Clergy Search Resource
Over 380 pages of detailed strategies to Assess clergy skills and Discern Calls.
Now available as an online library.
Creating Cultures
of Excellence
Appreciative Inquiry Based Guide to Mutual Ministry Reviews
- Templates and Worksheets
- For Congregations
- Individual Performance
- Coaching Strategies
Teaching Congregations
How To Forgive
Teaching Forgiveness
- Practical Processes to Teach People How to Forgive
- Five Sermon Outlines
- Five Adult Forums with Exercise Protocols and Scripts
Restoring Hope
Practical Appreciative Inquiry based strategies to effectively resolve grief and resentment.
Welcome to Yes!3
Yes!3 is designed to help you
grow an appreciative culture
within your congregation by
helping parishioners create
a purpose centered life
in which they can say:
Yes! To God
Yes! To Their Neighbor
Yes! To Them Self
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Training Program: Certificate in
Appreciative Transitional Ministry
Required classes and programs to complete certificate:
- Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry
- Introduction to Transitional Ministry
- Appreciative Leadership for Transformation
- Year-long, weekly Tele-Conference
An incarnational ministry based in Appreciative Inquiry to discover and call forth the life-giving best from a congregation.
- Can be used for transition between clergy leaders.
- Or transitions that arise as a consequence of strategic planning and intentional organization development.
Training Schedule: Appreciative Transitional Ministry
No Appreciative Transitional Ministry workshops are scheduled at this time.
Please see training schedule for a complete listing of all training programs.
Some of these programs may also be offered as webinars. See Webinar Schedule for details.
Article: One-Size Doesn't Fit All:
Inventing a Transitional Ministry
Appreciative Transitional Ministry
Appreciative Inquiry teaches: "What we focus on becomes our reality". Appreciative Transitional Ministry pays particular attention to what the Interim "aims" for during the transitional time. The Minister can focus on the problems the congregation was having in their last ministry or they can "aim" for the life-giving realities in the congregation and consider how they can be developed to create the congregation's future.
The appreciative approach contrasts many contemporary organizational interventions that utilize an illness model to focus on and eliminate problems. While well intentioned these problem focussed approaches often lead to increasing cycles of negativity and frustration rather than the hoped for congregational transformation. While positive in focus the appreciative approach does not avoid problems during the interim time. Rather the appreciative way looks to what is working and creatively expanding those activities to motivate and inspire transformational solutions.
Rather than relying on a "one size fits all" formula for transitional times the Appreciative Way provides an incarnational way of joining with a congregation to develop a unique ministry for each ministry setting. It is about aiming for and discovering "what in God's name is going on in a congregation" and then growing these Godly realities to co-creating with God the congregation's future.
Interim Ministry or Transitional Ministry
Historically ministry during the time between senior pastors was called Interim Ministry. The current approach is to call this Transitional Ministry. This change in name also indicates a change in the scope of understanding transitions. Since any change, and not just the change in pastor, will result in change dynamics all clergy whether "settled pastors" or "interim" need to understand the process of facilitating change.
Our Transitional Ministry Training Programs would be very appropriate for:
- Clergy ministering during a transition between senior pastors
- Clergy joining new congregations as the settled pastor
- Clergy on extended, but time limited ministries, as a response to special circumstances in the congregation
- Settled clergy embarking on a significant change in congregational culture or ministry
- Consultants and coaches to congregations in transition
Certificate in Appreciative Transitional Ministry
The Clergy Leadership Institute has developed a year long Appreciative Transitional Ministry training program that is a unique blend of
- Theological Reflection
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Organizational Psychology
- Transitional Leadership Theory
The training which may be taken in a variety of locations is typically arranged in the following sequential format:
- Transitional Ministry 1: Week Long Residential Intensive,
Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry (2.5 days)
Introduction to Appreciative Interim Ministry(2.5 days) - Weekly Teleconference for Implementation Consultation
- Pre-Training Leadership Assessment
- Transitional Ministry 2: Week Long Residential Intensive,
Appreciative Leadership for Transformation (5 days)
Transitional Ministry 1: Introduction to Appreciative Interim Ministry
This five day intensive is broken into two segments. The first half is devoted to learning the philosophy and process of Appreciative Inquiry which provides the foundation of Appreciative Transitional Ministry. The second half of the training is devoted to presenting the incarnational model of Appreciative Transitional Ministry and strategies for joining a congregation and working with the parish dynamics to co-create preferred outcomes. Participants may complete these two segments separately at differing locations provided that the AI portion precedes the interim ministry training. Please see Introduction to Appreciative Transitional Ministry for more details of the program.
