The Transitional Journey Begins!

Technically, we started 2 months ago, but now the meeting schedule begins…

It feels like an eternity since I last posted about a church on a transitional journey, so you will have to pardon the rust. I have encountered a number of churches starting at very different places, each with their own story, each with their own set of circumstances. Even though there are a number of things similar from church to church, especially when things have been a struggle, each group is set apart by the people and the place. There is a huge difference between a group that is just preparing for the next pastor to come along and a church that is in need of some deep soul searching before they go forward.

My preference? As strange as it may seem, I feel called to and experience great joy in working with a group that may feel the struggle, has bumps and bruises, and are aware of their current reality. That often means it is a smaller group trying to faithfully gather, and they can easily recall everyone that has moved on. There is a strange beauty in walking alongside a group of people who has many excellent memories of yesterday, but is now learning to grieve and rediscover the journey they are on today. Coming to grips with what comes next is interpersonal, it is institutional, and it is hard work for everyone.

PAUSE is the hardest word to hear and live by when you are desperately searching for answers. But stopping is the best way to discern how to start again.

When I start connecting and listening to a new group of people I tend to have certain ‘watchwords’ that stand out. These words find their ways into all kinds of conversations and processing at many levels. The longer I stay, the clearer these words become. With this new journey beginning, 3 words stood out from the beginning, and I feel they resonate in different ways with the beginning of Fall:

Simple.

Keep everything simple. That comes with pausing, with evaluating the past, with considering the future, figuring out why things are the way they are now, what will we do… Start by simplifying. If it is not on purpose, does not fit with a current need, or is too complex for what you can do right now, then it is put aside. Simple. Complication is often a big part of why we need to pause in the first place.

All Together.

Those who commit to the work need to be all in. If there are relationship challenges, we focus on them. If there are too many distractions, we go back to simplification. If we are missing someone who no longer will be joining us, we lament their absence. But what we do is done together. There is no ‘A’ team to look to, so who are we together?

Why?

This seems like the most natural question to ask, especially if you have read my other material on transitional leadership. This is also the most forgotten question for groups that are flowing naturally and are locked into a rhythm. That rhythm does not take much to become a rut and causes us to hit this crossroads. When we stop asking ‘why?’ about what we do, we lose the urgency to remain purposeful. And when we abandon this small question it can feel like a shock and confrontational when it needs to be asked again. Asking ‘why?’ is a simple check-in on our path and future hopes.

So those are the watchwords on this transitional journey! They are not permanent and unchanging, but they are the start of the journey today.

Do you have a few watchwords to start your Fall? Try using the ones I have outlined and see how they apply to your current place.