November 18, 2022

Dear Grace Commons family,

Let me begin by wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving. Carrie and I will be here until Thanksgiving morning when we will fly to be with our son in Portland for a few days. Below you will find some key updates impacting the life and ministries of Grace Commons ranging from details concerning an important Congregational Meeting to staff news.

Christmas Season

I look forward to celebrating Advent with you. Our theme for Advent and Christmas Eve worship is The Weary World Rejoices. Each week our team of preachers will open the Gospel of Matthew as we prepare for the coming of Jesus the Messiah to our weary world. A special gift will be a visit from Pastor Daniel Susenbach on Dec 4. Enjoy this greeting from Daniel.

We hope you will join us for worship throughout the season, our annual Glory of Christmas Concerts, a special Advent Art Show and much more. Learn all about the events of the season on our website. 

Grace Commons Staff Update

We have some exciting staff news to share. Rev. Emily Crider was called by Session through a unanimous vote at our Nov 10 meeting to be Grace Commons' Pastor for Family Ministry. Following a two-month job posting during which time no other applications were received, Session’s Personnel Committee interviewed Emily. Each member was struck by how the Spirit of God had prepared Emily for this ministry and so clearly called her to our pastoral team. 

In our ECO denomination’s polity, Emily is called as an assistant pastor, and assistant pastors are called by Session. Emily was ordained at Grace Commons in January 2019 to her current role serving with the Graduate and Faculty Ministry of InterVarsity. In addition to her responsibilities with InterVarsity, Emily has been serving very part-time as our volunteer Director of Children’s Ministry.

Emily will be preaching on Nov 27 and will begin her ministry full-time Dec 1. In addition to working with our families, Emily will be our link with Pathways Learning Academy and join our pastoral team. 

Preschool Update

If you remember from my last leadership update, Pathways Learning Academy (PLA) is experiencing some transitions and has recently hired a new director. Trustee, Don Culver, and I had the opportunity to interview the director candidate and are pleased with our new Pathways Learning Academy Director. The new director comes to this position with seven years experience with Learning Care Group, the parent company of PLA. With Emily Crider’s appointment, we feel very hopeful for a flourishing relationship with Pathways as we continue to serve families and children in Boulder and beyond.

Congregational Meeting

This Sunday, immediately after worship, we will hold a Congregational Meeting for the purpose of approving our revised Bylaws and electing the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). You can click the link to view the full agenda. This is an important time for all covenant partners to be in attendance as we continue to look forward to calling our next Pastor/Head of Staff. Those joining us from home will simply remain on Church Online to watch the meeting. (Please note that asking questions and voting can only take place in person in the Sanctuary.)

A team of elders and trustees have worked since Sept 2021 reviewing and updating our Bylaws. These have been available for review at two in-person forums, on our website and at the Welcome Center since early October. I hope that you have taken the opportunity to become familiar with the proposed revisions.

To prepare for the vote on the PNC member at large slate listed below, you will be able to learn more about each member by reading their short biographies.

Jeff Gagliardi

Matt Koschman

Lindsay Rohan

Bob Stover

Jen Wilger

In addition to the members at large, the PNC includes four currently serving officers: Bob Harlow, Deacon; Shelly Zumsteg, Trustee; Debbie Carosella, Elder; and Spencer Dusebout, Elder.

Reflections

As I reflect on the last month, I am still rejoicing with you as I consider our 150^th Celebration Sunday. That was the capstone to a fall that included Trunk-or-Treat with over 150 children and their parents in our church parking lot; our Racial Justice Ministry co-hosting a showing of the film This is [Not] Who We Are to a full Chapel; and the delivery of 36 tamale meal bags to Columbine Elementary and Kids Hope families. God is at work in our ministry together.

Oct 29

Trunk-or-Treat

Nov 6

150^th Celebration Brunch

Tamale delivery for

Columbine & Kids Hope families

Looking Ahead

Our search firm, Agora Search Group will be here Dec 3–4 to meet with our staff, Session and the PNC as we begin the search for our next Pastor/Head of Staff. Please continue to pray for our transition process as we enter this new phase. 

See you Sunday!

Randy Bare

Transitional Pastor

1820 15^th St, Boulder, CO 80302 | 303.402.6400

Office Hours: M, 8:30–10:30am & noon–3pm; T–Th, 8:30am–3pm

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