Bonanza Feminists -- Church Leadership

Week 12 – Learning Leadership

2009-04-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Adam Fike
Thursday 4/9

“Some leaders learn to lead by making mistakes and then reflecting enough on those mistakes to develop principles for the future…another way is to learn the principles based on the mistakes of others.”

Learning from your mistakes is a skill that every leader must have. Leaders grow in their ability to learn from their mistakes with experience, but this skill must be honed and developed from the start. In the beginning of a leader’s career, the harvest is ready to glean an abundance of principles from an abundance of mistakes. Sometimes, too many mistakes can overwhelm a leader and cause them to become paralyzed in a way. For this reason, it is important that a leader keep from becoming overly concerned about learning a principle from every mistake. Some mistakes are going to be made more than once. It is most beneficial to learn from the mistakes of others. A leader should observe and study the mistakes of other leaders, especially in related fields, because there are too many mistakes to be made in one lifetime. This can be tricky and sometimes difficult though because the mistakes of others are less real. A leader believes in the principles of his or her mistakes because they actually happened in their life. Gleaning principles from the mistakes of others requires more work and a certain measure of faith. Nevertheless, it is imperative for a leader to reflect on mistakes looking for principles to prevent them in the future.

Thursday, The Learning Principle

2009-04-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Week 11
April 2nd, 2009
Kelly Jones

Winning with People
Book by Dr. John C. Maxwell

The Learning Principle

The Learning Principle states that we can learn something from every person that we come into contact with and every place we go. As Maxwell puts it, “Each person we meet has the potential to teach us something.” Yet, we can only learn depending on our attitude. If you go into situations with the mentality of a know-it-all, you will not learn a thing from another person or place. But if you go into situations with the belief that you learn from any person or situation, then you will. Maxwell says there are three types of attitudes:
Arrogant (no one can teach me anything), Naïve (someone can teach me everything), and Teachable (everyone can teach me something)
Maxwell states, “The only time people can’t us things is when we are unwilling to learn.”
So how do we go about learning from others? Maxwell provides five steps:
1.Make Learning Your Passion
2.Value People
3.Develop Relationships with Growth potential
4.Identify People’s Uniqueness and Strengths
5.Ask Questions

How this principle helps me learn how to work with others…

I am going to be working with people for the rest of my life. I am in the people business—ministering to souls. I admit that I do not know all there is to know about ministering to others. I do not know all there is to know about God and life. I guarantee that the majority of the people I minister to will be ministering to me. If I come into ministry with an arrogant attitude, not only will I learn nothing, but I will teach others nothing because they will not want to learn from me.

Apply the five steps…
Ministering to people requires having a passion and desire to learn from them. Ministering to people requires valuing them—knowing their worth and what they have to offer. Ministering to people requires the ability to identity their strengths and uniqueness. Ministering also requires me to develop relationships with people that have gone before me—that are experts in ministry. Ministering requires that I ask questions.

People want to be valued, understood, and encouraged—especially when you are working alongside of them. The Learning Principle helps one to just those things.

2009-03-30T19:50:00.001-07:00

Randi Meyer
Tuesday 3/31/2009
Week 11 – Mistakes Ministers Make

Teresa – Grant United Methodist Church
Sunday, March 15, 2009

1. Don’t assume, but ask – Often pastors will assume how things in the past were done without asking people in the congregation. One should ask the people to learn the church’s ways.
2. Be on time and wise with time – Teresa stated that there is nothing more irritating than to have to wait for the person that is suppose to be leading them. A pastor needs to be early or at least on time for events and services, and they need to be considerate of the congregation’s time.
3. Don’t change the order of the service – A pastor should not change the order of the Sunday worship service right when they get there, but should learn how it was done in the past. They can slowly make changes, but they need to get the congregation involved in these changes.

Week 11 – Mistakes Ministers Make

2009-03-29T16:07:00.001-07:00

Adam Fike
Tuesday 3/31

Interviewed – Kelley Ailstock on March 19, 2009

Mistakes
1. Do not think that your way is the only way. Be willing to accept criticism and listen to other ways of doing things.
2. Do not be afraid to ask for help. To lay people, this is perceived as if you think they are not capable or able to accomplish things; it belittles volunteers.
3. Always have a safety net when counseling the opposite sex. The door always stays open, never counsel one-on-one, and do not have lunch/coffee dates with the opposite sex.

Week 10

2009-03-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

Week 10
March 26th, 2009
Kelly Jones

How a person learns to work with people. How can you learn how to better work with people.

All you need is love. Right? We work well with others out of love, even when we do not feel like loving them. As ministers, and as Christians, we are called to love as Christ loved. We are called to love not just those who love us back, but love our enemies. We are asked to love the unlovable. Who are the unlovable?—the annoying story-tellers that cannot take a hint to stop talking, the complainers who always have something to whine about, the compulsive apologizers that pity themselves for not doing anything right, the elusive personalities that you cannot seem to understand what they think about you….the list goes on and on. The thing is—we are called to love—but loving is a choice! We are not called to like these people, but we are called to love them.

What does that mean? What does that look like? LIKE THIS: loving others as you love yourself. You always want what is best for you, you are always putting your desires and wants first, and you are always finding ways to improve when you fall flat on your face. You want to be poured into, pruned, and made new. Loving others as you love yourself.
So how does this help me in working with people? It helps you to have patience, peace, and understanding that you could not have on your own because you are loving them by the love of God. Part of working well with others is seeing them as God sees them—seeing their potential and their worth. The biggest road block in working with others comes when two mindless, self-indulgent people come together with their own interests in mind. As ministers, we need to be the better person. There are going to be people who want what is best for them. Your job as a minister is to want no only what is best for them, but best for all who are involved. So, if I were to list out ways to better work with people this would be it:

1.Love them
2.Know their worth
3.Know their potential
4.Know their needs and desires
5.Know your own worth, potential, needs and desires (so that others do not threaten yours).

Having to work out of sync...

2009-03-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here is from WEEK 9.

March 16th, 2009

Firing a Teacher

Interviewed: C.K. Chitty
When: March 15th, 2009

How do you get rid of an ineffective Sunday school teacher? Advice on how one would go about dealing with an ineffective Sunday school teacher?

Step One:
Determine IF you have an ineffective teacher. Is there a possibility that you have an untrained teacher? Could it be an unmotivated teacher? Perhaps you have a misplaced teacher.

All of these issued can be addressed through specific training, mentoring, refocusing or reassignment.

Another possibility is that the individual may be in the right ministry slot but needs to serve in a different capacity. (Currently serves as a lead teacher but needs to be the assistant/craft/research/activity type person.)

If it is determined that you actually have a person in a place of ministry where their gifts/talents/passions DO NOT match the ministry assignment, go to step two!

Step Two:
In a personal, one-on-one session, reaffirm the value of the individual to the entire ministry. (None of us is as good as all of us.) Discuss the gifts/talents/passions needed for the current (mismatched) assignment. Identify and extol the gifts/talents/passions that you identify in the individual. List the various ministry assignments which play to those strengths and suggest that the individual consider this reassignment.

Generally, this process is considered too much of a “pain in the neck” to those in authority. Therefore, the individual is mishandled and frequently lost to the church and ministry.

2009-03-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Randi Meyer
Tuesday 3/24/2009
Week 10 – Free Choice: Top Three Biggest Lessons Learned in the Ministry

Grant United Methodist
Pastor Constance Cherry – March 18, 2009

1. I am replaceable – This was a huge lesson for Pastor Connie to learn! Often pastors get in their heads that they are a very important in the process and well-being of the church. This is only partly true. The church can replace you and they will survive. We can’t get to big of a head!
2. Don’t Assume – Pastors should not assume that they know where people are at spiritually. Sometimes people are much closer to God than you would think. We cannot judge people’s level of spirituality based on how much they pray aloud, talk about God, ext. Pastor Connie learned that some people are deeply committed to God, but they are just not comfortable being outspoken about their faith. As pastors, we must talk to people to discover how their relationship with God is.
3. The Call of God is Dynamic – Pastor Connie shared that she use to believe that she was called to one thing. The call is a lifetime, but there could be periods of lice that He calls you to different things. God brings about different areas of giftedness forward for specific seasons of life, but they are usually a lengthy time. It does not mean you change what you are doing each year!

Week 10 – Church Fight

2009-03-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Adam Fike
Tuesday 3/24

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on 2/18

Pastor Mark was on the board during the time. There was a great debate over whether the church should build a new sanctuary or a multipurpose room. At that time, the church offered two different services, and the pastor wanted to move to one service. Many people thought they could serve the community better if they built a multipurpose room. There was a lot of heated debate over this issue, and many meetings were held concerning the issue. In the meetings, things often escalated beyond discussion into debate and conflict. People in support of the multipurpose room wanted to keep two services and remain in the current sanctuary. They did not want two sanctuaries when they could have a new multipurpose room that could house a variety of events like receptions, community events, and basketball games.

The senior pastor and key people in leadership already had their mind made up, and the debate became a matter of changing people’s minds. This made many people bitter. Nevertheless, the building plans passed with only about 70% of membership. The church borrowed over $800,000 for the new sanctuary, which was fairly large for a church that size.

A good number of good people left over the decision to build the sanctuary over the multipurpose room. Ministry speaking, the church does not have the facilities to do the types of things the church could do.

There are people to this day that do not agree and won’t give money to any building projects. In this county, there are so many Wesleyan churches that there is a lot of flip-flopping when conflict arises. If people do not get what they want at one church, it is easy to switch.

This could have been avoided if the influential people in leadership positions would have lent a listening ear to the other side. They were influential enough to bring most of the people in the middle to their side. This made the other side feel used and mistreated.

2009-03-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 3/26/2009
Week 10: People Work
The best way one can learn how to work with people is to simply work with people. There are many helpful books and other sources that can give you good information and advice on how to deal with people. Although these are helpful and should be read, it must be combined with practical experience. One must get involved in numerous and diverse social aspects. Since college I have learned that I become better at working and loving people when I expose myself to different atmospheres of people. It is easy to work with people that are like you and are easy to love, but it is a completely different story when you have to be kind and loving to those who make you angry or are not like you at all. The reality of working in the church is that you will have to work with all different kinds of people, so you might as well expose yourself to it now.
For me personally, I have been doing this in a variety of ways. Since freshman year at college, I have been working with my “little sisters” from the Boys and Girls Club. Both of the girls come from poor, African American families. It has been great to learn their different lifestyles, family life, and beliefs. I also have been working with a middle class youth group at Grant United Methodist Church. Most of these kids come from broken homes and have interests different than mine. It has beneficial for me to learn how to relate to them. I have volunteered at different soup kitchens and got to know the people that come there for food. This summer I am going to Las Vegas to work at a church and counseling center for drug and alcoholic addicts. At churches, I have also been exposed to working with adults in Sunday school. At IWU, I am constantly surrounded with a community of people my age. Each of these experiences open my eyes up to different people and reveals to me how I have to adapt my ministry to them in unique ways. In conclusion, my point is that if you want to get better with working with people you must do it, and work with all different kinds of people and age groups.

