Inside:Our story..........................................2Explanation of Transition..........3Position Description....................3Our Community.............................4
Our Church......................................6Our Ministry in Covid..................8Our Mission & Values.................9Our Statement of Faith...............9
LEAD PASTOR SEARCH
OUR STORYCalvary Evangelical Free Church began in 1953 with 27 people who gathered to worship and desired to form a new congregation in Rochester, then a growing city of around 35,000 residents. They came from a variety of different denominational backgrounds including Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Independents, Mennonites,
The first church building was a small store front, which became a sanctuary and Sunday School space for the church as well as modest living quarters for the first pastor and his family. The congregation grew rapidly under this pastor’s leadership and soon they sought a larger space. In 1955, they purchased the Redeemer Lutheran Church building in SE Rochester and also bought a parsonage for their pastor and his family. Under the leadership of several pastors over the years, the church thrived in this new location and an expansion was necessary. By the
Evangelical Free and Presbyterians. Seeking to not duplicate any other evangelical denominations already established in town, they contacted the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). The doctrinal positions of both groups aligned, and in August of 1954 they incorporated as Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, Minnesota.
late 1970’s it was evident that Calvary would need to relocate to a larger facility. In 1985, the congregation moved to their newly constructed location in NW Rochester where we currently worship.
Calvary has flourished over many years with a focus on evangelism, prayer, and Christian fellowship while planting churches. A hallmark of Calvary worship services has been the preaching of the Word and beautiful worship music. From the beginning, Calvary has been a multigenerational church, being well represented in all stages of life from birth to senior adults, with ministries to accommodate each age group. Although attendance at Calvary peaked around 2007 and has decreased in recent years, we remain steadfast and hopeful about where God is leading us in the future. Calvary is now in a time of preparation as we anticipate God bringing our new Lead Pastor to continue the legacy that began in 1953.
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EXPLANATION OF TRANSITIONCalvary has been working through a transition process since March of 2020 under the direction of Pastor Dan Werthman, an intentional interim pastor on staff with Interim Pastor Ministries. The church chose to call an interim pastor and to take the time needed to go through an intentional transition process rather than to immediately begin a new pastoral search after the resignation of its last Lead Pastor in October 2019. The intentional transition process has allowed us time to reflect on where we have been as a church and to plan going forward with a renewed vision after the last Lead Pastor’s departure. The process has helped us recognize the need for change that we
Prior to the current transition period, Calvary was served by ten Lead Pastors over the last 65 years. The most recent pastors include Walter Ericksen (1978-1987), Gene Follis (1987-2004), Todd Olsen (2006-2010), and Kevin Barnhart (2010-2019).
Education Requirements: We prefer someone who has earned a seminary degree from a reputable, evangelical seminary.
Experience: We are looking for someone with both experience as a biblical preacher/teacher and as an effective team leader. We also need someone who has demonstrated experience in leading and coaching other staff members.
Credentialing: We are looking for someone with some form of EFCA credentialing, such as ordination or license. We will consider someone from another denomination whose credentialing could be transferred to the EFCA.
believe has prevented us from fully focusing on fulfilling the Great Commission and becoming the disciple-making church we desire to be. Pastor Dan has led us in clarifying our mission and values, analyzing our strengths and shortcomings as a church body, and prayerfully considering and defining our vision as we prepare ourselves for the man God is calling to become our new Lead Pastor.
Denominational Background: We are looking for someone who has experience serving in an evangelical church that is similar in beliefs and polity to Calvary Evangelical Free Church. An Evangelical Free Church background is preferred, but other denominational (or independent) backgrounds will be considered.
Preaching: We are looking for someone who seeks the Spirit’s direction in discerning what to preach. As he follows the leading of the Spirit, we are looking for a pastor who preaches primarily expository sermons that are frequently evangelistic in nature, whose content will encourage and edify believers and also resonate with and teach unbelievers.
· will seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and follow His leading.· has a proven ability to unify a church body around a common mission, vision, and strategy.· will shepherd our congregation, desiring to know us, and lead with exemplary character.· is passionate about and committed to making disciples and a disciple-making pathway.· has a warm and outgoing personality that will foster Calvary’s desire to be more welcoming.· is a promoter of small groups and committed to personal participation.
