to share sometime in the future. Right now, I am encouraged and blessed by the folks that I have met and look forward to what the future will hold for me, my family, Charles Town Baptist, and the families of Jefferson County.

Reflections on My Interview

After months of prayer, I was finally called for an interview at a church. During my interview, I met with three members of the search committee and the pastor. It was a bit grueling, but somewhat enjoyable. Here are some of my reflections based on my experience.

1. You can never know what to expect. I asked a number of people what kinds of questions I could expect to be asked. Guess what? None of those questions got asked. I got asked all kinds of questions, but none that I truly expected.
   
2. No matter how prepared you might be, you will freeze under the pressure. When you are in the spotlight, your brain will freeze up. Questions that should be easy to answer are suddenly difficult. The only thing you can do is trust that God is providing you with the correct answers.
   
3. The people interviewing are great people. Even though they may not smile a lot and ask you some really tough questions, those interviewing you have your best interest and the interest of the church in mind. They truly desire God's will for the church and for you.
   

Those are my experiences from the interview that I participated in. I am trusting that God will see this through to the end. But whether I am hired or not, I am grateful for the opportunity to have gone through this process.