Leaders are readers. In light of that, I want to share a few insights from a book I’ve found very timely for the work we do with churches in transition.

The book is called, Metanoia: How God Radically Transforms People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out and is written by Alan Hirsch with Rob Kelly. 

This is not a complete summary of the book but rather a few of my initial take aways as I make my way through it. The reason I’m reading the book is because I had the privilege of hearing Alan Hirsch speak about this idea at a workshop I attended while at Exponential (a global church multiplication conference in Orlando, Florida in March). 

My hope is that these ideas will whet your appetite to possibly pick up the book or at the very least, consider the implications of the ideas I’m wrestling with myself. 

Five Ideas from the School of Alan Hirsch*

 1. We must properly define metanoia  

 The Greek term metanoia—traditionally and inadequately translated as “repentance”—m...

by Hugh Fraser

Who better than the Apostle Paul to enhance our practice of ministry?  To the church at Corinth, Paul commended his life and service to Christ as a worthy model to follow. He said simply, “Follow my example” (1 Cor. 11:1). 

In this article, I offer proven principles for transitional leaders who want to learn from Paul’s example. After all, he did serve as an external shepherd intentionally intervening in a disrupted congregation.   

 Paul’s Four Proven Principles Applied to Today’s Transitional Leader

 Consider these four leadership lessons from Paul based upon the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians. 

 1.  Initiate Thorough Assessment 

  “My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you” (1 Cor. 1:11).  

 How can anyone discern their suitability for a ministry assignment without knowing in advance the current state of a church?  Additionally, a transitional leader seeking to design and communicate an effective work plan...

By Garth Borthistle

A key principle in resolution work (aka transition ministry) is that 90 percent of what makes a gathering (meeting, conflict-resolution process, etc.) successful is put in place before hand.  

Priya Parker in her book, The Art of Gathering, refers to this rule in a story about work done in complex Middle East dialogue situations. Before bringing leaders together for dialogue, there were two years of preparation work and trust building with delegates. The work consisted of building relational trust, having tea with individuals, listening, meeting family members and hours of pre-dialogue. This is where 90 percent of the gathering’s success is set in motion. 

Time Spent Listening Sets the Course

For transitional leaders or pastors, the level of conflict in a church gives us guidance for this pre-work. I’ve been in a few very tense situations with churches and have found that spending time listening and fact finding does set the course for much of the work ahead.  T...

By Keith Shields

I began my training with the Transitional Leadership Network (TLN) in 2018 when I was Interim Lead Pastor of a Calgary, Alberta church. I had been Executive Pastor beside a great Lead Pastor who shepherded for 41 years—21 as Lead Pastor and 20 as an Associate. After almost 50 years of continuity, this shift would be a shock to the congregation. The congregation was healthy but needed a transitional period to determine next steps. I was a leader and elder for about 20 years, so the congregation had comfort with me in an interim role. Wanting to serve them well, I sought additional training to strengthen my skills.

Transitional Leaders - More than a Place Holder

Through the TLN training, I realized transitional leaders are more than interim leaders holding a place until a new Lead Pastor is hired. Being a Transitional Pastor is challenging because you must do everything a Lead Pastor does (preaching, administration, pastoral care, evangelism, etc.) and guide the churc...

By Hugh Fraser

There I was, engaged with a church floundering in transition.  A picture of a train came to mind. Their experience was so much like passengers struggling to board a train headed towards the future. Despite sincere effort and good intentions, the leaders could not get everyone to climb on board!

As I reflected and searched for direction in God’s Word, the Spirit led me to Hebrews 12:1-3. It had the feel of this train metaphor and some clues as to what was holding us back. The writer of Hebrews exhorted followers to “…run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Forward motion can be impeded by two barriers – anything that “hinders” or “sin that easily entangles.” 

This congregation had suffered a devastating split in the membership a year earlier. As we partnered in an assessment process, it became clear that unsettled emotion was a primary hindrance for this body.

One Transitional Leader’s Approach to Process Emotion

I asked myself the question, “How do we ...

Just because a church has agreed to an intentional interim process does not mean they are ready for all that goes with it. 

It takes wise and thoughtful leadership to navigate the transitional process. Healthy transitions don’t just happen but require spiritual discernment, competency and wise leadership to navigate. 

As you and I work with congregations in transition, we need to keep in mind some basics. For many of you, these ideas are not new but if you’re like me, I need reminding because I forget things.

This is your reminder of some basic principles to keep standing on as you lead and work with congregations in transition. Please send me yours to add to this list.    

Five Enduring Principles that Help Us Navigate Transition and Change

1. Communicate a Compelling Transitional Vision

 Vision comes in all sizes. There is the long term overarching vision a church needs. There’s also the shorter term transitional vision.  This is the vision you need to help get you through the ...

There’s a time and place for leaders to speak the words: “Don’t get your hopes up!”

I’ve heard doctors say those words. After my motorcycle accident, I asked my surgeon if I’d be able to run again in a few months. He said in so many words, “Don’t get your hopes up!”

I couldn’t believe he was so negative!

You find yourself talking to a board about how long their transition will be and they tell you that 3-6 months should be enough time. You carefully say to them, “Don’t get your hopes up!”

What are we saying when we say “Don’t get your hopes up”?

We’re cautioning people to avoid unrealistic expectations. We’re waving the caution flag and suggesting that in order to have a bright future during transition, you need to go through the valley of uncertainty and emotion to get to the other side.

Leadership during transition is about helping manage expectations and guide congregations so they can avoid unnecessary disappointment.

To say, “Don’t get your hopes up” creates a pause and giv...

Let’s talk about leadership.

In particular, let’s look at a group of leaders who have a great deal to teach us who are called to lead during these challenging times. The leaders I’m referring to are the Jesuits.

The leadership practice of the Jesuit's has a lot to teach us about living out our calling with courage, adaptability, and the readiness to help others change and grow through transition.

These thoughts come from a book I’ve revisited but still very applicable today. The book is by author Chris Lowney and is entitled "Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company That Changed the World." If you haven't read it, pick up a copy. 

General Thoughts on Leadership

When you look at what the Jesuits believed about leadership some key underlying principles stand out:

• We’re all leaders and we’re leading all the time – either leading well or poorly.
• All leadership springs from within and is first and foremost an inside job!
• Leadership is about who I am as much ...

The pastor is gone and is not coming back.

What is the best thing you can do for those who grieve the loss of their pastor?

• Tell them it’s going to be OK?
• Tell them the search committee is already looking for the next pastor?
• Tell them God has a plan for our church?

No, no, and no.

What grieving people need is a companion to walk alongside them. It doesn’t need to be you, if you’re the transitional pastor, but it needs to be someone — someone equipped to know what to say, what not to say, and how to show up.

How we walk with people who are grieving matters. I’ve been learning to support grieving people in a way that has a track record of being very helpful - the term for it is companioning. How you and I show up with those who have experienced loss, whether it’s the loss of a pastor or the loss of a friend, makes a lasting difference.

One resource I’ve found very formative in learning how to walk with grieving people is the work of Dr. Alan Wolfelt.* As a grief expert, he h...

In a world of distraction, there is a pathway forward. In this video, Cam talks about the three R's required to live with less distractions and how to stay focused in your life and leadership.