2009-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Kelly Jones Week 9

2009-03-19T06:17:00.001-07:00

Week 9
March 19th, 2009

Attractive Characteristics of a Church Leader

1. Authenticity
• A church leader should be genuine and real. This means that they are open and accountable to others. There is a willingness to learn from others and they maintain integrity and trust.

2. Value People
• The leader values people by giving them trust and by believing in them. Their desire is to serve the needs others before their own. When listening to others they are receptive, non-judgmental.

3. Developing People
• A Christian leader provides opportunities for learning and growth. Through encouragement and affirmation they build up others. Another part to this characteristic is their ability to model appropriate behavior.

4. Build Community
• A characteristic of a church leader should be their desire to build community—strong personal relationships. This means working collaboratively with others and valuing the difference of others.
5. Provide Leadership
• They need to actually provide leadership by envisioning the future, taking initiative and clarifying goals

6. Share Leadership
• This comes through facilitating a shared vision, sharing power and releasing control and by sharing status and promoting others

Week 9 – Leadership Characteristics

2009-03-17T22:31:00.001-07:00

Adam Fike
Thursday 3/19

Attractive Characteristics of a Church Leader
1. Humble Authority – Leaders with charisma carry a commanding presence when relating to others in a way that is not dominating.
2. Self-Confident and Assertive – An attractive leader is one that believes in him or herself and does not back down to opposition.
3. Act Decisively – An attractive leader is able to prove to others that he can make the right decision even if it is difficult.
4. Holds Great Visions of Excellence – A charismatic leader is a visionary, is able to see potential, and makes goals to accomplish that potential.
5. Expressive Emotionally – People follow passion. A charismatic leader is emotional about the things that are important to him/her.
6. Free of Internal Conflict – A leader is perceived as capable when there is no internal conflict. Others believe he/she has it all together.
7. Full of Energy – A leader with charisma carries enthusiasm and raises the energy level in the room.

2009-03-17T16:05:00.001-07:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 3/19/09
Week 9: Leadership Characteristics

1. The leader should live a holy and transforming life that is evident for others to see. They practice what they preach!
2. They are servant leaders like Jesus Christ. Christ did not come to the earth to be served, but to serve others.
3. A church leader needs to be confident and assertive in a loving manner, so that people will feel like they can trust them to lead and guide them.
4. They need to be relational at a personal level with the people. The congregation wants to know the leader and also desires for their leader to know them.
5. The leader needs to be motivating and encouraging through their actions and words.
6. Leaders should be knowledgeable about the bible, Christian doctrine, the world around them, and the people’s lives, so that they can direct them wisely.
7. Church leaders should surround their ministry with prayer. They need to pray personally and publically with the people.
8. They need to create a visions and goals for the people to strive for.

2009-03-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

With permission, I had to go to next weeks topic, I will come back to this topic in a few days once the person I contacted gets back with me (had a death in the family)

For NOW....

11. Mistakes Ministers Make

Interviewed Tammy Dunn on 3/16/09.

3 mistakes new staffers should avoid making.

1. Don't connect (align youself) with anyone in particular for the first 6 months. Unfortuneately, there are people in churches who do not have your best interest at heart, but their own. Make sure you know the political layout of a church before you spend more than one meal with an individual person/couple/family.

2. Don't make any changes the first 3-6 months. See it as only a learning experience and understanding the layout of the land before you make any changes.

3. Don't ask for any additional time that wasn't already agreed upon you being hired for the first 3 months and if at all possible the first 6 months. Those first 6 months is when the pastor, staff and congregation will make their impression upon who you are, what type of person, worker, minister, etc... you are. Do not let them jump to any unnecessary conclustions. In fact if you spend the first 3 months coming early and staying late you will have set an impression on people that you are a real worker and after that 6 months they will tell you that you need to take time off, which is much better than them complaining because you don't work.

2009-03-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Randi Meyer
Tuesday 3/17/09
Week 9 – Firing a Teacher

Grant United Methodist Church
Pastor Constance Cherry – Thursday 3/12/09

Pastor Connie began by telling me that she has never fired a teacher, even though at times she probably should have. She also stated that most of her ministerial positions did not give her the authority to do this, but here are the steps of what she would do in a situation in which a teacher would need to be fired.
1. Listen to the complaints individually and not in a group setting. Ask the people to share their concerns, but make sure you set boundaries for the conversation. Don’t allow them to discuss personal issues, but have them tell you what is ineffective about the teaching.
2. You should then personally visit the Sunday school class to make sure the complaints match up with what is really going on. Visit the class several Sundays to make sure it was not just a bad Sunday for the teacher.
3. If the complaints are true, then one should confront the teacher. Tell them that you have witnessed and heard that the students would prefer a change in format and teaching. Do this very carefully, and then ask them if they would be willing to receive some training coming up in the church. You should make sure you offer assistance first before firing a teacher!
4. If there was resistance for training from the teacher, then one should probably make have everyone in the church involved in teaching sharpen their skills. Provide something for them to learn different ways to teach that would be efficient and effective.
5. If the teacher is still unwilling to receive help and assistance, then ask the teacher to take a break and have a time out. Give them time to regain interest and rest from teaching. Pastor Connie said she would not fire them though. Contact them later to see if things have changed for them.

Helpful Advice:
1. Pastor Connie emphasized that pastors/churches are obligated to equip teachers. That is why she is cautious when considering firing a teacher. She questions if she is really doing her part. If the doesn’t have a teachable spirit, then that is different and there is nothing you can do about that.
2. The truth of the matter in Pastor Connie’s opinion is that Sunday schools are so bad along with the teachers, because they are unwilling to change and grow. They are not bad people. They are just stuck in their old ways. Churches need to equip classes to know how and why they need to change.

Week 9 - Firing a Teacher

2009-03-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Adam Fike
Tuesday 3/17

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler in person on 2/18

1. Try to make it their idea somehow. A lot of times, there will be another reason like lack of attendance caused by an ineffective teacher. In one Sunday School class, Pastor Mark told the ineffective teacher that there was waning attendance and that they needed space for another class.
2. The firing or letting go of an ineffective teacher must always be couched in encouragement, love, and time. A Christ-like attitude must be shown at all times.
3. Pastor Mark just closed a Sunday School class last month, but he started the process last fall. He asked her to help bring closure to class and the students. He intentionally wanted her to take ownership in process, which helped relieve tension and prevented hard feelings.
4. Other times, God works it out so that you do not have to deal with it at all. For example, a man taught a midweek Bible study and he stepped over the line in several areas. The class noticed, and he came to Pastor Mark and resigned.

Conflict

2009-03-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

Week 8
Kelly Jones
March 12th, 2009
Conflict

From the very beginning of creation, humanity wanted to be God.

Adam and Eve were living in pure bliss with God. God had provided everything they needed right at their finger tips. There was no need for hard work or labor, worry about finances, or where their next meal was going to come. Eden was a true paradise. The only rule they were given was to not eat the fruit from the tree of good and evil. That was all. This is where deception and conflict come into play. Crafty Satan came in the form of a serpent to deceive Adam and Eve. Eve tries to combat what Satan is telling her, ‘God did not really mean you must not eat from the tree…Are you sure?....One bite would not hurt…” Then, Satan uses just the right words, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Of course Eve wanted to be like God. God loved them, provided for them, and took care of them. She wanted to be like her Creator.

We know what happens in the rest of the story. They ate and the fate of all humanity was broken. So how does this relate to conflict? When there is conflict, there are two wills or more in disagreement and desiring different things. God created us all differently—personality types, interests, likes, dislikes, etc. Get a handful of people that are complete opposites and there is bound to come some conflict.

So what are we to think of conflict as Christians? Is it sinful? How do we stop it?

Here are 5 theological understandings of conflict:

1.Conflict is Biblical
God uses conflict to test, to humble, and to grow His children. We see throughout the Bible stories of people in conflict with one another. Previously mentioned, Adam and Eve had a conflict—once they made the B IG boo boo of eating the fruit, they began to point fingers! When we go to the New Testament, we read countless stories of conflict amongst the disciples.

2.Good Conflict vs. Bad Conflict
Good conflict will produce healthy change. Bad conflict will produce scars, harden hearts, and take us back a few hundred steps in a progress to becoming the holy people God created us to be. Cain and Abel, remember how that conflict came about? Cain was furious but never dealt with the conflict going on between him and his brother. Instead of working it out, he killed Abel. Not a good way of resolving conflict. What we see from this story is the evilness that can produce when we allow conflict to stir within us. Conflict that is not confronted or is completely selfish is a grand concoction for bad conflict.

3.Conflict is a catalyst for change
Conflict keeps us from hiding. Being confronted about a moral or immoral issue or action we have taken, we left to examine ourselves. God does not want us to be stagnant old grumugens that say in their own nasty ways. God wants us to grow and learn from our mistakes. When we are in conflict with another person or persons, He wants us to use that as a catalyst for change. What we must continually ask ourselves when dealing with conflict is this, “How do we respond when we are confronted?”

4.We can honor God through conflicts
It is all about how we handle ourselves during conflict. Remembering to focus on God’s wisdom during conflict and not our selfish, prideful desires is a sure way to use conflict for change and to honor God.

5.More of Christ, less of me mentality
Allow Christ to work through you and be your center. We are called to take up our cross and sacrifice our selfish desires for Christ.

2009-03-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 3/12/09
8. Conflict

1. Everyone was created differently. No two people were created the same. Each person has their own gifts, talents, perspectives, viewpoints, understandings, interpretations and so on. How could there not be conflict among people? The world and humanity is diverse, and I believe that is the beauty of God’s creation. If everyone thought the same and acted the same, then conflict would not occur but what a boring world that would be!
2. We live in a fallen world. Once sin entered into humanity, conflict began to occur right away. People are not perfect and react in evil ways all the time, which results in bad conflict among them. We see this as soon as Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. God asks Adam why he ate it, and he immediately blames Eve for his sin. I believe that must have caused conflict in their relationship.
3. The Bible never says that conflict is a sin. There are two kinds of conflict; evil conflict and good conflict. When people are causing conflict to hurt others and make themselves look good they are sinning, and it is evil conflict. Good conflict is when there is a disagreement among people, but they resolve it in a loving way. Jesus caused conflict all the time while he was on earth. He boldly pointed out the sins of those around him and taught new perspectives. I do not believe we can say that the conflict he created was bad. At times there it is right to cause some tension and conflict, so that others can grow in Christ.
4. Conflict can be a growing experience. As Christians, we are called to be sanctified and become more like Christ. The way this occurs is by learning how to love others more. When there is conflict between two people and it is dealt in a healthy way, it teaches them to love each other even though they have differences. It is easy to love your neighbor, but much harder to love your enemy.
5. There is forgiveness in conflict. Christ died on the cross to forgive our sins. When conflict occurs and sin is involved Christ still forgives us. Through his example, he teaches us to forgive others to and resolve our conflict.

