May 8, 2025
By Rev. Rick King
You may have heard the news that Adam Miller, our music director, will be leaving his position sometime before Sept. 1. His full-time job during the week, new as of March, involves a good deal more travel, so he tendered his resignation in March. I explained that in more detail in my column in the March 23 edition of the TAB https://mailchi.mp/falconheightsucc/tab-3-23-25.
I write you this week with good news: The team assembled to write a new position description for the position tentatively titled Director of Music Ministry has concluded its work, and we’re ready to move into the posting, interviewing and hiring phase!
A BIG thank you to the many of you who stayed during coffee hour last Sunday to provide your feedback on what you think we need in the person we hire for this position. And thank you to those who agreed to capture what people shared in notes.
We collected responses from both congregations after our joint service May 4. A summary of those comments and suggestions will be shared with you in a future piece in both churches’ newsletters.
This position will be an “acting” position during the transitional period before the merger vote, similar to the way in which all non-clergy staff positions go through a “provisional hire” period before they become settled positions.
At the same time, we know this position is intended to be part of the staff in the newly-merged church if that goes through. That’s why we had a mix of New Life and Falcon Heights members writing the position description.
The initial hire, though, is for Falcon Heights Church, so the interviewing team will be all Falcon Heights members.
Kudos to the team that wrote the position description:
Cynthia DeVore, the lead from New Life, who plays bells with the Prime Chimers; Nancy Ellias from FHC, who’s a member of the Outreach Team and a seasonal Chancel Choir member; Cynthia Erickson, Prime Chimers director from New Life; Molly Hoffman, FHC Executive Board member and co-financial secretary, who works with the international student office at the University of Minnesota and has human resources experience; and Lynne Meyer, FHC Executive Board and Chancel Choir member. They took a lot of material and crafted it into a useful tool in the hiring process. Thanks especially to Molly, who originated the first draft, and to Cynthia DeVore, who kept the team focused and moving quickly through this work so the position can be posted after Executive Board approval.
The timetable going forward is this:
May 12 – Position description sent to Executive Board to vote on at its May 20 meeting.
May 20 – Executive Board vote on the position description.
May 21 – Position posting with a number of outlets; thanks to Bob Olsen and Cynthia Erickson for providing these. Full position description linked from our church website.
June 10 or 17 – Start reviewing applications, and continue to take applications until the position is filled. The interview team will include Lynne Meyer, who has agreed to stay on from the previous team to provide history and continuity. Gordie Everest has also agreed to be part of this team, and we are looking for one or two more from FHC.
July 15-Aug. 1 – Anticipated start date for the newly hired person, to be onboarded by Adam and others in time for the start of the program year in September.
Later this summer, we hope to be able to celebrate Adam’s ministry with us the past four years and send him off with our prayers and best wishes.
What questions do YOU have about the search?
