Who can I speak to about this transition?
Any Elder is available to meet and discuss any questions you may have. There is an email address set up specifically for this transition at pastorsearch@dc2.me

Who is on the Elder Board?
Currently, there are 7 Elders on the Elder Board plus our Lead Pastor, Steve Cuss. The Elders are Erik Berger, Cody Gratny, Amy Hayes, Steve Laposa, Corey Livingston, John Neill, and Alina Rich. You can also visit the Discovery website (scroll to the bottom) to see pictures of the entire Board.

Is the Elder Board the search advisory team?
The Elder Board will certainly play a major role in the search process and be heavily involved in all steps of the process. At the beginning of the process, we will also involve key leaders in our congregation to assist with sorting through and reviewing candidates.

Is the Cuss family remaining at Discovery?
Steve and Lisa love Discovery and their family intends to remain at Discovery as part of our community.

Will the final candidates preach at Discovery as part of the interview process?

In short, no, we will not have any candidates preach while they visit Discovery. During the interview process, both the search team and the Elder board have watch videos of the candidates preaching and have assessed the preaching style and posture. We do not want to create any type of favoritism or 'camps' within the congregation of preferred candidates and potential disappointment if preferences do not align with the eventual decision of the board.

I love Discovery's DNA. Will we be keeping our DNA moving forward?
Yes. One of the functions of our elders is to protect the vision and theology of our church. Of course a new leader will lead us into new areas, which we are all excited about, but core DNA matters such as: the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection, The Bible as our core authority, women and men leading at all levels together, serving our city and global partners, inviting people in pain and doubt etc are key parts of our DNA. If you have specific questions, you can email elders@dc2.me

Will Steve be the lead pastor through the search process?
Yes, Steve will remain as the Lead Pastor until a new Pastor has been identified and hired.

What is the transition process?
We have hired an outside consultant to guide us and the Elder Board has met extensively to outline our process. We will also have a prayer team that will be praying for our process and our candidates along the way. A Search Advisory Team will help us sort through candidates and give recommendations to the Elder Board as well. We will have periodic updates for the church along the way to make sure everyone knows where things are headed.

Who is on the Search Advisory Team?
This team is comprised of two elders, Alina and Cody, as well as additional church leaders who have been identified with having specific gifts and talents to help advise and give recommendations to the Elder Board. We also have an outside consultant who is advising the Elder Board and will participate on the search team. Ultimately the decision to appoint the new lead pastor lies with the Elder Board along with thoughtful prayer and discernment.

What is the timeline for transition?
We begin the search for a new Lead Pastor in late March. Ideally we would have a new pastor identified somewhere between this fall and the following spring. These types of transitions take between 12 and 15 months, but we are trusting in God's timeline.

What is Steve doing next?
Steve has always had an informal ministry of caring for regional pastors. Through the release of Steve's first book, that ministry has expanded more formally nationally and even internationally. Steve will spend the majority of his time coaching and equipping faith and business leaders and writing.

Who would you be looking at for candidates?
We will be casting a large net and we will be looking locally and nationally for candidates.