Senior Pastor Succession
Constance Free Church has been blessed for 39 years by Senior Pastor Randy Discher’s faithful ministry. 5 years ago, Randy shared his vision for succession with the Elder Board. The Elders then began the journey of education and hired NL Moore & Associates to guide us and consult with us as we moved through this process. A Search Team was formed a year ago and have worked with NL Moore to find highly aligned candidates, recently narrowing down to one. It has been a long, deliberate process, bathed in prayer, and filled with God’s faithfulness along the way.
Announcing our New Senior Pastor Candidate
Travis Fox
Watch the Announcement
Chad Hanson and Pastor Randy Discher
Sunday, June 15th
“On behalf of both the Search Team and the Elder Board, I am excited to share our recommendation of Travis Fox as our candidate for the next Senior Pastor at Constance. It was a blessing to witness God's presence and answers to prayers throughout this process— it's truly been a humbling experience. Your continued prayers have been invaluable during the past few weeks and months, and now I am thrilled for you to meet Travis, his wife Jessica, and their three children: Kaleb (19), Journey (16), and Sadie (14).”
Chad Hanson
Elder Board Chairman
Search Team Chairman
What Comes Next
Continue to pray for God’s wisdom and guidance throughout this whole process. We would love for you to have the chance to get to know Travis and his family. Come join us during one of the Town Hall Meetings. You will also have the chance to hear Travis teach during all Sunday services on July 13th. Everyone is welcome to our Annual Meeting later that evening, but only members can participate in voting on the Elder Board's recommendation of Travis Fox.
Candidating Weekend
July 10-13
Thursday, July 10 // 6:30-8:30pm
Congregational Town Hall with Travis and Jessica (Option #1)
Community Room
Nursery-preschool childcare by registration only
Friday, July 11 // 6:30-8:30pm
Congregational Town Hall with Travis and Jessica (Option #2)
Community Room // No childcare available
Saturday, July 12 // 10am-12pm
Congregational Town Hall with Travis and Jessica (Option #3)
Community Room // No childcare available
Sunday, July 13 // Worship Services
Travis serves as Teaching Pastor
8am in the Community Room
9am & 10:45am in the Auditorium.
Sunday, July 13 // 6:30-8:30pm
Annual Meeting and Member Vote on Elder Board's recommendation of Travis Fox as our Next Senior Pastor
Auditorium
Meeting attendees do not need to register
Nursery-preschool childcare by registration only
A Season of Prayer
The Elders are calling the entire congregation to a continued season of prayer. As our focus shifts to the candidating weekend July 10-13, please be in prayer for the following:
For Pastor Randy and Deb as Randy continues to lead this church and yet they both prepare for a significant transition to a new season in their lives.
Praise God for the work and prayer that NL Moore & Associates and our Search Team have done over the last year! We are truly thankful and humbled to see how God worked through them in this process.
For your Elders – for wisdom in leading the church through this season of change
For the Constance Staff – pray for them during this season of great change and for their ministries to continue to grow and flourish.
For Unity – we have always been blessed with great unity, but we should never take this for granted. For each person who walks through the door of our church to have that extra measure of selfless grace as we journey together. Change is hard, but with a little grace, we will journey well.
For Travis Fox, his wife Jessica, and his kids: Kaleb (19), Journey (16), and Sadie (14). Pray for them in this season of discernment and transition, and that God would be leading, preparing, and guiding them as well.
Pray for the Congregational Town Hall Meetings July 10-12 and for the Annual Meeting and member vote on July 13.
Where are we in the search process?
Gather Evidence
NL Moore & Associates conducts congregational assessment, on-site interviews, and focus groups.
Develop Candidate Profiles
Consultant synthesizes results of congregational assessment, interviews, and focus groups to create Candidate and Opportunity Profiles.
Find Great Candidates
NL Moore & Associates launches a nationwide search to prequalify a high-quality pool of candidates (usually between 300-500). They prequalify on theology, education, experience, references, and personal assessments. Viable candidates go through nearly 8 hours of interviews before they reach the next stage. This phase can take approx. 3 months or longer. The Search Team prepares for their interviews.
Search Team Interviews
Consultant produces a small pool of viable candidates (usually 3-6) to the church’s Search Team. The Search Team begins their discernment process through candidate interviews and personal visits. This phase can also take several months with multiple confidential interviews.
Select and Confirm
A final candidate is recommended to leadership and confirmed according to church bylaws. This includes a candidating weekend, live preaching, meet and greet opportunities for the congregation, etc. Membership votes to confirm the Elder Board’s candidate recommendation.
A Season of Prayer
As mentioned above, the Elders are calling the entire congregation to a season of prayer. We will on occasion issue very specific prayer items as we move through this process, but be in regular prayer for these standing needs:
For Pastor Randy and Deb as Randy continues to lead this growing church and yet they both start to prepare for a significant transition to a new season in their lives
For NL Moore to be equipped in every way possible to offer the best possible search assistance to Constance
For our Search Team – for wisdom and deep discerning, and that they would bind together and function well as a team
For your Elders – for wisdom in leading the church through this season of change
For the Constance staff – that the work of their hands bears much fruit for the kingdom and their ministries grow and flourish during this season of change
For Unity – we have always been blessed with great unity, but we should never take this for granted. For each person who walks through the door of our church to have that extra measure of selfless grace as we journey together. Change is hard, but with a little grace, we will journey well.
For our new Senior Pastor and his family. God knows who they are and what they will need. Pray for them in this season of transition and that God would be leading, preparing, and guiding them as well.
Search Team
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Taylore Briant
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Shelly Carlson
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James Dickey
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Bethany Glines
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Nate Klauser
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Enrique Mejia
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Julie Mueller
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Chad Hanson (Elder)
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Trent Lackie (Elder)
Elder Board
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Chad Hanson
Elder Chairman
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Chuck Hayes
Elder
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Joe Fry
Elder
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Doug Ackerman
Elder
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Shawn Conway
Elder
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Wayne Beich
Elder
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Trent Lackie
Elder
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Tom Delich
Elder
What Doesn’t Change
The purpose of Constance Free Church is to glorify God by creating an environment where people can...
Know: Establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Grow: Mature in their relationship with Christ and His Church
Go: Reach out to their community
Our Vision is Helping People Connect with Jesus
And we are committed to preaching the Word of God – “where stands it written”
Our purpose as a church, our mission on this corner of Anoka county and to the ends of the earth, and our commitment to the Word of God will remain core to who we are as a church. Congregants come and go over time. So do staff and Pastors. But Christ’s church remains and we will remain in Christ.
Finally, the pace of ministry at Constance will not move into a holding pattern as we journey through succession, rather the Board and Membership, through board direction and the approval of the 2025 fiscal growth budget have expressed the desire for Pastor Randy and all the ministries of the church to continue executing the vision of the church and further ministry growth!
Have more questions?
Contact: searchteam@constancefree.org