Week 8 – Conflict

2009-03-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

Adam Fike
Thursday 3/12

1. God created diversity. This does not make any one person superior or inferior to others; it simply means that people carry differences. Diversity in combination with sin and brokenness will lead to conflict. The world intensifies this conflict by emphasizing certain traits or personalities as more valuable than others.
2. Conflict is biblical. No where in the Bible does God expect His people to be free from conflict. The Scriptures assume conflict as a given and provide solutions and management to deal with it. Romans 3: 22-23 says, “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There is evil in every human being, and this naturally leads to conflict. The expectation that there is no conflict in the church actually exaggerates the fact that there is.
3. Jesus came to the world to save people from their sins through both forgiveness and sanctification. Being forgiven, reconciled, and even sanctified from sin does not mean that conflict is wiped out. Conflict will remain until Christ comes again to bring glorification upon us.
4. The visible church is never without sinners. The Church is made up of all kinds of people on different levels and different places in their walk with God. There are nominal Christians, new believers, lukewarm believers, and people still maturing in the faith. Even veteran saints can cause unintended conflict through unintentional sin or lack of understanding.
5. Christians are liable to backsliding and forgetting Christ, which causes them to lose the fullness of the Holy Spirit and fall into sin. Christians are not immune from sin, but the Bible makes provision for such sin, calling believers to repent and receive grace.

2009-03-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Randi Meyer
Tuesday 3/10/09
Week 8 – Motivating Volunteers

Grant United Methodist Church
Pastor Constance Cherry – Thursday 2/26/09

1. Partner them with people who have served in that capacity before. Don’t give them a task with no idea what was done in the future. Set up a mentor system, in which the task is passed down to them.
2. Offer programming support (tell them exactly what you will do to prepare and support them). As pastors, we need to delegate jobs but we still have a responsibility of supporting, encouraging, and preparing others to complete the job to the best of their ability.
3. Be generous in your praise of all church workers on a regular basis so that you are known as an “appreciator.” (This is a long-range motivational technique.)
4. Thank people and thank the potential volunteer for being the kind of person that has leadership potential.
5. Put term limits on the volunteerism. Say when it will start and when it will end or be renegotiated. This can be a good incentive.

Week 8 – Motivating Volunteers

2009-03-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Adam Fike
Tuesday 3/10

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on 2/18

Pastor Mark said that the 80-20 principle where 20% of people do 80% of the work is very real. He also said that volunteerism is at a low right now, and it is hard to get people to come in. We live in a busy society.

1.Personal/Direct Contact – Better than a bulletin or PowerPoint. Ask people face-to-face. Give your time and energy to contacting people.
2.Showcase your need – If you need help with the kids, bring them up front so people feel it.
3.Resource material for training people (i.e. Training event for greeters)
4.Be a positive encourager to volunteers. Encourage people in the littlest things they do.
5.Not to be afraid to let things fail. We have not had VBS for two or three years because of lack of volunteers. Sometimes this inspires people to step up when they see things failing.

Some ministry areas are dead because of lack of volunteers. Westview’s volunteerism is weak in children’s church, and they do not have a men’s group.

Week 7 – People: Campus vs. Church

2009-02-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
Thursday 2/26

Differences between getting along with people at college vs. in a church situation:

1. Greater Differences in the Church
People in the church are more diversified, mainly in terms of age. The church is multigenerational and contains people from age 0 to 100+. Age and generational barriers breed miscommunication and conflict. At Indiana Wesleyan, we mostly come from similar socio-economical backgrounds. The majority of the students come from conservative, Christian homes. We are not introduced to much diversity unless we reach beyond our walls into Marion. In the church, it is very possible to be placed in a diverse church where we must learn to deal with differences.

2. People in the Church are the Boss
The fact that the congregation is our boss automatically places certain strains on the relationship. At college we have relationships with peers and professors. Obviously, relationships with our peers are different because we do not work for them. Our relationship with our professors is more similar to a relationship to a church, but we work for a grade in class. In the church, we work to make disciples of Christ through relationships. This is a more complex and difficult task. Even if the members of your church are good hosts, the relationship with them will be different simply because they are your boss.

3. No Letter Grade in Expectations
People in the church may have high expectations, but they do not give you a grade like in college. In the church we are given the task of assisting the Spirit in forming relationships, both horizontally and vertically. There is a huge grey area in building relationships because there is no easy or universal formula. In working for a grade, we have clear expectations and requirements. There are deadlines for papers and tests, and we know what to write and study. People work is complex and is both an intrinsic and acquired skill.

4. Forced to Make Confront
In college, we can avoid annoying people or people that we don’t get along with. In the church, we must get along with the members. We are expected to be peacemakers and exhibit Christ-like attitudes at all times.

2009-02-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 2/26/09
7. People – Campus vs. Church

1. Avoid Annoying People – At college, I can completely avoid people that I find it difficult to get along with by still being nice. If I see that in class or around campus, I can say hi and move on. I don’t have to make any more effort towards the relationships. Even the people I work with in group projects, I get to pick at college. In the church, this will not be possible. I will be forced to work and build relationships with people that annoy me.
2. People Are My Bosses – Church people are not only the ones I will have to interact with a lot of my time, but they are also the people who will give me my job. I will have to learn how to get along with all the people, at least the majority of them, to keep my job. At college, I do not have to worry about others not liking me to lose my position as a student.
3. Different Personalities – College allows me to pick the people I hang out with. Most of my friends have a lot of the same interests, hobbies, and morals as I do. I have already found out that this will not always be true in the church. As a pastor, we need to learn how to connect with all different types of people with personalities that are not like yours. For an example, in my youth group right now there is a girl who loves to hunt. I am a girl who knows nothing about hunting! The only time I have ever shot a real gun, my eye ended up bloody! J The fact is I still need to work on how to connect with her and truly be interested in things that interest her.
4. Different Generations – At college, I deal with people in the same age group as me for the most part. It is easy to connect and get along with them, because we are apart of the same generation. The church is full of all ages. I will have to learn how to get along with each one.

Week 7 Thursday Blog

2009-02-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

Week 7
February 26th, 2009
People—Campus vs. Church

The difference between “getting along with people” in a campus setting versus a church situation:
In regards to campus living, I am going to be more specific. The people that you get along with on campus are your roommates (including all in your dorm/lodge/apartment etc.), classmates, and professors
-The people that you are in constant contact with

Similarities:
Before I point out the differences between the two, I would am going to point out the similarities.

Ordered Relationships
Both have ordered relationships. By ordered relationships there are those are your in close contact with (roommates, friends, etc.), those you work with (classmates, possible same as roommates and friends), and those you work for (professors). Each relationship is different based on the order. In a church there are ordered relationships those you are in close contact with (the people you do ministry with, teach Sunday school with, your family, friends) the people you work with (the people you do ministry with, the people you may actually work with outside of church, etc.) and those you work for (ultimately God, but for the church, the board, the staff…those in authority in the church).

Observation of Differences:
1. At school you get along with people to just get through, at church you get along with people to have a peaceful life.
Being on campus, you will need to get along with roommates because you live with them. Living in an environment that you do not get along with someone is draining. You get along with your roommates to get through. If their sloppiness annoys you, you don’t confront them you get along, because you are just trying to get through.
However, at church someone’s sloppiness is something you live with week in and week out just as you do with a roommate, but the difference is this, with a roommate you can… switch roommates, ignore their sloppiness until the end of the semester or year. At a church you do not get such options. If a staff members sloppiness bothers you, you need to know how confront them in such a way that does not impose you getting along with them. You get along with people to have a peaceful life, so when conflict arises, it needs to be dealt with.

2. A church you are more of family, at college you can ignore people, if you want to.
Living on campus, you can choose to get along with people or not. You can choose to be a loner or be in a community. With a church, you are in a community. There is no fighting it and if you were to, then you do not belong in church quite frankly. For the church is a body of believers, a group, that works together for the sake of the same purpose….

3. A church has a corporate purpose, at college there are individuals living together finding their own purpose.
A church has the purpose of brining others in communion with God through the preaching and teaching of God’s word, the sacraments, and having a rightly ordered community. Everything is done for the betterment of the church and for those who come in contact with the church. On campus, a college student is working towards their own purpose and goals while living in a community. There is a dichotomy between the two. Getting along with one another in a Church is part of the purpose, and college, it is not.

Week 7 Church Conflict Story

2009-02-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

Week 7
February 23, 2009

1. Interviewed: Marty Reiswig
When: February 23rd,2009 @ 4:45pm

2. Church Conflict Story:

The Senior Pastor and the Children’s Pastor were not getting along in the Church. The pressure kept mounting between the two and so The Children’s Pastor put in her resignation to leave and told the pastor to start looking for a new children’s pastor to take her spot. The Senior Pastor did not look for another person rather tried to “fix” the issue that was going on between him and the children’s pastor.
When the Children’s Pastor was about to leave, the Senior Pastor still had yet to find another person to fill her position. So he approached the youth pastor. We went to the youth pastor and began asking him questions about numbers and attendance of the youth. The Senior Pastor told him that he does not have enough youth to fulfill his job requirements. The Youth Pastor explained that he also is director of activities for the church in which he is responsible for. Not satisfied with the answer and had already made up his mind, the Senior Pastor told the Youth Pastor that that evening he was going to make a recommendation to the board that the Youth Pastor should also take on the role as the Children’s Pastor.
Infuriated, the Youth Pastor went home and explained what had happened to his wife. This was not the first instance that he had dealt with the negligence and poor leadership skills of the Senior Pastor. He wanted to leave. But his wife calmed him down and explained that the best thing to do for now is to explain your side of it to the board, but respect any decision that is made. And so he did.
That evening at the board meeting, the Senior Pastor recommended the that Youth Pastor take on the second role as Children’s Pastor (knowing full well the youth pastor was fuming). The Youth Pastor spoke on his behalf explaining his lack of desire to do and experience with Children’s ministry.
The board recognized the concerns and apprehensions of the Youth Pastor. However, he would need to fill this position until they found another Children’s Pastor. Thus, the Youth Pastor ended up being the Children’s Pastor for about three months.

Advice from the youth pastor: When you take a job position make sure the job description and expectations are clearly stated by the senior pastor, the church, and yourself. Make sure there are lines drawn and if they need to be altered that it is written you will be given as much notice as possible.

Week 7 - Church Conflict

2009-02-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on February 18
Tuesday 2/24

At his first church, Pastor Mark dealt with a conflict that began in the membership class he was teaching. A woman in the class smoked and still wanted to be a member. Pastor Mark had explained to the class that tobacco use is prohibited in the Wesleyan church. In the last class, the woman spoke up during class and asked Pastor Mark if she could still become a member. Pastor Mark told her that he would discuss it with her after class. After class, he offered the woman a lesser degree of membership is she still wanted to smoke. He thought that would be the end of the discussion, but he thought wrong.

