“Let God grant what is in your heart and fulfill all your plans. Then we will rejoice that you’ve been helped. We will fly our flags in the name of our God. Let the Lord fulfill all your requests!” Psalm 20:4-5
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Caroline Grindrod as our Director for Young Adults, Developing Families, and Connection. Caroline is a graduate of Boston College, Carroll School of Management, holding a B.S. in Management. She is a 2024 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, holding an M. Div.
Caroline is currently under the care of Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery as she works toward ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.
Unanimously and enthusiastically selected as the top candidate by our APNC, Caroline brings a deep calling to ministry, a strong faith, extensive experience in young adult ministries, and glowing recommendations from her supervisors, colleagues, and her home church.
The PHPC Staff Committee has approved Caroline to join our team as Director on July 1, 2024. In that role, Caroline will be orienting to the church, assessing our current programming, providing additional support for staff and summer programming, assisting with fall planning and preparation, and forming relationships with young adults and developing families.
Once she has fulfilled her ordination requirements (anticipated in September), the APNC will ask Session to call a congregational meeting to vote to call Caroline as our Associate Pastor for Young Adults, Developing Families and Connection.
We look forward to sharing more about Caroline soon. In the meantime, we invite you to keep her in your prayers as she completes her ordination requirements and prepares for her move to Dallas, and to give her the warmest, biggest Texas welcome when she arrives.
We are grateful to the APNC: Jaye Andrews, Sarah Bennett, Scott Drake, Sarah Kopec, Erin Sine, Cile Wells, and Matt Yager for their faithful work since October 2022 and as they continue to guide this process.
As always, please feel free to submit any questions to APNC@phpc.org.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4
Over the past 18 months, the APNC has prayerfully and diligently searched for the right person to serve in the newly created position of Associate Pastor for Young Adults, Developing Families and Connection. During that time, the APNC reviewed dozens of candidates from the PC(USA) matching system, self-referrals, and by networking through a broad array of contacts. We conducted a series of initial interviews via phone and Zoom and invited three of the most qualified candidates to Dallas for in-depth, in-person interviews, which are now complete. From the beginning of this search process, we affirmed that we would move as quickly as possible, but were also mindful that finding the right person was essential, no matter how long it may take.
We are delighted to report that the APNC is unanimous in our support of a finalist we feel will bring the engagement, commitment, and enthusiasm to excel in this important role. APNC is engaged with Grace Presbytery and the finalist's presbytery of care to advance the process. We covet your prayers for smooth sailing and hope to announce further details about this wonderful news in the coming weeks.
Please feel free to submit any questions to APNC@phpc.org.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8: 28
The APNC has been hard at work over the past several months as we continue to search for the right person to serve in the newly created position of Associate Pastor for Young Adults, Developing Families and Connection. Since our last update, the APNC has conducted a number of first-round interviews. Some of those interviews resulted in additional interviews, including in-person meetings. We also continue to identify additional candidates through Grace Presbytery, our sister churches, and through contacts from our staff members and friends of PHPC. While we have not yet identified any finalists for the position, the APNC remains encouraged by the level of interest from candidates across the country. We have multiple candidates at various stages of the process. The APNC will be conducting additional virtual and in-person interviews in the coming weeks and remain committed to finding the right person to serve as the spiritual leader for young adults and families at PHPC.
From the outset, the primary mission of the APNC was to find the right person for this position, regardless of how long the process took. The APNC remains fully dedicated to achieving that goal and is committed to carrying out this process until our work is finished. The APNC continues to believe that God will lead us in the right direction and is encouraged that the nationwide reputation of PHPC, its staff, and congregation remains strong. We are ever thankful for the support of the congregation and our staff. Please continue to pray that we will be faithful in our service to the Lord and our Church, and that the right candidate hears God’s call.
Please feel free to submit any questions to APNC@phpc.org.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8
The APNC is pleased to bring you this update on our search for the new Associate Pastor for Young Adults, Developing Families and Connection. We are working hard on your behalf to find the right person to answer God’s call to PHPC. Since our last update the APNC has identified highly qualified potential candidates to fill this newly created position. We have participated in a “match process” with Grace Presbytery where candidates who are seeking a call provide a Personal Information Form (“PIF”) that can be matched to PHPC’s Ministry Information Form. We have also networked with sister churches, staff members, and Friends of PHPC throughout the nation.
