Head of School Search

Dear Fellowship Family, We wanted to provide you with an update, as the Head of School search has now entered the next phase of our process. Overall, our time has been productive, with your committee continuing to seek wisdom, knowledge, and clear direction. There are many hands not only at work but continuously in prayer.   Aug. 18 formally wrapped up the eight-week national recruitment phase of the search. Though we will still consider qualified resumes, we believe, with Carter Baldwin's work, we have collected the best slate of candidates from around the country. We were extremely pleased with the interest we have seen and have been praying for each candidate’s CV, letter of interest, philosophy of education, and Christian testimony, in addition to associated information from Carter Baldwin. The search committee and Board of Directors have continued to be prayerfully seeking the Lord's leading on His next for Fellowship Christian School. Our next step will be to narrow down the candidate pool to a smaller set of candidates we believe are uniquely qualified to lead HIS school, with each going through an interview process to discuss more biographical information, theological/worldview perspectives, professional experience, etc. As we move forward, this smaller set will be once again narrowed down to a handful of semi-finalists in the coming months in a similar, but more in-depth review process. We are praying for God’s leading as we keep Proverbs 4:6-7 "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."  We continue to covet your prayers for these next steps and for the candidates who are going through our process. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the team at the HOS Search Committee email address. For Him, The Head of School Search Committee

Dear Fellowship Family, Hoping this finds you well and enjoying summer. With recruitment well underway for our next Head of School, we wanted to provide an update to the question, "How is it going?" With Him before, beside, and in front of us, your search committee can report back that we are off to an excellent start and remain on schedule. A few items to note: Carter Baldwin has launched the profile nationally, and they will continue to take the next month to actively recruit and qualify all applicants/potential candidates. We have already received a solid number of very qualified applicants. At the same time, we have already denied a few that were not a great fit for the mission of our school. As for immediate next steps, late August/September will begin a more complete and thorough review of "pre-qualified" potential candidates that your Head of School Search Committee will review with the Board of Directors. This applicant pool will be subsequently narrowed in the fall, yielding a group of semi-final candidates, and then finally a few finalists from which the next Head of School will be chosen, Lord willing. Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us that "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." We continue to covet your prayers for these next steps and for the individuals who will be applying for the next Head of School, which we know God has already chosen. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the team at the HOS Search Committee email address. For Him, The Head of School Search Committee

Dear Faculty and Staff, As I work with the Head of School Search Committee and the Board of Directors, you all are regularly in our thoughts and prayers as we apply ourselves to the task of seeking out the person God is calling to be our next Head of School.  We cannot thank you enough for your hard work and dedication which shows in the impact you are having on our students.   I am happy to announce our search for the next Head of School will officially be launching later this week.  As promised, I wanted to give you a pre-read of the profile.  We plan to roll this out tomorrow to our families, and then Carter Baldwin will launch the search to the broader community.  The search team and I covet your prayers for these next steps and for the individuals who will be applying for the role. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the team at the HOS Search Committee email address. Sincerely, Don Rountree Chair - Head of School Search Committee

Dear Fellowship Families, As we wrap up the 2022/2023 school year, here is a brief update on where we are in the Head of School search process. We are grateful for all that the committee has accomplished thus far. We have met several times and completed our research and pre-work, culminating in a draft of the Search Profile as we prepare for a June launch. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us to "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  We will spend the next several weeks finalizing the profile in preparation for launching the search and placing the next step of the process in Carter Baldwin's hands.  We continue to covet your prayers as we trust the Lord to bring us great candidates and go before us, resulting in a seamless process that brings Him glory as we desire the best for the school. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to contact the committee by emailing HOS_search@fcsweb.org.  Thank you again for your engagement and thoughtful feedback. Sincerely,   The Head of School Search Committee

Dear Fellowship Families,

We want to thank all those who attended our Head of School Search Listening Sessions with Carter Baldwin. Over the course of two and a half days, nearly 21 hours of interviews were conducted with our faculty and staff, key leaders, and parents. The goal was to gather the critical perspective needed from each stakeholder group to inform the creation of a search profile for the search firm and the search committee to seek out the best candidates to fill this role.

• The number one reason families and employees gave for their decision to enroll/re-enroll/work at Fellowship Christian School is the culture grounded in biblical truth and the unapologetically Christian mission of educating and discipling students in partnership with Christian parents.
• We have heard that the next Head of School must continue to focus on spiritual formation, academic excellence, strong communication, and our related growth.
• It was noted that the family feel that makes up the Fellowship community is critically important. There is a shared feeling of "doing life together." 
• Based on what we have experienced in Dr. Teston's leadership, the next Head of School must be well-educated, and there is a strong preference for candidates to have advanced degrees in education.
• It was felt that we have strong leadership and a solid board of directors that follows our policy governance model, which is a tremendous asset for the next Head of School.

