The Leading Ideas: "When Churches Hire Members" Podcast "What is Your Signature Ministry?" Lewis Center for Church Leadership - The Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., United States

The Leading Ideas: "When Churches Hire Members" Podcast "What is Your Signature Ministry?" Lewis Center for Church Leadership - The  Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., United States

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018

 

From the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary

When Churches Hire Members by Ann A. Michel
It is increasingly common for churches to hire their own members. Ann Michel of the Lewis Center suggests we need to consider how congregations and the church members in their employ can best navigate what is admittedly a gray area with potential risks and rewards for both employee and employer.
I often hear people say, “A church should never hire its own members.” Yet research I conducted a few years ago on staffing patterns in United Methodist churches found that congregations are increasingly ignoring this adage. Overall 60 percent of lay church staff are hired from within and another 10 to 25 percent joined the congregations where they work once on the job.
A church member working for the church can be a win-win situation if both parties approach it with honesty, objectivity, and a sincere commitment to work through the ambiguities.
Why is this? Not only has the number of lay church workers grown dramatically over the past several decades, but there has also been a shift in the kind of work they do. In past generations, if a church needed a secretary, custodian, or bookkeeper, they often looked beyond their congregation for employees to perform discrete tasks considered apart from the ministry of the church. But now, more lay staff work in various programmatic ministries, and congregations want someone who understands their spiritual DNA and has the relationships necessary to get things done.
I should probably state for the record that I worked for my church for the better part of a decade. For me, taking on a professional ministry role was an affirmation of my gifts, an opportunity to explore my calling, and a way to be more deeply involved in the church’s mission. As I’ve studied this phenomenon more broadly, I’ve learned just how many churches are thriving through the efforts of homegrown staff. And I’ve come to see the growing number of church members stepping into more significant ministry roles as an act of the Spirit to renew the church.
Simply continuing to insist that churches should never hire their members seems out of step with current reality. Instead, we need to ask how congregations and the church members in their employ can navigate what is admittedly still a gray area with potential risks and rewards for both employee and employer.
Hire for the right reasons
When hiring anyone — member or non-member — a congregation needs to hire the right person for the right reasons. Church personnel problems are often rooted in a tendency to see hiring and employee management issues through the lens of congregational care instead of objective workplace logic. Many churches hire or refuse to fire someone because they worry about the person being out of work. They fail to hold employees accountable because they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or don’t have the necessary personnel systems and skills. Congregations and their staffs need to understand that the relationship between employer and employee is fundamentally different than the covenant of church membership. This is especially true — and needs to be emphasized from the start — when a church hires a member.
Knowing which hat to wear
Members who work for their churches must learn to balance the dual roles of congregant and staff member. If their supervisor is also their pastor, he or she must learn to balance the roles of spiritual guide and boss. But negotiating more than one set of roles and responsibilities is part of life. In my family, I am parent and child, wife and mother, sister, niece, and so on. In my workplace, I am supervisor to some, subordinate to others. Setting aside the question of employment, in most churches it’s not only common but essential that people wear more than one hat. Anyone balancing different roles learns what’s expected in each and how to behave accordingly.
It’s important to clarify at what times and in what situations an employee is wearing the hat of a church staffer and when they are wearing the hat of a church member. Is attending congregational meetings, events, and worship a part of the job, or something done on one’s own time? Will a church member on the payroll have voice and vote in church decision making? Are they eligible to be nominated to lay leadership positions? Different congregations handle these matters in different ways. But gaining clarity around these questions can avoid role ambiguity and tensions.
A clear job description is an invaluable tool in navigating this terrain. Yet, for a variety of reasons, far too many church workers labor without one. If someone is working without a job description, think of those critical junctures when it’s logical to clarify roles and responsibilities — in the context of a performance evaluation, when there’s transition on a staff team, or when a new pastor arrives.
Professional and spiritual development
Church staff often come into their roles with professional experience in other fields, but little formal training in theology or the finer points of church leadership. Typically, they do not have the kind of training that clergy receive in handling pastoral concerns, professional boundaries, and sexual ethics. It behooves both congregations and their staffs to give adequate attention to the spiritual growth and professional development of church employees and to take seriously their responsibility for continuing education and growth.
A church member working for the church can be a win-win situation if both parties approach it with honesty, objectivity, and a sincere commitment to work through the ambiguities — essential traits in any productive employee-employer relationship.
Ann Michel has written more extensively on the concerns and needs of church staff in Synergy: A Leadership Guide for Church Staff and Volunteers available at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Related Resources

• Synergy: A Leadership Guide for Church Staff and Volunteers by Ann A. Michel
• Strengthening the Ministry of Lay Staff by Ann A. Michel
• Lay Staff Ministry in the United Methodist Church by Ann A. Michel

Read more.

Leading Ideas Talks Podcast: "Toward More Synergistic Leadership"
What practices lead to synergistic leadership? In this Leading Ideas Talks episode Lewis Center Director Douglas Powe interviews Ann Michel about her book Synergy: A Leadership Guide for Church Staff and Volunteers.
Listen now.
What is Your Signature Ministry?

In their book Small Church Check Up, Kay Kotan and Phil Schroeder say stable, smaller churches can remain vital by focusing on a "signature ministry," providing one key ministry with excellence, rather than trying to be everything to everybody.
Often churches try to do too many things, being all things to all people without doing any ministry with excellence. Churches are filled with good people who are full of the best intentions. It is through those good intentions that we sometimes trip ourselves up. Small churches try to do too many things for too many different people. When this occurs, we are usually providing ministries that are just okay — nothing really excellent. We are often tiring out servants and burning people out.

We need to be able to say “yes” to the right thing and “no” to the others. How can we provide one key ministry with excellence and allow other programs and ministries to fall away?

