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Description

• Intentional Interim Pastorate: An Intentional Interim Pastor (IIP) is placed in transitional churches to lead a congregation in a spiritual discovery process. This is accomplished through leadership development, member mobilization, implementation of diagnostic recommendations, conflict resolution, ministry systems coordination, peer mentoring, missional ministry, teaching, and preaching.
• The IIP is granted spiritual authority to serve as the lead pastor of the church. It is understood that the IIP comes with the constituted authority to help move the church through issues related to the transitional period without a lead pastor/sr. pastor.
• The IIP will oversee the pastoral and leadership transition process resulting from the lead pastor’s recent resignation/senior leadership void. It is understood that the IIP will work together with the church’s existing leaders and staff to accomplish the various pastoral duties necessary to lead the church forward. The IIP will also help lead and direct the pastoral staff in their various responsibilities. The IIP and VCM team will profess faith in Christ, be led by the Spirit, and maintain a Christ-like life. They will adhere to, and teach in accordance with, The Church’s Statement of Faith.
• The IIP will consist of a team of VCM personnel and associates. It will include a VCM Staff Person who will act as the interim lead pastor and team leader, a VCM Staff Person who will act as coach, and potentially others who will make up the team. The roles of each are further described later in this agreement.

Purpose

• To work with the leadership to address the spiritual formation issues, organizational issues, generational issues, relational issues, leadership issues, potential conflict issues, transitional issues, and any other issues hindering the life of the church.
• To assist the leaders and congregants of the church in their spiritual formation as they seek to discern and align themselves with the vision and purposes of God for the church.

General Responsibilities

• Biblical Teaching and Worship: be onsite for Sunday morning worship services at least twice a month. Lead the congregation through a focused, intentional, and applied study of Scripture to discover God’s will for following Christ through the season of transition. This will include preaching and teaching regularly. The IIP will also oversee a preaching team that will provide Sunday preaching in the absence of the IIP and assist church leaders in creating a worship environment that is relevant, balanced, and inspiring for all who attend. This will be Christ-centered.
• Leadership: provide leadership, support, and mentoring to church leadership and the pastoral and administrative team. Attend and lead bi-weekly staff meetings when in town or lead meetings by video conference. Attend and participate in weekly or as-needed board meetings. Provide advice and direction on various church issues. Mentor the board and pastoral team by providing training, advice, and counsel on all issues regarding the health of the church, spiritual direction, and organizational operation.
• Body Life: provide avenues for building an authentic Christian community through large and small group activity. We will also seek to create safe relational environments where people can communicate what they feel and think. Ensure that pastoral care and ministry to the members and attendees of the church is taking place. The IIP is not expected to participate in detailed congregational care ministry except as deemed necessary to fulfill his primary tasks. This means the IIP will attempt to ensure that needs are being handled by the leadership, laypersons, and small group leaders as needed.
• Ministry Mobilization: encourage the development of ministries by various members of the congregation putting into practice the truth of Ephesians 4:11-12, “to equip the saints for works of service.” This will occur by an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the church ministries through dialogue with the staff and leadership team, and by measurable results as defined by ministry outcomes determined by the board and interim team in line with the diagnostic assessment.

Special Responsibilities

•  The IIP will carry out as many of the recommendations as possible of the diagnostic assessment done by the VCM diagnostic team. Specifically:
• Discipleship: work with the leadership to build in leadership development to the church culture so that the church ministry moves farther beyond a Sunday morning service than it currently is.
• Emotional and spiritual wholeness: work on issues of grief, walking in brokenness and vulnerability, and other emotional issues related to the spiritual formation of the congregation through preaching, teaching, and modeling.
• Relational Skill Development: work towards the development of godly and biblically-based communication and conflict resolution skills among the leaders and congregants which would include reconciliation as needed. This may include a Sacred Assembly.
• Re-affirm Vision: VCM will lead a church-wide visioning process through the use of multiple church-wide forums/ summits along with leadership to examine, re-affirm, and or adjust the present the church vision.
• Leadership Development: Identify, engage, and develop a leadership transition team that will help the IIP to implement and facilitate the ministry outcomes. 
• Mission: introduce the church to the meaning and practice of missional ministry as it relates to the greater geographic community.
• Generational issues: help the leaders and members of the church identify, process, and manage the unwritten rules that hinder the life of the church and families.
• Organizational Issues: help the church address issues related to the upgrading of the constitution, governance, identity, vision, mission, and physical plant.
• The IIP will be available to coach the search committee while they process the calling of a new lead pastor. 
• Following the interim, a coach for the next lead pastor will be made available at a reasonable cost for a 3 to 6 month period of time, if the next lead pastor and church board desire.