Pathways Forward

Pastor to the Building

Gerry — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:05:07 +0000

I recently had a conversation with a person who has managed a large church facility for many years. As he shared some of his thoughts he said the following “I see myself as a pastor to the building.” The statement grabbed my attention. I was captivated by the idea that a person would see their role of facility management from a pastoral motivation. Providing excellent care and management of the building is the goal so that the ministries of the church that take place in the church building could thrive. Underlying this attitude is a love for the church, a sense of calling to the work, and a connection between a person’s work and the great cause of the church. I see this kind of attitude expressed over and over in the many churches I work with. There are so many people who have a love for Christ and His church and they make great sacrifices and commitments. One of the great joys of my work is that I get the privilege of meeting people like this and spending time with them. They often give me hope in spite of some of the serious issues we wind up addressing in the local church.

Transition – Personally

Gerry — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:00:45 +0000

As of yesterday I concluded the longest Transitional assignment I have had to date. I served a wonderful church family for 26 months. It is an unusually long time for a transition, but there are some were some good reasons why it lasted that long. (maybe another blog post on that later) What I am working through now is a healthy process of disengagement from a congregation with whom I have developed a deeper relationship than most congregations I have worked with in transition. It is important for me to do this well. I have an exciting new assignment starting in just a few weeks and I want to be rested and ready. So how will I transition out of one assignment and into a new one?

First, I will be thankful that I have a few weeks in between assignments, I recall one time in the past when I concluded at one church on Sunday and began a new assignment on Monday. That was a challenge!

My wife and I will be taking some time to get away to one of our favorite spots for a few days to unwind, reflect, and rest.

At some point I will write a reflection paper for myself. What was my experience like? What did I learn? How has this experience shaped my life? What would I change, or not change?

I will meet with my mentors to talk and pray about my reflections.

I will enjoy this season as an opportunity to see God at work in my life, shifting my focus from what was to what is.

I will exercise more and play lots of music – Quintessential has three gigs in October.

I will do something I have been putting off for a long time – get an iPhone. :)

Vision

Gerry — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:17:51 +0000

I have enjoyed working with many churches through a process to seek or clarify vision. This question of vision has a profound impact on the type of leader needed to serve the local church. Two things seem to be emerging in this process of seeking vision.

1. OK, I admit that the first is going to sound like a “shameless plug” but here it is – Churches are better off to have an outside third party facilitate them in the process of seeking or clarifying vision than having the process led by their Lead Pastor. Why? The quick answer is that Lead Pastors do not have the time and/or skill set. But there is another more profound reason. It is too easy for people to perceive (fairly or unfairly) that when the Lead Pastor is the facilitator in this process that his/her preferences and desires will influence the discussion in such a way that ultimately “the vision” is seen as being primarily the pastor’s vision. It will not have a strong sense of ownership by the congregation.

2. In order for congregations to explore the question of vision it is important for them to understand and agree on the source of vision. A common model has been the Lead Pastor as the visionary leader who brings a vision, communicates it, rallies people behind it, and then champions it. I say has been because I have noticed more and more congregations are moving to an understanding that vision resides in the body (congregation) rather than in the leader of the congregation. They are seeking resonance and ownership of vision that is shared between the congregation and the Lead Pastor. This is a more organic approach that profoundly shapes the leadership role of the Lead Pastor. Working with an entire congregation to seek God for vision and direction is an exciting, complex process that requires careful leadership. It is really a process of spiritual formation.

Give and Take Away

Gerry — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 07:06:48 +0000

That well known worship song Blessed Be the Name of the Lord echoes the voice of Job talking about God’s ways in our lives – He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away. I have been thinking of this in terms of transitional ministry. My role as a transitional ministry specialist is to “help a local church thrive through transition and then to hire a new lead pastor from a posture of health, with clarity of mission and vision.” A bit wordy, andI know it sounds like a plug for my work, but that is really not my point. What I am thinking about is that when it works, and a pastor is hired, often (not always) it means that another congregation will be losing their pastor. So there is this cycle of giving and taking away going on. This is more keenly felt these days because experienced pastors are in short supply as their numbers continue to diminish. It just causes me to wonder about the need to develop ways to help prepare congregations and pastors for transition long before it ever happens. (see my post about the excellent book The Elephant in The Boardroom) I have found there is resistance to this idea when I suggest it is worth talking about. It is almost like we are afraid to talk about this because we may cause it to happen. I know of a church that is rejoicing this week as they have completed a very thorough and prayerful pastoral search. But I also know of another church that is reeling from the news that their pastor is leaving. Not sure what to do about this, but it’s got me thinking . . . .

Love for the Local Church

Gerry — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:40:37 +0000

I have heard more than my fair share of stories of “mishaps” or worse in the life the local church. I have lived through a few of them myself and have even been the architect of things I sure wish I could do over again. There is no shortage of people who have given up on the local church or at least decided to take a bleacher seat. But, in the work I do I am always amazed at the number of people who are passionate about their church, who seem to have the resolve to weather the inevitable storms and continue to love the local church – warts and all. This was affirmed to me once again this past weekend. I was invited to present transitional ministry to a local church that has been rocked by a string of announcements of upcoming pastoral changes. There was a strong attendance – more than 1/3 of the congregation showed up on a night when a big hockey playoff game was on TV. But this was more than about the numbers. There was a wonderful cross section of the congregation present as well, including a good number of younger people. The people were engaged and deeply interested in exploring the idea of going through a thoughtful intentional transition process. They stayed to ask many thoughtful questions for clarification and understanding. I hope the idea that a season of pastoral transition can be an opportunity for spiritual formation resonated with people. The love and passion they displayed for their local church was evident, encouraging and inspiring.