It is ironic that many of our new larger churches have discovered the magic of doing one or two things really well. Many of our other churches (often, declining churches) are still trying to be everything to everybody. Vital, small churches do one or two things really well and are known for them in the community. One church I recently worked with had over half the children in the preschool indicate that they did not have a church home. This stable, small church with a signature preschool is now working to connect with those almost 60 families.
We need to be able to say “yes” to the right thing and “no” to the others. How can we provide one key ministry with excellence and allow other programs and ministries to fall away?
Is it a good idea? Or a godly idea?
Mike Selleck, retired United Methodist minister from North Georgia, taught us there is a difference between a good idea and a godly idea. A good idea comes from someone’s brain, and there are a lot of good ideas out there. A godly idea always comes with a leader and servants attached. If there are no leaders or workers, the idea is not yet in God’s time. You can spend a whole lot on good ideas, but you have the capacity to do only a small number of godly ideas that have servants and leaders attached to them.
Getting focused
Your church may not be able to give up all you are doing and do one thing, but you can choose one thing to focus on and do it really well. For example, focus on the mission of making disciples for the year and have all ministries use the missional focus. Encourage your church to choose a focus for the coming year that highlights your strongest ministry. The more effort and energy the church puts into this ministry, the less time it will spend trying to prop up ministries that are past their prime.
Zero-based calendaring
We must be willing to prune. If we don’t prune, we will get some growth, but it won’t be stable growth. One method to begin this process is to start with zero-based calendaring. With zero-based calendaring, we are not held captive by history and tradition to do the same things we have done for years or decades. We seek to discover the one or two signature ministries that our church has the passion and gifts to offer that meet the community’s needs. We might start the process by asking ourselves this question: “If we were to do nothing that we have ever done before, what is the one thing we must put on the calendar?” Go deep with one ministry rather than trying to go wide with lots of ministries that do not really touch anyone or make an eternal difference.
What’s in your backyard?
Alice Rogers, pastor of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on Emory’s campus, reminds small churches to use their compass. They have often lost sight of what is right around them. What is right around the church in close proximity? She asks churches simply to look to see what is to the north, south, east, and west of their congregation. Sometimes what God is calling us to is right in our backyard, but we have been looking far and wide for something else.
This excerpt is taken and adapted from the book Small-Church Checkup: Assessing Your Church’s Health and Creating a Treatment Plan, by Kay Kotan and Phil Schroeder. Copyright © 2018 by Discipleship Resources, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The book is available at Upper Room Books, Cokesbury, and Amazon.
Related Resources

• Eleven Characteristics of Effective Smaller Churches by David R. Ray
• Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church by Joy F. Skjegstad
• A Better Script for Small Churches by Lewis A. Parks

Read more.

The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
When a church decides to add a staff person for a particular ministry area, they often will focus the position description and announcement around tasks they want this person to do. A more helpful approach might be to begin with the purpose of adding the position and go from there using these questions as a way of describing the position.

• What do we expect to be different in our church because of this position?
• What attributes are essential in the person we seek?
• What tasks go with this position?

Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.

Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church
How can a small congregation engage the community in a significant way? With the right approach, a small church can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry. Read "To the Point: Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church" to learn how.
To The Point
Sometimes I interact with small congregations that assume that any significant community ministry effort is beyond their reach. They often keenly feel their limitations as they work to keep internal church programs going with limited staff and volunteers. So how could they ever engage the community in any significant way?
With the right approach, it is possible for a small group of people to make a big impact. It will take focus and clarity about what you are trying to accomplish, but the small church can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry. Small congregations have unique strengths that can result in strong and effective community ministry.
Focus. A small congregation has to be more disciplined about not “biting off more than it can chew.” Identifying just one thing to focus on (tutor kids at the local public school, collect diapers, sponsor a community garden) may well help you be more successful, as you will have clear outcomes in front of you. I think sometimes there is a temptation for larger churches to make ministry efforts bigger and more complex than they need to be. Internal ministry programs may have many bells and whistles, so we think we need to do that with work in our community as well — right? Wrong! Sometimes simpler is just what the community needs.
Relationships. Another advantage of being small is that your church may be better at relational ministry than larger churches, and it is the relationships that you can build with people in your community that will make the greatest impact. People who are drawn to attend smaller churches are often there because of the “family” feel; in your small congregation, you can really get to know each other, go deep in your relationships, and bear one another’s burdens. A pastor of a rural congregation in West Virginia told me that his small church is “a place of gathering, celebration, and common community. We still celebrate each person’s birthday here!” Carrying that affinity for relationship into the community may well help you make a greater impact than if you brought hundreds of volunteers or thousands of dollars. Everything you’ve learned within your own congregation about really listening to one another and devoting time to relationships will bless your community in myriad ways.
Partnerships. Small churches often have no choice but to partner with others to carry out ministry. Partnerships, if done well, can result in exponentially greater impact. You aren’t limited to the gifts within your own church. You can seek others, particularly when working on complex community issues where expertise, connections, and resources are needed. I once worked with several smaller churches that were developing partnerships with public schools. We started with a goal of recruiting just ten volunteers from each church, and they met that goal. Next people from the church started going into the school every week, learning about the needs of students, interacting with teachers and other staff, and making an impact by being faithful. A small group of people who are willing can make a big difference!
Ownership. In a small church, members may also feel a greater sense of ownership for the ministry. Without many paid staff, it is up to church members to develop the vision and the plan, find partners, and enlist other members to get involved. You can’t just look around and say, “Pastor So-and-So is going to do that.” In a small church, when you look around, you might only see yourself and a few of your friends. If you don’t do it, no one else will! This strong ownership by lay leaders can help ministry be sustainable over the long term.
Accountability. Finally, those in small churches may be better able to hold each other accountable for following through on ministry goals and commitments because you are small. If just a few of you are working on a project and two of you don’t show up, it’s pretty obvious who isn’t holding up their end of the work! It is harder to be anonymous and go back on what you’ve agreed to. It is harder to give up when your friends are on your case!
Small churches are all too aware of the challenges facing their ministries — limited funds, members, and facilities. But even in the face of such challenges, your small church can start some very powerful community ministries. Take stock of what you do have rather than what you don’t have, and build on those assets. Be creative about finding partners, raising money, and securing in-kind donations. And most importantly, keep going. Some of the most successful community ministries are small and focused and don’t require lots of money and people.
Joy F. Skjegstad is a consultant who works helping churches develop programs to meet community needs. She is the author of 7 Creative Models for Community Ministry (Judson Press, 2013) and Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002).
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To the Point

Read now and download free.

