Interim Calendar
Part of A Guide to Transitional Ministry
| Dates | Task | Whose Is This? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Mar | Minister announces departure | Outgoing minister | Jan-Mar is the ideal window for announcement, though some announcements happen in April if the departing minister is a candidate for a new settled ministry |
| Feb-Apr | Congregation submits Notice of Ministerial Transition | Board | |
| Feb-Apr | Board consults with regional Congregational Life staff and/or Congregational Transitions Director cpurcell@uua.org and reviews the Guide to Interim Ministry | Board | |
| Feb-Apr | Board appoints interim ministry search team | Board | 3-5 members who are trusted by the full board. The team may include board members. |
| Feb-Aug | Potential applicant ministers may reach out to Rev. Patrice Curtis, Transformational Interim Ministries Director, and/or UUA regional staff to learn about interim ministry opportunities | Potential applicant ministers | pcurtis@uua.org |
| Feb 15 or later | Interim search team requests initiation of and access to congregation’s profile in MinistrySearch system | Search team | cpurcell@uua.org |
| Feb-Aug | Church website update | Staff and/or volunteers | Updated to reflect changes; website becomes a source of information for potential ministerial applicants |
| Mar-Aug | Exit interviews | Board/outgoing minister/ UUA regional staff | Board works with UUA regional staff primary contact to arrange |
| Through mid-April | Search team completes search profile in MinistrySearch system and asks primary contact on regional staff to review it and offer feedback on it prior to publication | Search team and regional staff | |
| Through mid-April | Search team prepares supplemental documents packet, including board-approved draft employment agreement | Search team, board | |
| 04 April 2025 | First date interim ministry search profile could be published | Search team | There is no advantage to publishing early, but the search team may do so, if they like |
| 18 April 2025 | Interim ministry search profile due date/publication date | Search team | |
| 27 April-2 May 2025 | Transitional UU Ministers Association chapter meeting | Ministers | |
| 3 May 2025 | Applicant ministers’ deadline for submitting rankings to UUA Transitions Team and submitting their ministerial records to search teams | Ministers | |
| 6 May 25 2025 | Applicant names are released to search teams | Search teams, ministers | Search teams acknowledge each application with an email including a link to their documents packet. Use sharing settings to make material view only and accessible to anyone with the link. |
| 6 — 19 May 2025 | Search teams interview applicants, check references, and do research calls with UUA regional staff. Ministers check in with regional staff and colleagues who have served congregations where they have applied. | Search teams, ministers | |
| 19 May 2025 | Search teams submit rankings of ministers to the UUA Ministers submit rankings of congregations to the UUA | Search teams, ministers | |
| 20-21 May 2025 | UUA Transitions Team staff match applicants and search teams by their rankings. They will let everyone know what has aligned as soon as they have all of the information to do so. | UUA Transitions Team staff | |
| 22 May, 2025 noon Eastern | Offer day! Search teams reach out to the minister with whom they were matched to extend a verbal offer | Search team, minister | |
| 22 May and later | Negotiation of employment agreement | Board, minister | UUA staff or a UU Ministers Association Good Officer can offer support, if needed |
| 22 May and later | Congregations without a match on offer day may pivot to a contract ministry search. The board may meet with the Congregational Transitions Director for support, context, and advice. | Board, UUA staff | cpurcell@uua.org |
| 01 August | Interim ministry begins | Board, congregation, and interim minister |