After compiling an initial pool of candidates from these sources, APNC members reached out to individuals to discuss the role and explore their interest. From these conversations, the APNC identified a slate of priority candidates for virtual interviews. The first round of interviews is underway and has been promising. We are continuing the search for additional candidates. We just received an additional batch of PIF matches from Grace and are in the process of evaluating those candidates for potential interviews. We are also moving forward with a second round of virtual interviews of some of the candidates that participated in the first round. Finalists will be invited to meet with the whole APNC in person.
We are excited and encouraged by the progress we have made. The APNC is confident that we will attract a talented candidate who is ready to answer God’s call to PHPC. As has been the case from the outset, we do not know how long it will take to fill this position, but are committed to finding the right person to help further the ministry at PHPC.
We remain grateful for the support of the congregation and staff at PHPC. Please continue to pray that the APNC is granted wisdom and is continually guided by the Holy Spirit. We also pray that our candidates can discern God’s call, in order that His vision for PHPC be fulfilled.
We encourage you to submit any questions to APNC@phpc.org.
Dear PHPC Family,
On behalf of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (“APNC”), we are excited to announce that the PHPC Session approved the Ministry Information Form (“MIF”); this allows us to begin searching for the individual called to fill the new position of Associate Pastor for Young Adults, Developing Families and Connection.
The new Associate Pastor will be the spiritual leader for young adults and families at PHPC. This Associate Pastor will create a culture of welcome and connection throughout the church and integrate members, new members, and visitors into the life of the congregation. Additionally, this Associate Pastor will help develop a sense of belonging and hospitality by guiding prospective members through their first year as new members.
Their call is to also help young adults and families grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and prepare them for a lifetime of faith. This Associate Pastor will equip and inspire young adults and families to grow in faith in five primary areas:
In addition to a focus on young adults and developing families, our new Associate Pastor will have a dedicated ministry of “Connection” to help foster a culture of belonging by and between all PHPC visitors and members. The Associate Pastor will be responsible for connecting with, contacting, and following up with new visitors and new members. This work will be done with the support of lay volunteers trained and supported by the Associate Pastor. This role will also oversee, in the short-term, the new member integration process to help each new member get connected with the ministry, missions, and many opportunities to become engaged at PHPC.
The APNC has begun a nationwide search to fill this important position. The person open to this call must be engaged, persistent, and committed to building community and creating spaces for belonging at PHPC. This Associate Pastor will be a leader capable of working closely with pastoral colleagues, staff, and the congregation to strengthen young adult/family ministry and enhance connections ministry (which focuses on establishing and nurturing relationships with both prospective and new members). This person will have strong communication and interpersonal skills to help build relationships with the individuals, families, and groups in their focus ministries. We hope that the person responding to this call is committed to serving an extended ministry and growing with Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church to establish deep roots in both the church and the wider community, for the greater enrichment of all.
This is an exciting time in the life of our Church. We do not know exactly how long it will take to fill this position. However, we are grateful that we are guided by the Holy Spirit and blessed by PHPC’s excellent reputation, highly regarded pastoral staff, and welcoming congregation. Your APNC is confident that PHPC will attract highly qualified candidates. We are moving as quickly as possible, but we are also mindful that finding the right person for this position is our primary mission, no matter how long it may take.
To provide you with helpful information about the APNC and the status of our important work, a webpage is in development that will be regularly updated throughout the APNC recruitment process. Additional information about the position, process, MIF, and members of the APNC will be available on this webpage when it goes live on October 28.
The members of the APNC are humbled and grateful for your trust and confidence as we seek to discern who is called to fill this position to further the ministry at our great Church. In addition to the APNC webpage, we will provide email updates along the way; you may send any questions or concerns you have to this email as well (apnc@phpc.org).
In the meantime, we need your prayers that the APNC will receive guidance and wisdom and that the right person hears God’s call to join us at PHPC.
