1. Transitional Interim Pastor
Pastor Leaves
Leading a church from
Anxiety to Anticipation
Interim Decision
Know Your Church
Know Your Community
Know the Plan
Know God
Know the Path
New Pastor
Assessment
Renewal
Planning
Anxiety
Anticipation
Transitional Interim Pastor
Implementation
Know the Path
Know the Path

2. Know the Path Development of Transition Action Plan Agenda Harmony
Preparing the Church for Change
Building Effective Teams
Communication and Celebration
The Pastor’s Notebook
Nuts and Bolts

3. 6 Desired Outcomes In Developing A Transitional Action Plan:
1. Seek wisdom from God
2. Clearly understand the power and value of agenda harmony

4. 6 Desired Outcomes In Developing a Transitional Action Plan:
Overview the TIPS suggested timeline, including the following key components:
Church Assessment & Results
Prayer Strategy & Intercession Team
Transition Team Issues To Address
4. Confirm a planning & accountability process the Transition Team will use

5. 6 Desired Outcomes In Developing A Transitional Action Plan:
5. Determine the practical steps we will take in the transition period
6. Develop and confirm the Transitional Action Plan we will follow as a church

6. What is Transitional Action Planning?
Overview
Gives you a Planning Tool
Goal is for you and your church to be more effective
Implement a basic planning process
Goal is to establish a planning habit

7. What is Transitional Action Planning?
B. Thinking and Planning
Planning is simply “bringing the future into the present”
Assess current reality & take positive steps

8. Biblical Basis for Strategic Planning
A. God is For Planning!!!!!
“We should make plans--counting on God to direct us.” (Proverbs 16:9. LB)

9. Proverbs 24:3-4
B. “Any enterprise is built on wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.” (LB)

10. Jeremiah 29:11
C. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you…plans to give you hope and a future.”

11. Key Questions in Building A TAP
Who are we? Mission & Values
Where are we? Needs
Where does God want us to go? Transition Priorities
How are we going to get there? Goals/Planning
When will it be done? Scheduling
Who is responsible for what? Delegating
How much will it cost? Budgeting
Did we do it? Evaluating

12. 1. Who are we? Defining Our Mission
Why are we here?
Why does our Transition Team exist?

13. Defining the Mission
A mission is a broad, brief statement of what the Transition Team is supposed to be doing.
This is not the establishment of church mission statement. That will be done with the new pastor.

14. Exercise – Our Mission
Discuss: Who are we? Why are we here? Why does our Transition Team exist?

15. Exercise – Our Mission
Individual: Take a few minutes and have each person on the Transition Team write out what they feel the mission of the Transition Team should be.

16. Exercise – Our Mission
Discuss: Discuss the mission that should guide all of our decision making during this transition time as a church. The TIPS pastor should select a Recorder, whose responsibility will be to record a summary of the Transition Team’s work.

17. Exercise – Our Mission
Next Action Steps: After this session is over, what action steps should we take related to the development or communication of our Transition Team mission? These steps will begin the development of our Transition Action Plan.

18. Key Questions in Building A Plan
Who are we? Mission & Values
Where are we? Needs
Where does God want us to go? Vision/Priorities
How are we going to get there? Goals/Planning
When will it be done? Scheduling
Who is responsible for what? Delegating
How much will it cost? Budgeting
Did we do it? Evaluating

19. Developing Transition Values
We next work on our transition core values. These are the guiding principles and behaviors that we believe in.

20. Values Defined
Values: What do we value? Guiding principles and convictions about how the church will behave during this transition.

21. Exercise – Transition Values
Key Questions: What do we value? What would we like our church to be known for during this time?

22. Exercise – Transition Values
Discuss: Take time to discuss the 2 questions above.

23. Exercise – Transition Values
Recorder, gather and record your agreed-on transitional values for the Transitional Action Plan.

24. Transition Planning…
“Having a clear mission and values are the foundation of GREAT Transition Planning.”

25. The Secret to Finding the Right Answer As A Church…
… we must learn to ask the right questions!

26. Key Questions in Building A Plan
Who are we? Mission & Values
Where are we? Assessment
Where does God want us to go? Assessment
How are we going to get there? Goals/Planning
When will it be done? Scheduling
Who is responsible for what? Delegating
How much will it cost? Budgeting
Did we do it? Evaluating

27. Key Questions in Building A TAP
Who are we? Mission & Values
Where are we? Needs
Where does God want us to go? Transition Priorities
How are we going to get there? Goals/Planning
When will it be done? Scheduling
Who is responsible for what? Delegating
How much will it cost? Budgeting
Did we do it? Evaluating

28. Goal Setting
Goals must address specific needs and focus on our key priorities.
Goals must move us toward achieving church health during pastoral transition.