Final Days to Register for "Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money"
Conference and Livestream, Sat., March 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern Time, Washington, DC
Managing church finances requires skill, dedication, and know-how, but also the heart of a steward. Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money provides practical advice, best practices, and resources for pastors, finance committee members, church treasurers, financial secretaries, and bookkeepers -- all those charged with the sacred trust of protecting, sustaining, and growing the resources God has entrusted to your church.
Learn more and register now.
Quotable LeadershipToo many trivial projects are like seeds sown on stony ground -- they might sprout, but they do not take root and grow into anything useful. (Rosabeth Moss Kanter)

50 Ways to Multiply Your Church's Leadership Capacity
This free resource in our popular 50 Ways series provides strategies to identify and support new leaders and build and maintain effective ministry teams. Topics include: helping new leaders get started, inviting people effectively, making meetings matter, supporting and affirming existing leaders, and more.

This free 50 Ways resource provides strategies to identify and support new leaders and build and maintain effective ministry teams.

Make it easy for new leaders to get started

1. Consider ways to divide responsibilities among two or more individuals. Job sharing makes it easier for people to say “yes” and gets more people involved.
2. Ask existing leaders to invite someone new to partner with them as a way of easing someone new into a leadership role.
3. Invite people to join a team or take on a responsibility on a trial basis. Trial periods let everyone get a feel for things and allow for a graceful exit if it’s not a good fit.
4. Be honest about the time commitment required when someone steps into a new role. Vague expectations are off-putting and scary to potential leaders.
5. Avoid open-ended terms of service. No one wants to risk being saddled with a job forever. And term limits incentivize the search for the next leader.
6. Communicate a clear pathway for people to get involved in ministries and progress into leadership.
7. Maintain clear and up-to-date job descriptions. Ask leaders to keep good records that will allow the next person to hit the ground running.
8. Don’t assume simple tasks are always the best starting place. High-capacity people will only give their time to meaningful, challenging responsibilities.
9. Initiate new groups and programs regularly because they are more attractive and welcoming to new people than long-standing structures, which can be cliquish.

Build on the power of relationships

10. Schedule one-on-one conversations with prospective leaders to strengthen your interpersonal bonds and get to know their interests, gifts, and passions.
11. Make a special effort to get to know new people in your congregation or your neighborhood.
12. Think of your small groups as leadership incubators and their leaders as scouts. It’s often within the relational bonds of a small group that individuals experience spiritual growth and discover their gifts and callings.
13. Capitalize on the power of personal invitations. People are most motivated to do something when asked personally by someone they know.
14. Exploit the power of networks. Think beyond the people you know personally to those people your friends and acquaintances know.

Think beyond the usual suspects

15. Cast a wide net when looking for new leaders. Thumb through the whole church roster to think of people who might not otherwise come to mind.
16. Don’t limit your search to church members or attendees. Inviting someone from outside your church into a meaningful leadership role can be a great way of introducing them to your church’s mission.
17. Signal your openness to new people by displaying younger and more diverse leaders in visible roles, such as worship leadership or staff roles.

Invite people effectively

18. Maintain a bold, confident manner when asking someone to do something. Being reticent, uncertain, or apologetic is counterproductive.
19. Stay positive. Appeals to guilt or desperation motivate few, and communicate that your ministry is struggling or marginal. People want to be part of something vibrant and hopeful, not something that is spiraling downward.
20. Don’t rely on a single approach to recruiting people. Different people respond to different kinds of appeals, so mix it up occasionally.

Help people discover their gifts

21. Provide opportunities for people to explore their spiritual gifts through classes, gift inventories, and other structured means of gift discovery.
22. Avoid pigeonholing people according to their professional skills. An accountant may have spiritual gifts for teaching and a teacher may be spiritually gifted for administration.
23. Practice the “ICNU” approach. Train yourself and others to notice people’s gifts and then start a conversation with “Here is what I see in you….”
24. Think beyond people’s current capabilities. Imagine what they might become and help them learn to see areas of giftedness they don’t yet recognize in themselves.
25. Encourage every member of your church to listen for God’s call on their lives. Too often laypersons think that God’s call does not extend to them.

Delegate and empower

26. Encourage long-standing leaders to make space for new people by stepping aside and relinquishing control, while still collaborating and providing support.
27. Give new leaders the flexibility to innovate and implement goals creatively in service of the church’s overall mission and vision.
28. Equip people with what they need to succeed in a new leadership role — resources, information, training, affirmation, etc.
29. Support people in what they want to do rather than only trying to find new people to do what you need them to do.

Mentor new leaders

30. Know that informal mentoring is often a more effective way of preparing new leaders than formal leadership training.
31. Encourage existing leaders to invite someone new to “come alongside” and learn by observing, helping, and debriefing while on the job.
32. Embrace a mutual mentoring approach in which seasoned leaders share their wisdom while also seeking input and fresh perspectives from newer, younger people.

Develop a culture of team leadership

33. Rather than looking to an individual to manage a project, ask if it’s an opportunity to create a team.
34. Structure teams so that each member has a distinct and vital role. Commitment and accountability are enhanced when each team member knows their contribution is essential to the team’s success.
35. Multiply your teams and the number of team leaders by subdividing tasks and creating new teams when a job grows too large to be accomplished by a reasonably sized group.
36. Reinforce the expectation that a team leader’s role is not to do the work on behalf of the group, but rather facilitate and coordinate the work and maintain a healthy group dynamic.

Make meetings matter

37. Clarify the purpose of every meeting so that the group can accomplish what most needs to be done.
38. Think of a meeting agenda as a game plan for accomplishing the meeting’s purpose. In crafting your agenda ask, “Who needs to be at the table?” “What information is needed in advance?” “What key questions need to be addressed?”
39. Conduct meetings in a way that maximizes opportunities for everyone to participate meaningfully, because boredom results when participants are placed in a passive role.
40. Honor people’s time by keeping meetings to a reasonable length of time. When setting the agenda, be realistic about what the group can accomplish, watch the clock, and keep things moving along.
41. Drive decisions by listening for consensus and having the courage to act, rather than endlessly discussing things or letting a few dissenting voices derail the process.
42. Before adjourning, clarify what the group has decided and what each individual has agreed to do. This will help you monitor follow-through and achieve your goals.

