INTENTIONAL INTERIM MINISTRY

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INTENTIONAL INTERIM MINISTRY

• Created by
• The Center For Congregational Health
• Adapted By Ken Coffee

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Intentional Interim Ministry...

• is a process
• intentionally adopted by the congregation
• aimed at discovering/discerning/clarifying Gods
  will and direction for the church
• is a congregations intentional decision to use
  the transition period between pastors as a
  productive time of personal and corporate
  spiritual growth
• involves an in-depth self-study that explores
  five developmental or transitional tasks

Definitions

• requires the self-study to take place before the
  Pastoral Search Committee begins its work
• uses a Transition Team to guide the work of the
  congregation .

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An Intentional Interim Minister

• is an experienced, ordained minister
• completes specialized training that concentrates
  on the dynamics of transition
• Over 60 classroom hours
• Includes a six-month period of supervised
  fieldwork
• functions as the churchs senior pastor in regard
  to preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and
  administration.
• equips and guides the Transition Team to engage
  the congregation in the self-study process.

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Primary Reasons To Consider Intentional Interim
Ministry
The Church

• has experienced the departure of a beloved pastor
  who served ten or more years
• has a nucleus of lay leaders who recognize a loss
  of direction or meaning for the church
• anticipates the next installed pastor being at
  least a generation younger than the departing
  pastor
• has seen average worship attendance drop by 35
  percent or more during the last few years

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Primary Reasons To Consider Intentional Interim
Ministry
The Church

• forced the last pastor to leave
• encountered misbehavior by a former pastor
• knows there is destructive conflict within the
  congregation or its staff
• experienced conflict between the congregation and
  the former pastor

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The Stages of Intentional Interim Ministry
Endings In Between Times
New Beginnings
Dis-enchantment Dis-identification Dis-organizatio
n Dis-engagement
Re-enchantment Re-identification Re-organization R
e-engagement
The Stages of Intentional Interim Ministry
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The Stages of Intentional Interim Ministry
Endings In Between Times
New Beginnings
Dis-enchantment Dis-identification Dis-organizatio
n Dis-engagement
Re-enchantment Re-identification Re-organization R
e-engagement
Start-up
Termination
Installation
Direction Finding
Call
Self Study
Search

• the relationship of pastor to people is ended
• some people are devastated, some are elated,
  and some are confused

• The congregation does an in-depth study of who
  it is and how God is working in it.
• The congregation looks at itself in light of what
  members believe God wants this particular church
  to accomplish at this time in history.

• The Pastor Search Committee introduces the
  candidate to the congregation
• The congregation affirms Gods call
• The church moves out of the wilderness and
  into the Promised Land

• the church considers its options for addressing
  the interim time

• The Pastor Search Committee
• Gathers resumes
• Checks references
• Interviews candidates

• This marks the beginning of the honeymoon period
  between the pastor and the church

The entire intentional interim process typically
lasts between 6 and 18 months

• The new pastor begins to become part of this
  community of faith and the wider community

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The Stages and Tasks of Intentional Interim
Ministry
Endings In Between Times
New Beginnings
Dis-enchantment Dis-identification Dis-organizatio
n Dis-engagement
Re-enchantment Re-identification Re-organization R
e-engagement
Start-up
Termination
Installation
Direction Finding
Call
THE FIVE DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS OF THE SELF-STUDY
Self Study
Search
Self Study and the Developmental Tasks
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The Stages and Tasks of Intentional Interim
Ministry
Endings In Between Times
New Beginnings
Self Study
Commitment to New Leadership and Future
Identity
History
Denominational Relationships
Leadership and decision making
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The Stages and Tasks of Intentional Interim
Ministry
Endings In Between Times
New Beginnings
Dis-enchantment Dis-identification Dis-organizatio
n Dis-engagement
Re-enchantment Re-identification Re-organization R
e-engagement
Start-up
Termination
Installation
Direction Finding
Call
Self Study
Search

Commitment to New Leadership and
Future
History
Self Study and the Developmental Tasks
Identity
Leadership and Decision Making
Leadership and Decision Making
Denominational Relationships
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The Transition Team

• A group of trusted, respected, spiritually wise
  church leaders selected by the congregation to
  guide the process
• Representative of the entire congregation
• A model to the congregation - looking for Gods
  movement, will and purpose for the church
• The group to whom the intentional interim pastor
  is responsible

• Determines when the church is ready to
  form/activate the Pastor Search Committee
• Critical strategy this is the congregations
  work
• A new group life

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The Transition TeamObjectives

• Become a safe, trusting, and open group
• Customize the intentional interim process, tasks,
  and activities to fit the congregations needs
• Facilitate the congregations engagement of the
  interim work
• Lead the interim process, do not run the church

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Distinctives of Intentional Interim Ministry

• Covenant Agreement the Intentional Interim
  Minister comes to the church under a covenant
  agreement that establishes
• an estimated time line (beginning and ending)
• expectations for the interim time
• Self-Study the congregation agrees to engage in
  a thorough self-study that
• focuses on five developmental or transitional
  tasks
• is aimed at discovering/discerning/clarifying
  Gods will and direction for the church

• Transition Team the Intentional Interim
  Minister provides leadership and guidance, but it
  is a congregational process that is led by a
  Transition Team of lay people.
• Search the Pastoral Search Committee does not
  begin its work until the Transition Team
  indicates that the congregation has finished the
  self-study.
• Evaluation a system of checks and balances,
  with the church, the interim pastor, and the
  denomination.

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Benefits Of CallingAn Intentional Interim
Minister

• Sustains ongoing ministries and programs
• Assists in identifying and dealing with
  unresolved issues of the church
• Serves as a catalyst to bring about the healing
  process
• Facilitates the grieving process--regardless of
  how the former pastor left, there are some who
  grieve about it
• Reduces the urgency of forming a Pastoral Search
  Committee
• Provides the Pastoral Search Committee with the
  information required to do a more thorough job

• Assists the church in seeking to discover,
  discern, and/or clarify Gods will and direction
  for the future
• Leads the congregation through an introspective
  experience - who are we and who do we think God
  wants us to be
• Prevents backlog of pastoral needs
• Provides stability during a period of change and
  helps the church visualize change
• Maintains momentum of the church