The 7 Cs – Confirmation of the Holy Spirit

At Baptist Search Partners, we orient our partnership and search process around 7 Cs. They are:
1. Conversion
2. Calling
3. Character
4. Competence
5. Culture
6. Chemistry
7. Confirmation of the Holy Spirit

The final step in this series, and in the search process, is seeking confirmation that bringing a particular candidate on your team is the right move. We want to get that final stamp of approval from the Leader whom we serve.

It may be that the Lord’s affirmation has been building throughout the process, and that as you approach the end, you sense it’s right. If so, move it forward. I trust that most church leaders are spiritually healthy and in tune with the Lord’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Or you may be at 90% in your own mind. In that case, you need to spend some extra time doing a few things.

First, pray. Spend time in quiet, considering all of your interactions and all of the feedback you have received. Trust the Lord to direct your steps.

Second, see what the candidate is thinking. Have a transparent conversation where you process every step and find out where the Lord seems to be leading . This isn’t a trump card in any way, but it needs to be a piece of your puzzle. If the candidate has some concern and you have some concern, you might want to take a big step back.

Third, look for the affirmation of others. Do those whom you trust most deeply think bringing this candidate on board would be good for all? Let the Lord use the weigh-in of your trusted circle as well as those outside of it to steer your thinking.

If you get a yes on all three of those fronts, you probably have yourself a winner.

Notice I said “probably.” Nothing is right 100% of the time. We can still get it wrong. If you do, learn from it so the process works better for you the next time.