This issue arose again at the annual conference day during the meeting when the woman’s husband, who was a member of the church, piped up and said he wanted to address the conference. Pastor Mark began to feel a little nervous and apprehensive of what this could possibly be. Consequently, Pastor Mark told the man he would have to wait until the meeting was over. After the meeting, the husband was allowed to speak. He started to rave about how the church should be open and accepting to everyone. He gave quite a long and emotional speech. On top of this, another member of the church rose in agreement. At this time, Pastor Mark stepped in and shut it down. He ended without any debate or argument on his side by reading a passage from Ephesians about unity.

Afterwards, Pastor Mark was pretty upset with the other member who rose in agreement with the husband of the smoking wife, but God worked out reconciliation. After that meeting, one of the board members approached the member who had rose in agreement with the husband and told him he was out of line. So the next day, the member stopped by Pastor Mark’s office and apologized. Furthermore, the husband who had caused the conflict wrote a note and stuck it under Pastor Mark’s windshield wiper apologizing to the whole church.

2009-02-22T15:45:00.001-08:00

Randi Meyer
Tuesday 2/24/09
Week 7 – Church Conflict Story

Grant United Methodist Church
Pastor Constance Cherry – Friday 2/13/09

Pastor Connie use to work as a full time minister of music for a church over 1000 people. She handled all choirs and instrumentals for the church. This church had a faithful organist for about 50 years. The organist’s name was Mary. Mary was a godly woman who was not only a very talented organist, but she was selfless and always eager to serve. The time finally came though for Mary to retire as the hired organ player. This left Pastor Connie in charge of searching for a new organist.

The church did have two substitute organ players to cover for Mary when she was not available to play. The substitutes were Sherrill and Sarah. The problem was that neither of them was a very skillful organist and could not play at the level the choir needed. They could deal with their playing every once in a while, but it would be a poor decision on the church’s behalf to hire one of them full time. Both Sherrill and Sarah approached Pastor Connie for the job, but the church decided it would be best to hold auditions. Pastor Connie led the committee for hiring a new organist. It was not just her decision, but the church’s board believed this would be best. Sherrill and Sarah could audition for the job, but neither of them would get it handed to them.

Before this began, Sherrill and Sarah never really liked each other in the first place. They were always very competitive. They also both had families within the church. This caused a big division between the families and other church members too. With all of these problems, this affirmed the decision for the church to hold auditions for the position. Sherrill and Sarah we very offended by this decision though, so they began to befriend each other because they both had the same enemy now, Pastor Connie.

During the audition and hiring process, Pastor Connie received hate mail and telephone threats. At one point, the police had to get involved, because her life might have been in danger. On one particular day, a man from the church even pretended to run her over. He sped up for very quickly with his truck, but slammed on his breaks. It was so close it even brushed her clothing. When the committee got together to vote on the organist a large group of people showed up. One lady followed Pastor Connie all the way to her office screaming at her. At one point in all this mess, the church even had to hire a conflict resolution consultant to come and help figure out the anger in this situation, but it ended up only making it worse. The senior pastor helped Pastor Connie with all the decisions, but provided poor leadership skills. He was afraid to back her up too much and wanted to please everyone.

Finally, they hired a very good organist. He had a doctorate in worship. Many people encouraged Pastor Connie to leave the church, because she did not deserve to put up with all the hostility. Most of the church supported her, but there was still great hatred between her and members. She still stayed another three years though faithfully serving God at this church. She believes that the church learned that handling this situation properly even in riot was the right thing.

Week 6 - Office Work

2009-02-18T23:43:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
Thursday 2/19

In the 1970’s, the pendulum swung to the extreme of no office work, and in the 1980’s, the pendulum swung to the opposite extreme of too many office hours. I realize the necessity of office hours, but I would rather do personal calls and visits with people. I can see how office work would be a nice break and provide some solitude and alone time, but I would go crazy with too much of it. I would like to see a shift away from office hours and toward more visitations and calls. I would like to retain a balance between the two. I want to avoid extremes, but the balance I want to see is lopsided. I would retain enough office hours to do necessary organization and filing that will help make the ministry of the church more effective. At the same time, I would cut unnecessary office hours or delegate them to other members of the church so that I could focus on the spiritual side of full physical communication.

My ideal week would be to have two office hours a day, Monday-Friday. This does not count sermon preparation, but I would like to avoid spending more than two hours a day on office work. I realize the importance and spiritual side of office work, but I think there are more effective ways for a pastor to spend his/her time outside the office. As long as those two hours a day are kept, I believe I could get most of the work done every week. The work that I did not get done could be delegated to someone else. This may sound selfish, but I truly think it is best for the life of the church if the pastor is not shut in an office all day. I would have another two hours a day devoted to sermon preparation, or I would devote an entire day early in the week to the sermon. The other hours of the day (around 3-4) could be devoted to visitations and calls.

Week 6-Thursday Blog

2009-02-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

Week 6
February 19th, 2009
Kelly Jones
Office Work:

What would I like to see in regards to “office work” and “calling” on people?

The church and the ministry of a pastor is ever evolving to help better minister to the world. Not that the Church is compromising, rather it is being IN the world, not of it. In order to minister effectively for Christ, the work of a pastor will change accordingly to the means needed to meet the worlds' needs. I find no problem with this, rather I am in awe of how God is ever-constant but always finding ways to reach out to our human needs. As a minister, I find that shift from visiting people to office work work has been a launch board to encompassing a fruitful ministry.

What I would like to see in regards to the two, is two a church that has the ability to staff more than on pastor to do such jobs. Administrative work takes a lot of a pastors time as does spending time with people. Now, I believe the role of pastor should include both, but should it be to the point where the minister is run down to total exhaustion? We must not forget that on top of running board meetings, attending pray meetings, writing sermons, and spending time with their own families, pastors are basically on-call 24/7. Unlike other vocations where a person punches in and punches out, leaving work behind, a minister never truly has that.

The Church recognizes this. Congregations experience this with run-down, burned-out ministers. Pastors ache so much that many times, they throw their hands in the and and throw in the towel.

But the Church is not staying silent. They are responding and finding ways to “fix” this problem. I must say, from my little experience in the ministry and education of it, I think this fix will do wonders for the Kingdom.

The fix comes in different forms depending on the desire of the church and pastoral staff...
Dividing Up Roles
Some churches are beginning to hire pastors and assigning them to specific roles. We have seen this shift in delegating roles when the division of senior pastor, assistant pastor, youth pastor, and children's pastor came about. Now we see the division of Administrative Pastor, Pastoral Care Pastor, Communications Pastor and more. This helps divide up the thousands of dependencies on person must carry.

Delegating Tasks
A person cannot be all things to all people at all times. Some churches have taken the action to delegate the tasks of a pastor, specifically the “on-call” tasks. Staff and sometimes highly regarded lay people are given the role of pastoral care in which they are assigned a certain day to be available to any on-call duty. This frees up the pastor to focus on administrative tasks and preparation for Sunday services on certain days with no interruptions. It also allows the pastor to have at least one “off day.”

How would I want to spend an ideal week in doing church work? How many hours a week and doing what?
An ideal week for me doing church work would be these things:
1.Counseling
2.Preparing and Organizing Events
3.Preparing /Training Volunteers and Teachers
4.Preparing Sunday Service

Most of my time would be spent on planning and being with people. I have that being in the ministry that my true passions are to be with people one-on-one as well as planning events such missions trips, fund raisers, lock-ins, and hospitality. I like preparing sermons, but that is not my number one passion. Thankfully that is my husband, my ministy partner, number one thing, preparing sermons!
In regards to hours, I think doing all of those things (not to mention visiting people and being “on-call”) would take about anywhere from forty to fifty hours a week. Being in a part time position doing those things, I probably spend half that amount of time (even though if I had no school, I would be putting that many hours into it!).

2009-02-17T17:41:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 2/19/09
6. Office Work
This past summer I did an internship at my home church. I soon discovered that many of the tasks that were assigned to me were office work, research, meetings, and study. I learned a lot about the church and pastoral duties through each of these elements, but I also soon discovered what my passion truly is. My passion is spending time with people, especially when close relationships develop between other individuals and me. My passion for ministry is fed by personal discipleship and guidance that I can give to others.
Another quality that I know about myself is that I love alone time and education. My study time and preparation for lessons and sermons are enjoyable to me. There are times when people wear me out, and I feel replenished by having silence for devotions and study time. I am also a very task orientated and organized person, so office work does not bother me very much.
My ideal world in the ministry would then be a perfect balance. I would prefer to work between 40-50 hours a week. Hopefully not more, because I see the importance of still having a personal and social life outside of ministry work. I also would want to spend half of that time on “real interactions” with people, and the other half in the office studying, preparing, and performing other tasks. In today’s culture, I believe “office work” should not be rare anymore. Our world is very structured, and it takes office work to institute organization and a system that makes things function. But I also believe that too much focus in this area and not enough on people can completely destroy a ministry. This brings me to my conclusion that there needs to be balance.

Week 6

2009-02-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

Week 6
February 16th, 2009

Interviewed: Pastor John Freed
When: February 16th, 2009 @ 9:30pm
Phone Interview

John Freed is a professional when it comes to time management. He actually holds seminars and staff meetings to train people in time management. His secret? The book, Getting Things Done. John says that his first two years of ministry consisted of bringing work home, working late hours into the night, and lying awake in bed worrying about all the things that still needed to get done. Since reading Getting Things Done, he can go home and leave church work at the church.
This is how he does it: Schedule Everything.

John looks at everything in life as a project that needs to be accomplished (much like homework in the world of academia). The shift from academia to real life is that in real life, you control your own projects! John will plan out everything to a tee. Meeting with his wife to go over vision making for the next youth group, it is scheduled. Meeting with the pastor to help fill the baptismal, it is scheduled. The key is to schedule every single task and break down each task into specifics and details. The more specific you are, the easier your life will be. As John puts it, 'Think before you have to think.' This is much more than a 'to-do' list, it is planning out steps.

Every Thursday John sets aside time to work on this filing project system. He plan out for the next day, week, month, and even the months to come. Each project he asks himself these questions to in order to adequately order and file them:
How long will this take? (3o minutes or 2 hours?)
When is this going to happen?
The filing system truly requires you to think through everything. The best way to keep a balanced lifestyle is to plan your life out.

John's Advice to Church Staff Newbies :
1.If you are a natural procrastinator, like John (and myself), take away all the things that distract you and organize your life. John does not play music while he works, he does not keep pictures on his desk, and he only keeps bare essentials in his office. Another distraction to him is e-mail, so he plans out set times that he checks his e-mail and ensures that others know that as well. This is the exact message that is in each of his e-mails:

2.When a church first hires you on, take two weeks to actually unpack your things. Just use the bare minimum for two weeks and work hard on whatever it is you need to get done. After the two weeks is up, figure out what you need for your office. You will find that you will not need much. This will save you time when unpacking because a lot of the stuff you have packed to move in are things you truly do not need. Find ways to best organize your office (desks, chairs, bookcase, etc.) that will help you work most efficiently.

