Pastor Search

A hub for candidates and the Ivanrest community to find in-depth / contact information.

The Search Team received the exciting letter below from Pastor Brandon Haan. Additional details about the transition will be coming soon.

Praise God for His faithfulness!!

Paul Lanning on behalf of the Search Team

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Dear sisters and brothers in Christ at Ivanrest Church,

It’s with joy and humility that Sarah and I write to inform you of our decision to accept God’s call to come and serve you at Ivanrest. Lord willing, we will be with you soon to take up the work he has prepared for us, both with and among you.

This has certainly been a difficult and weighty decision for us, one of the hardest of our lives. As you know, we have felt very affirmed in our call here at Brookfield CRC these last seven years. But as we prayed, discussed together, and read the countless letters of encouragement and affirmation from both you and the members at Brookfield, it became slowly clear that God was calling us more strongly to come and serve at Ivanrest at this time in our lives. It’s with an Advent sense of excitement and anticipation for what God will do that we now begin the process of preparing for that service.

To that end, we ask your continued prayers as we determine end dates and start dates, pack up our lives and get ready to move, and say difficult goodbyes. We are eager to join you there in Grandville, though, and we look forward to the next few weeks and months as we transition to a new home, a new ministry, and a new Christian community for years to come.

Finally, thank you. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your trust. And thank you for your patience. It means the world to us.

We will see you soon.

In Christ,
Pastor Brandon and Sarah Haan

The Search Team

Hello!

We’re excited you’re here. As Ivanrest CRC is in the process of seeking a Senior Pastor to lead our congregation in worship, discipleship and ministry, we have put together this website as a resource for potential applicants to learn about our church. Our search committee is made up of 15 members, who were thoughtfully and prayerfully put together and range in age, years of membership, experience and involvement in the church. We are eager to begin the search and see how God works during this process!

We are looking for an experienced pastor to guide and nurture our congregation while equipping us to be servant leaders and witnesses to the community and beyond. Many hours have been spent in prayer and preparation in this process already, and we are excited to see how He works in our church and your life as we pursue His direction.

Thank you, and blessings to you as you consider God’s will.

In Him,

Ivanrest CRC Search Team

op row (left to right): Devon Vanoostveen, Paul Lanning (Chair), Bob Pettijohn, Larry Klein, Cassie Beadle Second row (left to right): Tim Aupperlee, Matt Kunnen, Tonya VanderSlice, Aaron Okkema, Andrew Bishop Bottom row (left to right): Pastor Joel Boot, Cheri Kuiper, Jack Sluiter, Karen Lepine (Co-chair), Shari Ilbrink

Search Team Mandate

The Search Team of Ivanrest Church will:

  • agree to organize and function effectively and efficiently and commit to working as a team;
  • meet regularly at a time and place made known to the congregation;
  • communicate regularly with the Council, via team minutes that indicate progress toward its goals and that underscores the need for persistent prayer;
  • communicate regularly with the congregation, such as through bulletin announcements or inserts, newsletters, emails, verbal reports, etc. in a manner that indicates progress toward its goals and that underscores the need for persistent prayer;
  • solicit and accept nomination input from the congregation;
  • complete and share the church profile with the CRC Denomination Office for posting purposes;
  • prepare other recruitment materials including a congregational information packet which includes the church profile;
  • develop a pool of prospective pastors and determine the best understanding of who God might be calling to Ivanrest;
  • engage and interview prospective pastors;
  • recommend to Council only one candidate at a time (mono recommendation);
  • upon Council approval of the Search Team recommendation, request affirmation from the congregation for the candidate;
  • upon acceptance of a call, work with Transition Team members to welcome and orient the new pastor for a successful onboarding.

Application Process

If you believe God is leading you to take the next step and would like to enter the search process, we would like to hear from you!

A candidate will be considered when we have received all of the following:

  1. Letter of Introduction
  2. Resume
  3. References (we will not be contacting references without giving you prior notice)
  4. Link(s) or DVDs to view sermons or other teachings
  5. Questions (please submit your brief responses to the following)
    • When and how did you receive your call into ministry?
    • After reviewing the profile, position description and website, how will your specific gifts, experiences and calling be a fit for Ivanrest?
    • Ivanrest is a part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America that adheres to a covenantal Reformed theology. Reflecting on your own experiences, how does your theology align with Reformed theology?

Please send all application materials electronically as PDFs or links to the Search Team (pastorsearch@ivanrestcrc.org) by August 31, 2020. We will confirm receipt of documents and contact candidates to determine next steps.

Downloads & Links