“Our Interim Season Together”

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

                                                                                 Matthew 28:20

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made us a promise. He will always be with us, no matter what we are going through in life. This is important to keep in mind as we travel together through an Interim Season at GMPC.

During this season in the life of our congregation, there are several things that we need to do together to prepare for the arrival of the new pastor that the Lord is calling to GMPC. These tasks are studied by Interim Pastors during their interim training, and they are even included in the formal job description of Interim Pastors.

Roger S. Nicholson writes about these tasks in his book, Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry by Roger S. Nicholson. They are:

1. Coming to Terms with History

2. Discovering a New Identity

3. Leadership Changes during an Interim

4. Renewing Denominational Linkages

5. Commitment to New Directions in Ministry

Recently, have been experiencing significant leadership changes involving church staff and lay leaders. Nicholson writes about this saying:

“Help your congregation understand that leadership changes and power shifts usually occur during a pastoral transition. It really does happen all the time! Your congregation will not sink! Many of these changes will come in the first few months of the pastoral transition. Some changes may even occur before the interim pastor begins his or her ministry. It is important that the other leaders and the members of the congregation do not panic when these changes occur. Rather, this is the time to examine leadership needs and the gifts that your members bring to the congregation.”

It is important to remember that everything we are going through during this Interim Season is typical for churches. As you can see, books have been written about this season. It is also important to remember that we are not alone as we travel through this Interim Season together. The Lord is with us, every step of the way.

In Christ, 

Pastor David

If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!