Coaching For Interims

Every local church congregation, like the people who comprise it, has a natural life cycle. Some last longer than others, but they all pass through the same stages – formation, adolescence, adulthood and completion. And just like many individual humans, congregations often struggle to come to terms with the end of their natural life. Consequently, people are unfairly burdened, precious resources are wasted, and opportunities for ce...

Congregations, like people, have natural lifecycles, and when they forget this by presuming their local church will last forever, it doesn’t turn out well. People are unfairly burdened, precious resources are wasted, and opportunities for celebration and recognition of faithful ministry are missed. In this episode, Legacy Church Specialist, Charlie Kuchenbrod, shares from his depth experience with congregations facing the likely en...

When congregations get to that point where even a half-time pastor is no longer sustainable, is there any hope? Yes! Actually, there is a lot of hope! But it first requires letting go of being preoccupied with the dream of returning to how things were – the glory days. Once they do that, everything changes and hope and positivity can return. Now they can move forward in a way that's both faithful to the ministry that they have had,...

As an Interim Minister, have you ever wondered about the rest of the story? You know – feedback about the impact of your ministry on the congregation after you left? In this episode, settled ELCA pastor, Rev. Heidi Johnston, expresses her gratitude to the Intentional Interim Minister who preceded her, including specifics of how the IM set her up for success.

Particular things the IM did to set me up for success –

• The IM express...

Have you found your church caught in a pattern where worship is seen as a show performed by the pastor with the congregation being the audience? If so, you have a lot of company. The good news, however, is that worship services can be created that have that added spiritual crackle and energy that often results when more people are involved in leading worship. In this episode, Rev. Anna Tew shares some specifics of how her congregat...

As a pastor, having a part-time secular job on the side can bring added joy and satisfaction to your life. It can also provide an economic buffer in a changing church world. But where to start looking? What skills does a pastor have that would be valued in a secular job? In this episode, ELCA pastor Rev. Anna Tew tells how she came into a part-time coaching job at her CrossFit gym that is blessing her, and them, on multiple fronts!

As pastor, does it sometimes feel like everyone in the congregation is your boss? Are you struggling to get back more time for yourself and feeling pretty exhausted? If so, you are not alone. Listen here as Rev. Anna Tew tells how she recovered from such a place by using the flexibility of pastoral ministry to her advantage.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit the Coachingforinterims.com website. In addition, subscribe t...

Does your church have more property than it needs? Is much of your building unused most of the time? If so, you have lots of company! Many churches have significant real estate that’s fallow – unused – and yet they continue to pay for its upkeep. Of course, no one likes this situation or planned for this reality, yet churches often have difficulty moving forward. Put differently, churches often struggle to incorporate their propert...

The word “community” is used a lot when talking about church life, yet it’s often a vague notion. But if we frame it as a spiritual discipline – that is, creating community as a spiritual disciple – we get much more traction: What does it mean to be a community now? What does it mean to create community as a Jesus follower? What does it mean to be a Jesus follower in this congregation? At this time and in this neighborhood? How do ...

When thom said that committee work can be an essential means of faith formation, it gave me pause. After all, serving on committees is what many people try to avoid. But what he said made sense: when committees practice intentional reflection on their work, it can be faith forming. Put differently, committee work is faith forming when it builds up the beloved community by probing and affirming shared values, purpose and goals. Rev....

As worship styles evolve, many congregations find themselves at a crossroads: do we continue with our traditional music ministry model featuring an expert musician – the Minister of Music – who performs the music expertly for the congregation to receive, or do we shift to an emerging collaborative model of music leadership favoring a minister of music with leadership skills that encourage congregational participation in the worship...

In smaller churches, pastors often spend lots of time on things that parishioners aren’t even aware they are spending their time on – especially things that others could do as well. This, of course, takes time and energy away from things pastors are specifically trained to do and people are expecting them to do. Consequently, the pastor feels overworked and exhausted, leading to resentment by the pastor and upset by parishioners wh...

Are your Church Council meetings a drag? You know – people come because they have to, persevering through a meeting that’s bogged down in procedures and run with a lack of imagination. Boring! Lots of time and energy is wasted. When can I go home?! If so, Rev. Joe Graumann offers some simple changes that can make Council meetings more fun and productive – ones that people will actually looking forward to attending - in this episode...

As the need for skilled interim ministers continues to grow, more and more settled ministers as well as those new to ministry, are wondering if interim ministry is for them – if they are perhaps being Called to this specialized type of ministry. Long-time interim minister and Bible wonk, Rev. Dr. Jill Small, brings a fun perspective to this conversation by examining the connection between biblical exegesis and interim ministry.

For...

More and more congregations find themselves facing the reality that they can only afford a part-time minister. Often, they see this as a negative – a failure of sorts. And yet, for creative gig workers such as independent contractors, freelance writers and the like, who also feel called to pastoral ministry - a part-time pastorate can create a grounded and stable life! It can also be empowering for the parishioners. In other words,...

When the energy, resources of a congregation have declined to a critical point, shame and blame often rear their ugly heads and morale sinks. People often think their only option is to cease operations – to close their doors. However, these conditions can hinder them from seeing other options – creative options. Hopeful options. Options in line with their purpose and mission as a community of faith.

In this episode titled, “Know Yo...

Although counterintuitive, the move from a full-time pastorate to a part-time one can release untapped vitality within the congregation when resistance is recognized and creatively engaged. Jeff MacDonald, an accomplished freelance journalist and committed part-time interim minister, speaks to this challenge in this episode titled, “Overcoming Resistance to Thriving in a Part-Time Pastorate.”

• How the pastor can overcome resista...

When asked about the nature of the interim time, a colleague responded that in addition to the specialized transitional tasks of the interim time, there are also all the tasks of regular ministry – and all of it is compressed in time and intensity. That said, preaching during the interim time takes on additional energy and focus. Rev. Philomena Hare, a long-time pastor with experience as both a settled pastor and as an intentional ...

Should preaching during the interim time be any different from preaching during a time of settled ministry? If so, how? In this episode titled, “Preaching During the Interim Time,” Rev. Dr. Jill Small shares what she does to help make interim time preaching meaningful and supportive of the transition goals.

• Making preaching more meaningful during the interim time;
• Exposing the congregation to different voices and styles;
• Why I ...