Succession

Updates & News.

21 October, 2024

Update from the Senior Pastor Search Committee (SPSC)

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. During this season we are incredibly grateful to be called to serve in this role. If you have not read the earlier updates below we encourage you to do so, to be informed and up to date with the journey. It is wonderfully exciting to be in a churchwide season of prayer and fasting and we hope that you are hearing from God and that He is working in your heart as He is in ours. God is so good!

Since forming the SPSC in September we have been meeting fortnightly, and the alignment and heart of the team is incredible. The SPSC is full of vibrance and unity and our passion for the Senior Pastor search is so encouraging.

Deepening intimacy with our heavenly Father, through prayer, fasting, meditating on scripture and actively listening to and hearing His voice is central to the work of SPSC. We wanted to share some of these insights that we have been discussing together with you:

• • SPSC and the whole church are to treat this process as a spiritual issue of the heart – for us, for NewHope, and for the communities in which we each serve. Like a cloche keeping in moisture and warmth while a seedling develops, we are to protect and nurture this process at every stage, allowing it to grow and develop deep roots, and not rushing it.
  • Psalm 84 – we seek and pursue God’s sacramental presence to the exclusion of all else in everything we do (presence culture).
  • A time for consecration: time and energy being intentionally set apart for the community and leadership to seek God, to see with God’s eyes, hear His heart for every task and assignment and to pay close attention to our own hearts.
  • The dawning of a “New Day”: Isaiah 43:18-20. There is “more of God” for NewHope to prepare for and receive in this next season. See with prophetic insight (our spiritual eyes) to understand the times and seasons that God has set for us, including who He has chosen as the next senior pastor for NewHope.
  • An opportune time to declare and pronounce blessings in the Name of Jesus over our next senior pastor, their family, calling, gifting, ministry and the ‘next’ of God for this person and God’s great plans for the church community and role that person may be leaving.
  • Psalm 24 – A reminder that we come before the Great and Sovereign God. We declare that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it”! How true this is, and how faithful He is.
  • May God bring a deep and wonderful stillness and knowledge that the new senior pastor is exactly who God has selected. That they love God with an undivided heart, and are called to serve alongside all of us at NewHope, looking towards the wonderful plans God has in store. 

We have been engaging with many potential candidates and potential senior pastor networks. We will continue to invite and encourage discussion, and to encourage hearing from and connecting with potential candidates. Formal interviews have not commenced and we continue to journey with people who are seeking to discern whether God is calling them to this exciting role. We anticipate the list will continue to grow before it shrinks, over time.

The call on an individual to be a Senior Pastor is significant and no small ask, so the sensitivity of this process and the deep impact is not lost on us. We believe strongly that God has already chosen the next Senior Pastor but we (NewHope) have a journey to go through to discern and hear His voice. We have felt a sense that this process may not be a short process (as much as we would love it to be for all the right reasons!) and we are leaning into what God has for us, both through the journey, and when we land at the destination!

It has been a very busy time for SPSC and we are doing everything we can to manage the expectations that we have not just for SPSC, but also the many other responsibilities that each person has (personal, relational, social, professional and others). Thank you so much for your prayers and support as we do our best to serve NewHope and assist Church Council in the search process. 

What can I do?

1. 1. Continue to cover this season and process in prayer and pay close attention to how God is calling and stretching you and changing your heart. We have been wonderfully encouraged by the stories of members and friends who are being challenged and spoken to during this season of deep reflection, prayer and fasting. We trust that at the end of this process, if we are willing and open, there can be significant spiritual growth in each of our spiritual lives and more broadly across NewHope. You may want to consider for you during our succession journey (and in particular this prayer and fasting season) some of the questions that we have been asking ourselves: where is God using you? Is He calling you to go deeper? How are you being stretched, challenged, reassured? What may God be inviting you to during this season? What new season is God calling you into?
   2. Prayer over the work of SPSC and Council, and specifically for any potential candidates. Their position is unique and also very vulnerable, and moving forward with this process may involve a significant step of faith.
   3. If you are aware of anyone who may be a potential fit for our Senior Pastor (as per the information pack available here) or may have networks that we could connect in with we would love to hear from you.  You can contact us in writing on spsc@newhope.net.au

22 September, 2024

Search Phase Commencement

Greetings!  It has been a wonderful season in the life of NewHope – God is good!  The church council continues to work extremely hard on our succession journey and are very pleased to formally enter the Search phase as planned in the Key Stages below.  As part of this we wanted to take some time to provide some more details and information to help keep us united.

We have received such incredibly positive feedback from the draft (v1.5) Senior Pastor Information pack – THANK YOU.  We have also received some suggestions that Church Council has been working on incorporating as appropriate. We are pleased to now release this document (v2) as we embark on the formal Search process as per the timeline below. To assist, we’ve set up a landing page where interested candidates can access the final Pastor Profile: https://newhope.net.au/senior-pastor (this initial page may be updated further in the coming week).