2009-02-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer

Tuesday 2/17/09
Week 6 - Time Management Advice

Grant United Methodist Church
Pastor Constance Cherry – Friday 2/13/09

Boundaries
1.) Pastor Connie told me that one should put everything on a calendar to set boundaries in your schedule. This does not mean just “church things”, but even personal, family, and social things. This allows yourself to see the “big picture” of what you have to accomplish. It also allows you to tell people you are busy at certain times, so that they do not begin to control your whole life. You do not need to tell them why you cannot meet with them, because they may get offended if it is simply for rest. A person has to stay faithful to this schedule too, so that they will have specific boundaries to live a complete and healthy life.
2.) Another way Pastor Connie told me to set boundaries is to set specific office hours that are pasted for all church members to know about. This will tell people when you are available. There could be certain days and times you encourage them to drop in anytime or make appointments. It would be even wiser to post your hours of sermon prep or study, so they know when not to bother you. It also reveals to the members that you are working hard for the church.

Time Management Advice
· Always plan ahead! Outline all big projects and small projects, so that you know what is coming up.
· Delegating jobs is a great time management help! All the work that needs to be done for the church does not need to only be accomplished by one person. Ask yourself these questions: Who in the church can help with this kind of work? Who has done this job in the past? How can they help me do these things more efficiently? Also, make friends with the secretary. They are the one who usually knows almost everything going on in the church, and most secretaries are task-orientated.

Week 6 - Time Management Advice

2009-02-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
Tuesday 2/17

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on January 28, 2009

1. Boundaries
Pastor Mark takes every Friday off, and he protects this time at all costs. He advised me to pick a day during the week that I not do any work or ministry except in the case of an emergency. He said Saturday is often not a good day because there are often ministry events on Saturday. Pastor Mark also tries to protect evenings unless there are board meetings scheduled. He says his evening schedule varies greatly from week to week so it is hard to establish set boundaries in the evening. Pastor Mark told me it is important to establish these boundaries early in ministry, especially when raising kids. It is important to have that time set aside for family. He said that he was the solo pastor in his first church, and his office was at home. At that time, it was not as important to establish a day off because he could take breaks with his family every day.

2. Time Management Advice
1. Pastor Mark advised me to set time boundaries not only by taking a day off every week, but all across the board. This means limiting meeting times with people, counseling sessions, nursing home visits, etc.
2. He also explained to me how he organizes his time for the week. He said that on Monday, he will write everything he knows he has to do for the week on a pad of paper, and cross off things as he goes. This way, he doesn’t forget things and can prioritize his schedule by listing the big stuff first. Then, he looks at his week looking for big chunks of time he can set aside for studying and sermon preparation.

Week 5

2009-02-11T15:01:00.001-08:00

Week 5

February 12th,2009

5.PEOPLE: How can a minister (or worship leader) do church administration in a way that still focuses on PEOPLE?

A minister can do church administration that still focuses on people: building relationships. The biggest problem that arises for pastor as church administrator is the balance of doing work with building relationships. What seems to be the perspective is that it is either one or the other, not both. Spending time building relationships is one part of the job and church administration is the other. There is a time do pastoral care and a time for administration. Yet, church administration does not need to be looked at as only a “business” like position that involves a boss and a staff. The so-called “business” of the church is being the body of Christ in the world, bringing souls into a right relationship with God. As a church administrator, a pastor is keeping people connected so that they can accomplish the goal of the church: bringing others to God and into a community of believers.

So what does this look like?
Leading Meetings:
One duty will be leading or facilitating meetings. How can you focus on people in this way? The purpose of the meeting is to facilitate a ministry in some form of way. What is the purpose of a ministry? To minister to others. Keeping this perspective in meetings will...keep you focused on PEOPLE. Keeping this focus in meetings will give perspective that you need PEOPLE to help PEOPLE. You need PEOPLE to help you.

Hiring/Managing Staff:
Build relationships with staff. Let them know your heart and the person that you are. Get on board in sharing the vision for the church. Your focus, then, is not only the PEOPLE of your staff, but the PEOPLE in your congregation.

Making Policies:
What is in mind when making a policy? The benefit for those in which it effects. When a pastor is making policies, it should focus on the benefit of the PEOPLE.

Budget & Financial Projections:
Who are you budgeting for? Who are you planning financially for? The PEOPLE.

I think the idea is caught on that the “business” of the church is people. Administration, being the business-like job, involves working with people for people.

Week 5 - People

2009-02-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
2/12/09

Administrative work can become a hindrance to focusing on people, but in a different way, people work/ministry can also become a hindrance to focusing on people. For example, a pastor could take the youth to a monthly meeting of all the youth groups in the county for the wrong reasons. It could be done solely because it is “what we always do” or “because I don’t have anything better to do with them.” A pastor may become caught up in the duty and formalities of making the bulletin or leading a business meeting, but the same pastor may also become caught up in the duty of preaching or ministering to the sick. What is my point? Although it may be more difficult to direct the focus of administrative work toward people, it is definitely possible.

We must direct and purpose everything we do in ministry to lead God’s people to Him. I Corinthians 10: 31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Even though it is not an easy practice, I believe that it is possible to do everything with the motive of bringing glory to God. God pours out His love and blessings on us, and we respond by seeking to bring Him glory in everything we do.

There are practical strategies and disciplines we can employ to cause the focus on people in administrative work to come more naturally. One discipline a pastor can practice is to pray before doing administrative work asking God to focus his/her mind on Him and His people. If God is included in the process, it is then the purpose and meaning of administrative work surfaces and becomes clear. A pastor can also take regular time to reflect on the fruit and significance of the administrative work. It may be a good idea to delegate some of the administrative work to others in the church with special skills relating to the work. This makes the load of administrative work more bearable, and it helps to cause people to feel like they are a part of the church. Certain kinds of administrative work can also be a time for service and fellowship between the pastor and members of the congregation.

2009-02-07T12:20:00.001-08:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 2/12/09
5. People
The best way I believe to do church administration in a way that still focuses on the people is to involve them with the work. Honestly, that is very difficult for me to say. I am a person who likes to get office work and assignments done efficiently, and I often enjoy doing it individually. There will still be certain administrative tasks that one will have to do alone, but there are also many that can involve people at the same time.
This summer I learned this lesson big time during a summer internship I had at a church. Each month the high school youth group receives a news letter called the Bridge. My task was to fold them and get the address labels on them. It took forever, because it was a large youth group. I became frustrated that I was wasting time folding the news letters, instead of doing affective ministry. However, when I finished them for the second time the pastor told me that he did not intend me to do that alone. He usually gets a few youth around to help him. He stated that it not only allows them to feel useful, but it was an easy way for him to hang out with them in a non-threatening way. I realized through this experience that people want to be used and allowing others to help with administrative work is a good time for fellowship.
God created people with different talents and abilities. There is going to be plenty of administrative work that I am not good at. It would be wise to use what God has given me within the church. If someone is good at editing things, why not ask them to help me with that? Not only will they feel like they are helping the church, but it will give me time to get to know that person along with their special abilities. Delegating work will free up more of my time in the end to be with people too. This concept of delegating is biblical. In Acts 6:1-10, one can clearly see that a certain job had to be delegated to others who had a gift to do so. This whole idea may not be that profound and specific, but it is truth. As a minister, we need to balance administrative work and people. The best answer I can come up with is to allow the people to help!

2009-02-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer
Tuesday 2/10/09
5. Hours Worked in Ministry

Grant United Methodist Church
Pastor Constance Cherry

1) Study: 7-8 hours; actually writing 5-6 hours (total sermon time: 15-17 hours)
2) Administrative/Office: 10-15 hours
3) Services: 5 hours in actual services for a small church (worship service, Sunday school, prayer group, bible study) 3-4 hours of preparation for services (not including sermon).
4) People (meetings, pastoral care and counseling, visiting): 10 hours
5) Community Work/Outreach/Service: 1-2 hours average weekly for entire year because it is more sporadic.
6) Personal Study Time: Includes with sermon preparation – goes over same material for personal study.

Observations:
1) When you add up all the hours it ends up that you work more than 40 hours. I don’t think on realizes how busy they can be working in a church.
2) I had a discussion with Pastor Connie about including her sermon preparation in her personal study time. Some believe that it is not wise to do this. But by listening to her and through my own experience, I have realized that personally one should wrestle with the scripture in their personal life too. Do we really need to place these in separate compartments in our lives? I believe a sermon needs some intellectual time, but also personal time too.

Week 5 - Hours Worked in Ministry

2009-02-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
Tuesday 2/10

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on January 28, 2009

1. Study (alone)
8-10 hrs./wk. on sermon
2-3 hrs. Bible Study
Total Study Hours – 10-13 hrs.
2. Administrative/Office (administration, paperwork, computer, etc.)
10-15 hrs.
3. Services (worship, Bible studies, etc.)
Sunday Morning Service – 4 ½ hrs.
Sunday Evening Service – 3 hrs.
Wednesday Evening Service – 2 hrs.
Total Services Hours – 9 ½ hrs.
4. People (meetings, committees)
6-7 hrs.
5. What Else?
Unexpected Drop-ins – 15 min.-3 hrs.
Hospital Emergencies – ½ hr. – full day
Master’s Degree Education – 8-10 hrs./wk.
Total Miscellaneous – 9hrs-32hrs./wk.

Observations
1. I was surprised how much time was spent doing administration work in proportion to sermon preparation and meetings with people. It seems to me that sermon preparation and time spent with people should be greater than administrative work.
2. There are several unexpected and add-on things that Pastor Mark is not expected to do that take up a good chunk of the week. He is working on his Master’s Degree right now, which takes up about one full work day a week.
3. I also was reminded that you have to plan for an emergency every week. A hospital emergency might take anywhere from ½ hour to a full day.

Week 4

2009-02-05T04:56:00.000-08:00

Week 4
Staff Report to Board
February 5th, 2009

A staff member bringing a report to the board entails giving a story, an update, or an overview of what has been going on the ministry they are responsible for. The board is wanting to know what is going on with you as the staff member, the leaders in the ministry, and all the rest of the people who are being ministered to.

This report should accomplish this: informing the board of what is going on in your ministry.

So, what exactly should this report include?

1. Dates
Report the date and the time period to which the report is covering (from what date to what date).

2. One page. Brief and to the point.
Reports should not take more than one page unless you are writing an annual report. If it is an annual report, it will take 3 pages.

3. Use a template and stick with it!
Find a template that works best for you and the board and stick with it. Consistency in reporting is key to those reading it and for you who is writing it! Keep it as one whole document so you can just keep adding to it.

