The women arrived at the tomb weighed down with spices to prepare Christ’s body and, even more so, bearing the pain of his loss. As they approach and realize the stone rolled away, their mourning turns to confusion; to lose their Messiah once again when they had been readied to anoint his body must have been unimaginable. Layer upon layer of loss: first of what they believed to be reality and then the disruptive story unfolding before them.

This is the story of faith. We come running for one task, ready for the work ahead, only to realize God’s movement. Our invitation is to remain attuned to where God is at work and what we are being called toward, even if it means releasing our expectations to make room for God’s own.

NEXT Church has faithfully served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and beyond for the past fourteen years. The desire to build a network of Christian leaders grew to a movement to equip, empower, and transform people across the Church. Recently, the leadership sought to acknowledge the past, analyze the present, and consider the future. There is still much work to be done as we seek to disrupt unhealthy patterns of the past to create more wholistic spaces both now and into the next chapter.

This continued season of discernment led the NEXT Church Leadership Team to propose an updated organizational model to build a bridge toward new possibilities. This discernment led them to step down from their roles by dissolving the existing Leadership Team to make way for fresh leadership. Like the women that day, they laid down what they knew to be true to run toward the new thing God is doing. We are thankful for their bold, courageous step which creates the space for NEXT Church to dream and vision with new partners across the Church.

With gratitude and hope, a new season emerges…

We are seeking individuals to serve on a new Vision Team through the end of 2023. This team will be responsible for:

Determining the on-going mission/vision of NEXT Church. The team will engage recommendations from the race audit, internal and external conversations, and the organization’s history and values to determine the overarching frameworks for the work ahead. This will include determining a more permanent board and organizational structure.

Serving as the organizational board. Working alongside an Operations Team, this team will serve as the primary decision-making body of the organization.

Supporting development efforts. Partnership with staff will lay the fiscal foundation through fundraising, grant writing, and other aspects of development.

Building relationships. NEXT Church is its network. This team will nurture and broaden the connections as we seek to serve the larger Church.

The Vision Team will meet virtually once a month with assignments and work in-between meetings. Additional requirements may be added as the team considers the approach to complete the assignments above.

APPLY TO SERVE ON THE VISION TEAM

 

Please complete the application to be considered for the Vision Team. All applications must be received by April 30, 2023.

With Easter Hope —

Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia
Designated Strategic Director