Recently, two of our interim pastors, Gregg Caruso and Dave Miles, appeared on the Vanderbloemen Leadership podcast. They were interviewed by Sarah Robins, VP of Sales and Client Relations at Vanderbloemen. Vanderbloemen is an organization based in Houston, Texas that works with churches around the country on succession planning and executive staffing. Over the years, the work of VitalChurch Ministry and Vanderbloemen have overlapped more than once. On several occasions, Vanderbloemen has … [Read more...]
Latest News & Insights
New Survey Helps Churches Navigate the COVID-19 Situation
As your church navigates the legalities related the COVID-19 crisis, there are also concerns about how your congregation is faring and how you as a church can support those who are struggling. We hate to use the overused phrase, “These are unprecedented times,” but they truly are. None of us in church leadership has likely dealt with anything like this. Church leaders and staff members are all doing the best they can to navigate this crisis, but in the absence of face-to-face interactions and … [Read more...]
Interim Pastors That Help Churches Make Hard but Necessary Changes
One of the things we hear over and over from church leaders and congregation members at the churches in which we’ve served is that the VitalChurch process is not an easy one. However, that is almost always immediately followed by them saying something like, “But it was what we needed to do and we are a better church for having gone through the process.” Very few people like change—churches are no different. Change can be hard, especially when there are people within the church who are … [Read more...]
Where Do We Go from Here? Interim Pastors Helping Churches Discern God’s Preferred Future
The current world pandemic has caused an uncomfortable reality: we are all in some kind of transition or crisis. No one knows what to do next. World governments are doing the best they can with the information they have, but they are walking in new territory. Most people have more questions than they do answers right now. Experts are still trying to make sense of how “this” happened in the United States. As uncomfortable as that seems, churches in transition find themselves asking the same … [Read more...]
7 Ideas from an Interim Pastor for Engaging in Outreach During a Pandemic
I recently read a blog that stated, “The gospel can’t be quarantined.” I’m glad that’s right. People in our communities are facing fear, isolation, economic challenges, and the loss of their normal routine. Many are also dealing with significant health issues that bring spiritual issues to the forefront. People tend to be open to Christ during personal crises; the Coronavirus crisis fits that category. Our interim pastors are working extra hard at keeping the people in their churches … [Read more...]
Tethering-In-Place, the Benefit of Boundaries
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” Galatians 6:4,5. The Message When I was a little tyke, I spent many a summer day in a leather harness tethered to a flagpole in my grandparents’ spacious front yard. While that might sound odd to the modern parent, I … [Read more...]
Affected Even If Not Afflicted: Loss and the Coronavirus from the Perspective of an Interim Pastor
Our new normal includes living with a constant stream of news about the Coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, we are also living with an understated reality of how we are all affected by Coronavirus, even if not directly afflicted by it. This understated reality is that we are experiencing loss, and most of us aren’t good at grieving losses. Tragic losses reported in the news include the loss of lives, health, jobs, financial resources, and relational connection during a variety of critical … [Read more...]
Rochester Church Reflects on Their Time with VitalChurch Interim Pastors
Last month, VitalChurch interim pastor Dave Miles concluded his time at Christ Community Church (CCC) in Rochester, Minnesota. When VitalChurch arrived, the church was still reeling from the loss of their longtime lead pastor. There was a lot of grief and conflict associated with his resignation, and the 1,000-plus-member church was having a difficult time discerning how to move forward. After going through VitalChurch’s diagnostic assessment, which revealed the issues the church was facing, … [Read more...]
An Interim Pastor’s Practical Ideas for Leading Your Church Through the Covid-19 Pandemic
I am currently serving a church that is exactly 3,068 miles from my home. As an interim pastor, I spend two weeks a month at the church I serve, and I lead the church remotely the remaining weeks. In some ways, I am already skilled at running parts of the church remotely, but to run an entire church virtually is a new challenge! Here are some practical ways the staff and I are leading through this crisis moment: More Time with Staff We have a remote all-staff prayer meeting once a week … [Read more...]
9 Leadership Principles from an Interim Pastor to Get You Through a Crisis (Like Covid-19)
The world is in an uproar. An unseen enemy, known as Covid-19, has brought our planet to its knees. World leadership is being tested. At VitalChurch, leadership in difficult times is our normal. So how do our interim pastors lead in times of crisis? The following are nine leadership principles that we hold to. Have an accurate assessment of reality and communicate it. No one is helped by pretending, or assuming, things are okay when they aren’t okay. No one is helped by making false … [Read more...]