Taking the Pulse at CPC
A Summary of the Pulse-Taking Sessions for our next Lead Pastor
Thank you to the 120-some CPC attenders who responded in person, online, or in writing to the recent “Pulse Taking” survey about the life and direction of our church. An in-depth report of your responses will be shared with Session, Presbytery (a requirement of the pastor-seeking process), and the soon-to-be elected Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) to help guide the selection of our new Head Pastor. This is a brief summary of the survey’s findings.
The survey reflected that 73.6% of you have a positive feeling about CPC. You value feeling part of the CPC community (81%). You appreciate strong, Biblically based preaching (69.2%), and the church’s support of a broad variety of social justice and mission commitments (62.6%). The most cited aspects that initially attracted you to CPC were music (21%) and personal invitation (18%), but it is the community bond that keeps you coming back (40%).
While there was support for maintaining both the Contemporary and Traditional services, concern was raised about the need to continue to find ways to encourage fellowship between the two groups.
As for the next pastor, you want someone who can honor CPC’s 175-year tradition while embracing future possibilities; preaches with both the depth that satisfies scholars and the accessibility that inspires seekers; and is compassionate, approachable and a deep listener. You seek someone whose life is rooted in prayer and whose commitment to justice flows from a Christ-centered foundation, someone who welcomes all people, including women, LGBTQ+, and people of color. The ideal candidate must be a capable administrator who can lead staff effectively, navigate conflict, and empower lay leadership.
Your high response rate and thoughtful comments indicate a congregation deeply invested in “getting this (selection) right.” Participants urged the PNC to be prayerful and inclusive, seeking input from all demographic groups, rather than rushing the selection.
Again, thank you for your input!