The Importance of “In Between”

by John Kimball, CCCC Director of Church Development

I have just returned from a wonderful three days with some very important ministers: Interim Pastors. I was blessed to participate in the 2014 Interim Pastor Ministries Summit in the Waybright Center at Trinity International University. During that gathering I was again reminded about how critical is the time “in between” settled pastors for a local church.

Every local church gets comfortable and falls into routines. The problem is when those routines take on a life and importance of their own, rather than supporting the ever-changing ministry needs of the church’s community. We’ve all seen it: the church that loses touch with its own neighborhood with a growing inward focus, the downtown church where people now drive in from the suburbs, the aging church that cannot figure out how to reconnect with younger generations — when church structures and routines become rigid and unchangeable, they actually prevent ministry. And there is no better time to address those entrenched structures and routines than during the interim period.

Think about it: when a pastor resigns or retires, the church is in a period of change anyway. A well-trained interim can help the church evaluate everything in its life and ministry together, navigating through adjustments and changes to set the congregation up for a great and fruitful relationship with the next pastor. And while the CCCC would recommend against working through our LifeFlow Church Development process during the interim period in most cases, there are some foundational components of that process that can be implemented. Assessments can be completed — and these can even help identify key characteristics which the search committee can look for in a new pastor.

To resist assessment and change in the time “in between” is to choose eventual obsolescence in some or most of the church’s ministry. And to forego interim ministry altogether during pastoral transition is a mistake. Interim ministry is a gift — accept it as such and don’t rush its valuable process. Some of the most important foundations for church and ministry development can take place in that short 12 to 18 months with a trained interim pastor.

For more information about interim ministry, contact our office at (651) 739-1474.