When a church experiences an abrupt departure by their senior pastor all sorts of chaos and confusion is unleashed.

One of the critical skills that is often damaged or lost is the ability to tell time. Really? How?

Whether we use a smart phone, watch, or an “old school” calendar/planner on paper, we are always conscious of the ever-flowing passing of time.

The scriptures encourage us to take into account how time is a resource to invest and not squander.

“…making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:16)

“And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.”  (Romans 13:11)

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” (Col. 4:5)

So how do we address and steward the passing of time in a way that makes the best use of it? We have various measurements of time to structure our lives, to plan, to evaluate, and make our efforts more efficient.

Depending on the situation we might need to account for nano-seconds, seconds, minutes, or hours. We also think in terms of days, weeks, months, and years. On rare occasions we might even give thought to decades, generations, a life-time, or even a century.

But did you notice I left out one measurement of time? It’s a key biblical measurement that we acknowledge exists, but often is missing from our planning and evaluations. It’s the timeframe of a season.

When there has been an abrupt pastoral transition, we need to keep the time-frame of seasons in mind!

In some parts of our world there are four very distinct seasons each year. Other latitudes have but two (wet and dry). Regardless of the number, how often do we view, evaluate, and make plans through the lens of a season?

This missing perspective puts a church experiencing pastoral transition in a very real position of weakness, and even danger. For when the senior, or lead pastor exits, the church enters a new season, and winter is the best analogy for what it looks and feels like.

Leadership teams who have worked well together during a “summer” season in their church often struggle when “winter” comes. Either they don’t recognize what has changed, or they don’t adapt to the new season. They don’t want to go out and play in the rain!

Consider 5 basic elements about seasons that the Bible mentions….

1. God gave us the seasons.

• “You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.” –Psalm 74:17
• “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” –Genesis 8:22

Seasons are part of the divine created order. God has designed that change will be an intimate part of the flow of life. We should expect it, whether they are literal seasons or more figurative. When there is pastoral transition, a new season has begun that is God-ordained.

2. Each season has its own characteristics (rain, sun, heat, cold, effect on plants, etc).

• “I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” –Leviticus 26:4
• “…he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.” –Deuteronomy 11:14

Our tendency is to struggle with change because we compare the current season we are in with a past season which we prefer. Karl Vaters has made the observation, “Because we can’t stop seasons from happening, we have to stop kicking against them.” Wise is the person, or team, who works with the transition season, knowing that the unique features of that season sets-up the coming season to be what it should.

3. The cycle of seasons is intended to bless man.

• “The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands.” –Deuteronomy 28:12
• “And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.” –Ezekiel 34:26

Seasonal change is a blessing, not a curse! We may not see it or realize it, but each season has its own purpose…even the transition season after losing the lead pastor. Whether it’s a literal season or a season in the life of a church, God wants to enrich our lives through it. In each season God is at work. We may not always understand His reasons or purposes, but we can trust His loving hand.

4. There is an appropriate activity for man in each season.

•  “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” –Proverbs 10:5
•  “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1+2

Just as it’s appropriate to wear the right clothing to match a season, so there are appropriate expectations and behaviors for each season. Farmers don’t plant in winter, nor do they run their combines through the fields expecting to reap in spring. Even a transition season has its own activities to perform, and its own share of opportunities to grab.

5. Like the seasons of the year, there are seasons in a church.

• “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season…” -2 Timothy 4:2
• “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time (season), because the days are evil.” –Ephesians 5:15+16

We may always want our church to be in a continual season of growth, expansion, and harvest. But when there is a change of leadership, especially senior pastoral leadership, the church typically enters a season where rest, renewal, and recovery are the dominate themes (winter). Wise is the leadership team that embraces this new season, and leads by example so the church will embrace it as well.

Next time it rains, go out and play in it!

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For more insights and practical help on how a church leadership team can adapt to the transition season after losing their senior pastor, purchase a copy of my recently published workbook: “Aftermath”.

You can order it at www.interimpastor.org/store. If you sign-up for my email list I will send you a 20% discount code to use on either a digital or printed copy.