| | | Interim Ministry - Congregation meeting 26 September |
The
Elders and congregation of St. Mungo’s voted unanimously in
favour of accepting an interim minister to lead our worship for a short
period.
This vote of acceptance will go to the
Interim Ministries Task Group meeting on October 1st. If ratified the
Task Group will identify a minister to join and lead our congregation
on a full time basis.
The acceptance follows presentations by
the Interim Ministry Task Group, led by Reverends Scott Raby, John
Curran and Sandra Black to the Kirk Session elders on 5th September,
and the congregation on the 26th September.
Interim Ministry is
a Church of Scotland service offered by Presbytery to churches
undergoing change, such as following a period of short ministries, or
the end of a very long ministry. It is also made available where there
is a need for development or clarity of direction, and fills the space
between the loss of one settled minister, and the arrival of a new
settled minister. Interim Ministry is designed to be short term,
typically 1 to 2 years, and to focus on what the congregation and
Presbytery think we need.
 The process offers a time of
opportunity to help us face the future, to reflect and look calmly and
objectively at the issues facing the congregation, and how God
can help. It is a time for renewal, to lose old fears and find new
hopes. God wants us to look differently and perhaps embrace new ways of
bringing His word to our congregation and community.
Together
we will work to come to terms with the past, develop a new identity and
make plans for the future. Using the specialised skills of an interim
minister will help us focus on identified issues, to create a set of
objectives which we can prioritise and work to achieve.
In
short a time for moving on. The Interim minister brings a non-anxious
presence, to create a sense of calm, working for consensus and offering
leadership. From these activities we should be able to identify
and agree on what steps to take to achieve our objectives.
Once
the Interim Ministry Task Group is satisfied that we have achieved our
objectives they will then set up a transition support group with 3
members from Presbytery, 3 from the Ministries Council and the Interim
Minister, which through small discussion groups can maintain the new
position we will have achieved.
Only when the the Support
Group are confident that St. Mungo’s is ready for a new ministry
will we be able to apply to Call a new full time minister to lead us
into the future.
Your prayers and support for the term of
Interim Ministry is vitally important if we are to grow St.
Mungo’s into a church that we all would like to see. God
will look favourably on a congregation that is prepared to build his
Kingdom here on earth through encouraging our community to join us in
the worship of His work.
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