Interim Pastor from VitalChurch Ministry Completes His Time at Christ Community Church in Rochester
VitalChurch Ministry, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Christian churches in transition or crisis, announced recently that they were finishing up their work with Christ Community Church (CCC) in Rochester, Minnesota.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., March 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- VitalChurch Ministry, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Christian churches in transition or crisis, announced recently that they were finishing up their work with Christ Community Church (CCC) in Rochester, Minnesota.
VitalChurch was brought out to CCC in August of 2018 to conduct an on-site diagnostic assessment of the church that would reveal the church's strengths, weaknesses, and current areas of struggle. The church had recently undergone a difficult transition, with the resignation of their longtime lead pastor.
After the results of the assessment were presented to the church, CCC decided to bring in an interim pastor from VitalChurch to lead them through their transition period as they searched for a new lead pastor. Pastor Dave Miles from VitalChurch Ministry came to CCC in November 2018 to serve as the main interim pastor. Pastor Rich Schoenert also played an integral role during the interim period at CCC, and other interim pastors from the VitalChurch team, Gregg Caruso and Tom Wilkens, were instrumental in the process as well.
The VitalChurch team worked with the church to address the grief and conflict that resulted from the resignation of their former pastor. CCC Elder Jeremy Balster commented that prior to the arrival of VitalChurch, "We weren't equipped to manage the grief, repentance, or reconciliation….[We] weren't equipped to strategize for the future." Another Elder, David Kuck, said, "…we had blind spots. We didn't realize we had unhealthy patterns and systems." As a result of the work done by the VitalChurch team with the congregation at CCC, church leaders and congregation members now report that the church is unified and that reconciliation has taken place where it was needed. They also express that there is a sense of excitement about the future of CCC.
During their time at CCC, Pastors Miles and Schoenert also worked to encourage the congregation to get more involved in the ministry and outward mission of the church. Balster commented, "We've been a staff-led church. In order to change that so our congregation does more of the ministry, they had to have ownership. VitalChurch helped bridge that gap. Our congregation feels more empowered to do the ministry [and] has taken more ownership. That's been a huge step for our church."
The VitalChurch Team led CCC through a series of "summits" that were designed to refocus the church. Out of these summits came a new sense of mission and a clear set of values under which the church can now operate. In addition, the VitalChurch team worked with the church board to put systems and structures in place that will serve the church well long term.
Pastor Miles was also able to establish a stronger relationship between CCC and their denomination, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, by working directly with the denomination's new district superintendent.
On January 26, 2020, the congregation of CCC confirmed the call of Darril Holden Jr. to be the church's next permanent lead pastor. Pastor Holden began his ministry at CCC at the beginning of March 2020.
About VitalChurch Ministry
Since 1994, the VitalChurch team has worked with churches in transition or crisis, leading them to pathways of healing, hope, and revitalization. Their mission is to see churches reconciled and restored to unity, with gifted leadership in place, gospel values embedded, effective governance, an exciting mission agreed on, and a discipleship pathway engaged. They have engaged with churches as interim pastors in a variety of denominations, and in suburban, rural, and urban environments throughout the United States and in Europe.
The pastors at VitalChurch Ministry are recognized experts in the fields of church diagnostics, interim pastoring, and leadership coaching. They have produced resources and training materials used by churches and denominations throughout North America and have been featured speakers at multiple training conferences.
Find out more about VitalChurch Ministry at their website: http://vitalchurchministry.org/
SOURCE VitalChurch Ministry
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