Pastor Gelder has left, the search moves forward...

June was a major milestone in many ways for the Pastor Search team.  Al Gelder said his goodbyes, and then made his way to Michigan, offically designating Valley Church as 'vacant', and without a permenent pastor.  At the same time, the Pastor Search team and Council took some major steps towards finding our next Pastor.  The Church Profile for Valley was submitted to the denomination, which officially notifies the CRC that we are seeking a Pastor.  Later in July a team will review our Profile and make recommendations for potential matches with our needs and those individuals in the CRC looking for a church to Pastor. 
A second major milestone was the submission of our 'Help Wanted' ad to the Banner.  The ad reads: "Valley CRC is seeking a Gospel-centered pastor to shepherd our congregation. We are a thriving, community-focused church that utilizes a blended worship style. We are multi-generational, welcoming and affirming to all God’s children. Our safe suburban community in Central New York (Binghamton) is stunning in all seasons, with beautiful rolling hills, trees, rivers and valleys. If you are a caring communicator and feel the call to lead our congregation in shining Christ’s light in our valley, please contact Ron Crawford at ValleyPSC@stny.rr.com or visit http://www.valleycrc.com/pastorportal.html." and it will appear in the August edition of the Banner.
One final note of interest is related to the Banner ad.  We discovered that the ads submitted actually appear in the web version of the Banner before they are seen in print form.  We found this out because we have actually received our first interested applicant!  The team views this as a great sign that there will be interest in our opening.  We will, of course, be handling pastor information with confidence, but we will keep you informed of progress as we proceed through our evaluation process.
Finally, just a reminder to keep the Pastor Search Team in your prayers.  We are commited as a team to conduct this process centered in prayer, and that can only be accomplished with the prayers of the congregation we serve included.
Serving a Risen Savior!
The Valley Pastor Search Committee