Executive Search
The search firm we initially spoke with suggested that Vanderbloemen would have the best network to fill this role.
- Brett Coates EXEcutive Director
Energetic, welcoming, and gospel centered. Those are all words that can be used to describe Real Life Christian Church (Real Life) in Chesapeake, Virginia. Real Life set out to be different than other churches. They wanted people to understand that church is not for perfect people, and everyone is welcome. Real Life desires to be a church where people from any background can experience Jesus.
Real Life understands how important Sunday morning worship is, and they strive to create an environment for any and all people to worship. They want to create a distraction-free time when people can put aside the troubles and stress of the previous week and simply worship the Lord.
Like many growing churches, Real Life found itself without a Creative Arts Director; the person who prepares, implements and produces Sunday morning worship.
Brett Coates, the Executive Director at Real Life, could not emphasize enough that “there was a real sense of urgency” around being able to fill this position and do it quickly. Brett and the rest of the church leadership understood the impact being without a Worship Leader and Creative Arts Director could have.
Brett had previous experience with a search firm, and decided to approach this firm with the task of filling the role. After laying out the urgency behind this position, as well as the unique qualities Real Life was looking for in the next Creative Arts Director, the search firm felt that the network that they worked within would not be able to produce the candidate for which Real Life was looking. The firm suggested they reach out to the Vanderbloemen Search Group and expressed that Vanderbloemen had a much broader network that could help fill the role in a timelier manner.
Sitting down with the Vanderbloemen consultant, Brett Coates, and the Senior Pastor laid out what they were looking for in their next Creative Arts Director. Because of Real Life’s culture, it was expressed that a person from the West Coast would be what the church needed to take worship to the next level.
Vanderbloemen set out to be the eyes and ears for Real Life; understanding the church’s passion for worship and using it as a filter with candidates. It was not long until the Lord led the Vanderbloemen team to Josh Combs, a man called into the worship ministry, from Sunnyvale, California. After many conversations, including a face-to-face interview with Josh, Vanderbloemen was confident that this was the man that God was calling to lead His people at Real Life Christian Church in worship.
Watch an interview with Josh
Josh has moved his wife and three girls across the country and is excited to lead worship each and every Sunday at Real Life Christian Church. The leadership of Real Life knew God was calling someone from the West Coast, and by partnering with Vanderbloemen, Real Life was able to extend their search network from coast to coast and find that leader God was calling them.
