The boxes have been moved in and I’ve begun to have a few initial conversations to help me orient myself to your congregation’s patterns and traditions. I look forward to meeting many more of you very soon, with my first Sunday coming up on October 20. I understand that a single service has been planned for that morning in the Sanctuary at 10:00 a.m. with a lunch to follow in the Fellowship Hall. As I prepare to join you, I thought a little information about what to expect as I arrive might be helpful.
For my work with congregations who are in transitional times, I prefer the term Transitional Pastor to Intentional Interim Pastor. Yes, I am coming to help you take an intentional look at aspects of your life together and help you listen for where God is calling you now and into your future. I am also coming to help you capture the wonderful and ripe opportunities that a time of transition presents congregational families. I come as a shepherd for this time of journey and so “Transitional Pastor” better fits that role of looking for the treasures waiting to be discovered or finding aspects of your life together that may feel as though they have been lost along the way.
To help me get started in our transitional journey together, one of the first things I want to do is spend some time in one on one conversations with as many of you as possible, these can be individual meetings or meetings with a couple or family grouping. I have worked with Jen to create a calendar of times when I am available for these conversations and I invite you to schedule a time during the day or evening that best suits you within that calendar. When you schedule a time, please also indicate if you’d like to meet with me in the church office, at your home, or over lunch, coffee, or dinner within the times I am offering. Please call or email Jen in the church office to schedule.
I will be setting out some open office hours soon and this is a time when I welcome drop in visits with me at the church. I will also likely set a drop by “office” hours time in one of the local spaces away from the church, so that you can catch me in a more informal setting if you’d like. (I’m open to suggestions of nice spots where I can set out my laptop, work, and have members easily join me for a conversation…)
In the grace and peace of Christ,
Pastor Christy