Support and affirm existing leaders

43. Communicate regularly with leaders to maintain a healthy flow of information and honor their contribution by keeping them in the know.
44. Keep attentive to signs of possible burnout among your current leaders. Check in with leaders regularly and listen to their concerns.
45. Be realistic about the overall scope of your congregation’s programming. Don’t overload the calendar or schedule competing events that overtax your leaders’ time and energy.
46. Celebrate and affirm the work that has been accomplished — in worship, in social media, in the church newsletter, etc.
47. Say thank you regularly and often. Personal notes, public recognition, and informal words of thanks go a long way to make leaders feel appreciated.

Inspire people

48. Preach and teach regularly about the call to Christian service. Leadership in the church is more than volunteer work. It’s ministry. It’s a calling.
49. Stay grounded in your own faith and commitment to serve. People are most motivated to help whenasked by someone whose commitment they admire.
50. Always find ways of pointing people back to the ultimate purpose of the church’s mission because at the end of the day, people want to be connected to what matters.

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Learn Much More with the “More Church Leaders | Stronger Church Leaders” Video Tool Kit

Churches with vital, growing ministries learn to leverage leadership potential within their congregations. With More Church Leaders | Stronger Church Leaders you will learn strategies to identify and support new leaders and build and maintain effective ministry. The tool kit includes engaging videos, presentations, and supplemental materials to help you discover a more synergistic and fruitful way of being in ministry together. Learn more and watch video previews now.

Learn to Increase Active Engagement

What can you do when 20 percent of your congregation does 80 percent of the learning, serving, and leading? The Increasing Active Engagement Tool Kit includes videos, narrated presentations, outlines of key points, and supplementary materials to help you get and keep people involved and engaged. Learn more and watch introductory videos today.

Read now and download free.
***

Boring Announcements? Try Fun Video Announcements by Laura Heikes
Texas pastor Laura Heikes shares how weekly worship announcements in her church went from being a boring ritual to a source of life and joy when different people from the community were asked to deliver the announcements via video.
When you think of announcements, what comes to mind? Glazed expressions? Last minute requests? A list so long it hurts?
Now imagine your congregation rushing to find seats so they won’t miss the announcements. Imagine announcements that help your people meet their community. Weekly announcements, former bane of my pastoral responsibility, have become a source of life and joy at my church. How? We learned to use our cell phones. And we asked all kinds of different people from our community to deliver the announcements.

For the first time in ministry, I hear laughter and true joy when the announcements come on. And we are getting to know our neighbors by asking them to help us.

One week, I decided to try recording the announcements prior to the service and running them as a video. I’m not tech savvy, but it took me about ten minutes to recruit a few people and ten minutes more to stitch their videos together with a free app on my phone. My people love it. They see their friends, neighbors, and even folks they haven’t met. Announcements have become a tool that invites our people into the community.
If you’d like to use video announcements, here’s how:
1. Get to know your phone
Spend about ten minutes doing a tutorial on your phone’s movie making capabilities. You can trim videos to omit awkward starts and endings or piece two videos together. You can add smooth transitions, even background music.
2. Make a list of announcements for the coming Sunday
You likely have an aspect that is announced each week (welcome, attendance, etc.) and no more than two or three announcements specific to what’s coming up in the life of your church.
3. Think creatively about who could deliver each announcement
The local police department? The teachers at the elementary school next door? College students from the university in town? One week, the school mascot presented our church announcements. Other announcements came from the feed store, bank, coffee shop. We’ve visited a fitness boot camp and the local fire department. All have been happy to help.
4. Write out what you’d like the announcers to say
Consider using bullet points so your presenters don’t stumble. Make sure you tell them why it’s important. Don’t say, “We need volunteers to stock the food pantry…” Say, “Would you like to help a family who is struggling to make ends meet? With one hour at the food pantry…”
5. Share the love
Consider inviting members of the church to produce announcements. One man in our church who travels on business has filmed our announcements using passengers in the airport! Another asked her neighbors. Still another recruited musicians during a week’s worth of gigs. Not only are you sharing leadership in worship with your people, you’re encouraging everyone to know their community.
For the first time in ministry, I hear laughter and true joy when the announcements come on. There are no more last minute add-ons because the videos have been filmed in advance. Best of all, we are getting to know our neighbors by asking them to help us.
Sample videos

 
Related Resources

Eight Reasons People Aren’t Listening to Announcements by Rich Birch

Leaders Learn the Art of Making Announcements by Kem Meyer

The First Two Minutes of Worship by Brian Bauknight

Read more.

Billy Graham: Prophet of American Righteousness by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Lovett H. Weems Jr. examines the legacy of Billy Graham - his miraculous rise to prominence, his ability to transcend denominational differences, and his engagement with the public leaders of his day in a spirit that fostered unity over polarization.
Billy Graham, whom Garry Wills once called “the closest thing to a national pope that we shall ever see,” died leaving a legacy that will be appreciated and critiqued even longer than the span of his amazing life and ministry.
Goodwill
Graham’s rise to national prominence across religious lines could be described as miraculous. He was evangelical when there was virtually no national coverage of evangelicals. Graham’s evangelicalism was as much about spirit as beliefs. He had what biographer Marshall Frady called “sheer elemental goodness” and was “all goodwill” so it is no surprise he neither embraced nor was embraced by those who would later use evangelicalism as a vehicle for narrow political causes.

What may be extraordinary about Graham is not that he made mistakes but that he made so few given his fame and success.

