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Intentional Interim Ministry - A Guide for
Congregations
Help!!!...Our Pastor Is Leaving! |
| So your pastor is leaving - or has left. It happens
sooner or later in every congregation. It is not an easy experience.
You may be experiencing many feelings, among them uncertainty, anger,
frustration, grief, concern about the future of your church and even
panic.
*How will you go about calling a new pastor?
*How long will it take?
*Who will lead worship and care for the congregation until
a new pastor is calling?
There are but a few of the questions that your congregation must
answer. But you can rest assured that:
#This is NOT the end of your church!
#Help is available to provide leadership during this interim
time!
#Help is available to assist your congregation in searching
for
and calling its next pastor!
That help comes in the form of an Intentional Interim Minister. |
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What Is An "Intentional Interim Minister"?
The word interim means in between. In
the church's life, it refers to that period of time between the
leaving of one installed pastor and the coming of the next. Ordained
Ministers who are called to serve churches during the interim period
are referred to as Interim Ministers.
In addition to their basic seminary preparation, some
ordained ministers have received special education and training in
Intentional Interim Ministry. In
addition to doing all of the usual pastoral duties
they provide leadership to help a congregation
*work through grief, anger, and/or sadness over a
pastor's
leaving
*deal with conflict and/or special problems
*rediscover its mission and renew its resources
*set new directions and goals for ministry
*prepare for the coming of the next pastor |
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Is Intentional Interim Ministry Needed In Every
Pastoral Vacancy?
Not necessarily. Sometimes ministers serve during the
Interim Time who are not specifically trained for Interim Ministry.
These ministers may be contracted to carry out the routine pastoral
functions of preaching and leading worship, visiting the sick and
home-bound members, officiating at weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc.
and attending board/committee meetings. This is often referred to as
Maintenance Ministry. Sometimes a congregation will choose to
contract with a minister just to provide worship leadership and
preaching. This type of ministry is called Pulpit Supply.
These ministries are of great value and Maintenance/Pulpit Supply
ministers themselves more often than not bring a vast knowledge and
insight to the interim time. However, there are those times in a
congregation's life that special attention and assistance is needed
that can be brought by a trained Intentional Interim. |
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There is Great Value, However, In Hiring An
Intentional Interim Minister To Provide Leadership During The
In-Between Times.
This is especially true if:
*your congregation has just ended a long term
pastorate
*your congregation is at a critical point in
setting new
directions for its life and ministry
*your congregation is dealing with conflict
*the pastor resigned suddenly
*the pastor died
*the pastor left because of misconduct
*If the the congregation has
had a number of short, rather unfulfilling pastorates
*Any time the congregational
leaders believe it is time for a significantly new direction
for the congregation
In any of these situations, your congregation should
seriously consider an Intentional Interim Minister. The
need for such skilled leadership exists whether a congregation is
large or small, urban, suburban, small town or rural.
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What Should Be Done First?
1. When you know your pastor is leaving, the
responsible governing body should ARRANGE A CONSULTATION WITH
REGIONAL, ASSOCIATE REGIONAL AND/OR AREA MINISTER WHERE THE
CONGREGATION IS LOCATED at the earliest possible
opportunity. DO THIS BEFORE YOU APPOINT A SEARCH
COMMITTEE!! There is no need to rush the process. One
of the purposes of the consultation is to give you an overview of
the Interim Time and search process. (Interim periods typically
range from nine to twenty four months, depending on
circumstances.)
2. When you are ready, the Regional/Area Minister will give you the names of possible
Intentional Interim Ministers from which you can select your
leadership for this Interim Time.
3. It is recommended that you SECURE Intentional
Interim leadership BEFORE selecting a search
committee - or at least before the Search committee begins its
work. Why? Some of the important work of the Intentional Interim
Minister does with the congregation will impact and guide the work
of the search committee in seeking the best possible candidate for
the congregation at this point in its history. UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES will the Intentional Interim Minister be considered
or become a candidate for the position of installed pastor!
4. Working in partnership with the Intentional
Interim Minister, your congregation can move forward into a new
and exciting period in its life. |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact your Association/Regional Minister if you
have questions or want more information about Intentional Interim
Ministry. They can also provide you with the names of
congregations that have worked with Intentional Interim Ministers
so you can hear their experiences. |
| This guide was adapted by the ADIIM
planning team from a document written and prepared by ATIIM - The
Association of Trained Intentional Interim Ministers of the
Illinois Conference, United Church of Christ and the Christian
Church Illinois/Wisconsin Region (Disciples of Christ). |
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