3 Books For Navigating Transitions
Leaving well and starting well are vitally important for both parties - the ministering person and the ministries to which they are beginning or concluding. When one fails to pay attention to either of these transitions, it can have negative implications that remain long after one has moved on or sought to move forward. So, please pay attention to your beginnings and your endings (and respectfully, don’t leave it to others to take care of such things - but do leave room for the possibility that the other may be attentive to these transitions too).
There have been a few books that I have relied on and recommended to colleagues in ministry along the way - in fact, I loaned one of these books to a colleague and haven’t seen it since. Reminds me that I should really take better note of who borrows my books in future. Here are some recommendations. The Callahan one is great for thinking about “newbeginnings” in a current ministry context as well. I used it a couple of times as a starting point in my 20 years at St. Andrew’s Guelph.
A New Beginning for Pastors and Congregations: Building an Excellent Match Upon Your Shared Strengths, 1999 by Kennon L. Callahan
This wise and practical guide provides clear insight for both pastors and congregations on how to begin a healthy, productive new pastorate or make a fresh start in an ongoing ministry. Author Kennon L. Callahan, today's most sought-after church consultant, has conferred with thousands of pastors and congregations, helping them discover their strengths and gifts and showing them how to work together in service to their community and mission. Here he offers fresh suggestions on how pastors and congregations can ensure a solid future together, whether they are newly beginning or beginning again.
Saying Goodbye: A Time Of Growth For Congregations And Pastors, 1990 by Edward A. White
Leaving a pastorate is hard on both congregation and pastor. Learn how to make this transition a growth experience for all. Written for congregations and pastors, Saying Goodbye skillfully weaves accounts from clergy, laity, and educators of seven denominations with White's own insight as a former General Presbyter to create a resource for meaningful and healthy partings. Includes examples of a "farewell" worship service and litany for closure of a ministry.
Running Through the Thistles: Terminating A Ministerial Relationship With A Parish, 1998 by Roy Oswald
Can how you leave a church affect your feelings about leaving or create baggage you take to your new congregation? Gain insight into termination styles and how they affect both you and your parishioners. Using real-life illustrations, Oswald guides you through Alban Institute research findings to help you prepare for a departure.