We received a great deal of valuable feedback that will help us prayerfully keep the heartbeat of our families, faculty, and staff in mind as we consider the candidates for this role. Our sole focus is to find God's best, and we are confident He is already preparing the person who will lead the school next in this role. We are reminded in Deuteronomy 31:8 that it is the Lord who goes before us and is with us on this journey, He will neither leave us, nor forsake us, so we have no reason to fear or be discouraged. 

If you have any further questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to reach out to the committee by emailing HOS_search@fcsweb.org. Thank you again for your engagement and thoughtful feedback.

Sincerely,  

The Head of School Search Committee

We are so grateful for all those who have reached out with questions and also participated in the Virtual Town Hall, February 2nd.  You can find that recording on our website. Your engagement is valued as we welcome your input and covet your prayers. 

On April 12 and 13, we will host several important listening sessions on campus led by Carter Baldwin (our search firm) and the Search Committee, seeking your input on several items associated with Fellowship and our next Head of School.

These one-hour sessions will be offered and booked via reservation. Please note, that while there will be several sessions over those two days, seating for each will be limited so that we can be intentional in our time together.

RSVP below by clicking on the best date and time for you. The deadline to RSVP for any of the sessions is April 1.

Thank you, again, for your engagement, encouragement, and prayers. While we are eager to see how God leads us through this process together, we are reminded in Colossians 2:3 it is God "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." 

Sincerely,  

The Head of School Search Committee

Dear Fellowship Family,
 
As promised, this is the first in a series of regular updates from the Search Committee regarding our Head of School Search that was announced last week. We are so grateful for all those who have reached out and participated in the Virtual Town Hall. Your engagement is valued, we welcome your input and covet your prayers. 
 
The process now transitions to the necessary next steps. Below, we have provided access to the Virtual Town Hall recording, so if you were unable to watch, you can stay up to date on all the communications concerning this process. We will also add all of this information to the Head of School Search page on our website. If you have additional questions, comments, or concerns, you can submit those via the button below, which will connect you directly to the Search Committee email.
 
Finally, please save April 12 and 13 on your calendar as we will be hosting several important listening sessions on campus led by Carter Baldwin (our search firm) and the Search Committee, seeking your input on the process. These one-hour sessions will be offered and booked via reservation in mid-March when we release the times. Please note while there will be several sessions over those two days, seating for each will be limited so that we can be intentional in our time together. 
 
As we progress, we will continue providing regular updates to keep you informed. Thank you, again, for your engagement, encouragement, and prayers. While we are eager to see how God leads us through this process together, we are reminded in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
 
Sincerely,
The Head of School Search Committee

FCA Q&A Session

Dear Fellowship Family,

 

Last night, we marked the passing of another year with our annual State of the School address. God has been faithful in leading us to successfully accomplish many of the strategic initiatives we prayerfully planned five years ago. At the same time, we look forward to embracing what He has prepared for the future of Fellowship.

A significant part of last night’s address was Dr. Teston’s announcement that, following a 17-month transition period, she will retire from her role as Head of School effective June 30, 2024. This decision comes after a significant period of prayerful conversations between her and the Board, and our mutual desire is to plan well for the eventual succession of leadership. Together, we have sought godly counsel from senior leaders within the church and Christian school community to determine the proper cadence of our next steps.

Few schools are fortunate to enjoy long tenures of leadership at the Head of School level. We are incredibly blessed to have such an exceptional, humble leader who has led with a steady hand over the last ten years. Dr. Teston has always remained prayerful, earnestly seeking the best for our school in every situation. During her time as Head of School, we have seen God’s provision of growth, vibrancy, and success that has placed Fellowship among the nation’s leading Christian schools. Moreover, her guidance and leadership have been exemplary over the last several years as she shepherded our community through a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, political unrest, social discord, and much more.

On behalf of the Board, words cannot express how immensely grateful we are that Dr. Teston has been our Head of School. She has been a joy to serve with as we worked together on the challenges and opportunities our school has navigated. It is a rare leader who exhibits the courage to embrace challenges while humbly considering God’s call on her life and His will for our school.

As we move forward over the next 17 months, a Board-directed search committee has been formed to work alongside Carter Baldwin as we seek to prayerfully identify our next Head of School. In the meantime, we still have much work to do under Dr. Teston’s leadership. We will complete the final year of our current strategic plan, develop and finalize our next one, and complete our re-accreditation.

For more information, you can view the FAQ that Dr. Teston distributed last night. However, should you have additional questions, I invite you to join me, Don Rountree (Former Board Member, Search Committee Chair), and Dr. Teston for a Virtual Town Hall meeting this Thursday, February 2, 2023, at 8:30 am.

The Board of Directors appreciates your prayers during this pivotal time. We will continue to be transparent, provide regular updates and keep you fully informed of all that is happening. Together, we look forward to seeking God’s leading, knowing He will be faithful.

In Him,

Brynn Stensrud Chairman, Board of Directors

HOS Search Letter