4. If the board wants a story, give it!
People want to hear personal testimonies. This is not a business, this is a ministry. Although the board is the administrative (business-like) group of the church, they still have a heart and passion for souls growing in Christ. Remember you are reporting how God is working in you and others.
As you are sharing such reports, you are documenting the history of the church! Talking about Susie’s conversion experience is crucial to report. What if Susie becomes the next huge pastor? Not that this is the only reason to report people’s conversion stories, but it is crucial to have them shared and documented so that others may hear of God’s leading and moving.

5. Facts. If numbers are involved, be exact. Reporting numbers on budget and attendance can not be fudged, they MUST be exact. Use cumulative numbers as well where you report exact numbers over a period of time.

6. Focus on ONE area of discussion.

7. Type name and sign it.

-Kelly Jones

Week 4 - Staff Report to Board

2009-02-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

Adam Fike
Thursday – 2/5

A staff report to the board should be convincing and persuasive. It should be brief and also hit on the most important aspects of their ministry. Staff reports are much more effective when they include an emotional story or testimony from the area of ministry. Stories of how God is changing lives through a particular ministry are touching and naturally lead people to approve of the ministry. These stories break up the monotony and separate good reports from bad ones. People are excited to hear testimonies and real-life stories of how God is moving; it is exciting! They have a unifying affect on people; therefore, it is helpful to be a good storyteller in preparing reports. Good stories include lots of details, emotions, and attitude changes. It may also be beneficial to tell the history of your ministry if the board members are not familiar with it. The history helps people to know and understand the purpose and direction of the ministry. History helps draws people into the ministry like it was their own.

Hard facts compliment the report and show current numbers. This is effective especially in influencing those who highly value particulars and detailed data. These reports can include attendance, number saved, number of recommitments. These are also helpful for future use. Cumulative facts can also help to show growth over time or spikes in recent years. The best thing about reports is that the pastor gets to chose what will go onto the report. If a pastor really believes in a certain ministry and feels God’s direction to keep it up, the pastor can make the report more appealing by including positive data while leaving out harmful data. It is wise to focus on a goal or vision of the ministry to help it succeed. People follow vision and direction.

2009-02-04T18:07:00.001-08:00

Thursday 2/5/09
Randi Meyer
4. Staff Report to Board
Writing reports to the board is a very important task. It not only keeps you accountable to others concerning your ministry, but is also allows you to testify to them how God is working through your ministry. There are several and specific things a staff report should include and accomplish.
First, in the heading of the report you should include the time period that this report is covering. In this section, you should also list facts such as attendance, number of conversions, number of recommitments, and the budgeting of your ministry. It can also be beneficial to outline growth over a period of time in these areas. The report then should contain stories of your specific ministry. This section should be written as a story for the history of the ministry, rather than just for the here and now.
The report needs to include God stories or testimonies of the ministry too. This is the most exciting part, because it reveals to the members what God is exactly doing. When reporting these things write it in story form with as many details as possible. Another aspect that may be wise to include in the report is a simple list of the most important jobs you have been working on or hoping to accomplish until the next report. This allows the board to see you future plans, and it reveals to them that you are working hard. It is a good way to keep one in the ministry accountable too! Other helpful hints are to keep the same format for each report and to keep it at one page in length if it is only a monthly report. At the end of the report, it should contain your name with signature. Then following this state your title at the chu

Week 4: Administrative Work

2009-02-03T04:50:00.000-08:00

February 3rd, 2009

4. Administrative Work

Will Shelor is the Senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Van Buren, Indiana. Central Christian Church is a small country church with a congregation of seventy, forty to fifty on average each Sunday. Throughout the years, CCC has gone through numerous pastors. The role of pastor is mainly to run services (preach, funerals, weddings, etc), lead Bible studies, make house calls/visits, and attend church functions. The majority of administration is delegated to those on the Board as well as those that have a Church Office role (basically these positions overlap in this church).

While Pastor Will does not have a great deal of administrative work, he does spend time in the office (eight hours about three to four times a week). This time is spent on working sermons and the order of the Sunday services. When he is not in the office he is out visiting members in nursing homes and visiting with families.

What Pastor Will does:
Prepares sermons
Prepares Sunday service
House calls/visits/ shut-ins
Attends monthly elders meetings
Leads weekly Adult Bible Study (Sunday evenings)

Since I work at this church, much of this was already known to me. What I find so interesting with this church is how little a say or role a pastor has in administrative duties. Truly, the church is ran by the congregation (the board). For the pastor, it must be refreshing to not have such duties weighing you down. On the other hand, does the pastor have much a voice in anything? This church is very much set in its “way” of doings things, what if the pastor wanted to mix things up a bit?

-Kelly Jones

Administrative Work - 2/3

2009-02-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Administrative Work
Adam Fike
Tuesday 2/3 – Week 4

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on January 28, 2009

1. Staff Relations – Staff are Answerable to head pastor
2. Bills/Basic Info – comes through his desk
-Approve Bills (not by signing; just to send them to treasurer)
-Check into fishy bills or funds or delegates another to do it
-i.e. a contractor billed the church when the job wasn’t completed. Pastor Mark oversees that bills like this do not get paid without work being done. He also handles unsigned checks or unknown funds.
-This is to keep miscommunication from occurring on the treasurer’s end and also to lighten the treasurer’s work load since it is a volunteer position at Westview.
3. Produce and Oversee Creation of Bulletin (inserts for special events, sermon info, etc.)
4. Monthly Treasury Reports (involved with treasurer in presenting the treasury report @ board meeting)
5. Phone Calls (take calls during office hours)

Total Hours of Administrative Work= 10-15 hrs./wk.

Observations
1. At least at Westview Wesleyan, the head pastor oversees all finances. This is to avoid confusion with multiple people handling different parts of the process. The head pastor functions in some ways like the sole keeper of the church. The difference is that he has different checks to keep him accountable. This makes efficiency possible while retaining checks and balances.
2. Even though there are checks on Pastor Mark, I did not see many checks on the treasurer himself. I was a little concerned while talking to Pastor Mark because the treasurer, a volunteer, has complete control of the money when it is given to him.
3. I was also surprised at the amount of administrative work he does weekly. About 1/4 to 1/3 of a 40 hour week is spent doing administrative work.

2009-02-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 2/3/09
4. Administrative Work

Grant United Methodist Church
Pastor Constance Cherry – Friday 1/30/09

1. Monitor Attendance Report – She does this to see who has patterns of absentees, so that she can contact them.
2. Monitor Giving Report – Looking over the giving pattern to help church budget.
3. Prepare Monthly Pastor Reports – Pastor Connie does this voluntarily to give to the Pastor Parish Relation Committee. It is a list in categories of everything she does for the church for the month, so they are aware of the work she does. It is a good way to keep a pastor accountable!
4. Record keeping for filing all committee work (Trustees, councils, ext.)
5. Write Personal Notes – She blocks out time during administrative hours, so that she can write cards to members.
6. Conference/Distract Reporting (some members help with this) – 1st of the year: Report all statistics to conference/distract (number of converts, baptisms, memberships, attendance, youth group, and more) 2nd of the year: Annual meeting with district superintendant going over budgeting, lay leader reports, and ext.
7. Read and Keep Track of Fairmont Ministerial Association – Can’t attend meetings, but reads over the minutes to know what it going on.
8. Manage Committee – Makes sure they are meeting and reporting on a regular basis.
9. Announcements in bulletin and its layout – She often has to connect with people during this time to make sure she includes all announcements.
10. Administrative Planning – Example: Finance Committee
11. Letter Writing – Pastor Connie will often get asked to write reference letters for members of the church.
12. Total Hours for Administrative Work: Part time Pastor – 4-5 hours; Full time Pastor – 10-15 hours (depending on time of year and size of church)

Observations:
1. Pastor Connie does not include any of her pastoral care and counseling or sermon preparation as administrative work. Her personal view is that she has many different leadership roles with in the church, and the administrative part is all the business/organization side.
2. We discussed how it is important to always keep office hours, even if you live in a parish. It keeps a pastor accountable, because it is very easy for them to cheat their hours since they are their own boss.
3. I found it interesting that she also writes monthly pastor reports. I believe that is going above and beyond, since it is not required of her. She wants a small group of the church to always know all the things she is doing. It is a great way to keep you accountable!

Parliamentary Law

2009-01-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

Thursday January 29th,2009

3. Parliamentary Law

If the people must led and guided by the Holy Spirit to make every decision, then the conclusion and answer may take anywhere from a whole week, month, or years. This set-up is based on the Bretheran-Quaker belief of allowing the Holy Spirit to make decisions and bring unity upon the church people doing it amongst themselves. This set-up follows the consensus model that is found in Acts 15.

Robert Rules Revised:

All meetings begin with a fifteen minute prayer time. This time is to focus on the being in the presence of God, allowing Him to fill the room and all those within it.
First bring forth the concern (like a motion…but more of a discussion)
Secondly, see if anyone sees to talking further about this concern/topic (a second)
Third, pray. Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead all to guidance and clarity on this matter.
-The purpose of this discussion is to seek the Lord’s will.
Go around the room and see if everyone feels the same on the decision that is to be made.
If not, then the Holy Spirit is not ready to provide an answer.
Next weeks meeting with begin with this topic and more prayer time.
If everyone is in agreement, then a decision is made.

3 Problems:
If someone in the group secretly does not want something to be passed, they can make the excuse that the Holy Spirit is not telling them to agree, and so forth.
The intent is to do the will of God, however the problem is that not everyone is seeking the Lord’s will.

It puts God in a box and demands that He answer us each time. God equipped us to make decisions on our own and He wants us to!
-Kelly Jones

."Sent on time to coach d"

Parliamentary Law -- 1/29

2009-01-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Parliamentary Law
Thursday 1/29/09
Adam Fike

Quaker/Brethren possible modification to Robert’s Rules:

1. Motion
When a person receives leading from the Holy Spirit, he should make a motion to present it to the board. The chair should then pause and ask for a moment of silent reflection to give the people present time to seek God on the motion.
2. Discussion
After the moment of silence, the chair should open the meeting for discussion. If a person has something to contribute to the motion, he should stand up and not speak until he is called on to speak by the chair. Only one person should speak at a time. Under no circumstance should the discussion become a debate. A humble, non-aggressive attitude should be retained throughout the whole meeting. One must feel led by the Holy Spirit to speak. He can disagree with the motion but should not argue or put down another’s views. If tensions in a discussion do arise, the chair should call for a reflective time of silence.
3. Full Consensus
After appropriate time has been allowed for discussion, the chair will state what he believes is the consensus of the group. If there is one brother against the motion, the chair should put down the motion because the group is not of one mind. If the group is in favor of the motion, he should then ask if anyone is being led against the motion. If everyone is in agreement with the motion, it is carried. If there is anyone against the motion, it is not carried. The chair asks for the group to pray and seek the Holy Spirit’s leading on the issue.

