All of the previously scheduled elder circles have been completed, and we are grateful for the opportunity to meet with the staff for candid, open discussions. As we have said before, we will continue to participate in these sessions as often as necessary.

We continue to act on the recommendations from the investigative report. One key area for improvement is Eastview’s HR department. A hiring search has begun for an experienced professional candidate to lead HR, and the executive team is researching outside HR agencies to act as a hotline for staff to raise concerns if needed.

Previously we have stated...

This Sunday, the elder/advisory team retreat that was described in the June 30 update will take place. We have been praying about this retreat for several weeks; thank you for joining us in asking the Holy Spirit to guide us toward the important decisions that need to be made for our church.

Also, we have received valuable feedback that the terms “plurality of leadership” and “plurality of teaching/preaching voices” we used in June 30 post should be clarified. Simply put, plurality of leadership refers to the number of roles that could report directly to the Elder Leadership Team (ELT). For example,...

The repair circles mentioned in the last update are continuing. Though there are no further updates this week, please continue to refer to this page for more details going forward.

This week the Elders have started meeting with staff in smaller, more intimate groups that we are calling circles. These voluntary circles provide an opportunity for staff to express their concerns and how they have been hurt. Our hope is that these circles will enable healing to occur for each staff member who wishes to participate. For now, we have elder circles for staff scheduled through mid-July and will continue them as long as they are needed.

As we stated in our last update, as part of our research and development (R&D) work, the elders, executive staff, and advisory council continue...

As we begin the process of “moving toward,” many people have been asking, “What’s next?” or “What are the elders and senior leadership doing to make sure this can’t happen again?” The first and most important steps we are taking as a church include working toward restorative justice, including times of confession, opportunities for forgiveness and healing, and taking intentional steps toward the restoration of trust.

For the past three months, the Elder Leadership Team (ELT) and the Advisory Council (a team of 5 staff leaders) have been gathering input and coaching from experts from around the country. We have been...