Elder Monthly Update

Dear Faith Community Church,

Your Board of Elders desires to inform you of our recent activities and request your prayer for us as we collectively pursue our Spirit-led mission of making more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. Below is a summary of our June activities. If you desire to learn more about a given subject, please don’t hesitate to contact a pastor or elder. Thank you for your interest and desire as we seek to help thousands more experience Jesus in a gospel-inspired life.

June 11, 2024 Meeting with the Elders: 

The regularly scheduled Elder Meeting was canceled and repurposed for a ‘meeting with the Elders’ that was requested by a group of families with pressing concerns regarding FCC’s response to a breach in FCC’s Child Protection Policy (CPP) by a worker in February. The meeting agenda was agreed upon in advance and was intended to focus on four topics:  1) changes that had been made since the CPP breach and additional changes that were being planned; 2) FCC’s willingness to increase sexual abuse awareness training; 3) planned changes to the CPP, and 4) FCC’s willingness to inform non-members who use our nurseries of the incident. Various concerns and suggestions for improvement were heard and noted. On June 12^th, the Elders formally approved an interim set of CPP protocol revisions. The Elders also agreed to publish a letter to non-members who use our nursery. That letter was published on June 14^th.

June 25, 2024 Regular Elder Meeting

Topics

Child Protection Policy Breach Discussion: This meeting was spent discussing the subject and its various ramifications. A number of insights were shared and discussed. The Elders were provided a report concerning the FCC’s Child Safety Team Review. This team assessed the initial gap analysis that was presented to the Elders earlier in the year and included the input from an independent Task Team that completed its work on May 22^nd. The report summarized the initial gap analysis and progress that has been made to date. Several recommendations have already been implemented. A plan to address further recommendations was also shared and agreed upon.

Letter to the Board of Elders concerning the implementation of various CPP recommendations: The Board received a letter from a member requesting an update on the implementation of the various recommendations made by the independent Task Force that reviewed our CPP breach. That team completed its work on May 22^nd. The Elders considered the letter in light of the above update. A reply providing an update was subsequently provided and the letter is now considered to be closed.

Prayer:  The Elders discussed various needs and situations and spent time in prayer for our church.

How you can pray us:

• For God’s grace, healing, and presence for the Prince family.
• For God’s grace, healing and peace upon Dan Clancy’s family and all those impacted, including our many youth, by his recent passing.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom for our staff and elders regarding our Next Generation ministry as FCC works through an interim staffing plan and looks to hire a replacement candidate. Please also pray for effective implementation of new measures to address our CPP breach and that this topic can lead to unity and spiritual growth.
• For God’s grace and wisdom upon the two new pastors that FCC has recently hired and that they will be enabled to quickly and effectively begin ministry at FCC upon their arrival.
• For God’s wisdom and guidance as we look to begin implementing our plans to accommodate and enhance the growth that FCC has been experiencing – specifically our efforts to design a facility that will meet our needs and budget target and prepare to finance it through a capital campaign.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom as we contemplate how to best shepherd, via a diaconate structure, those who call FCC home. We earnestly desire to do this well while being a church of our size.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom as we contemplate how to best develop a discipleship initiative to meet the needs of FCC.
• In thankfulness to God for his continued and faithful provisions to FCC and his work in drawing many more in joining with us.
• For the unity of our body as we experience a number of changes that our present growth is bringing about.
• For God’s wisdom, guidance, and unity for the Elder Board as we continue to contemplate and discern many matters of importance, including our continued discussions concerning roles, responsibilities, and authority within the local church and specifically how it applies to our context at FCC.
• For God’s wisdom and guidance as FCC contemplates what church planting via a campus planting model means in practice.
• For God’s grace and blessings upon our church and wisdom for our leaders – especially as we deal with a complex health plan matter.
• For our staff and volunteers as they work diligently to faithfully serve the increasing number of people who are calling FCC home.

In Love and Peace,

Gregg Bennett – Chairman of the Elders on behalf of your Elder Board:

(Gregg Bennett, John Blum, Bill Brinkman, Jim Duffey, Dan Fosterling, Jon Gross, Steve Holsteen, Tim Kurtz, Eric Lent, Tim Porter, Tim Prince, Pat Stream, Tim Studt, Larry Szyman, Chris Willeke, and Jan van Amerongen)