Guidelines for Transition Teams - The United Church of Canada

Other factors that affect scheduling arise out of the interim work, such as
• the phases of the transition process—some steps must come before others
• the appropriate time to appoint a Joint Needs Assessment Committee, which must fit within the
church’s normal pastoral relations process
• the need to complete the final evaluations of the Interim Ministry and of the Interim Minister
three months before the Interim Ministry ends
Of course, unexpected issues will arise and must always be dealt with. However, having an overall
view of the interim schedule will provide a reference for helping the team keep the work on target.
For more detail, see appendix 7, Creating a Visual Timeline.
Set the Schedule for Meetings
When everyone is clear about working principles and values and the interim schedule is charted,
team members will soon realize that they must meet often and over a long period. A quorum
for a meeting of the Transition Team must include the Interim Minister, at least one presbytery
representative, and at least three congregational members.
Factors affecting the ongoing frequency of meetings are the size of the congregation, the team’s
relationship with the Interim Minister, and team members’ individual schedules. Despite these
complications, the determining factors for meeting frequency should be the breadth and depth of the
transition work to be done and the readiness of the congregation to move with it.
The intense work of team building and planning at the beginning of the interim will require extra
time—a team may choose some retreat times or more frequent meetings to make sure this initial
work is done effectively. After the initial period, meetings of the team might take place once a month,
with sub-committee or work group meetings between times. However, it is not uncommon for a
Transition Team to meet every two weeks for most of two years.
Finally, so that everyone gives priority to the interim work in his or her personal schedule, it is
helpful to schedule meeting times season-by-season rather than meeting-by-meeting.
Build Relationships
With the official board (or equivalent): A member of the Transition Team—probably the chair—
becomes a regular member of the church’s official board (or equivalent) and reports to it regularly.
The Interim Minister also meetings of the official board (or equivalent). However, much more
than just reporting is necessary. It is important that members of the official board (or equivalent)
understand and are fully involved in the interim work as it progresses; their support and
participation help the congregation trust what is happening.
To accomplish this, the Transition Team can involve the official board (or equivalent) in its self-study
practices so that its members are comfortable with and knowledgeable about the transition work. The
official board (or equivalent) could then collaborate in taking issues to the congregation, and help
ensure that the initiatives of the transition take hold in the life of the congregation. Above all, there
must be no surprises for this key body in congregational life!
20 Guidelines for Transition Teams