Graham knew to be suspicious of the Moral Majority because of its origins in fears of segregated private schools losing their tax-exempt status and which then morphed into a political arm of one party. But, apart from bigotry and narrow political agendas, this new evangelical activism had a tone that was not Graham. He was not capable of being mean and vindictive.
American Righteousness
In many ways, Graham was the prophet of American righteousness with all the opportunities and limitations that brings. Graham is criticized for his linking too closely the American way with the Christian way and being too quick to bless success and power, including political power. One should hardly be surprised given the shaping years of Graham’s life as well as his and the nation’s narrative during those years.
It is true that he identified with order and his nation. He had a broader vision, but it was hard for him to believe badly about his country or its leaders. John Wesley had some of the same tendencies. Graham leaned Republican as Wesley leaned Tory. But, in neither case, does their tendency toward order tell the whole story of their ministries.
The Perils of Being Pastor to Presidents
Graham grew close to presidents, and they sometimes used him for their purposes and to his disadvantage. Graham did not seem to understand how dangerous such identification with presidents could be. It was said that when the Vietnam War was going particularly badly, Lyndon Johnson would call Billy Graham to the White House. Graham was not there to speak truth to power.
Graham’s relationship with Richard Nixon became the great embarrassment of his career, leading him to such private anguish that he once said with Wesley, “When I look into my heart, it looks like hell.” “I just couldn’t understand it,” Graham said. “I still can’t. I thought he was a man of great integrity. Sometimes, when I look back on it all now, it has the aspects of a nightmare.”
Unity over Polarization
What may be extraordinary about Graham is not that he made mistakes but that he made so few given his fame and success. He was not the first preacher to have integrated crusades in the South, but he was well ahead of virtually all white Southern clergy. He was almost 30 years ahead of most independent evangelists in setting up financial transparency and accountability. Some still have not done so, as Senate inquiries in recent years documented.
Graham may have been the last person with the stature to cross denominational differences in the way he was routinely able to do in planning his crusades. He understood the evangelical heritage of many denominations better than some of them knew their own stories. No one can bridge these gaps today. No one from his family or his denomination or elsewhere can cross the divides that separate us at this moment.
Over the years it is said that Graham was encouraged to run for pollical office. He never did, of course. Once when some were thinking he should run in North Carolina for the U.S. Senate, someone noted, “Why would he want to do that? Why would he want to become one of 100 Senators when he can be the one Billy Graham?”
Related Resources

• Martin Luther King Jr.’s 4 Key Principles of Prophetic Witness by Tony Hunt
• Nelson Mandela — A Leader for His Time by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

Read more.
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
A pastor went to a church with a vital ministry and strong participation. However, after a short time, it became clear that the worshipping congregation did not reflect the broader community. As the new pastor met with small groups, he asked this question:

• When we gather for worship on Sundays, who is missing?

Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.

Learn to Connect with Your Church's Neighbors
The Connect with Your Neighbors Video Tool Kitprovides you with tools and strategies to welcome your neighbors and improve worship attendance. Topics include: The Theology of Welcome; Discovering the People God has Given Us; Ways to Understand Your Neighbors Better; Discovering Who Your Neighbors Are; Needs-based Community Outreach; and more.
Learn more and watch introductory videos now.

50 Ways to Take Church to the Community
Churches can no longer open their doors and expect that people will come in. Effective congregations go into the world to encounter those in need of the gospel. "50 Ways to Take Church to the Community" provides tips on reaching beyond the walls of your church with worship, community events, ministries, and service.

Churches can no longer open their doors and expect that people will come in. Effective congregations go into the world to encounter those in need of the gospel. These 50 Ways provide tips on reaching beyond the walls of your church with worship, community events, ministries, and service.

Embrace an expansive concept of community

1. Learn to regard your community as an extension of your congregation. A church’s mission field goes beyond its membership to include all the people God calls it to serve. You are connected to individuals who never set foot in your building.
2. Know that what’s happening within the church — preaching, worship, music, Bible study — is no longer enough to attract people in an age when church attendance is no longer a cultural expectation.
3. Don’t sit in your church building waiting for people to come. Be prepared to meet people where they are.

Prepare spiritually

4. Acknowledge the synergy between the Great Commandment in Matthew 22 (love your neighbor as yourself) and the Great Commission in Matthew 28 (go and make disciples). Evangelistic outreach expresses our love of others.
5. Remember that Jesus primarily engaged people through everyday encounters, rather than in the Temple or synagogues. He fed people, met their everyday needs, and enjoyed the fellowship of others.
6. Express love and compassion for your community in big and small ways. Avoid judgmentalism.
7. Pray regularly for your neighbors and lift up community concerns.
8. Attend to the faith formation of existing members. Willingness to share faith and reach out to others develops as one grows in faith and discipleship.
9. Prepare spiritually for the transformation that creative, risk-taking outreach will bring.

Get to know the community surrounding your church

10. Review demographic data from public, private, and denominational sources, but don’t assume that statistics alone will tell the whole story.
11. Get out in your neighborhood. Walk the streets. Map the area, and record your observations. Note how the community is changing.
12. Assess community needs and assets. What are the needs of your context? Who are your neighbors, and how can you serve them?
13. Be attuned to where God is already at work in your community.

Listen and learn

14. Know that ministries that truly bless a community often arise out of conversations where you listen for the hopes and dreams of people in your community.
15. Interview residents of the community. Sit in a park, diner, or coffee house. Ask simply, “What are your challenges, hopes, longings and dreams?”
16. Get to know the major public officials. They are people with tremendous influence. They need to know of your church’s commitment to the community.
17. Involve many people from your church in this work. Hold one another accountable to the tasks of engaging and learning from others.
18. Discern clusters of issues and concerns that arise from these conversations. Ask what issues, suffering, injustices, or brokenness might you address.

Build authentic relationships

19. Strive for meaningful engagement with others, not superficial gestures.
20. Make sure you are reaching out to people for the right reasons. If your motive is simply to get them to come to church, people will see right through to it.
21. Maintain appropriate boundaries, and respect all with whom you engage.
22. Collaborate with others who are also passionate about the community. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you can partner with someone else serving the community.

Turn your existing ministries outward

23. Challenge each church group with an inside focus to find a way to become involved with the community outside the church. A choir might sing at a nursing home, or trustees could sponsor a neighborhood clean-up.
24. Extend recruiting and advertising for church groups and events to audiences beyond your congregation. For example, recruit for choir members in a local paper or community list serve.
25. Build relationships with those taking part in existing programs that serve the community, such as ELS classes, food pantry or clothes bank users, daycare families, etc.

