The people of the Bozeman Christian Reformed Church are searching for a new pastor; and the reason we are seeking a new pastor at this time may seem different or at least unusual, but I think it says a lot about our congregation. 

      The reason we are vacant and seeking a pastor at this time is because we have “called” our beloved current pastor, Pastor Randy VanOsdol, to a ministry of church planting in our own local area.  Pastor Randy and his wife Shirley are gifted by God for this ministry, are passionate about it, and are obedient to God’s calling to serve him.

     Our congregation, our people, also want to be obedient to God;  to be in step with what God is doing in his world;  to be “Moving Forward – Following Jesus” as our motto states.

     Our hope is that the next pastor the Lord provides to us will advance the ministry that the others have begun.  We have a heart and a burden for the un-churched; those who used to be in Christian fellowship and have dropped out, those who may have been hurt by the church, and also those who have never considered Christ.

     We hope that our next pastor will continue to advance the fellowship and unity of our church; to promote small group ministries, community service, and mission projects.

     He must love the Lord and be grounded in the scriptures and prayer.  His preaching should be clear and effective.  He will need to work in harmony with the lay leadership that has been developed in the congregation and work to encourage all the people to identify and use the gifts God has given them.  He must thrive in the ‘messiness’ that comes with reaching the lost.

     We are a diverse group of people with a strong sense of unity.  We are young children, young people, young parents, middle aged and senior citizens.  We share with each other our joys, sorrows and pains.  We worship together, fellowship together, do mission projects together, work together, and play together.  As with our denomination, we do not always agree on all the issues, however, I think we strive to listen and understand each other, focus on what we hold in common, and above all seek to keep in perspective the things that are important to God.  We have been made stronger by past hardships and struggles.

     We thank God for His goodness and faithfulness to us in the past and we look forward with joy and anticipation for what He has in store for us next.  Our prayer is that He will make His will clear to us and to the person He has chosen to lead us.

                                                                   Carl Wierda, Chairman