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It's hard to imagine how fast Christmas and the New Year is approaching! By the time you read this, we will be fully into January! In the November Newsletter we learned about the three stages of the Interim process. At that time we were in conversation with Pastor Paul Sinnott from the Synod to help us understand better what this process is meant to be. During a Monday evening gathering at the church, we asked him some questions that we had, he gave us some answers, and we learned a lot from each other. Here are a few of the questions asked, and some brief descriptions of his answers:
Question: What is the role of the interim pastor? (Two part answer)
Answer 1: He is our temporary full time pastor until we call a new permanent pastor. He is not here to lead our interim process. He can help us with our church systems and expectations. For example, a church is like a family. In times of transition, quite often roles will change. A person unrelated to us can best mediate when difficulties arise, and encourage us when things go well.
Answer 2: Only we know who we are and where we feel we are being led. It is our task as a congregation to determine the best way to learn more about ourselves and then to articulate that in our Congregation Mission Profile.
Question: What if my opinions aren't taken seriously by others?
Answer: We will have many conversations and opportunities to hear many points of view. There is a very good chance that others may feel the same way we do as individuals. Only by conversation and discussion can we reach consensus that everyone can be happy with.
Question: How can we let go of the past and still acknowledge all the change of the past?
Answer: Pastor Sinnott suggested creating a church timeline that illustrates change and growth. Why did we change? Learn about why things happened the way they did.
Question: What is pastoral availability now? (Two part answer)
Answer 1: Generally only two or three pastors are available in the course of a year. There are many more openings than there are pastors.
Answer 2: This congregation needs an experienced pastor or a second career pastor. These are harder to find.
Question: Do we really need more than one pastor?
Answer: According to the number on our church rolls, yes, we would be considered a congregation that would need two pastors. So who's on the church rolls that shouldn't be because they're not supporting the church through attendance or financial contributions? The Stewardship Committee should take a look at this. Members have to act like members! But we also have a responsibility to reach out to others in the community who aren't here, yet.
Question: Should there be a timeline for this process or a deadline or goal to meet?
Answer: Yes. Setting goals and deadlines are helpful. Keep all information easily available and public.
Question: How many candidate interviews is the average?
Answer: We always hope for one!
We had a great evening sharing ideas, thoughts, questions, and some fears. But we also heard some comforting answers, both from Pastor Sinnott and ourselves.
Feel free to ask any member of the Congregation Council if you have any questions, but remember, we’re ALL a part of the conversation. Join in one of the several upcoming events where you can ask questions, share your concerns, and most of all, be active in your church community.
For the Congregation Council,
Sue Allaire, Secretary
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