Reach out through community events

26. Plan “bridge events” designed explicitly to draw people from the community by providing for them something they need or enjoy — block parties, free concerts, seasonal events, parenting classes, sports camps, or school supply giveaways, etc. Source: Get Their Name by Bob Farr, Doug Anderson, and Kay Kotan (Abingdon Press, 2013)
27. Hold these events off church property or outside the church walls in venues where people feel comfortable and naturally congregate.
28. Get the word out through a well-planned publicity campaign.
29. Encourage church members to invite their friends and neighbors. It is less threatening for them to invite someone to a community event than to worship.
30. Avoid explicitly religious themes: no preaching, prayers, pressure, or financial appeals that might turn people off or reinforce negative stereotypes about church.
31. Remember, the event itself is not the purpose. The purpose is to meet people where they are and build relationships. Mingle. Get to know people.
32. Have a well-trained hospitality team. Make sure guests are enjoying themselves and know their attendance is appreciated.
33. Gathering people’s names and information about them will permit follow up to those for whom it is appropriate.
34. Invite those who attend community events to another event — sometimes called a “hand off event” — planned to draw them into a deeper relationship.

Extend your congregation’s spiritual presence beyond church walls

35. Recognize that many “unchurched” people are spiritually inclined but apprehensive about attending church because they feel unwelcome, distrust institutions, or have been hurt in the past.
36. Pay attention to the heightened receptiveness to spiritual engagement around religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas.
37. Offer offsite worship services on special days, such as Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, and Easter. Select familiar venues where people feel comfortable — parks, restaurants, parking lots, coffee houses.
38. Offer imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday in public places.
39. Partner with other institutions (such as nursing homes, hospitals, or prisons) or commercial establishments (restaurants, bars, shopping centers, or sports facilities) to offer worship services to their constituents or clientele on special days.
40. Plan creative outdoor events, such as live nativities or “blessing of the animals” services, to help make your church visibly present to the community in creative ways.
41. Hold your Vacation Bible School in a local park or recreation center. Canvas nearby neighborhoods to invite families.
42. Reach out to local media. Community outreach is often newsworthy, and reporters are often looking for religiously themed stories around the holidays.

Connect spiritual outreach to community service

43. Acknowledge that many served through feeding and clothing ministries, justice ministries, weekday children’s services, and other ministries of community service have no other connections with our churches.
44. Ask if these ministries inadvertently convey an “us and them” attitude or communicate that “you are not worthy of joining us.”
45. Identify aspects of church life, such as characteristics of the building or how people dress, that may make some feel unwelcome. Are there alternatives that may reduce barriers for some to enter?
46. Treat everyone as a person of dignity who deserves respect.
47. Extend genuine hospitality to those you serve.
48. Focus first on building relationships of understanding and trust.
49. Consider adding a spiritual or discipleship element to community service activities but without any sense of expectation or requirement. For example, have a service or study following ESL classes for any interested.
50. Seek to conduct each activity in a way that connects people to God and the church.

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---

Reach New Disciples with the “Taking Church to the Community” Video Tool Kit

Explore strategies your congregation can use to reach beyond its walls with worship, community events, ministries, and service. The Taking Church to the Community Tool Kit features engaging videos, presentations, and supplemental materials and is designed for both self study and for use with groups in your church. Learn more and watch introductory videos today.

Quotable Leadership
[Billy] Graham had a humility almost entirely lost among the public preachers of our day. (Stephen Prothero)

Register Now for "Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money"
Conference and Livestream, Sat., March 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern Time, Washington, DC
Managing church finances requires skill, dedication, and know-how, but also the heart of a steward. Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money provides practical advice, best practices, and resources for pastors, finance committee members, church treasurers, financial secretaries, and bookkeepers -- all those charged with the sacred trust of protecting, sustaining, and growing the resources God has entrusted to your church.
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Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start
Are you a pastor preparing to begin ministry in a new setting? With The Right Start Video Tool Kit, you'll learn how to end your current ministry well, develop a personal transition plan, and make the most of your first days, weeks, and months in your new congregation. The Right Start is available in both Pastor's and Group Training Versions.
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***

Developing an Intentional Discipleship System by Junius B. Dotson
Junius B. Dotson says that churches cannot do the hard and intentional work of making disciples unless they are clear about what a disciple is and how disciples are formed. He outlines the key characteristics of a more intentional system for forming disciples.
If you say to average church leaders, “Tell me a little about what your church does,” they will typically respond with a list of activities and ministries: “We worship at 8:30 and 11:00. Sunday School is between the two services. We go on a mission trip to repair homes in June, and we have a bible study that meets on Wednesday nights.” All these things are good and should be a part of what we do as a church, but when we are asked what our church does, our answer should be, “We make disciples.”

There is no cookie-cutter approach to making disciples, and each disciple’s journey and each church’s process is unique. And yet we must take our part in the discipleship process seriously as it has been entrusted to us by Jesus.

What is a Disciple?
Let’s be honest. If we do not know what a disciple is or how they are formed, we will never know how to make them. The lack of clarity here keeps us from doing the hard and intentional work of making disciples. We must know the basic characteristics of a disciple, and we must think intentionally about how our church’s ministries and opportunities work together to assist in disciple formation.
Keep it simple. People intuitively know how to define a disciple. You want to give language to the people in the pews that is accessible and easy to remember. I have often used this definition: A disciple is one who knows Christ, is growing in Christ, serving Christ, and sharing Christ. This language can be tweaked for your context. The main thing is that you take the time to develop and clarify your definition of a disciple.
Characteristics of an Intentional Discipleship System
Intentional discipleship means we know and have planned out the many ways that people new to the faith enter into our church’s discipleship system and move through it on their way to growth and maturity. We then clearly communicate the opportunities that disciples have through the church and offer ways to self-assess and reflect upon the next steps for their spiritual journey.
Every intentional discipleship system should include clarity around three things.
1. Characteristics of a Disciple
What does discipleship look like at each stage of growth? Here’s an example. A disciple:

• Worships
• Is part of a community
• Commits to spiritual practices
• Is generous and serves
• Is seeking to be Christlike 

2. Characteristics of a Maturing Disciple
For each of the characteristics of a disciple you name, develop language that best describes what you hope will be the end product for your discipleship system. What will maturing disciples look like for each? For example:

• Worship. They begin to worship every day, including the Sabbath, inviting others.
• Community. They build relationships with others and share with them the life and community that they have found in God and their faith community.
• Spiritual Practices. They enjoy and practice spiritual disciplines and they begin to show others how to use spiritual disciplines to grow in faith and be drawn closer to God.
• Generosity and Service. They tithe and give beyond a tithe as God leads and restructures their lives and resources to join Jesus in service to others.
• Christlike. They partner with God and invite others to explore the life and teachings of Jesus.

