Coaching For Interims

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;

Working with Churches That Have Building Issues (Hint: Don’t start by talking about the building) - Rev. Dr. Shelly Stackhouse. Episode 40

Does your church have “building” issues? Savvy long-time pastor, Rev. Dr. Shelly Stackhouse, quipped, “People who know me well have heard me say that I think God has a perverse sense of humor. And one of the ways that has been true over 40 years of ministry is that I never actually wanted to deal with buildings. I wanted to deal with mission and worship and all that good stuff. And yet, from the very beginning, I found myself in churches that had aging buildings, or buildings with challenges of one kind or another. I had to do a lot of learning on the job, because one of the courses they don't give you in seminary is general contracting…”
She also discovered things about the church buildings that delighted her and moved her in completely unexpected ways.
The book of Acts is an underutilized resource for discerning about the building;
There’s more than one way to solve the problem…
Solutions to the building problem only surface by going deeply into discerning your relationship with the community around you;
What might you have to do to your physical space to make other people want to use it?
Learning not to underestimate the beauty of our spaces…
Dealing with idolatry of the building;

Why I’m Drawn to Serving As a Designated Term Pastor - Rev. Chris Mereschuk. Episode 39

Have you wondered about the term, “Designated Pastor”? What do Designated Pastors do that is different from “Interim Pastors”? Under what circumstances would a DP be a better fit? Savvy and thoughtful Designated Term Pastor, Rev. Chris Mereschuk, speaks to this, as well as how DP’s and IM’s can work together for the sake of the congregation in “Why I’m drawn to serving as a Designated Term Pastor.”
When is Designated Term appropriate?
Designated Term puts everything on the table;
When serving as an interim pastor, what if calling a settled pastor next isn’t what’s really needed?
Designated Term: you do have goals, but maybe not a specific outcome (like being ready to call a settled pastor);
How Interim Pastors and Designated Pastors can work together;
For a transcript of this episode, please visit the Coachingforinterims.com website. In addition, subscribe to this podcast series if you want to be notified when additional podcasts are available.

Restructuring the Part-time Pastorate for More Strategic Impact - Rev. Jeff MacDonald. Episode 38

It’s a common occurrence for churches to go from a full-time pastorate to a part-time pastorate (full-time minster to part-time minister) with little intention about designing it as such. Consequently, they miss out on opportunities this arrangement could offer for increased vitality. Jeff MacDonald, an accomplished freelance journalist (Part-Time Is Plenty: Thriving Without Full-Time Clergy) and part-time interim minister, speaks to this challenge in this episode, “Restructuring the part-time pastorate for more strategic impact.”
For additional podcasts on this and other topics, please visit the Coachingforinterims.com website.
Being intentional rather than reactionary in the move to a part-time pastorate;
Questions to help the laity get clear about their roles in the move to a part-time  pastorate;
Key questions to ask yourself to understand how your pastorate is structured now;
Formal vs. unspoken expectations and their consequences;
Allowing the laity to do what they’ve long been authorized to do but don’t realize it;
Helping the laity to see that there’s actually very little that is doable only by the pastor;
Seeing the pastor as a strategic resource to advance the mission of the congregation;
Why being clear about the congregation’s mission is so essential to a successful part-time pastorate;

Motivating Lay People to Use Their Gifts in Ministry - Rev. Jeff MacDonald. Episode 37

What are the factors that help the laity actively engage in the ministry of their congregations? As it turns out, the “secret” elements of this puzzle are more obvious in congregations that thrive after moving from full-time to part-time pastors. Listen here as skillful part-time interim minister and journalist, Rev. Jeff MacDonald, shares findings of his extensive research in “Motivating lay people to use their gifts in ministry.”
Characteristics of churches that thrive after moving to a part-time pastor;
Highlights of how lay ministries benefit the congregation;
Creating platforms for laypeople to share experiences of meaningful engagement;
Barriers hindering lay people from using their gifts;
Suggestions for how the pastor can help lay people to overcome barriers to using their gifts in ministry.
For additional podcasts on this and other topics, please visit the Coachingforinterims.com website.