As we begin a thorough search process, the Senior Pastor Search Committee (SPSC) is also actively seeking recommendations for potential candidates. We invite you to share any names for consideration, either directly with the SPSC or through the elected council members at succession@newhope.net.au

We are truly humbled by the unity that our NewHope community continues to display. Our Succession process is a spiritual discernment journey that God is leading us through. At this time, Church Council and our pastoral team are also calling the church to a season of prayer and fasting. Everyone is invited to set aside each Thursday as a time to fast and pray. This could be fasting for a single meal or the whole day, or you may choose to fast something other than food. If Thursdays don’t suit, please feel free to choose another day. This is an important opportunity for our whole church family to participate, as together we express our dependence on God.

The SPSC recently came together and shared the following, which we’d like to pass along to our entire community:

1. “I’ve posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out, reminding God to remember. They are to give him no peace until he does what he said, until he makes Jerusalem famous as the City of Praise.” Isaiah 62:6-7 MSG. This is particularly relevant as we consider our Senior Pastor Search Committee (SPSC) (and the whole of NewHope) as watchmen. SPSC have further prayed together, “Help us to be kept humble and totally dependent on your guidance, being sensitive and obedient to your voice and your bigger picture. We ask for incredible wisdom in pursuing any search path. May we be filled with diplomacy and love as we engage with pastors, in addition to love for one another with resultant unity within our group. Amen.”

2. Nothing is impossible WITH God (Luke 1:37). The key word here is that we partner WITH God, not going ahead or lagging behind him, not taking matters into our own hands, but keeping in step WITH HIM all through the Succession process.

3. Divine Alignment before Divine Assignment. It’s never about asking: ‘Is God on our agenda?’ but rather asking ‘Are we on His agenda?’ This is true alignment when we hear God and act accordingly (see Joshua chaps 5-6).

4. We are to stay humble and tender-hearted (contrite heart) towards God and others, teachable, unified and standing in awe of His word. “My hand made these things so they all belong to me,” declares Yahweh. “But there is one my eyes are drawn to: the humble one, the tender one, the trembling one who lives in awe of all I say.” Isaiah 66:2 TPT

It’s important to also note that as always we are working very closely with Allan as he continues to lead our church faithfully and wisely. We are also engaging with the staff team in the succession process and receiving feedback from the BUV (Baptist Union of Victoria) and other leaders in our community that is so wonderfully positive.

This Succession website, serving as our communication hub, will continue to be updated. We’ll keep you informed of these updates through multiple channels, including NewHope’s fortnightly newsletters and other relevant platforms. If you haven’t yet seen the updates listed below, we encourage you to take a moment to review them.

Of course, if you do have any questions please speak to a member of council at any time or email succession@newhope.net.au let us know so that we can help.

We really welcome your conversations and encourage you to engage so that we can continue together in unity. If you are not able to attend a Chat with Council session or if it would help, please email succession@newhope.net.au to share your feedback before 18 September 2024. The final version of this document will be made available after this time.

We deeply appreciate your prayers, contributions, and support as we navigate this important succession journey together.

4 September, 2024

Thank you so much to our whole community for your prayers and support. This succession journey is such an important time in the life of NewHope. In this journey we continue to be supported by and working closely with the BUV (in particular Rev. Daniel Bullock and Jonathan Stark who is the Head of Pastoral Leadership Support and Development at the BUV).  Their support and encouragement is wonderful and a great blessing to us.

We likewise continue to receive such incredible support and encouragement and suggestions from our NewHope family.  Thank you to all those who have been able to input to our succession journey.

The elected Church Council members have met with the NewHope staff team on several occasions as we seek to honour their important role in the life of NewHope and how succession impacts them. With the staff team we have connected together as each of us has shared our “head” and our “heart” to help each other appreciate our various challenges.

As always we are working very closely with our Senior Pastor Allan Demond as he continues to lead our church so faithfully and wisely whilst the succession process runs in parallel – we are so blessed to have Allan as our leader and look forward to celebrating Allan and Janet and their family’s service to NewHope (more details on this will be coming).

We are very pleased to share that in preparation for the Search Process (as listed in the “Key Stages”) the Senior Pastor Search Committee has recently started preparations. This committee is made up of members of the elected Church Council who are responsible for overseeing the succession process plus a selection of members representing the generations of ministries of NewHope each with their own unique skills. The Senior Pastor Search Committee (SPSC) currently includes: Tristan Ellett (Chair), Steve Stavridis (Vice Chair), Amanda Carruthers (Secretary), Brett Rice, Priya De Mel, Annie Pittendrigh and Peter Siede. We encourage you to keep this important group in your prayers particularly over the next season. The SPSC will be working with many people in our community as needed to resource their search work as required and any offers of help are always gratefully received. The SPSC are responsible for the search process and will provide potential candidate names to the whole elected church council members who will then come to the members when ready for a vote as per our constitution.

