If your Santa Ana church is like most Christian churches, at some point in time, it will find itself without a senior pastor. Pastors retire, leave the ministry, are let go, or change churches—sometimes quite unexpectedly—and many churches don’t know what steps to take next.
Bringing in an intentional interim pastor is one way that churches can bridge the gap until they can find a new permanent pastor. An interim pastor can preach on Sundays, lead church staff, and provide a sense of stability to a congregation.
All of these things are important, but at VitalChurch, we take interim pastor ministry one step further—our interim pastors help revitalize Santa Ana churches during their time of service.
Church revitalization is not an easy or a short process. It takes dedication on the part of church leadership and the congregation and a willingness to diligently seek God’s will. An interim pastor from VitalChurch can guide your church through this process. We use a biblically based, three-phase approach that has been successful in many churches in Santa Ana and beyond.
Our Three-Phase Process of Church Revitalization for Santa Ana Churches
When we work with Santa Ana churches in transition or crisis, we always start by taking the church through our church health assessment, also known as a diagnostic analysis. This assessment will help the church and the team at VitalChurch get a better understanding of what its strengths and weaknesses are. It will uncover some issues that need to be addressed or things that are holding the church back from being as effective in ministry that it could be. Many times, the issues that come to light in the church assessment are not the issues that church leaders anticipate.
The second step in our church revitalization process is to bring in an interim pastor. Our interim pastors at VitalChurch are not just there to “fill the pulpit.” They are there to walk Santa Ana churches through their season of transition and make them more vibrant places in the process. They will address things like organizational structure, conflict resolution, strategic planning, ministry team building, and leadership development. They can also help Santa Ana churches in their search for a new senior pastor. Our interim pastors truly invest themselves in the churches in which they serve. They dedicate themselves to prayer, always seeking the Lord’s will for the church.
The final step in our three-phase process is to provide ongoing coaching and support to Santa Ana churches. Your church’s interim pastor will remain in touch with your church leadership, including the new senior pastor you hire, to make sure that the changes that were put in place during the interim pastor’s tenure continue to serve the church well.
As you can see, the interim pastors at VitalChurch are much more than just “temporary pastors” or “church consultants.” They are true agents of change for churches in transition or crisis!
Support for Denominations and Denominational Churches in Santa Ana
The ministry of VitalChurch is not just for independent, non-denominational churches. We’ve worked with many denominational churches in and around Santa Ana. We’ve served as interim pastors in churches of many different denominations and have also provided training for interim pastors employed by denominations. In addition, we’ve conducted church health assessments for denominational churches to help give denominational leadership insight into the health of their churches.
Seasoned Pastors, With a Heart for Interim Pastor Ministries
All of the interim pastors at VitalChurch are experienced, seasoned pastors. They have spent many years following the Lord and leading congregations of various sizes and make-ups. One thing they all have in common is that they have felt called specifically to interim pastor ministries. They also have the skills and the heart that is necessary to be an effective interim pastor, and aren’t afraid to do or say the difficult things it often takes to help a church address its issues.
Is your Santa Ana church in a season of transition or crisis? Could you use an outside perspective to guide your church as you search for your next senior pastor? We’d love to talk with you about the services we offer at VitalChurch Ministries and how we can specifically help your church through its current season. Contact us for more information.