TRANSITIONAL INTERIM PASTOR Services (TIPS)

NCS has developed what we refer to as TIPs--Transitional Interim Pastor Services. The time during a pastoral transition, especially when a pastor as had long tenure or when the church is in crisis, is critical to the church's long term health. Our discovery that churches in transition often could benefit from a short term Transitional Pastor whose focus is on preparing the church for the new pastor and helping the church move from Anxiety to Anticipation. Below you will find an outline of the TIPs process. If you would like more information about how a TIPs pastor might serve a church on your district/judicatory, please contact us at office@newchurchspecialties.org

13 BENEFITS OF USING AN NCS TRANSITIONAL INTERIM PASTOR

Teaches the church to celebrate the interim time as an opportunity to grow and listen for God’s voice
Builds board and congregational morale during the interim & defuses the anxiety that is VERY normal in every interim situation
Saves large amounts of time for the District Superintendent
Provides high quality coaching/consulting for the local church
Gives access to NCS Nationally Qualified Transitional Interim Pastor’s Training
Provides multiple levels to choose from in the Transitional Interim Pastors process (full or part time)
Provides access to the NCS National Director for Transitional Pastors
Provides an overview of the health of the church in transition
Helps build spiritual & relational vitality
Prepares the church in understanding & implementing a ReFocus
Helps prepare the congregation to welcome its new pastor
Denominational ties are strengthened
Preaching & Teaching that prepares the church for a successful future

4 NCS TRANSITIONAL INTERIM PASTOR SERVICES NOW AVAILABLE

Transitional Interim Pastors Training for district-selected transitional pastors
National qualification for NCS Transitional Interim Pastors
Transitional Interim Pastors on-going coaching/consulting
Oversight of the Local Church Pastoral Interim Process, freeing the District Superintendent to focus their time on the search, interview and selection process of the next pastor

3 BENEFITS TO THE INCOMING PASTOR

Full church assessment completed, for congregational self-awareness
Community profile completed
NCS Incoming Pastors Notebook completed by the Transition Team

TIPS Overview

“Leading a church from anxiety to anticipation”

DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR THE POST INTERIM (TIP) CHURCH

(What will an NCS Transitional Interim Church will look like when the new Pastor arrives)

Unity
Resolution of conflict
Agenda Harmony
Spiritual & Relational vitality
A healthier church
Greater Lay Involvement
Greater respect, commitment, & love for the denomination
Improved facilities & grounds/ready for company
A new heart to reach lost people
Understanding of the need for change
Understand the need for, and the components of, spiritual strategic planning & a Church Action Plan
A heart for Church Multiplication
Understand the need for right core values, and a driving mission statement
Optimistic/Excited about the future
Ready for full ReFocusing, led by the new pastor

Anxiety

1. Grieving
2. Uncertainty about the future
3. Power plays
4. Past Experiences (can be both good and bad)

Interim Plan Developed

1. Intentional about future planning during the Interim
2. Build a process that helps people move from anxiety to anticipation

Assessment – Know Your Church

1. Who are we?
a. Review the history
b. Transitional Interim Church Assessment (see page 13)
2. Where do we need to go?
a. Becoming a Healthy Church

Assessment – Know Your Community

1. Collecting demographic information
a. Precept report included in assessment
b. Nazarene Research Center
c. From your Ministry Focus Group
2. Conducting an Unchurched Survey (how to develop & use it)
3. Developing a Community Profile
a. Demographics
b. Spiritual Atmosphere
c. Need Determination

Renewal – Know God

1. Prayer strategy
2. Passion for the lost must be developed – praying for lost people by name
3. Loving the church & denominational loyalty
4. ReFocusing – understanding the simple, 4-step process
5. Building agenda harmony
6. Preparing the church for change

Planning – Know the Plan

1. Working with a Transition Team
     a. Choosing the Transition Team
     b. Purpose of the Transition Team
     c. Agenda – key questions to address
2. Addressing the Needs revealed in the Church Assessment
     a. Review components of the church assessment
     b. Establish the agenda for the church during the transition
     c. Need Determination
3. Lay Ministry Involvement
     a. Spiritual Gifts – Maret software available
     b. Focus on Developing Effective Teams

Implementation – Know the Path

1. Development of the Transition Action Plan
     a. Goals
     b. Action Steps to accomplish the goals
     c. Use of Spiritual Strategic Planning
2. Communication
     a. Develop a communication system (you can’t over-communicate!)
3. Develop a Notebook for the Incoming Pastor
     a. Summary of all the work of the Church Transition Team
4. Celebrate the TIP Process