3. Stages of Growth in the System
How does a disciple grow? What are the basic stages of growth that your community recognizes as part of discipleship growth. One example is: Believing, Behaving, Belonging. Another example is:

• Searching. Seeking to make sense of life: asking questions like, “What gives my life purpose, joy, and fulfillment?”
• Exploring. Attend, but not belong; may not be committed to follow Jesus; wrestling with God’s presence in our lives.
• Beginning. Beginning to understand and put into practice a newfound faith; excited about our faith, but still have doubts.
• Growing. Eager to be identified as a follower of Christ; taking personal responsibility for a growing relationship with Jesus; beginning to integrate faith into life in a holistic way and looking to Jesus for help.
• Maturing. Moving toward surrender of our lives to Jesus; longing to know, love, obey, serve, and be with Jesus as a disciple; beginning to make disciples.
• Context, Language, and Ownership

As you consider the basic principles of an intentional discipleship system, make it your own. Each church and ministry setting has a unique context. Your setting has language and terms that work best for you. It is only by making these basic concepts and language your own that your church leadership and people will be able to own the system.
The aim is not that you adopt this specific system, but that you become intentional about your system. Indeed, there is no cookie-cutter approach to making disciples, and each disciple’s journey and each church’s process is unique. And yet we, as disciples of Jesus, have a role to play in our own growth as individual disciples, in our accountability to and with other disciples, and in the formation of an intentional discipleship system for our church. We must take our part in the discipleship process seriously as it has been entrusted to us by Jesus.
This material is adapted from Developing an Intentional Discipleship System: A Guide for Congregations by Junius Dotson, published by Discipleship Ministries, and available as a free download at seeallthepeople.org.
Related Resources

• Becoming an Outward-Focused Church, a Leading Ideas Talks Podcast featuring Junius Dotson
• 16 Signs Your Church May Need a Renewed Focus on Disciple Making by Ken Willard and Mike Schreiner
• 7 Steps for Making Disciples Through Relational Mentoring by Ken Carter and Audrey Warren
• What is Your Faith Development Process? by Bob Farr and Kay Kotan

Read more.

Leading Ideas Talks Podcast: "Becoming an Outward-Focused Church"
How can we really see and hear the people in front of us? Listen as Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe speaks with thought leader Rev. Junius Dotson about moving from being inward-focused to outward-focused.
Listen now.16 Signs Your Church May Need a Renewed Focus on Disciple Making by Mike Schreiner And Ken Willard

Mike Schreiner and Ken Willard say too many churches are driven by structure and programs, not the imperative of making disciples. They outline 16 symptoms related to membership, service, finances, and fruitfulness that may indicate that your church needs to renew its focus on disciple making.
A discipleship process is an intentional method created to help individuals continually grow closer to the full likeness of Christ in all areas of their lives. We cannot do it for someone else. However, we can partner with them on the journey and provide teaching opportunities as well as opportunities to apply what they learn through doing. We can give encouragement and offer real-life examples to keep them moving and growing as disciples. Everyone is at a different place on their spiritual growth path, and our role is to help them take one more step toward Jesus.

Today churches of all sizes are mainly driven by structure and programs, not by making disciples. We believe this has moved us away from our true mission and created our current culture of declining attendance and disconnection from the local mission field.

In Matthew 16:2-3, Jesus admonished the Pharisees and Sadducees for not being able to “recognize the signs” all around them. Today churches of all sizes are mainly driven by structure and programs, not by making disciples. We believe this has moved us away from our true mission and created our current culture of declining attendance and disconnection from the local mission field.
Here are some of the signs we have found in churches needing a renewed focus on making disciples:
Turnover
1. Does your church receive a lot of first and second time guests, but then never see them again? Is the back door of the church as large as the front door?
2. Losing people after a major event. Sometimes people come to a baptism, wedding, confirmation, VBS, mission trip, new facility opening never to return once that event is over.
3. New members who are excited to join. They initially get involved in various ministries, and then suddenly stop coming.
4. Long-term members who leave over some minor issue. “How dare they change the color of the carpet without consulting me!”
Service
5. Inability to fill volunteer positions. The church finds itself resorting to begging people to serve and, in some cases, even threatening, “If no one steps up to serve, then we will have to stop this ministry.”
6. New members and attendees coming to worship, but not serving anywhere.
7. Established members reporting ministry “burn-out.”
Missed Connections
8. Members and attendees not inviting family or friends to worship or other church events.
9. Church events that are only fellowship gatherings instead of “bridge events.” Bridge events allow new people to experience the church in a safe, nonthreatening way and receive an invitation to attend a worship service.
10. Ministries not producing new fruit. Instead, these just move people from group to group or study to study.
Church Finances
11. The church lives from offering to offering and always talks about how to raise money and cut expenses.
12. Members and attendees do not grow in their financial giving from year to year.
13. Too much dedicated giving. The church finds itself emphasizing funding specific ministries instead of focusing on the general ministry fund.
14. Church ministries being funded by selling items or holding special fundraising events. For example, the youth ministry is totally dependent on selling cookies. The annual white elephant sale is the only funding for the women’s ministry.
15. Leaders not setting the example of tithing.
16. The congregation’s discomfort with money. Members do not want the pastor to talk about money or know how much each person or family gives.
This article is adapted from Stride: Creating a Discipleship Pathway for Your Church (Abingdon Press, 2017) by Mike Schreiner and Ken Willard. Used by permission. The book is available at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Related Resources
Developing an Intentional Discipleship System by Junius Dotson
7 Steps for Making Disciples Through Relational Mentoring by Ken Carter and Audrey Warren
What is Your Faith Development Process? by Bob Farr and Kay Kotan

Read more.
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
Knowing that people are our greatest asset and that the issues we face today are exceedingly complex, Hayim Herring and Terri Martinson Elton suggest a different stance for congregations through this question.

