Jacksonville Chapel/Emergence

March 3, 2010

Dear Chapel Family,

There are times in a church’s life when difficult decisions must be made, and this week has been one of the most difficult times we have faced. This week, the Chapel’s Board of Elders has completed a reorganization of ministries, which has resulted in several staffing changes that you should be aware of. With deep concern for those affected, and with confidence that God is guiding our steps, we send this update letter to you.

Early in 2009, the Chapel began to feel the pinch of the tight economy. As ministry was continuing to grow, our financial resources were not keeping pace with that growth. We came to the realization that over the years, we have been too quick to hire staff to carry out ministry, rather than utilizing staff primarily as equippers of volunteers. We did not take seriously enough the biblical principle—spelled out most clearly in Ephesians 4—that the goal of church leadership is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry.” As a result, our church had become overstaffed and our people have not been adequately mobilized for service. As leaders, we take full responsibility for this situation, and we accept the necessity of addressing it.

In June 2009, the Board of Elders appointed a Review Team, and you may recall that we asked you on several occasions to pray for the work of this team. The charge of the Review Team was to analyze all of the expenditures of Jacksonville Chapel, and suggest any changes that would enable us to be better stewards of the resources and ministry opportunities that God has entrusted us with. In carrying out that charge, the Review Team focused most of its attention on our staffing, since this represents the largest portion of the Chapel’s budget.

The Review Team was guided by several considerations. First of all, we needed to operate within financial realities. The Team was faced with the challenge of reducing and eliminating some staff positions, in order to live within our available resources while moving forward with our mission in North Jersey. Like many organizations, we realized that we will have to accomplish our work with fewer staff.

Secondly, in keeping with the biblical approach of Ephesians 4, we realized the need to shift the way we view paid staff. As much as possible, we need to view staff as leaders who identify, develop and empower volunteers.

In all of this, we were mindful of our church’s mission: “Transforming people into Christ-followers who love God, love people, and serve the world.” By making sure that all ministry supports our mission, we will ensure that our efforts are focused.

With those principles in mind, the Review Team carried out an exhaustive study of the Chapel’s staffing. It is difficult to convey the seriousness with which the Team approached its task, and the countless hours invested over the past eight months. Everybody involved loves this church and its people deeply and dearly, which made the endeavor highly personal and that much more challenging.

Early in 2010, the Review Team presented its recommendations to our Personnel Committee, which in turn presented a set of recommendations to the Board of Elders. Subsequently, the Board spent considerable time discussing, praying and agonizing over a final decision. Through this process, the Chapel’s elders demonstrated integrity, earnestness, and tremendous care for the flock.

It should be noted that in every instance where a member of the Board or Personnel Committee had a relative on the Chapel staff, that Board or Personnel Committee member excused himself from every aspect of the review process. It was of utmost importance that this entire process be carried out in a manner that shows full integrity and is above reproach.

Finally, at the end of February, the Board made it decisions regarding staffing changes. Those changes were communicated to the Chapel staff on Monday, March 1.

The following is a summary of the major staffing changes that have been made:

Loving God (Worship)

-The position of Ministry Assistant to the Senior Pastor, held by Marie Volz, was eliminated. Marie was assigned a new responsibility, Director of Human Resources, with reduced hours. The assistance of the Senior Pastor will now be combined with the assistance for the Pastor of Worship Arts, and will be covered by a part-time position.

-The position of Ministry Assistant for Worship Arts, held by Lauren Katona, was eliminated. As noted above, assistance for the Pastor of Worship Arts will be combined with assistance for the Senior Pastor, and will be covered by a part-time position.

Loving People (Discipleship)

-The temporary position of Interim Associate Director of Nxt-Gen Ministries, held by Marielle Pasquale, was eliminated. The leadership of Nxt-Gen Ministries will be covered by our Pastor of Nxt-Gen Ministries and our Associate Pastor of Nxt-Gen Ministries.

-The position of Child/Volunteer Protection Coordinator, held by Marie Bogert, was eliminated. These functions will be covered by other staff members.

Serving the World (Service)

-The position of Pastor of Family Life Ministries, held by Paul Rittinger, was eliminated. The needs covered by this position will be addressed within a reorganized service ministry (see details below).

-The position of Associate Director of Family Life Ministries, held by Robyn Van Teyens, was eliminated. The needs covered by this position will be addressed within a reorganized service ministry (see details below).

-The position of Missions Ministry Assistant, held by Linda Kolmodin, was eliminated. The needs covered by this position will be addressed within a reorganized service ministry (see details below).

-The reorganized Serving the World ministry will encompass our world missions (long-term and short term), local/community mission, care and counseling ministries, and volunteer coordination. It will be structured as follows:

-   The department will be headed by a newly created position, Pastor of Mobilization. This full-time position will be responsible for mobilizing the Chapel family toward service in our church, community and world. The person who fills this role must have a demonstrated gift in evangelism, a passion for world missions, strong vision and leadership skills, and an entrepreneurial approach that can develop a new model of ministry.

-   Under the leadership of the Pastor of Mobilization, this department will include a part-time Director of Care (Jamie Longo), Pastor of Care (Ron Rombough), and part-time Director of Addiction Care (Michael Kelly).

-   One of the immediate goals of this department will be to restructure the way we provide care and counseling, in two main ways:

• Implement a system for developing volunteer counselors within the Chapel family. While there will always be some need for counseling provided by paid Chapel staff, we are convinced that there are many, many people in our congregation who have the gifts and passion to help in this area…and we need to equip them.
• Build strong partnerships with trusted Christian counselors in our area. This is an approach that the Chapel has not utilized nearly enough. By tapping into the skills and training of these professionals, negotiating reduced rates, and in some cases providing Chapel facilities for counseling, we will ensure that solid, biblical counsel is provided for those who need it. 

In addition to the changes mentioned above, there are several instances where staff positions have been slightly modified in their scope and/or number of hours. These changes were minimal and do not drastically affect the roles of these staff members.

It is impossible to express in words how deeply we appreciate the hearts, gifts, and service of those who will be leaving our staff. In many cases, these staff members devoted years of service, sacrificing so much in their service of the Lord. Praise God that their contributions have made a huge difference in the lives of so many. It is with deep sadness that we see them leave our staff, but with firm confidence that God will guide them to their next steps.

As we move forward, our hearts are with those who have been affected by these changes. Any time a person loses a job there is pain, disorientation, and concern for one’s family. Please join us in loving, praying for, and caring for those who face a difficult life transition. And please know that every effort was made to be gracious and generous in the severance provided.

We are working hard to transition responsibilities, doing our best to ensure that ministry continues and needs are addressed. Please pray for continued wisdom, direction, and diligence for your leaders—we are humbled by this task, and need your prayers like never before.

Most of all, pray that we will be the church that God has placed us here to be. We are more passionate than ever about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are fully committed to reaching our community and world with the hope that only He brings.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact any member of your elder Board.

Serving our Savior with you,

Michael Hubner
Chairman, Elder Board

Neil Hoogmoed
Vice-Chairman, Elder Board

Dave Gustavsen
Senior Pastor

Ryan Baitzel
Campus Pastor, Emergence

Wifredo Munoz
Campus Pastor, Crossroads