Interim Ministry Partners (IMP) believe that an effective transition ministry is rooted in good theology, careful process, and healthy teaching.
Though some of our materials are proprietary (e.g., details/documents/committee functions related to our Search Process) and available only to congregations that have contracted to work with us, there are other materials we hope will be a blessing to a wider section of the church and that we want to make available generally. Here you will find series of articles that will help you think through (for instance) the development of a mission statement … or the implications of God’s “call” on the life of a minister and a church.
We hope these resources will be a blessing to you and your congregation. Your comments and feedback are appreciated.
Developing a Mission Statement
It has become popular of late for churches to develop “mission statements” that attempt to define the character of the church and identify its essential business … some pithy declaration that can be used on websites and letterhead and as a teaching tool to focus a particular congregation on a particular task.
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Read MoreA Theology of Calling
I think constantly about leadership in our congregations … the difficulties and challenges of it … the structures and models that organize it … the ideas and attitudes we have about it. I know you think about such matters as well. It is, for all of us who care about the church, a matter close to our hearts.
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Read MoreA Theology of Governance
For the past several years, ministers have been walking away from pulpits at an alarming rate. Not just any ministers … some of the most seasoned, trained, experienced and competent among us; an entire generation of men who were speaking at lectureships, writing books, and preaching at the largest congregations of Churches of Christ in the country; well-known and influential preachers in our brotherhood.
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