2. Here and now, we are
children of God.
What we will be has not
yet been made known.
But we know that when
Christ appears, we
shall be made like
him...
(I John 3:2 )
8. Holy Week 2013
where are you?
Rate your experience
1....2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9..10
9. Holy Week 2013
What happened to you?
1) Too busy to experience it
2) Personal Problems / Conflicts Intruded
3)You were anxious about being reappointed
4)You didn’t find anything new in the Passion Story
10. Transition involves a major shift in expectations
and values that leads to new operating procedures
Transition occurs over a period of time and has a
middle ground place (the wilderness) which is not
like what is before or what comes after. Having a
process helps us travel through this middle ground.
The journey of transition forces us to acknowledge
what is lost and affirm our ownership over what
will be gained
Transition versus
Change
13. • Adolescence
• Marriage/Divorce
• Imprisonment
• Career Entry
• Unemployment
• Empty nest
• Chronic or terminal illness
• Relocation / Home loss
• Recovery from an accident
• Other
Transitional Moments in
our Personal Lives:
14. What happens
when we...
when we...Deny our feelings?
Fail to recognize what is
lost?
Refuse new learning
Do not take the time to
orient the map or to reset
our clock?
Forget why we are on the
journey?
17. Kubler-Ross / Scott Peck:
[Transition creates] a place of “psycho-
spiritual growth,” and like the dying, we
find ourselves engaged in denial, anger,
bargaining, depression, and acceptance,
but not always in that order, as we
process the new learning that
[transition] thrusts upon us.
19. Narrative elements of transition:
Wilderness, Loss of the Familiar,
New Learning, Unexpected Healing or
Salvation, a required period of Time (40)
20. What does a bride wear?
•Something Old - what is
left behind
•Something New - what is
to be accepted &
anticipated
•Something Borrowed -
remembering our
indebtedness to past &
elders
•Something Blue - naming
what is makes us sad
26. Congregational
transition
is often caused by
trauma
• Loss of or betrayal by key Leadership
• Congregational Conflict
• Change in Context (External)
• Shifts in Congregational Size
27. Hints about
Congregational Trauma
1) The effects of misconduct or betrayal
last long after the leader departs
2) Those that left probably contributed far less
than people thought
3) Change always
creates new
opportunities for
ministry
28. Signs of a bad
transition:
• Personal investments are ignored
• Inappropriate reliance on technology and tradition
• Forward momentum is lost
• Hopelessness abounds
• Misdirected behavior is systemic
• Psyche/culture becomes risk-adverse
29. Every congregation and every individual will
experience trauma, loss, grief...
In the wilderness we will either discover
transformation
or become bitter
30. Navigating a transition
is a lot like coming
about in a sail boat:
• Maintain momentumMaintain momentum
• Don’t get tangled up in looseDon’t get tangled up in loose
lineslines
• A leader’s job is toA leader’s job is to
communicatecommunicate
• Timing and pace are to beTiming and pace are to be
respectedrespected
31. Transition Phase -
Congregation focuses on healing,
adapting to change, and reconnecting
with the denomination, and redefining the
pastoral role
Deepening Phase -
Spiritual formation is achieved through
more worship, study, fellowship, and
mission related activities
Management Phase - Work
is done to realign church structures with
church mission, vocation, or current reality
I wash,
I rinse,
I dry...
then
I do it all over
again!
32. Transition - Process
leaders who can weigh
options, guide change, and
redefine relationships
Deepening - Experts in
spiritual formation and
congregational growthManagement - Detail oriented
leaders who can help the church
develop stewardship and realign assets
to fit their mission
Leadership Needs:
33. Holy Spirit grows the
church
Transition: spiritual passion is tested found
authentic (winter/early spring)
Deepening: spiritual passion grows as
congregation develops authentic worship,
study, fellowship, and witness (summer)
Maintenance: structures are shifted to support
the mission and vision of the congregation’s
spiritual passion (fall harvest)
34. Buffer between long pastorates
Bring healing to traumatized congregations
Help with Leadership Change
Reconnect with denomination
Focus on Process
Motto: “The process is more important thanMotto: “The process is more important than
anyany
one decision”one decision”
Intentional Interims
36. Do you think of churches as
complex family systems?
37. 3 ways to make a decision
Implementation
Range
Process
Time
Leadership
expectation
Authority Soon Short Decisiveness
Majority Weeks or Months Medium Fairness
Discernment Long Long Resource provider
39. Five Developmental tasks (Loren Mead)
Task 1. Coming to Terms with History
Task 2. Discovering a New Identity
Task 3. Allowing Needed Leadership Change
Task 4. Rethinking Denominational Linkages
Task 5. Commitment to New Directions in Ministry
40. Marks of Level 5 Leaders:
• Personal Humility
• Take responsibility when things go wrong – give
credit to others when things go right
• Keep the focus of the organization on its main
thing
• They often will sacrifice their own gain for the
sake of the organization
• Committed to long-term results
41. Notperfectyet.com
Practical thoughts for Pastors:
• Seek to participate in and understand the
existing worship form before making
changes
• Do an assessment (NCD) early
• Listen to history - discover land mines
• Create shared ownership of missional
vision (strategy vs. tactics)
• Don’t criticize your predecessor
• Look for a easy “win”
42. Notperfectyet.com
Practical thoughts for congregations:
• Do a good goodbye
• Have a worship service in which the exiting pastor
is released from pastoral duties
• Let the laity handle the first service after the pastor
arrives
• Do cottage meetings
• Do a church photo directory
• Do an assessment (NCD) early
• Listen for boundary issues - respect the parsonage
family’s privacy
• Share your history
• Share your expectations but be prepared to
negotiate
43. Here and now, we are
children of God.
What we will be has not
yet been made known.
But we know that when
Christ appears, we
shall be made like
him...
(I John 3:2 )
44. The Spiral
Rule
The spiral rule
applies to every
church
It applies to small
and large churches
It’s not a Methodist
thing
46. Changing Religious Climate
Loss of trust for institutions and/or hierarchyLoss of trust for institutions and/or hierarchy
Lack of willingness to become a member or joinLack of willingness to become a member or join
anythinganything
Give by texting / serve by showing upGive by texting / serve by showing up
Whatever...Whatever... (relativistic attitude about beliefs)(relativistic attitude about beliefs)
Relational approaches to problem solvingRelational approaches to problem solving
Editor's Notes
Vision-ing is a particular form of decision making. It involves decisions made for the long haul. It requires discernment. If a family moves into a new home, how do they decide where to put the new clothes line? They could just trust the husband to make a decision based on his control of the tools (Authority). Or they could take a vote (Majority). Or they could discuss each of their long term hopes for using the backyard and come to an intuitive decision based upon how their various concerns and hopes interacted. This last way to make a decision is similar to discernment.