We are looking for a pastor who:
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
OUR COMMUNITYCalvary Evangelical Free Church is located in the rapidly growing city of Rochester in southeast Minnesota. With a population of around 120,000, Rochester is the third largest city in the state and is an easy 90-minute drive to the Twin Cities area.Rochester’s history, roots, and economy are deeply tied to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, which attracts hundreds of young singles and families annually for education, training, and employment opportunities. Living in the city with the largest private employer in the state, many people in Rochester are connected to the medical community in one way or another. Other major employers include IBM, Rochester Public Schools, and Olmsted Medical Center.
The biggest initiative currently in Rochester is a major revitalization of the city. County-wide growth of around 36,000 people in the next 20 years is expected as Rochester endeavors to become a Destination Medical Center (DMC). This is a major industrial and economic boom for the area. More and more hotels, restaurants, and independent businesses are being built and opened, creating many job opportunities. The city is planning additional bike trails, public transportation options, parks, and schools. Rochester is poised to be one of the most innovative and vibrant biomedical communities in the country.
Although Rochester is continually designated as one of “The Best Places to Live in America” with the “Number One Hospital in the Nation,” residents report financial stress, mental health issues, substance abuse, lack of social connections and other concerns. As a church, we seek to reach our community with the hope of Christ and minister to these needs as part of living out our mission.
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Our Community By The Numbers:
10 Mile Radius of Calvary 109,540 127,807 141,070 147,467
AREA POPULATION 2000 2010 2020 2025
0-18 (Gen Z) 13.2% 25.7% 32%
19-38 (Millenials) 26.3% 26.2% 25.4%
39-59 (Survivors) 29.1% 25.9% 24.9%
60-77 (Boomers) 21% 17.2% 14.5%
78-95 (Silents) 8.6% 4.9% 3.2%
POPULATION BY AGE GROUP 2010 2020 2025
White (Non-Hispanic) 81.7% 76.8% 74.3%
African-American 5.2% 6.8% 7.6%
Hispanic/Latino 4.6% 7.0% 6.7%
Asian/Other 8.5% 10.4% 11.4%
POPULATION BY RACE/ETHNICITY 2010 2020 2025
$150,000 or more 11.3% 20.7% 26.2%
$100,000 to $149,999 16.1% 20.8% 20.9%
$75,000 to $99,999 14.5% 13.9% 13.3%
$50,000 to $74,999 20.4% 16.3% 15.1%
$35,000 to $49,999 12.9% 9.5% 7.9%
$25,000 to $34,999 8.6% 6.5% 5.8%
$15,000 to $24,999 8.6% 5.9% 5.1%
Under $15,000 7.7% 6.5% 5.7%
HOUSEHOLDS BY INCOME 2010 2020 2025
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Leadership:Calvary's present pastoral staff is comprised of 6 pastors (below, from left to right): Tim Nelson (Executive Pastor), John Chaco (Youth Pastor), Brian Martin (Family Equipping Pastor), Larry Orth (Pastor of Community and Outreach), Dan Limkeman (Pastor of Worship and Arts) and Dan Werthman (Interim Transition Pastor).Calvary's staff also includes ten other ministry assistants and support personnel.
Calvary's leadership is a shared responsibility between the Leadership Board and the pastoral staff. The Leadership Board currently has nine members who are affirmed by vote of the church membership. The Lead Pastor also serves on the Leadership Board. The Leadership Board seeks to establish the church’s vision, goals, and policies. The pastoral staff endeavors to implement the vision, goals, and ministry objectives.
Our church building is 56,000 square feet located on 10 acres of property in northwest Rochester. Over the last several decades various expansion projects have added new offices, a library, improved nurseries, a full-sized gymnasium, an educational wing, a commercial kitchen, and additional paved parking. Calvary opens its facility to many outside groups, including Bible Study Fellowship, community choirs, FCA, NAMI, and several homeschool groups.
