Executive Search
The topic of millennials is undeniably a popular topic among church leaders in the twenty-first century – how to motivate them, understand them, market to them, lead them, etc.
Figuring out millennials seems especially relevant to churches, as it has appeared that they are leaving the Church at a higher rate than previous generations. But further studies have shown that millennials aren’t walking away from the Church of Christianity; they’re walking away to find real, authentic community.
Enter Sugar Creek Baptist Church, located in Sugar Land, Texas. Sugar Creek has set out to reverse this trend that many traditional churches have been experiencing. Rather than ignore the fact that young adults are leaving the church, the leadership at Sugar Creek decided to put into motion a ministry that sets the tone for other churches when it comes to reaching twenty-somethings.
John Rushing, Pastor of Adult Ministries at Sugar Creek, was the one leading the charge in this endeavor. John, along with the rest of the staff, saw the value in bringing a new team member on board who could focus solely on reaching out to the younger adult demographic and growing that ministry.
Like many churches, John and the leadership at Sugar Creek had always relied on in-house hires, and like so many churches, they experienced some bad hires along the way.
John and the leadership knew what they were looking for in this new hire: someone who had experience leading community groups, who understood the importance of developing young adults into leaders, and who had a heart for providing a safe place for young adults to wrestle with tough questions. But where was this person, and how would they prayerfully find them?
Sugar Creek took a step of faith, and they made the decision to bring in a third party to expand their network and help them find their Young Adults Pastor.
Vanderbloemen Search Group helped Sugar Creek with a nationwide search to find who God was calling to serve as Sugar Creek’s Pastor of Young Adults, which meant more bended knees in prayer over Sugar Creek’s next hire for their ministry.
The Lord eventually led one candidate to the front of all the others: Ben Coleman. While serving at a church in Louisiana, Ben felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit leading him and his family to a new mission field – and this time it was Sugar Land, Texas.
Ben is bringing a love for developing leaders and teaching the Gospel to Sugar Creek’s Young Adults Ministries. There is no doubt that Sugar Creek will begin to see the fruits of their focus on reaching young adults.
