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Category Archives: Transition Leadership
THE FORECASTER: Alleluia! Easter Dawns (and a Transition Update)
Pastor’s Ponderings
God enables newness to happen in our lives, whether we think we need it or not, whether we believe it can happen or not.
Dear Friends,
Easter blessings to you all!
We are in the season of celebrating Resurrection, both Jesus’ and the Resurrection open to all of us through him.
Resurrection occurs in the life we live now; it’s not merely a heavenly insurance policy. God enables newness to happen in our lives, whether we think we need it or not, whether we believe it can happen or not.
This transitional period is by its very nature a time of newness. That can be uncomfortable or raise anxieties.
We are assured, tho, that God is walking this path with us.
My purpose here is to help navigate through this “wilderness”, together discovering where God is leading us.
Four Tasks of the Transitional Pastor
Transitional pastors have four general tasks; these tasks are not linear or sequential and often overlap.
• Joining (Getting to Know You)
• Assessment
• Vision and Goal-Setting
• Exiting – preparing for the new pastor
Joining is the “getting to know you” that I’ve been engaged in the most over the last three months.
While that continues, this month I’ll begin the process of Assessment.
It involves looking at all aspects of the church’s life to lift up all the positive things that God is doing here and to determine if there are any areas that that can be improved in preparation for the next pastor.
With the help of the Assessment Team (a.k.a Profile Committee), we’ll examine the details of all facets of FCC’s ministry: mission, spirituality, programs, outreach to the community, structure, staffing, finances, etc.
The Assessment results will provide fodder for Vision and Goal-Setting by the Council and the Boards.
It also provides the information necessary to create the formal church profile for the pastoral search.
Things are moving forward!
Be assured, things are moving forward.
By taking the time for assessment, we have a better understanding of FCC’s ministry and the qualifications needed for the next pastor.
That, in turn, will give guidance to the church leadership and will enable the Search Committee to find a candidate who is best suited to FCC.
This is all good!
As we enjoy the blessings of Spring and Resurrection, may we experience God in our midst each and every day. Grace and Peace.
Lisa
Upcoming Sacred Sites tour in Binghamton:
The Preservation Association of the Southern Tier is co- sponsoring the New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites open house. The theme this year is “From Medieval to Modern: Celebrating New York’s Religious Art and Architecture”. This free event is held each spring.That day houses of worship around the state have an open house for people to see and learn about them.
This year the day is Sunday May 19, 2019. FCC’s historic church is on the tour again this year, and will be open to the public from 11:30 AM to 1:30 p.m.
What else can you find in this month’s The Forecaster?
- The Worship Schedule for May 2019
- Upcoming Trustee’s Work Day
- Faith Works Fellowship for May
- Annual Sleep Out for the Homeless sponsored by SUNY Broome (May 10)
- Academic Achievement Awards
- Jazz Vespers Final Event on May 12th at 5 p.m, featuring Al Hamme & Friends
- FCC Photo Directory is finished!
- Binghamton Downtown Singers
- Coffee Hour on Sunday, May 5th … join us!
- Upcoming UCC New York Annual Conference (May 18th and 19th)
- Book Works books available, and more …
Download the full edition of The Forecaster for the details.
Featured Image Credit: He is Risen – The First Easter, 1893-1896, by Arthur Hughes. PD Wikimedia.
THE FORECASTER: Planting Seeds for a Successful Transition Period
“More than qualifying what attributes are needed for FCC’s next installed pastor, the transition period is an important time to reassess who we are as a unique part of the Body of Christ and explore the particular direction God wants us to go now.”
~ the Rev. Lisa Heckman
Pastor’s Ponderings
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.~~ Jeremiah 29:11
Dear Friends,
God sends that message of hope through Jeremiah at a time when the people were hopeless. Recently exiled from their homes in Judea, now displaced in Babylon, they thought God had forsaken them.
We at FCC are not hopeless by any means (!), and we have even more assurance in God’s plans for our hope-filled future.
Our challenge is discerning what those plans are. That’s gonna take some time!
Those who were here before Art Suggs’ ministry may remember a period of tribulation with several Interim Ministers and a significant loss in membership.
Add to that the normal anxiety of a time of transition, and the immediate reaction is to get the next installed pastor in place as quickly as possible!
“While the desire to rush things is understandable, a fast solution is rarely the best solution. A quick fix can create even more problems in the long term.”
The Transition Team stated that one of the key goals of the Transitional Period is:
To help the leadership and thus the congregation refresh, evolve, and/or clarify the vision and mission, and affirm or create anew a really clear sense of the values and mission-elements that are important to these times and help us to move forward.
More than qualifying what attributes are needed for FCC’s next installed pastor, the transition period is an important time to reassess who we are now as this particular part of the Body of Christ and what is the direction God wants us to go.
This work will dovetail with our exploration of what is needed to create the church’s formal profile for the pastoral search.
The profile is an extremely detailed and comprehensive description of our ministry. It incorporates the usual statistical and demographic information about FCC, but goes much deeper:
It requires the same kind of exploration of mission, ministry, and calling that we already wish to do during the transition.
We will need a team of people to develop the profile on behalf of the congregation, and it is my hope to work closely with this team as we explore and uncover who we are and where God is leading us.
While all this is going on, our day to day, week to week ministry will keep moving forward!
We will worship, study, serve the community, be in fellowship with one another, laugh and cry together, and live the Spirit filled lives we are called to live.
God has good plans in store for us and we can be assured of Jesus’ presence with us every step of the way.
Grace and Peace,
Lisa
On the Near Horizon – Lenten Music & Meditation Services
On Wednesday evenings between Lent and Easter, join us for our Lenten Music & Meditation services starting on March 13th through April 10th.
The community Soup Supper begins at 6 p.m. each Wednesday during Lent, and is followed by the Music & Meditation service at 7 p.m.
FCC’s Church Council Begins its New Year
With 12 leaders present at the first meeting of the new year, almost all activity groups in church were represented. The various reports helped the new leadership know what is happening.
It also was helpful for Rev. Lisa Heckman, FCC’s new Transitional Minister, to get a feel of how the Congregational “system” works.
Rev. Heckman also shared what she feels called to do as pastor of our congregation.
An important part of that work is to survey our membership and find what we believe and want for our church.
That will be part of the challenge of a committee to be appointed to write a church profile. Once the new formal profile — that reflects who FCC is now — is completed, a search committee will be able to identify the qualities to look for in a new pastor.
The profile committee will be established very soon.
Council will also organize an installation of newly elected church leaders on Sunday, March 3, 2019.
Connect on Facebook
FCC has had a Facebook page for quite awhile now, and it’s about to get a fresh inflow of inspiration as Rev. Heckman begins her Transitional Ministry!
If you haven’t already, follow us on Facebook. If you’re already following, stop by and see what’s new and what’s brewing!
The March edition of The Forecaster also includes:
- What’s up with Jazz Vespers this month,
- FCC’s March Sunday worship schedule,
- FCC’s popular Lenten Music & Meditation Wednesday evening services,
- Other news and events.