How Long is Right for the Interim Time?
09 min 00 s
Rev. Dr. Jonathan New
- No cookie cutter way of doing interim ministry
- The true purpose of the interim time as I see it
- How I know that my time with the congregation is coming to an end
Category: Entering and Engaging the Congregation
How I Helped Initiate a Shared Ministry Project
14 min 06 s
Rev. Gail Irwin
- A case study in pastor sharing that began with sharing an interim pastor as a feasibility experiment for sharing a settled pastor;
- Helping a cong. accept the reality that they can no longer afford a full-time pastor, and leading them into new territory in creative and hopeful ways;
- Leading the creation of a shared culture when two congregations decide to share a pastor.
- Good questions to ask when considering a shared pastor ministry model (two congregations sharing a pastor);
- Helping a cong. understand the details of moving from a full-time to a half-time pastor;
- Key things that made the half-time pastor sharing model work successfully;
- My 3 key training areas to equip the lay leaders for success in a half-time pastor-sharing ministry model;
- How the interim minister can be a catalyst for helping a congregation move into a pastor-sharing model.
Why I’m drawn to serving as a Designated Term Pastor
12 min 30 s
Rev. Chris Mereschuk
- When is Designated Term appropriate?
- Designated Term puts everything on the table
- When serving as an interim pastor, what if calling a settled pastor next isn’t what’s really needed?
- Designated Term: you do have goals, but maybe not a specific outcome (like being ready to call a settled pastor)
- How Interim Pastors and Designated Pastors can work together
Why I use ‘Transition’ in my title
12 min 09 s
Rev. Dr. Todd Grant Yonkman
- Why setting expectations is critical & how to do it
- How the metaphor of “Midwife” for the transition pastor can clarify roles and responsibilities
- The church you were is not the church you are going to be…
- What are you willing to let go of to get what you most want?
My 4 or 5 key questions to help congregations discern their future
10 min 43 s
Rev. Chris Mereschuk
- Key questions to build relationships with people at the beginning;
- How to avoid closed ended questions;
- Getting the congregation to think more deeply about their future when closure is a real possibility;
- Helping the congregation get to its “Why”
- Assessing the capacity of the congregation for ministry; Questions to help a declining congregation think realistically about its options;
- Questions to help a declining congregation think realistically about its options;
How play and playfulness can breathe new life into your ministry
11 min 26 s
Rev. Holly MillerShank
- Prayerful and playful!
- What to do if a playful style doesn’t come naturally to you?
- How a posture of giving permission can unlock new possibilities for a congregation;
- Tips for getting out of our heads and into our hearts in our role as interim minister;
Thinking collaboratively (not transactionally) about the tasks of ministry
13 min 23s
Rev. Quentin Chin
- Bringing 1 Corinthians 12 to life;
- How clergy and congregation can make space for each other to shine!;
- Collaborative ministry requires clergy and congregation to share with each other their respective strengths and weaker areas – especially important for part-time pastorates;
- Some of the things I’m doing to prepare the congregation for a potentially indefinite period of part-time pastorates;
A Good Farewell Starts at the Beginning
10 min 41 s
Rev. Arlen Vernava
Joining stands on the shoulders of farewell;
The nature of your last farewell will hugely influence how you join your next community of faith;
Joining has 5 practices:
- Giving thanks
- Celebration
- Forgiving
- Making friends
- Blessing (both affirming & challenging);
Joining is about sharing your heart and receiving theirs.
Listen or Read Now!Navigating the Nonsense in Transition
24 min 13 s
Rev. Doug Bixby
The trust vs. mistrust stage of pastoral ministry
A new pastor arrives in the middle of the “movie” of a congregation’s life
Avoid triangulation, not conflict;
Interim time can allow the congregation to catch its breath;
During the interim time does the congregation primarily need healing or helping?
Giving authority without responsibility invites the church monster to rear its head;
Listen or Read Now!How a Small Church in a Small Town on the Verge of Closure Gained New Life
19 min 18 s
Rev. Dawn Adams
From a 20-hour/week pastorate to a 30-hour/week one and more – how we’re doing it
Boundaries: balancing clergy self-care with the practical realities of renewal;
Success metrics, and a rhythm of communication about critical topics…
A practical step-by-step story revealing what did work and what didn’t (and why);
Instilling a spirit of experimentation into a congregation;
Helping the small congregation know that there is a larger congregation that exists that may never ever sit in a pew in our building;
Listen or Read Now!