Pastoral Staff: Facility:
Finances:Our giving remains strong in spite of the effects of COVID-19 and people worshipping from home. In 2020 we paid off the mortgage on our building two years early and are now debt free.
Calvary partners with many local Christian ministries, including Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge and Together for Good. Because of our proximity to the Mayo Clinic, Calvary has a long history of partnering with Samaritan’s Purse Children’s Heart Project to host and sponsor families from foreign countries who are bringing their children to Mayo Clinic for live-saving heart surgeries.
Outreach:
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OUR CHURCH
Care & Counseling:
Calvary's Greeting Team welcomes people as they enter the building on Sunday mornings. Our Coffee Connection is known for its famous homemade cinnamon rolls. Before COVID-19, lunches were often served in the gymnasium, offering the opportunity to gather and fellowship after Sunday worship. Improving in the area of hospitality is one of our church goals as we seek to make visitors and newcomers feel more welcome.
Calvary Benevolent ministries comes alongside numerous individuals in their time of need with financial assistance, prayer and encouragement.Now in its 10th year, Calvary hosts the Compassion Counseling Center (CCC) on Thursday evenings. The CCC provides training in biblical counseling to lay leaders by professional counselors. Christian counseling is offered to those in need in our city and in the surrounding area.
Hospitality:
Over the past 24 years, Calvary has been blessed to have multiple worshipping communities meeting together and growing in their faith within our walls. The Lahu community started their services at Calvary 24 years ago while the Anywaa worship community started in 2017 after several refugee families from Ethiopia settled in the area and found their church home at Calvary. Most recently, the Oromo community has started meeting together on Sunday mornings.
Multiple Worshipping Communities:
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Family Ministry:
Calvary's worship ministry is a multigenerational, vibrant ministry that seeks to honor God through excellence using our gifts and talents to lead the congregation in a blended worship style through singing and scripture.
Calvary's Family Ministry includes Kids Ministry, Youth Ministry, and Parent Ministry, and seeks to partner with parents to disciple their children and students with the goal of helping them develop a faith of their own.
Worship:
Calvary's Youth Ministry seeks to equip students for life after high school, develop leaders, support parents and serve the community.
Youth/Students:
OUR MINISTRY DURING COVIDLike churches across America, we suddenly had to change how we worshipped and gathered when COVID-19 began in March 2020. We significantly upgraded our video and audio equipment so that we could record and post services for Sunday online viewing during a season of state-mandated “shelter in place." Singers, instrumentalists, speakers and pastors pre-recorded music, scripture and sermons from their homes, and these were then edited and combined to create the recorded services. In August of 2020 we began holding in-person worship services in our parking lot on Sunday mornings. We purchased a portable
stage built in the side of a box truck and conducted services for people sitting in lawn chairs on our lawn and parking lot. We also transmitted the service over a radio frequency for those who wished to remain in their cars and listen over their radios. In November we moved back inside for in-person worship (with masks and social-distancing). We also livestream our service for those who currently are worshipping with us from their homes. Many of our Bible studies and small groups have continued to meet virtually during this time. Adult and elementary Sunday Schools currently meet over Zoom, while Awana and Youth Group meet in-person.
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1. GOD: We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
3. THE HUMAN CONDITION: We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
OUR MISSION
We exist to glorify God by multiplying disciples of Jesus who live out passion for Christ
and compassion for people.
OUR VALUESLOVE THE LOST
and proclaim the hope of Jesus Christ
MAKE DISCIPLESof Jesus who make disciples
GATHER TOGETHERfor worship, teaching, and discipleship
MULTIPLY HEALTHY LEADERSand healthy churches
STRENGTHEN FAMILIESto disciple the next generation
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
5. THE WORK OF CHRIST: We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
2. THE BIBLE: We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
4. JESUS CHRIST: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
6. THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
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9. CHRIST'S RETURN: We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.10. RESPONSE AND ETERNAL DESTINY: We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
7. THE CHURCH: We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
8. CHRISTIAN LIVING: We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Destination Medical Center: www.dmc.mn
Rochester Downtown: www.downtownrochestermn.com
Rochester Chamber of Commerce: www.rochestermnchamber.com
