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Pastoral Succession Workshop – September 16th
Pastoral Succession Workshop
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, September 16th • 10:00am-3:00pm
LOCATION: First Family Church (317 SE Magazine Rd, Ankeny)
COST: Free for BCI Pastors, Elders, & Elder Candidates (includes materials & lunch)
Passing the Baton of Shepherding in Your Church
What does a healthy pastoral transition look like? How do you prepare your church, your successor, and yourself? Join us for a one-day workshop designed for BCI pastors who are beginning to think about succession planning, whether it’s five years away or just around the corner.
This event will provide the opportunity for reflection, shared wisdom, and gospel-centered guidance. We’ll hear from Iowa pastors who have walked through succession already. They’ll share what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish they had known. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and connect with others navigating through this same season.
Whether you’re just beginning to think about retirement or already making plans, this workshop is for you. Registration is now open. Mark your calendar and make plans to join us!
SESSION CONTENT
• Session 1: Succession Timeline & Tools
• Session 2: A Succession Testimony: Stonebrook Church
• Session 3: Succession and the Gospel
• Session 4: Succession Case Studies: You!
Succession Testimony: Stonebrook Church, Ames
At Stonebrook Church in Ames, pastoral succession has been a story of God’s faithfulness. Former Lead Pastor Brad Barrett and the rest of the pastor team recognized the character and gifting of one of the younger pastors, Matt Heerema. The team developed a succession process to transition the Lead Pastor role to Matt. Brad continues to serve as a pastor on the pastor team alongside Matt, offering a testimony of how healthy succession can strengthen both leaders and the church.
PASTOR BRAD BARRETT
Preaching & Counseling
Brad has a passion for teaching the Bible and making it relevant to everyday life, whether in large groups, small group Bible studies, or one-on-one counseling, and he is certified as a biblical counselor through the ministry, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
A few authors who have influenced him over the years are J.I. Packer (his book, Knowing God), Edward Welch (several books, including When People Are Big and God Is Small), and C.S. Lewis (especially the classic Chronicles of Narnia series). Brad and his wife Annette are both Iowa-born-and-raised, and they have four married daughters and six grandchildren who provide him “more joy than a human should be allowed to have.”
PASTOR MATT HEEREMA
Preaching, Vision, & Strategic Leadership
Matt serves as lead pastor focusing on preaching, vision, and strategic leadership. He and his wife Nancy have four daughters. Matt came to Christ at a young age through the Awana program at an E-Free church. After a period of wandering in high school and early college, he became serious about his faith in college in 1999 at age 20. The call to ministry came shortly after.
Though Matt has been studying God’s word and the great theologians and scholars since that time, he is only just now pursuing a formal degree through Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also owns and directs Mere Agency whose goal is to help the church use the web to impact the world with the gospel.
