Interim Ministry Association of the ELCA

This is a place to share resources, insights, best practices, events, and conversation starters concerning interim ministry in the ELCA. We welcome and moderate your comments.

Holy Week Greetings

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Sue Seiffert

To everyone, everywhere, in the midst of Holy Week, may your ministry be renewed and refreshed through this time. 

One of the advantages of interim ministry is that I can repeat myself sometimes and nobody knows.  I find that I tend to do that with some aspects of Holy Week worship.  Of course, there is always something a little different, some adaptation unique to each setting.  Yet, I have to confess that I really only have two Maundy Thursday sermons in my file.  Each year, I look at both and decide which one I am going to “tweak”.  And, I have essentially three Good Friday services.  I don’t have to worry about them becoming “old” or “routine” for anyone else, because it is nearly always my first time leading worship for Good Friday in this location.  And for myself, they continue to speak powerfully of God’s great love for us in the suffering and death of our Lord. 

So, sometimes I feel a bit guilty — I think Holy Week is easier for me than for many “settled” pastors!  Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty to do and a lot of coordination and planning to get the various volunteers for the worship services.  But I love Holy Week, and I hope and pray that it is a rewarding week for each of you as well.  May you be strengthened in the Sacrament on Maundy Thursday, moved by the power of the humility of our Lord on the cross, and exuberant in the joy of the Resurrection.

Welcome!

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Sue Seiffert

This is the blog for the Interim Ministry Association of the ELCA!  This is a new venture and we (the members of the Board) are eager to see if it meets the needs of interim pastors and/or congregations and/or synod staff members and bishops and/or anyone else out there who wants to learn more about interim ministry or share stories or good ideas or express themselves in any way.

Do you have questions?  Ask them here and we will do our best to answer.

Do you have ideas?  Let us hear them.

Do you want to brag about an interim situation or share a mistake that taught you something you needed to learn?  Please share.

How is God at work in your lives in whatever interim situation you are experiencing?  Bear witness.

Do you need prayers?  Ask.

About the “Perfect” Secretary

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Sue Seiffert

If you have read the page with the case study about the “perfect” secretary and want to make a comment or ask a question about it, please add a comment to this post and I will reply.

My First Post

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Richard Mathisen

This is my first post on the Interim MinistryAssociation of the ELCA blog!

Something new!

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Sue Seiffert

This is my first post on the brand new IMA blog!  This will be a learning experience for everyone.  I ask for patience as I try to figure out how to navigate things here and how to do the stuff I’m supposed to do as one of the people who volunteered to help launch and manage this blog.

The hope of the Board of the Interim Ministry Association of the ELCA is that this will become one more way for us to connect with our members and with everyone who has an interest in the wonderful world of interim ministry.  We welcome comments and feedback!