Weekly Teleconference for Just-In-Time Consultation
Weekly telephone based conference calls with a maximum of 8 people are scheduled at several times during the week to enable participants to receive "just-in-time" consultation as they engage in interim ministry.
Pre-Training Leadership Assessment
Prior to the second intensive participants will complete an online 360 degree leadership assessment, the results of which will be discussed during the second intensive.
Transitional Ministry 2: Appreciative Leadership for Transformation
The second week long intensive looks primarily at issues of leadership during the interim time and especially the leadership style of the Transitional Minister. This program is restricted to 14 participants to create a supportive learning environment for participants. For details of this program please go to Appreciative Leadership for Transformation
Schedule:
A typical AIM training schedule is as follows. Sessions include didactic presentations, personal reflection, Bible study and the daily offices from the Episcopal tradition.
Day 1:
9:00-12:00 Session 1
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-3:15 pm Session 2
3:15-3:45 pm Walking Meditation and Reflection
3:45-5:30 pm Session 3
Day 2:
9:00-12:00 Session 4
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-3:15 pm Session 5
3:15-3:45 pm Walking Meditation and Reflection
3:45-5:30 pm Session 6: Designing what could be
Evening: Optional voluntary program: Introduction to Yes!3
Day 3:
9:00-12:00 Session 7
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-3:15 pm Session 8
3:15-3:45 pm Walking Meditation and Reflection
3:45-5:30 pm Session 9
Day 4:
9:00-12:00 Session 10
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-3:15 pm Session 11
3:15-3:45 pm Walking Meditation and Reflection
3:45-5:30 pm Session 12
Day 5:
9:00-12:00 Session 13
Workshop Format
The workshop is typically conducted in a retreat setting or parish with:
- Didactic presentations
- Personal practice and experience of appreciative process
- Time for personal reflection and meditation
- Corporate prayer
- Opportunity for creative reflection on the past and anticipation of the future
Presenter
Rob Voyle is an ordained Episcopal priest, psychologist, and coach. He is the Director of the Clergy Leadership Institute. Rob's parish ministry of over 20 years was primarily in the field of Interim Ministry. He is the organizer of the Transitional Ministry Network and is a past coordinator of the National Association of Episcopal Interim Ministry Specialists.
Rob is the originator of AIM which is the result of his twenty years of experience in interim ministry and organizational consultation.
Costs for 2024
Specific costs may vary depending on the hosting organization and the location.
For general cost estimates please see the policies page that details the program costs
The registration page will have the specific prices for each schedule event.
Please check the schedule and registration page for additional workshop specific information.
Registration for Workshop
To register for the workshop please go to the training schedule and select register for the appropriate workshop. For additional information please contact Rob Voyle
What Participants Say
The Rev. Robert Voyle was invaluable to making our search process a success. He led the committee members in Appreciative Inquiry exercises to build up the relationships of the team members and to begin to articulate some common understandings of the core values of our diocese.
Rob coached us to keep a clear perspective of what we had discerned as the skills and gifts necessary for our next bishop and to let this guide our work. He was also at the other end of the telephone or email when specific issues came up that would be helped by his experience and knowledge.
Joanna Shreve, Co-Chair Diocese of El Camino Real Bishop Search Committee
Rob's combination of organizational savvy, teaching skills, theological & spiritual integration, and ability to rapidly build supportive, learning communities is quite simply the best in any of
the churches today.
Gray Temple, Episcopal Priest, Author & Coach
After 45 years in the pastoral ministry and attending three events led by Rob Voyle, I have finally learned a better way to help church leaders help themselves and the people they serve.
John Wilkerson, Director: Church Leadership Coaching & Consulting
Rob's appreciative coach training helped me to rethink the way I approach and provide
therapy; Thanks!
Dr. George Moses, Pastoral Counselor
Rob will enhance your ability to delight in yourself, your neighbor and God through his insightful, practical, loving, professionally grounded, appreciative and often mischievous coaching and
teaching skills; and that will make you a better leader and citizen in God's creation.
Ed Leidel, Episcopal Bishop and Congregational Coach serving North America
"I have been fully engaged emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. Thank you for touching me at the core of my being."
M.E. Member of the UCC Church.
"Of all the training I have been to, your notes are the ones I keep coming back to time and again for practical resources."
P.W. Conference Pastor.
Rob's training is full of heart, wit, and passion.
E.R. Executive Coach
Rob's educational model brings body, mind and spirit together. I have been challenged intellectually, transformed spiritually, touched emotionally, gathering in communally. He came into my life at just the right time.
Jean Holmes, Presbyterian Pastor