Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our senior pastor is leaving soon. It looks like we will have a 12 to 24 month transition period. It that just a time for ministries to be in a holding pattern, like planes circling and waiting to land at the airport?
DRF—Many great things can happen during a senior pastor transition. I would encourage you to not view it as a holding pattern. The new senior pastor needs to see a church that is alive and thriving, not just waiting for a new leader.
When I led the staff during a 20-month transition, our strategic team each year set out four main goals to accomplish. Here are some of the results
- We sent 200 people on short-term mission trips one summer.
- We began a daily Bible reading that was emailed to over 1,300 people in the church family. The reading had a devotional response from various church leaders.
- We ended the fiscal year with a 20% surplus of our annual budget in the bank.
- We brought a nationally-noted evangelist to our Easter services.
- We saw the waves of tension go from 30 foot waves down to 3 foot waves.
- We brought back a Christmas event and added a fresh and gospel-compelling walk-through of the night of Jesus’ birth. The first year 15,000 people came and the second, 22,000.
God honors the plans of leaders when they step out in faith. Don’t sit back and wait for the new senior pastor. Lead the congregation in some great, all-church goals.