Problems
1. It would be extremely hard to make decisions, and the decisions that are made would take an excessive amount of time (especially if people were not in agreement). It is not a very efficient decision making process, especially in larger groups.
2. Some people could claim or be deceived that they are being led by the Spirit when they are not. One person could spoil a great idea or motion that would further the work of God in the church. It would be difficult to weed out the people who are trying to force their self-seeking ambitions on the congregation.
3. A person who has valuable input to the discussion may feel discouraged from sharing if he is scared that he does not have an adequate leading from the Spirit even if the input is God-honoring.

2009-01-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer

Thursday 1/29/09
3. Parliamentary Law

Revision to Robert’s Rules:
To Introduce Business: Consensus – “Achieving Unity Through the Spirit”
1. Motion – A person can still state a change they may want to make, but it is emphasized that the person seeks the Holy Spirit’s direction carefully before the motion is presented.
Second – There would be no second to the motion, because that shows that only some members favor it. Instead, after the motion is made the members would discuss the options.
2. Discussion – This discussion in not really a chance to state what each member likes or dislikes, but more of an informational time to explain the motion and the options. No person to talk unless they are being lead by the Spirit to do so.
3. Group Agreement – After the discussion, the clerk will state what appears to be the mind of the group. If one member disagrees or cannot unite with the group, no decision is made. Sometimes a member who disagrees can step aside, because either he/she believes their concern is not sufficient weight to stop the decision or they feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the meeting.
4. Direction from the Holy Spirit – When an agreement is not made and the majority of the members agree, the clerk will recommend that the members seek time to receive the Spirit’s guidance concerning this issue. There must not have been enough time to allow the Holy Spirit to direct the group, and somebody is misleading the Spirit’s leading.
5. Next Meeting – The issue can be brought up again in the next meeting. The same process will be followed, but if there is no agreement again the facilitator helps to identify disagreements and agreements to move a discussion forward until an end result is embraced by all individuals.

Hold An Election:
1. Discussion of Candidates – The members will discuss and seek direction for who is the best candidate for the position. Once again, the facilitator will direct the discussion until an agreement is made. Much of the same process and guidelines would be followed in an election as the business meeting.

To Adopt or receive a report: Same methods are used.

Three Problems with this new method:
1. Although it allows members to discuss and understand the issue better, it is a much longer and strenuous process to reach a decision. It would not be easy if there is disagreement and a quick decision needed to be made.
2. Some people could claim that the Holy Spirit is guiding them a certain way even though the Spirit may not. It is difficult to truly know the guiding of the Spirit in some cases.
3. The facilitator could easily abuse their power and direct the group to a consensus that may not truly be in full agreement.

K O K O

2009-01-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

KEEP ON KEEPING ON..

YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT ON TRACK--BENCHMARKING THIS PRACTICAM (AGAIN)

Tithing -- Thursday 1-22

2009-01-22T05:52:00.000-08:00

Thursday Assignment
Tithing – 1-22
Adam Fike

I have to admit that I believed like the majority of evangelicals in several of the ways listed in the article. I did understand that tithing meant 10% of one’s income, but I have heard the attitude that tithing is an indefinite amount. It is whatever you can give. I was shocked to hear that evangelicals give only 2.3% of their income on average. I thought the percentage would be much closer to 10% than that.
While it does not explicitly require in the New Testament believers to give 10% of their income, I think it is a standard amount that everyone should give. In the Old Testament, God required a tithe from the Israelites. Malachi 3:10 says, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’” Even though we are not bound to follow this law, I believe it is a good law to follow. If we do not have a set amount to give, we most often do not give enough.
I was pulled into the “church is bigger” mindset. I have counted giving to a parachurch organization for my tithe several times before. I realize now that I was wrong. I am taking Ecclesiology now and am learning that how I have viewed the church has affected how I live my life in issues such as tithing. The local church must be upheld as the primary place to give. I admire parachurch organizations that hold to this value to the point that they even urge people to give to their local church first on their donation page.
I would most definitely rather give to a cause than an institution. It may be my generation, but I think that is how we as humans operate. We are willing to act and give to things that touch our heart. I think once the local church fully realizes this, we will take bigger steps toward communicating different ministries and the causes that the money supports. Along with that, we must also learn to thank more. Even though one’s giving should be done out of love in a relationship with God, church leaders ought to be grateful for the gifts. We ought to be grateful when people give out of love for God. I am sure God is grateful and pleased when people give generously out of love as well.
This article has inspired me to fight against certain attitudes of evangelicals, especially when I read the statistic that most local churches would double their income if everyone tithed. That is almost unbelievable. I think that at least more people will listen and heed the call to tithe when they are shown the grueling statistics and excuses people give for not tithing. It will also be important to tweak people’s theology of the church. We need to understand what the church is and how it runs.

Tithing: Is it really for me?

2009-01-22T04:46:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 22nd,2009
2. Tithing

Response to Article on Tithing:

I am truly amazed at the fuss that Christians have with tithing. Truly what put the whole thing to shame were the swindlers, the cheats, and the crooks in the church. People no longer trust that their money is going to “the Lord.” Another dangerous mindset that seeps into their subconscious and belief is that there is no need to give a set amount, just give when you are able to. Isn’t that our generation? Aren’t we just so coddled and given so much grace that we are told…’Give when you are able, just as long as you are giving.’ We are told that at school, work, and at home by our teachers, bosses, and parents. Rules are not enforced. Rules should be done away with in the first place, because rules are restricting! Rules to not give us freedom, they enslave us! What a lie from the pit of hell! God has ordained certain “rules” but they are not to enslave us but to free us.
People find tithing too unrealistic when it comes down to it. It may work for some people, but not all. There are bills that need to be paid that come before tithing. If finances are looking good for the month, then they will tithe. Money is viewed as something they have earned rather than something God has provided for them.

My husband and I tithe 10% or more regularly. I can attest to the freedom that comes in that. Not to go with the prosperity gospel angle, but God sure does bless you! Not in terms of giving you all the riches in the world…but true blessings that I know would have been missed out on if we had not tithed. Christians should not see tithing as something to check off on your “Christian” to-do list, rather see and know that tithing provides a grace-empowered life. Tithing is not a burden, it is a blessing. Tithing is not called for some believers, it is called for all.

Times are tough right now in our economy. Worry is rising and trust is lowering. It is in these times that we must remember that Christ is faithful. It is in these times we must know that God is Sustainer and Provider. Just as God provides the birds in the sky with food and dresses the lily of the fields, so much more that He will provide for you (Matthew 6:25-34); The problem is not tithing, the problem is that control we want to have in our life—control over providing for our family, ourselves, and others….yet, God is who gives all we have to begin with. What we must realize is that nothing is truly ours and it never will be. There should be a relief in that truth—we do not have to do this all on our own!

-Kelly Jones

2009-01-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer
Thursday 1/22/09
2. Ministerial Ethics
This article and the responses really got me thinking. There are so many small situations within the church that one does not even think they would ever face. As a future church leader, I have always realized the responsibility I will have directing and guiding people in their spiritual formation. I also know that someday I will be accountable for this before God, but I have to admit I have not thought about “ethical purity” that much. Honestly, there really should be no difference between the serious responsibility a church leader has in caring for people’s souls and the daily ethical decisions they make for the local church. Both are included in being a good leader, and I believe a Christian leader will be accountable for both when Christ returns.
Not only will God be the judge of spiritual leaders someday, but people are always watching the leaders too. A pastor cannot preach one thing and do another. Holiness and purity in all of a leader’s action is needed. I believe they need to go above and beyond in the way the handle situations ethically. It is better to be safe then sorry when dealing with anything in the local church. Dr. Drury said in one of his responses that leaders should ask this question in each circumstance; “If my enemy in this church knows this will they be able to use it against me?” I believe that this question is very beneficial along with what God would think.
Although I believe church leaders need to live in this manner, and I began to question my own integrity. As I read the different ethical situations, I asked myself how I would respond. In some circumstances, I found that I may have responded in the wrong manner simply because I would not have even thought twice that it might not be ethically right. For instance, if an older lady gave me $20.00, I may have taken it simply as a gift. Now I see and understand how this can look to others. I did truly think it was wrong in some of the situations mentioned in the article about how one may cheat the system. It is difficult though at times, because many see it from different perspective. I know that in the future I must be constantly be aware and question if choices I make are ethically right before God and God’s people.
The article also made me stop and think about ethical situations in the ministry I have already faced interning and being a youth leader. I have a paid position at Grant United Methodist as their youth leader on Sunday night. Many times people in the congregation have giving me extra money or gas cards. What do I do in these situations? Most of the time I will be honest I took it. This summer at my internship I had people write a unanimous note to me with $10.00 in it. Is this alright to keep? At this same church, there was a copy machine and supply closet full of office materials at my disposal anytime. I realize now how easy it could have been just to use this for my own benefit. Ethical situations surround Christian leaders, and it is important to carefully react to situations that would represent God in a holy manner.

Making a Budget -- Tuesday 1/20

2009-01-20T12:51:00.001-08:00

Adam Fike

Westview Wesleyan

Making a Budget Tuesday 1-20-08

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on 1-20-08

First, a finance committee meets in May to develop a budget.

The finance committee is made up of a trustee representative to the board, the treasurer, an assistant to the treasurer, and two other people appointed by the pastor.

Second, the finance committee plays a guessing game of projected tithes and offerings for the next year.
Then, the committee starts with fixed costs that the church must pay every year. These include the mortgage, utilities, staff costs, etc.
The committee operates on a line-item budget. It makes adjustments from the previous year based on spending habits of each department. If the department spent more than it was budgeted, the committee will try to allocate more funds to that department.
Next, the finance committee submits the proposed budget to the board. The board can accept it or send it back to the finance committee for revisions.
Once the budget is accepted by the board, it is sent to the local church conference for final approval.

Week 2

2009-01-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

Week 2
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
2. Making a Budget

What is the procedure Central Christian Church goes through when making a budget?
Joan, our treasurer, said that there is not step by step process to making their church budget every year. I asked if the board got together to make decisions on formatting the budget but she said that the budget is not decided by the board. There is no committee or board meeting for the budget. The budget is set according to the treasurer and what happened from the previous year. Basically, the budget is decided at the beginning of each year and critiqued/altered from the previous year. If someone wants to go over what was set for the church budget, then they will ask for more money via fundraisers or approaching the congregation.

Step by Step Format:

1. Look at their income.

2. Set their budget according to that income.

2009-01-19T19:12:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer

Tuesday 1/20/09
2. Making a Budget

Crossroads FEC
Nate Hamblin – Monday 1/19/09

The church’s fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30, so here what happens step by step according to Nate:
1. In March staff & ministry leaders receive reports of their actual spending vs. budget from the previous 9 months and other years. Then they are asked to make a proposal for their area.
2. Beginning in April MGMT team takes these proposals along with the “hard numbers” from last year, like utility bills, salaries, etc and projects expenses & income. (based off of giving numbers from previous years.)
3. On the first go around our budget expenses far exceed the expected revenue, so the process of prioritizing and reducing begins. Priorities based on the overall vision/objectives/initiatives of the church, things that are pressing (example: a new AC unit if one is broke) vs. things that are desired (example: added speakers for the auditorium).
4. It takes about 3 months of work to land where the expenses are only a few percentages ahead of the projected income.
5. Once the Management Team has approved a budget, we communicate with the body, and try to explain any large differences.

