If you’ve never worked with an intentional interim pastor before—or even if you have—you might be wondering what you can expect, should you choose to bring an interim pastor from VitalChurch Ministry to your church.
Every church we work with has their own story and a set of circumstances surrounding their current situation that makes them unique. However, when you’ve been working with churches for as long as we have at VitalChurch Ministry, you find that there are many common themes with churches that find themselves in a season of transition. As a result, many of the churches we work with need similar things from our pastors in order to bring them through their seasons of transition.
Here are four main things an intentional interim pastor will do when he comes to your church:
Address the Unholy Trinity.
A good number of the churches we work with struggle with what we call the “unholy trinity.” The three members of this unholy trinity are idolatry, conflict, and power.
Idolatry is anything that is placed above Jesus Christ and the gospel as the most important thing. An idol can be a person, such as a pastor; a thing, such as the church building; or even an idea, such as church growth. While none of these are bad in and of themselves, they become idols when they become the most important thing in the church.
Conflict is any interpersonal struggle within the church that keeps the church body from being as healthy as it can be. Conflict can be between individuals or between groups of people. When left unresolved, conflict can tear a church apart. We’ve seen churches become completely ineffective due to conflict, and we’ve also seen churches split over it.
Power, the third member of the unholy trinity, is the struggle for control within the church. Power struggles aren’t just found among pastors, elders, and other church leaders. You might also find members of the congregation vying for power—especially those with money or influence.
When a VitalChurch interim pastor comes to your church, you can be certain they will address the unholy trinity. Doing so won’t be an easy process. Your church will likely have to hear some uncomfortable things, address some painful subjects, and make some hard changes, but it is for the purpose of rooting out the things that have kept your church from flourishing.
Preach Gospel-Centered Messages
While at your church, a VitalChurch interim pastor will also preach gospel-centered messages—because we believe that the gospel changes everything! Your congregation will hear the truth from God’s word every week from our interim pastors.
Engage with Your Church as a True Pastor
Unlike other interim pastors you may have encountered or heard about, our intentional interim pastors don’t act as consultants in the churches in which they serve. In other words, they don’t keep their distance and simply make recommendations. Instead, they become heavily involved in the life of the church. They lead. They council. They help bring about needed change. They also get to know the people in the church—not just the leaders—and love them like a true pastor.
Facilitate the Transition to Your Next Lead Pastor
Finally, you can expect that an interim pastor from VitalChurch Ministry will help make the transition to your next lead pastor a smooth one. Not only will your interim pastor guide the pastoral search process, but he will also help prepare the congregation for the next pastor’s eventual arrival. At VitalChurch Ministry, one of our main goals is to revitalize churches so they are ready to receive their next lead pastor in a healthy state.
When your next pastor arrives, he won’t have to do the work of making major changes or addressing long-standing issues. That work will have already been done with your interim pastor.
Are you ready to learn more about how a VitalChurch Ministry interim pastor can help your church through its current situation? We would love to talk with you! Contact us today through our web form, and someone will get right back to you.