Hello again, all! I hope your week has been a good one.

This is the second installment of my blog, and its meant to give you yet more about how interim ministry works. (You may be getting a little weary on the topic, but I’ve learned over the years that clarity about this in-between time makes for a better experience all around.)

This time, let me introduce you to the Five Goals that serve as the foundation and measuring stick for Unitarian Universalist interim work:
● Heritage: Reviewing the congregation’s past to understand how it was shaped and to address any unresolved grief or conflict. This task ensures that the congregation can fully release the past minister and move forward in a healthy way.
● Identity: Helping the congregation rediscover and clarify its unique identity, including its strengths, needs, and purpose, without relying on the former minister. The interim minister uses this period for congregational self-assessment to clearly define its mission and vision.
● Leadership: Examining and clarifying leadership roles among the minister, staff, and lay leaders. It is a time to encourage new leaders to emerge while seasoned leaders may shift or take a break.
● Connections: Strengthening the congregation’s relationships with the broader Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and other outside resources. This helps the congregation avoid becoming insular and ensures it uses denominational support effectively during the transition.
● Future: Assisting the congregation in preparing for and envisioning its new future with a settled minister. The work of the interim period is meant to prepare the congregation for a successful search and a new, fruitful ministry.

If all this sounds daunting…well, it’s because it always is. But a good first step is to trust a process that has been tried, found true, and is always evolving. It’s the process we call interim ministry. And we’ve got this, folx.

So, I’ll appreciate your open minds and hearts we travel this path together. Meantime, commit to learning more about this unique chapter in QUUF’s story, starting with something as simple as an online search for “interim ministry” both within and without our Association. Thanks in advance for your time and curiosity.

Remember, we’ve got this.