A couple of added things—
· We look at the balance of the budget in terms of ministry areas.
· We are committed to increasing our missions line by a .5% point each year until we reach the point of giving 10% of our yearly budget toward missions. (missions not church outreach)
· On a typical year, staff is given anywhere between a 2-5% cost of living increase.

Kinds of Leadership -- 1/15

2009-01-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

What is Leadership?
“Leadership is more, if not much more, influence rather than position.” ~John Maxwell. Leadership is not an easy word to define because leaders come in so many shapes and sizes. There are several different types of leaders, but even then each leader is unique and different from all the rest. Some people are leaders in some areas of their life, while others are leaders in almost every area. Some great leaders are born with strong leadership tendencies, and other great leaders have worked hard to acquire great skills. Great leaders usually possess a rich combination of personality and skills.
A leader is one who influences people to reach a common goal by inspiring their heart, attitudes, and actions in a cohesive way. Strong leaders have solid faith, beliefs, values, character, knowledge, and skills. They are characterized by passion. A great leader is able to direct the thoughts, feelings, behaviors in order to cause some kind of lasting change. Leaders can be up front and direct, or they can be behind the scenes and indirect. Either way, solid leaders model what they seek to influence in their own life.
Kinds of Leadership
Jesus is the ultimate example of a leader in the Bible. He is best described as a direct leader who led by being a servant. He inspired and influenced people to be self-giving servants to others instead of seeking authority and power. He modeled a dependant life on God His Father and even some dependency on other people like His disciples. He had a huge passion to lead others into a relationship with Him and God, and He always lived in complete submission to His Father.
Leaders show up all over Scripture. Abraham led by having faith in God. He risked everything he had in order to obey the purpose and call God placed on his life. Noah led by remaining faithful to God and obeying God’s commands while overseeing the plans for the ark. Moses obeyed God through his insecurities and led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. He remained faithful to God when the Israelite community did not. Nehemiah is often looked to as a model for leadership because he organized and oversaw the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem. Paul spread the Gospel to the gentiles through perseverance and determination. These leaders understood and experienced a life of faith and trust in the living God. It seems like the greatest quality in a leader is faith, trust, hope, and love in the Almighty God of the universe.
~Adam Fike

Kinds of Leadership

2009-01-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 15th, 2009
1. Kinds of Leadership

Leaders in the Bible
Saul & David were both leaders, but two different kinds of leaders. Saul was sought after by the people of Israel when they desired to be like the surrounding nations that had kings. Beforehand, their only leader was their creator, God—but now the people were demanding to be like everyone else, to have a strong, leading king. Thus, God provided them Saul. Saul surely looked like a king with his strapping features and sense of authority. Yet, he did not listen to God’s commands. Saul began to drink deeply from the cup of power and delighted in doing his will and not the will of God. That is where David comes into play. David was the least likely candidate to be selected for the next king—small shepherd boy, youngest in his family, embracing not a hint of regal nature. But David loved the Lord, which made all the difference in his leadership. David was a true servant leader.
Servant leadership is an understanding and practice of leadership that places the good of those led over the self-interest of the leader. Saul appeared to be an excellent leader and had a good start. But looks are rather deceiving. The Israelites quickly learned that. What David did that Saul failed to do was be an authentic man that valued his people and loved God with all his heart.

Kinds of Leadership
There are two different kinds of leaders: transformational and transactional. Transactional are the ones that lead in order to get something in return—like a profit. Transformational leaders are leaders that help transform a group of people in order to help them become more effective in accomplishing a unified goal—servant leadership falls under such a category. Servant leadership defined from a secular stand-point is a leader who puts the people and their development before themselves.
There are three types of leadership—servant, selfish and sacrificial. As stated previously, servant leadership involves one transforming a group of people to reach a unified goal by placing the people and the development before their own desires. Now selfish leadership uses the people so that the leader can get somewhere. Sacrificial leadership is the leader and the followers all sacrificing themselves to almost burnout in order to reach their goal—like selfish leadership except its at all cost for God and the church rather than for personal gain.
An effective form of leadership within the context of the church is to accomplish the goals of the church using moral methods. Letting people know that you are passionate about the goals and about leading them is fundamental. If you really want to serve the people then they will really want to serve you back.
Such a concept follows the Eastern idea of leadership in which the shepherd leads its flock from the front rather than from behind. The Eastern idea of a shepherd leader is to lead the flock to greener pastures. The flocks’ motivation comes from trusting the leader opposed to fearing the leader. Being a leader and a pastor, I need to gain the trust of those whom are entrusted into my care.

-Kelly Jones

Leadership

2009-01-14T19:21:00.001-08:00

Thursday 1/15/09
1. Kinds of Leadership
Leadership is a position in which one manages, guides, or directs. It can often be viewed as a characteristic or quality of an individual. Leadership in theory is a set of behaviors that a person has. The unfortunate fact is that in a deprived world not all leaders are good or perform the task of directing others well. For instance, I consider Hitler a leader and he was actually a very successful at leading others. The fact is he lead them cruelly and abused his power.
The perfect leader for humanity to look to as an example is Jesus Christ. Good leadership can be defined by observing his life through his servant leadership attitude. He reveals what true leadership should be. A leader should have a vision or mission that benefits those around them, and they are willing to passionately seek this vision through self-sacrifice. Leadership needs to involve love, mercy, grace, confidence, persistence, and determination. Outstanding leaders are role models to their followers and build their followers self-image. They can motive and encourage those around them at a level that will challenge them to become better people. Through a Christian perspective, leaders are those who are furthering God’s kingdom through the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance.
There are many different kinds of leadership in the Bible. The first type of leadership one can see are those positions in which God chose specific leaders for specific tasks He had planned for them, but these positions did not seem to have a definite title. For examples, Noah was called to build an ark and save come of God’s creation during the flood, while Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to enter the Promise Land.
The Bible portrays leadership through the prophets and priests. Elijah and Elisha were prophets. They were a mediator between God and His people and spoke what they heard through the inspiration of God. The tribe of Levi became leaders as priests after the Exodus. They lead by interceding on the behalf of the people, so the people could be brought to holiness and righteousness. God also ordained kings as a mediator of the judicial and executive power of God among His people. Saul, David, and Solomon are the most known kings throughout the Bible. In the New Testament, the disciples and early church founders become prominent leaders, but once again Jesus is the ultimate definition of leadership found in the Bible.

1. Church Budget -- Tuesday 1/13/09

2009-01-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

1. Church Budget

Tuesday 1/13/09

Adam Fike

Westview Wesleyan

Interviewed – Pastor Mark Deisler on 1/12/09

39.9% Ministers & Staff

44.1% Facilities

6.3% Programs

9.7% Denomination Support and Missions

Observations:

Two committees work to create the budget and another committee ratifies it. A treasure report is given monthly.
Denominational expenses in the Wesleyan denomination are based on overall tithing. This has been changed from membership enrollment in the past.
A big piece of the budget is comparing last year’s budget from the current year and calculating percent changes.

Church Budget

2009-01-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Randi Meyer

Tuesday 1/13/09
1. Church Budget

Crossroads FEC
Nate Hamblin – Monday 1/12/09

49% - Facilities (including debt)
34% - Ministers& Staff
12% - Denomination support& missions
5% - Programs

Observations:
1. This church is not my practicum church, because my practicum church does not have a budget. When I contacted the pastor of the church she said that they only have financial reports. She also stated that some small churches don’t have operating budgets. This is an interesting observation to me that brings about questions too. Is this wise to not have a budget just because the church is small? Shouldn’t they still have some sort of an operating budget?
2. Part of the churches income is figured from what they make from renting out their old church building and providing facilities to migrant workers. This allows their income to increase largely from just the offering. Having the stability of this income would also make it easier for them to predict their budget.
3. The prediction of what they will bring in is actually less than their total budgeting. Nate told me that they often do not spend every dime of what they predicted, so this makes up the different. Also, if they believe they are running short for what was predicted the church board will send out a monthly spending freeze. If they need to spend past that amount, they will need special approval.

Week 1

2009-01-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
1. Church Budget.

Copy of Central Christian Church’s Budget
List of where the money goes from largest proportion to smallest:
§ 71% Ministers & Staff (including benefits)
§ 24% Facilities (including debt payments)
§ 2 % Programs (education, evangelism, etc.)
§ 3 % Denomination Support & Missions

Personal Observations:
1. Inconsistency.
Smaller churches do not have a set way of budgeting (well at least not in this circumstance). When I met with our treasurer, Joan, she explained that the budget changes year by year. Budget is based on the income of the church. When she sees that the funds are running tight, she will report it to the congregation on Sunday morning. Income solely comes from the congregation and giving (fundraisers). If the church is not tithing as they should, Joan will be sure to confront the situation!

2. Disproportional.
Just by looking at the percentages, one can see how disproportionate the budget is. Even though I am employed with Central Christian, I am not permitted to set the budget or even know much about it. As the youth and children’s pastor, I am greatly troubled by how little support is going into the programming. A great deal of money is put into the upkeep up the facilities and staffing rather than the spiritual formation of the congregation. Whether this a small church or not, I do not think the funding for programs should be that low. We have a congregation of sixty. The youth has an average of thirty students every Sunday evening and the children average about 4 every Sunday morning. Think about the growth that could happen when more care, passion, planning, and budgeting is put forth into the programs!

3. Proposed Budget vs. Actual Budget
I noticed that what was proposed for the Functional Departments such as Christian Education, Resources, Membership, World Outreach, Worship, and Evangelism was not actually spent! The budget allowed for $100 for each department. However, the only department that took advantage of this was Resources, which spent a whopping $21. I wonder if the money would have been spent on these areas if the staff or the volunteers involved in these departments actually knew the funds available. Being on staff, I know now that these departments have funds that need to be put to use!
I know that I am new to being on staff at a church. I am new to budgeting. I am new to this all! However, I know that in order for a ministry to be active and producing, it needs to be tended to--Ministry needs funds put into it—Ministry needs people to be a part of it—Ministry needs to have planning and budgeting from more than one person!

-Kelly Jones

Bonanza Feminists Strike Again...

2009-01-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

The Bonanza Feminists are back after a brief intermission. Kelly is back after spending some time in the Austrailian Outback riding around in a kangaroo pouch trying to comprehend the life of a baby kangaroo. She has written two books on the topic thanks to Dr. Drury's teaching. Randi is back after bobbing up and down in the Indian Ocean for three months straight setting a new world record for bobs in the Indian Ocean. She is trailing a man from Sweden who did 1,213 bobs in the Atlantic in 1965. Finally, Adam is back from saving the world from killer smurfs who began their uprising in the black forest in Germany. Good luck to all of them as they endeavor to accomplish their next milestone in Church Leadership.