Council Update: Navigating Our Transition Together

We want to keep our New Journey congregation informed and engaged as we move through this important time of transition.

On Tuesday, August 19th, our Church Council met with Pastor Phil Gustafson, our transition coach. Pastor Phil will be leading worship this Sunday, and following the service, he’ll host a conversation to share key insights and answer any questions you may have. We encourage everyone to attend and participate.

This transition is more than just finding a new pastor—it’s a time to reflect, refocus, and renew. Our goals are to:

• Discover our new identity and deepened purpose

• Build a healthy relationship with our future rostered minister

As we move forward, we invite you to reflect on two guiding questions:

• What can’t we let go?

• What can we let go?

Please share any thoughts or concerns with our Council members. Your voice matters.

We’re also working closely with the Grand Canyon Synod, who will assist us in identifying a candidate for a Part-time Pastor. To support this process, we are exploring terms with the Synod’s Transition Consultant, Pastor Dominic Palacios, who will stay in touch through Zoom meetings and in-person conversations.

We’re grateful to have worship services covered through the end of September, and we’re actively looking into resuming our streaming services with help from volunteers in our congregation.

Finally, we’ve appointed three dedicated members to serve on our Transition Committee:

• Cindi Brady

• Kris Bartanen

• Ron Bigley

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and engagement. Together, we will move forward in faith and unity.

In Christ, 

Congregational Council Members—Mike Wilson (President), Karl Flormoe (Vice President), Jo Martinson (Secretary), Mike Bartanen (Treasurer), Ron Bigley (Member-at-large) and Liz Peterson (Member-at-large)