Transition Seminar

1. Transition Seminar

2. Thanks to: Max Mayo for much of the information gathered and Lewis Center for Church Leadership. THE RIGHT START: BEGINNING MINISTRY IN A NEW SETTING

3. Rev. Dr. Ed Trimmer Executive Director of the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership at Martin Methodist College

4. Three Parts of this Presentation • Healthy Goodbye • Self-Care and Congregational Care • Starting Well including Conversation with Staff Parish Relations Committee

5. Grief May be most important

6. Grief Pastor Pastor’s Family Congregation Individuals in Congregation Sphere of Influencein the Community

7. Grief Don’t let ANGER becomes substitute for GRIEF

8. On Saying Goodbye Role of Pastor

9. Own the Move • Pastoral letter to congregation • Affirm your successor • Celebrate the ministry you have had • Identify and give special goodbyes Note-visit-groups-volunteers

10. Can you mend fences?DEFINE FUTURE RELATIONSHIPSWeddings, Funeral, baptism etc.Transition packet if possible Get Files in orderPasswords – websites, church emailWork on Parsonage Attend to Personal issues Change of address, banking, utilities, internet, cablewww.Irs.gov form 8822

11. Goodbye means Goodbye • Redirect all negative comments • Not returning

12. On Saying Goodbye • Role of the Church • Chair Staff/Parish Relations and/or Lay Leader

13. Inform Congregation • Start Prayer Ministry for both pastors’ incoming and outgoing. • Help with Transition Packet (smaller churches) • Celebrate Ministry Together • Celebrate Event (Book of Worship and Lewis Center) • Other Rituals to say Goodbye

14. Transition Packet Information to be compiled by exiting pastor It is the responsibility of the Pastor and local church lay-leadership to provide the following information for the arriving Pastor. Receiving this information is vitally important for a healthy transition as it equips her or him to start well.

15. Transition Packet • Pastoral • List of homebound and nursing home residents including addresses and phone numbers • What is the current pattern of homebound/nursing home pastoral care? (Be realistic) • Names of terminally or chronically ill • Names of those recently hospitalized and recovering • Names of the bereaved in the last 12 months • Names and contact information on for church members in college or serving in the military

16. Transition Packet • Pastoral • List of hospitals and requirements for clergy identification • Prayer request communications • Is anyone upset with the church or the pastor? • Who are the 5 most influential persons in the church? • Who is underused?

17. Transition Packet • Worship • Planning requirements • Who prepares the bulletin and what is the schedule for producing? • Copies of bulletins for the last 6 weeks • For churches without bulletins, what is the order of worship for each local church?

18. Transition Packet • Worship • Particular traditions • Frequency and method for Holy Communion • Children's sermons or worship and Pastor's role • Special worship services (community ecumenical Thanksgiving, local church revivals, etc.)

19. Transition Packet • Worship • List and contact information for other participants and leaders in worship • Lay liturgists • Music leaders • Acolyte coordinator • Altar stewards • Ushers/greeters

20. Transition Packet • Worship • Attendance trends (this information is available in the Conference Journal) • Describe any worship related controversies • Time issues

21. Transition Packet • Program • Copies of newsletters and brochures • Who prepares the newsletter and what are the deadlines? • List and descriptions of program ministries • Giving patterns

22. Transition Packet • Program • Age level ministries and leaders • Children • Youth • Adults

23. Transition Packet • Program • Important emerging programs and leaders that need support • Older programs that are important • Seasonal traditions (i.e. Lent, Easter egg hunt, Halloween, All‐Saints, Thanksgiving, Christmas)

24. Transition Packet • Administrative • Annual calendar • Weekly schedule • Monthly programs/events • Special events

25. Transition Packet • Administrative • Administrative Board/Council • List of members • The meeting schedule • Minutes of meetings from January 1st through current month • Describe Pastor's role in Council/Board meetings

26. Transition Packet • Administrative • Church organizational structure with a description of each committee/work area • When do they meet? • Is the Pastor expected to meet with each committee/work area?

27. Transition Packet • Administrative • Membership roll should be current and up‐to‐date and the name(s) of Membership Secretary • List of all changes to the roll since last Charge Conference • Record of baptisms, professions of faith, and marriages

28. Transition Packet • Administrative • Financial issues • Be certain 50% of Apportionments are paid • Copy of Church Budget and most recent financial report • List of savings and other funds (endowments) and current balance as well as restrictions placed on funds

29. Transition Packet • Administrative • Stewardship approaches/expectations • Is there an annual stewardship campaign? • Does the church have additional fundraisers?

30. Transition Packet • Administrative • Reporting • Charge Conference files and Year End Statistical Reports for the last 3 years

31. Transition Packet • Administrative • Facility issues and policies • Who handles regular and emerging maintenance issues? • Policy on church use/reservation procedure • Decision process for weather related closures and communication • Church van restrictions or requirements

32. Transition Packet • Administrative • Keys and access issues • Who opens and closes the facilities (provide contact information)? • Who cleans the church facilities, including lawn‐care?

33. Transition Packet • Personnel • Provide names and positions of persons employed by the church and supervisory responsibility; include all job descriptions. • Evaluation process and any ongoing evaluative concerns • Staff meetings and agendas and the pastor's role • Staff issues; recent hires and terminations • Parsonage Administration (Reference checklist in packet)

34. Parsonage Parsonage review and repairs (see parsonage standards and inventory included)

35. Finances Apportionments at 50% paid-pastor paid through end of June

36. Goodbye Means Goodbye Redirect all negative comments Not returning

37. Self Care and Congregational Care Alone, as a Couple, with Teenagers, with Children

38. Gracefully Grieving Say goodbye to folks including non-church people. Participate in the closure rituals – luncheons, parting gifts Be open to the feelings in your congregation Don’t BLAME Bishops, DS, Church

39. Moving With Family You Must Communicate • Help teenagers or children make new place their home Room-Memories-Pictures • Get them involved

40. You cannot go wrong by gently and compassionately opening your heart to your own grieving process to others

41. New Pastor is the Guest and the Congregation is the Host

42. New Pastor tend to forget they are the guests and act like they are the hosts

43. Starting Well

44. After your arrived at new church • Small group gatherings at parsonage or in homes- light and conversational • Included spouse if possible • Talk about your family and folks share about their families • Interpret the role your spouse wants to play

45. Transition Team (7-10 folks) Can be disbanded/cross section of church/off site/not SPR

46. Learning Plan • Mine the data • Conference Journals- five year span • Diagnose and Understand the Culture and Situation • Mission insight

47. Clarify Expectations Priorities-Goals-Worship Style-Staff-Work and Meeting schedule-Financial issues availability-preferred style of communication

48. Shoot for early wins such as: Stewardship/ worship attendance increase/ making a positive change/ solving a long term problem/ VISIT

49. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

50. According to Roy Oswald the two things folks are looking for in first sermons Is this an authentic person? Does this pastor care about me?