Rest and Reflection at Fairhaven

Gerry — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:06:26 +0000

Ruth and I just had the opportunity to spend a few days at Fairhaven Ministries Retreat Centre. This wonderful facility is located just east of Vernon, BC on 147 acres of mountainside forrested property. They have amazing fully furnished and provisioned cottages with stunning views of the Okanagan Valley. Cottages is the word they use to describe their facilities, but these are really like lovely homes. Fairhaven has an impeccable quality of quiet that lends itself to rest and unwinding. They also provide counselling services for Christian leaders who may need to talk to someone. Our friends Len and Fay Frank are the directors. It was wonderful to take the time to slow down and relax. It has been a while since we took some intentional time to step back, rest and reflect on our lives and ministry. Pathways Forward has been going for five years, when we started it we were not sure it would even survive, it was a step of faith. While at Fairhaven, we looked back to see if there were signs and ideas from the past to give us a sense of direction for the future. We have been engaged serving churches in transition from day one, and for the most part have really enjoyed the work. We believe, based on what our “church clients” have told us that we are making a difference helping churches during their season of transtion, helping them search for a new pastoral leader from a posture of health, and helping pastors get off to a good start. So, we have determined that we want to continue as long as their is a legitmate need for our services. We look forward to seeing what the future holds.

If you are looking for a great place to slow down, rest and reflect, consider a visit to Fairhaven Ministries.

End of 2010 Musings

Gerry — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:00:30 +0000

It has been five years since I started Pathways Forward. When I founded this ministry I believed it was needed but I also wondered whether or not there would actually be opportunities to serve churches and pastors. I was excited and scared at the same time. I was also determined that I would not create a “marketing machine”, rather I wanted my services and this ministry to grow through word of mouth. As I look back after five years, I am gratified to see how things have developed. I have been busy almost from day one. I have had numerous opportunities to work with many churches ranging from single meeting consults with a Board or church leader all the way to longer term (a year or more) involvements with a church. It has also been very gratifying to become part of a two of transitional leaders networks and to develop resources to further the cause. I have also enjoyed doing some teaching, training and mentoring of new leaders as well as being mentored by those who have gone ahead of me. I have been greatly enriched by meeting many people who dearly love their churches, and desire to see them thrive. It has been inspiring to meet folks who give and sacrifice so much to help their churches move forward. I have no clear idea of what the future will hold for Pathways Forward, but I am committed to continue and I am very grateful for the way God has blessed and directed this work so far. A happy and blessed New Year to everyone.

The Gift of Time

Gerry — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:45:52 +0000

I know, I know, this is no way to run a blog, posting once every six months. I have to confess that I have been kind of blog-shy of late. My work local churches is of a very sensitive nature and I have been quite cautious about posting anything that might be inadvertently interpreted as a comment about a specific church. Maybe I am too cautious. The other more credible reason is that I have just not been very disciplined about this for a while. But today, I have a thought to share. I was having lunch with another transitional colleague about the matter of pastoral search. We were talking about how many churches rush into a search and how easy it is to give in to the temptation to fill the pastoral vacuum. One of the main things we as transitional coaches/pastors do for a church is provide the gift of time. Time to heal after a pastor leaves, time to re-group and reflect, time to review vision and mission, and time to prepare for a healthy well-intentioned prayerful pastoral search. I think this is also a gift to prospective pastors. By helping churches take the time they need, the possibility of a healthy fit for a new pastor increases, thus avoiding a poor hire and unnecessary pain for a new pastor and his or her family.

Courage

Gerry — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:59:10 +0000

I am impressed by the comments on courage that Paul expressed in his letter to the Thessalonians. He admited that when he and his freinds came from Philippi, failure haunted them. Based on what happened there, it makes sense. But he talks about how God gave him courage to speak in spite of strong opposition in Philippi. Being involved in Transitional ministry requires courage. Not everyone is excited to hear some of the things that need to be said about their church. And sometimes our past experiences can erode our courage. I have discovered that every church I have worked with has a few things they will need to face up to. Things that need attention prior to engaging in a search for a new pastor. Sometimes these things have been hanging around in the life of the church for a long time. Having the courage to speak up; knowing when the right time is to do so; and saying things that need to be said with grace and love; these are some of the great skills to be perpetually learned in serving in transitional ministry. It takes courage – the right kind of courage which comes from God at work in our hearts – not just inner bravado. This is a dance of which I feel I am still learning the steps.

Two good friends

Gerry — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:58:03 +0000

When thinking about the importance of “self care” everyone needs something in their lives that provides them with joy and a healthy diversion from the demands of their work. I love what I do, but it does have its challenges and demands, even some heartaches. So, I have two friends who provide another path for me to travel that brings great joy and refreshment to my mind and soul. I have played the bass guitar for 40 years, and my friends are my two basses, my Fender Jazz bass and my Peavey Cirrus fretless bass. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t play one of them for a few minutes or more, and once a week I get together with my friends to play jazz. Whether I get to play for a few minutes in the evening, or rehearse sometimes way too late in the night, or play for people, I find these two friends God has given me always provide a way to think about other things, to express myself through music, and to feel refreshed. Yesterday was a pretty stressful day for me, but spending an evening playing music with my friends was like a soul-oasis. I am very grateful for my basses and the musicians I get to play with. I find this gift to be a wonderful way to practise self-care. If you like you can check out our music at quintessentialjazz.info