Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 It's Not Your Parents' Church Anymore 9
2 What Is Interim Ministry? 35
3 Why Do We Need an Interim Minister? 51
4 Who Should We Hire? 67
5 What Will We Do? 81
6 But We Like Things the Way They Are 101
7 Shepherd, Coach, Consultant, or Cheerleader? 109
8 Like a Shark: Move Forward or Die 121
9 Ready, Set, Go… 135
10 Build a Cathedral! 145
Appendix A A Behavioral Covenant 151
Appendix B The Mission of First Community Church 153
Appendix C Gut Check: Twenty-Five Key Questions to Measure Church Vitality 155
Appendix D Sample Interim Ministry Covenant-Contract 159
Appendix E What Do We Have Energy For? 167
Appendix F It All Depends 171
Appendix G Questions for Congregations 173
Appendix H Self-image Assessment for Local Churches 179
Appendix I Appreciative Interview Guide for Congregations 181
Notes 183
Selected Bibliography 191
Index 195
About the Author 203