29. Goal Setting SMART & Good Goals: S pecific M easurable A ction focused
R ealistic
T ime constrained

30. Achieving goals in the future require priorities.
Goal Setting
Action Step
Action Step
Goal
Action Step
Action Step
Achieving goals in the future require priorities.
Once we determine our church priorities, goals become much easier to set!

31. Goal Setting Process
1. After reviewing the church assessment, pick one issue or priority you have agreed needs to be improved.
2. How do we want our church to be different during this transition? What do we want our people to do different than they are currently doing?
3. Write out a specific goal that,
if we achieved it, would help
strengthen the church during the transition.

32. A Tool That Has Really Helped Others
#4 How Are We Going to Get There?
A Tool That Has Really Helped Others
is the
Transitional Action Plan
Worksheet

33. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
This worksheet is used to show the relationship between specific tasks that must be accomplished and the people who are involved. It’s particularly helpful in building a Transitional Action Plan, when…

34. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
• A goal has been decided on.
• We want to clarify accountability.
• We need deadlines.

35. Simple Steps To Follow:
State the goal in writing.
Determine who is responsible for the achievement of the goal.
Answer the question: How will we reach this goal? (this will produce a series of steps!)

36. Simple Steps To Follow:
Clarify who is accountable for what.
When you do your planning, make sure you involve those in the planning process who will participate and be responsible for implementing the plan!

37. Benefits of Using the Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
This worksheet is designed to answer questions 4-8 in the planning process.
By using the worksheet, we put down in black and white who is accountable for which steps and by what date.

38. The Secret to Finding the Right Answer As A Church…
… we must learn to ask the right questions! The last 5 questions in the planning process are MUCH EASIER to answer than the first 3!
Here’s how the worksheet is used...

39. Key Questions in Building A TAP
Who are we? Mission & Values
Where are we? Needs
Where does God want us to go? Transition Priorities
How are we going to get there? Goals/Planning
When will it be done? Scheduling
Who is responsible for what? Delegating
How much will it cost? Budgeting
Did we do it? Evaluating

40. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#4. How are we going to get there?

41. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3 4.
#4. How are we going to get there?

42. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3 4.
#4. How are we going to get there?

43. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3 4.
#4. How are we going to get there?

44. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3 4.
#4. How are we going to get there?

45. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#5. When will it happen?

46. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#6. Who is responsible
for what?

47. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#7. How much will
it cost?

48. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#8. Did we do it?

49. #5. When will it happen? Long – Term vs Short –Term
Understand the difference between long-term goals and short term goals
The transition team is focused on the short term goals.
Achieving goals always involves taking little steps.

50. #5. When will it happen? Develop Realistic Timeline
A well thought out timeline will help add credibility & accountability to your plan.
A timeline is automatically created when you add specific dates to each of your Action Plan steps on the worksheet.

51. The Plan must be Owned by your Key People
#6. Who is responsible for what?
I don’t have time for one more thing
I wonder who is going to do all this??
The Plan must be Owned by your Key People

52. #6. Who is responsible for what?
1. On the Action Plan Worksheet, there are two places to answer this question.
2. Determine who will be responsible for the completion of the goal

53. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#6. Who is responsible
for what?

54. #6. Who is responsible for what?
Use the Church Action Plan – Goals Worksheet
Determine who will be responsible for the completion of the goal
Determine who will be responsible for each action step

55. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#6. Who is responsible
for what?

56. #7. How much will it cost?
Determine the budget needed for the accomplishment of each goal.

57. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done 1. 2. 3. 4.
#7. How much will
it cost?

58. Transitional Action Plan Worksheet
Goal # ___:
Responsible Person:
How will we reach this goal?
By By
# Action Plan Step When Who Cost Done
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3 4.
#7. How much will
it cost?

59. #7. How much will it cost?
Determine the budget needed for the accomplishment of each goal.
This is easy to do by simply assigning a cost to each action step and then
adding up these costs.

60. #8. Did We Do It?
Our overall Transitional Action Plan will be organized into smaller action plan worksheets, assigned to different individuals and teams in the church.
Make sure the complete Transitional Time Period detail is completed.

61. #8. Did We Do It? Build in a time to review how we are doing.
Communicate to the Church Board and other church leaders that our Plan and Transitional Action Steps will be reviewed on a regular basis.

62. #8. Did We Do It?
Distribute a written copy of the plan and refer to it often.
Be sure one person has ultimate responsibility for carrying out each goal.
The TIPS pastor is the cheerleader and encourager to make sure the plan is implemented. We will celebrate every step of progress we make!

63. #8. Did We Do It?
Review, Review and Review again. Gather feedback from everyone and always be looking for ways to improve the plan.

64. Accountability is the key to executing our plan!!
#8. Did We Do It?
Accountability is the key to executing our plan!!