Author: Pastor Krista
So, just what is an Interim Pastor? Why am I here and what will I be doing?
First and foremost, I am here to continue the presence of pastoral support that any called Pastor would give: preach and administer the Word and Sacraments, make hospital visits or home visits, come see your soccer games or ballet recitals or talk over coffee or a meal, pray with you and for you, lead or coordinate ministry programs, support staff and lay leaders, walk with you and help you plan a funeral, celebrate with you and help you plan a wedding, baptize, prepare youth to affirm their baptisms, be a regular presence among you and the wider community for the sake of God’s Kingdom in this part of the world. In other words, I will be your Pastor. BUT…
I will only be here for a limited period of time. When you call a Pastor for yourselves, that call will be open-ended. I, however, am here on specific “terms.” Currently, I am covenanted to serve for a period of 12 months, with a guarantee of six months service. If you find your call process moving smoothly, you can give me 30 days’ notice any time after those six months.
And it’s written on terms because I am here with the intention of helping you transition from where you have been to where you want to go. I will be asking a lot of questions – not because you are doing anything wrong, but because it’s important that I learn why you do what you do the way you do them. And if there isn’t a good enough reason, to help you identify if you need to make some changes. To be clear, I’m not here to MAKE changes, but walk alongside you in discerning what will put you in the best position to welcome a new Pastor and move forward together with a shared sense of mission and spirit. I will be reading history documents and annual reports and talking to people about their time here. I will be collaborating with staff and council and partner ministries. I will be tossing out ideas and making suggestions – think of it like the old toss the spaghetti at the wall to see if it’s done trick. If it sticks, it’s cooked. If ideas land, good. If they don’t, ok.
Specifically, these are the five areas which council and I have covenanted to address:
- Build on the foundations that serve and form the faith of our congregation by further developing our ministry that serves children, youth and families
- Continue our Neighbor to Neighbor Program, racial justice work, and other congregationally-supported, community-based initiatives
- Continue to meet our commitments as an RIC congregation by welcoming all to our community of congregants
- Further our partnerships with LIRS and ReactDC
- Serve the needs of all and sustain the energy of the ministry
To accomplish these goals, I will be:
- Nurturing connections between worshippers at both services – online and in-person
- Supporting the staff and helping the congregation discern staffing needs
- Collaborating with leaders of Adult Education programs
- Collaborating with Nadia on children, youth, family and community ministries
- Helping Peace process Pastor Sarah’s departure and prepare for what comes next
