Coaching For Interims

How I Get Started with a New Congregation: Priorities for the First Day, Week, Month (and ”showing up”) - Rev. Henry Schoenfield. Episode 50

We pastors know that “showing up” to our parishioners is essential to building trust, but what counts as “showing up” in their eyes may be different from what we think it is. Listen to veteran interim minister Rev. Henry Schoenfield speak to the importance of “showing up” when beginning with a new congregation, and how he knows when they experience him as “showing up.”
What I find most helpful at the beginning;
The stories people tell about their stories;
Showing up! And how to know your parishioners think you are.

Managing Anxiety During Liminal (in-between) Times - Rev. Henry Schoenfield. Episode 49

Accompanying people during liminal times (in-between) times can be very anxiety inducing. But that is what Interim ministers do - by definition. Savvy interim minister and trained spiritual director, Henry Schoenfield, speaks to why he chooses to serve as an interim minister, offers guidance for minimizing anxiety, and relates how liminal times also contain potential for growth!
Walking with people during liminal (in between) times;
My WHY for serving in interim ministry.

Introducing Spiritual Practices to Your Congregation - Rev. Henry Schoenfield. Episode 48

Change and transition inevitably create anxiety. Rev. Henry Schoenfield, a skilled interim minister and a trained Spiritual Director, offers several spiritual practices for centering people in Spirit and calm.
Setting up spirituality groups;
Helping parishioners to experience & understand how/when the Spirit is speaking to them;
Examples of spiritual discernment practices.

Understanding Church Financial Documents without any Training - Rev. Erica Avena. Episode 47

Do you struggle with understanding your congregation’s financial reality? Or, as a colleague lamented: “What can I do if I don’t have any financial training?” Rev. Erica Avena speaks to this issue in this episode titled, “Understanding Church Financial Documents without Any Training.”
My method for understanding the
financial realities of a congregation even though
I have no formal financial training;
How to promote financial transparency;
Promoting greater financial understanding
within the congregation.

Managing Staff During the Interim Time - Rev. Erica Avena. Episode 46

Interim ministers are often confronted with difficult staff issues. Listen to how seasoned Interim Minister, Rev. Erica Avena, manages staff challenges.
Going in with an open agenda;
Knowing which problems can be fixed and which can only be managed;
Letting the congregation know up front what you’re willing to do and not willing to do;
Dealing with a staff problem the lay leadership has been avoiding;
Process tips for terminating an employee.

Contracting As an Interim Minister - Rev. Erica Avena. Episode 45

Good contracting – laying out specific agreements with the congregation before you start working together – is essential to a successful ministry. Yet many interim ministers settle for mediocre contracts that don’t serve them so well. Seasoned interim minister, Rev. Erica Avena, offers valuable insights in “Contracting as an Interim Minister.”
Building interim training / continuing education into your contract;
Key contractual differences between interim and settled positions;
Doing a self-inventory: what do I need?
IRS commuting cost allowance for interims.

Walking with a Congregation Through the Decision to Sell Their Building (and join the community) - Rev. Dr. Todd Yonkman. Episode 44

The decision to sell the church building is complex and often gut-wrenching. It can also lead the congregation into new life! Thoughtful and savvy transitional interim minister, Rev. Dr. Todd Yonkman, who walked with a congregation through just such an experience, put it, “It was the shift from ‘The church is falling apart,' to 'The church is falling open.’” An inspiring story of a church that sold its building and joined the community.
An inspiring story of a church that sold its building and joined the community;
Shift from, “The church is falling apart,” to, “The church is falling open;”
Wisdom about the twists and turns of a building sale;
The shift from a downsizing to a restart;
Selling a building is highly context dependent;
Renovating the building without reconnecting with the community is futile;

Shifting from a White-Dominant Ministry Model to a Multi-Ethnic One - Rev. Dr. Todd Yonkman. Episode 43

Many communities of faith are largely composed of one racial group. Some of them say they want to be more multi-racial or multi-ethnic but don’t know how to get started given the apparent lack of diversity in the community surrounding the congregation. Thoughtful and innovative transitional interim minister, Rev. Dr. Todd Yonkman, describes the hopeful journey taken by a church he served, in “Shifting from a White-dominant ministry model to a multi-ethnic one.”
It was a white church with people of color in it, rather than a truly multiracial multicultural model.
The message shifted from, You're welcome if you come to, we want you here.
Racial justice work and church vitality work are, in my approach, connected; they go together.
Whatever town you are in, there are people of color there that you can build authentic relationships with, and you can do this work!
You know the relationship is authentic when you're inviting their stories and experiences to change you also.
Granby Racial Reconciliation;

Why I Use ’Transition’ in My Title - Rev. Dr. Todd Yonkman. Episode 42

Why use “Transition” in your title as an interim minister? In this episode, seasoned Interim Minister, Rev. Dr. Todd Yonkman, who uses the title, “Transitional Minister,” in his work with congregations, speaks of how the term “transitional” implies movement and change – essential characteristics of a quality interim time. He adds that it hints at truths such as: “The church you were is not the church you are going to be,” and “What are you willing to let go of to get what you most want?”
Why setting expectations is critical & how to do it;
How the metaphor of “Midwife” for the transition pastor can clarify roles and responsibilities;
The church you were is not the church you are going to be…;
What are you willing to let go of to get what you most want?

Understanding the Real Value of Your Sacred Space to Your Wider Community - Rev. Dr. Shelly Stackhouse. Episode 41

Many congregations have unused physical space. They know that sharing it with the wider community is key to their vitality, and yet they are far from reaching their full potential. Veteran interim minister, Rev. Rochelle (Shelly) Stackhouse, offers some refreshing perspectives & ideas in, “Understanding the Real Value of Your Sacred Space to Your Wider Community.”
Book of Acts reminds us that the first congregations shared space;
Many New England churches originally called themselves “meeting houses” – places for all kinds of meetings, not just Sunday worship;
Assessing the many ways your congregation adds value to your community;
“Partners for Sacred Spaces” can help your church think creatively about uses for your building;
Over the centuries, churches have functioned as patrons of the arts;
Integrating social justice in multi-purposing your space;