This succession webpage provides a great deal of detail around the succession process, including FAQs and we encourage you to continue to engage with this information. Should you have any questions at any time and are not able to attend a Chat with Council session you can reach out on succession@newhope.net.au.

26 August, 2024

Church Council is grateful for all the input given to our succession process so far. We are getting closer to finishing the Pastor Search Profile, which will be made available for feedback from our church family in September before being published for public circulation shortly after.

Please watch the video for the latest succession update from our Chair of Church Council, Tristan Ellett.

17 July, 2024

The NewHope Baptist Church Senior Pastor Succession Congregational Survey has gone out via email this week.

This is an opportunity for all members and supporters of NewHope to contribute to our succession journey. The data received will build upon inputs already collected and will help in building our Church Profile and Senior Pastor Profile, as well as our overall succession journey.

If you didn’t receive your survey, please check your spam folder and look for the sender info@newhope.net.au via SurveyMonkey. If you still don’t see it, please contact reception to make sure we have your correct details on our system at info@newhope.net.au or 9890 7999. Paper copies will be available at reception for those who don’t have email or don’t feel confident with a digital version. 

The survey will close on Wednesday the 31st of July at 11:59pm. We appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey.

3 July, 2024

You are invited to Chat with Council. This is an intentional opportunity on selected Sundays to chat with members of Church Council and ask questions or discuss the succession journey further.

Those attending the morning gatherings are invited to come see us at the NewHope reception desk between services (10:20am to 10:55am) starting on Sunday the 14th of July. You can view all dates and register here to secure a Sunday that suits or feel free to drop by when it works best for you.

Those attending the 5pm service are encouraged to stay on for the Lounge on Sunday the 21st of July where members of Council will be present to connect with anyone who’d like to ask questions or have a conversation together.

20 June, 2024

We are thrilled to share an update from our Church Engagement Forum on Wednesday the 19th of June. What an incredible night! Over 160 of you joined us, and the energy in the room was simply amazing. From the heartfelt worship to the insightful sharing and the BUV facilitation, the spirit in the room was truly uplifting. The church council felt deeply encouraged by the entire process.

We received wonderful feedback and valuable input from everyone present – thank you! We are now carefully processing all of your contributions. We will also use the input captured to create a comprehensive church-wide survey, which will help us gather even more information, and provide an input opportunity to those who couldn’t make the event.

Stay tuned, as we will be reaching out in the coming weeks with further updates.  Let’s be continually praying for wisdom and unity as we discern together as a church family. Thank you for being part of this exciting journey!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20–21 NLT

-NewHope Church Council

Greetings.

Together as the body of NewHope, we embark on this important journey of transition together. As your church council, we are committed to providing valuable information and insights to guide our community through this pivotal season. The information below will give you some insights to the journey we have taken thus far, give you peace for the future, and hopefully answer questions that come to mind in the interim.

We welcome your contribution. Please send questions and feedback to succession@newhope.net.au.

Background

8. Now that we have shared this with everyone we are inviting all of NewHope to join with us in prayer for what God has in store for NewHope. God’s will is absolutely vital in all of this (Psalm 127:1). Some things we recommend praying for:

• Thanking God for Allan and Janet, and NewHope;
• Thanking God for life’s seasons of change (Psalm 107:1); and
• Asking God for His wisdom to be imparted on all of us as we embark on this process.

9. We want to do this process well and with excellence, honouring God, honouring NewHope (and all the people NewHope is involved with) and honouring Allan and Janet (Romans 12:10).

10. Whilst Allan has been NewHope’s leader, he also leads a team of almost 40 staff and supporting them is vitally important. We invite you to also prayerfully cover the NewHope staff in this process.

11. In summary: today Allan is our Senior Pastor and will continue to be our Senior Pastor with Council’s full support until the succession process is complete, or unanimously agreed to.

12. Simultaneously, the church council, members of NewHope and the community will progressively undertake the succession process to help identify a suitable candidate for the new Senior Pastor role for the future (2025). 

13. On 19 June 2024, church council will hold a Church Engagement Forum (facilitated by Rev. Daniel Bullock, Director of Mission & Ministries at the Baptist Union of Victoria and also a previous pastor at NewHope) to allow for a church wide interaction. An opportunity for valued input by the NewHope community on the characteristics and type of Senior Pastor we are seeking. This is an important opportunity for our community to be part of the process. For those not able to attend, there will be an opportunity to provide input electronically post the evening.

Key Stages

A great level of detail has been and continues to be worked on by church council however the below provides a high-level summary of the key processes

The Call

From November 2024 – 2025

1. Members’ meeting to consider and vote on recommendation
2. Start date agreed
3. Announcement
4. Formal appreciation of Allan
5. Transition period commences