Guidelines for Transition Teams - The United Church of Canada

Encouraging the Congregation to Participate
The Transition Team as Facilitator and Teacher
Members of the congregation must fully recognize the interim work as their own. Any perception
that the Interim Minister, the presbytery, or the Transition Team has controlled or forced change
will scuttle the whole project. If a congregation was reluctant to enter Interim Ministry in the first
place, the Transition Team will have to pay special attention. Even a congregation that willingly chose
the Interim Ministry may react negatively if there is a perception that change is being forced on it.
The goal is for the congregation to gain the confidence that it can make choices for its ministry
and then intentionally follow through on what has been decided. The needed attitudes and skills
for doing so are best learned when they are experienced and practised. Understood from this
perspective, the role of the Transition Team is not to identify problems and fix them, but instead to
be a catalyst, facilitator, and teacher, helping the community learn new ways of being.
Relieve Anxiety
One of the strengths of a congregation as it moves into Interim Ministry is its longing for something
that seems somehow reachable but also beyond reach. This longing may have an edge of worry to it,
but some anxiety during this time is normal and even desirable, for experimentation does not usually
spring from complacency. The stories of our faith show us that life springs anew beyond difficult
times
However, too much anxiety can stand in the way of change. Fearful people are more likely to feel
unsettled, confused, and reluctant to give up safe, familiar ways. The anticipation of loss can also
cause people to cling persistently to what is familiar, or alternatively, to leap to ideas of a brave new
world without adequate thought as to how to get there.
To make room for new initiatives, the Transition Team can support people in the congregation in
accepting their losses and acknowledging their fears. Simple reassurance or explanation will not
be enough. It is always tempting to think that if the need is obvious enough and something new is
explained well enough, people will make the necessary adaptations. But what helps more is creating
the kind of community where people find it safe to speak of their hopes and fears, and to live the
experience of knowing that they are not alone. Only then will they be able to reach beyond their fears
and welcome new possibilities.
Such work is demanding, but it may be the most important work the team does, for it is at this
soul level that people gain the trust that makes it safe to try new things. Fortunately, there are many
resources to help. The Interim Minister’s knowledge, skills, and pastoral approach will lead the way.
Spiritual reflection, especially using the great wilderness and trial stories from the Christian tradition,
will help everyone hear the call of their faith and help them risk change.
22 Guidelines for Transition Teams