Wow, it’s September. Letting that sink in for a moment, we realize that the transition from summer to fall is beginning and the signs of entering a new season are becoming visible. In many ways, the same can be said about approaching a new season at Eastview.

“Seasons” seems like an appropriate analogy for reflecting on the life of our church this year. We have come through a season of crisis in which the future was uncertain. Thanks be to God for his provision and his sovereignty. Eventually, we entered a season of healing and rebuilding, and though we are so grateful for the signs of progress we have seen, we are not naïve; this process is going to take time.

Thankfully, we are also now in a season of searching for a new Lead Pastor. After two days of meetings with the elders, staff, volunteer leaders, and church family members, Slingshot Group is continuing their preparation work to develop the profile of our church that will be used to invite and vet potential candidates. As a reminder, we hope to have the first round of candidates identified by November. Please join us in praying daily for the leader that God is already preparing for ministry at Eastview.

Our advisory team is entering a new season as well. Originally, the advisory team was formed to help the ELT lead through the first challenging weeks last spring, but because Advisory’s input has been so helpful, the team has remained in place. We are pleased to share that two women from the staff have agreed to volunteer their time to join Sara Thompson on the advisory team. As before, Advisory will attend regularly scheduled meetings with the ELT, Executive Pastor, and the Executive team.

Finally, as we announced in a previous update, Eastview’s volunteer leaders have been invited to an “Eastview Volunteer Team Leader Equip Meeting” with the elders and executive team on Sept 17. Topics for the meeting include the Lead Pastor search process and timeline, Eastview governance model, and the investigation follow up. Future ‘fireside chat’ meetings will be scheduled with the wider church family as well.

These seasons at Eastview have brought change with them, but the vision and mission of Eastview remain unchanged. As Paul charged Timothy in 2 Tim 4:2, Eastview will continue to preach the word, being prepared both in season and out of season.