• What if congregations flipped their understanding of themselves from being dispensers of information to platforms for collective learning?

Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.

50 Ways to Encourage Faithful Giving
Helping people experience the joy of giving is more than a way of funding the church's ministry. These "50 Ways" of encouraging faithful giving will help your church members grow in discipleship through faithful stewardship and extravagant generosity.

Helping people experience the joy of giving is more than a way of funding the church’s ministry. These 50 Ways of encouraging faithful giving will help your church members grow in discipleship through faithful stewardship and extravagant generosity.

Stress the spiritual dimension of stewardship

1. Teach stewardship as a holistic model of our relationship with God, as the tangible expression of our trust in God. Giving is a spiritual matter as central to faithful living as prayer, Bible study, and worship.
2. Reinforce giving as an act of worship. Use the offering time to lift up the spiritual significance of giving. Take an offering at every service.
3. Set a good example. The pastor should tithe and encourage other ministers, staff, and leaders to do the same. All leaders must take their giving seriously and model generosity.
4. Talk openly about money and faithfulness to God. If leaders are uncomfortable about money then members will be also. Know your story of giving and be willing to testify about it.
5. Model the giving spirit you seek from members in your church budget by giving generously to ministries beyond the congregation.
6. Teach the theology of stewardship through a variety of means — church school classes, other study venues, sermons, and correspondence. Use stewardship scripture, quotations, and stories in bulletins, newsletters, other printed materials, and the website.

Know what motivates giving

7. Know that people give to many things for a variety of reasons. Few have a well-planned or consistent giving strategy. Some give on impulse. Others are more cautious. Different kinds of appeals are effective with different types of givers.
8. Recognize that people want to make a difference. They will give to what they value.
9. Appreciate that faithful giving is a fruit of spiritual maturity. It takes time and much nurture to develop.
10. Do not engage in fund raising. People give to God, not to raise the preacher’s salary or pay the utilities. Don’t make church gifts “one more bill to pay” — a bill that can be skipped without late fees, penalties, or the need to catch-up. Emphasize giving as a joyful response to God’s generosity, not an obligation.
11. Talk to members about stewardship and opportunities for giving. Most people never increase their giving because they were never asked, nor given compelling reasons to do so. Don’t be afraid to lift up the needs of the church, but always in a way that emphasizes mission.
12. Nurture relationships. People give to persons and organizations where they feel a connection. Church leaders should listen carefully for clues about issues of importance to church members. Personal solicitation is critical, especially for larger gifts.

Link stewardship to mission and ministry

13. Remember that people — especially younger generations — give to support mission, not institutions or budgets. Everything you communicate about giving should stress ministry, not maintenance.
14. Congregational vitality is key to giving. Whatever increases member involvement and participation will help giving. Involve as many as possible in the church’s ministries.
15. Share information freely about the wonderful things giving makes possible. Use announcements to remind people of the impact they are having. Bulletin boards featuring how the church is in mission are good reminders to a congregation. Websites offer ways to tell the church’s story and to interpret stewardship and giving.

Know your givers and congregational giving patterns

16. Do not make assumptions about what people give — most of the time you will be wrong.
17. Give your pastor access to members’ giving records as a matter of pastoral care, not power or privilege.
18. Keep alert for any changes in giving patterns — if giving stops without explanation, if an adult child starts writing checks for their parents, if there is confusion about giving, if designated gifts replace general giving, etc. Notify the pastor of any potential pastoral care concerns.
19. Know your people and approach them where they are. Someone who has never given does not respond in the same manner as someone who gives faithfully, proportionately, and generously.
20. Understand the financial profiles in your community. If few people carry cash, a spur of the moment offering will not succeed. Remember that more women than men carry a checkbook and younger generations are more inclined to pay by electronic or other non-cash means. A 25 year-old is unlikely to make a stock gift, while an older member on a fixed income may prefer an estate gift to one that reduces their monthly income.
21. Monitor giving Indicators throughout the year. Compare pledge payments with those of previous years.
22. Know how actual income compares to budgeted income for a given time of year. Avoid reporting what is “needed to date” by dividing the total budget into equal monthly or weekly segments. No congregation receives its income so evenly. Instead, determine how much income is “needed to date” based on a rolling three-year average of what percent of total giving is normally received during that period.

Provide a variety of ways to give

23. Give people multiple opportunities to give. Those new to the church may be unfamiliar with the concept of pledging and tithing. Other ways of giving can get them in the habit.
24. Consider sending some appropriate communication a few times a year to those who do not pledge and to non-resident members.
25. Remember that people can give from their income, from their assets (stock, 401Ks, bonds and real property), or through legacies or bequests. Create giving opportunities appropriate to each type of gift.
26. Don’t wait decades between capital campaigns. More frequent capital drives create a culture of supporting the church’s capital needs and prevent neglect of property concerns.
27. Create a foundation or permanent fund, even if you have not yet received any bequests. People cannot give to what does not exist. Formulate policies for wills, legacies, and bequests. A large estate gift can be divisive if proper procedures are not in place.

Assist members in the stewardship of their personal resources

28. Remember that personal finances and spending decisions are as much a part of Christian stewardship as giving to the church. Too often churches ask people to consider the church’s financial situation, but seldom offer to help with members’ financial situations.
29. Teach members to think about their finances as an expression of faith. Use appropriate study resources to foster a theology of personal stewardship. Reinforce tithing and “first-fruits” giving as a faithful way of prioritizing one’s personal finances – not a way to pay church bills.
30. Offer workshops on budgeting, financial management, and estate planning.
31. Encourage sessions in which members can come together to discuss personal financial challenges. For example, parents of students preparing for college could discuss educational funding options. Those responsible for aging parents could come together to talk with other members who have learned of resources to help.
32. Minister to the economic concerns of parishioners. Provide pastoral assistance and support groups for the unemployed, those in career transition, and those facing financial difficulty.

Develop a year-round, comprehensive stewardship program

33. Preach stewardship sermons throughout the year, not just in the weeks before asking for an estimate of annual giving.
34. Know that developing a congregation of faithful givers does not happen during a three to four-week stewardship drive. People do not become faithful stewards in one moment or through one influence.
35. Create an annual stewardship calendar, emphasizing different stewardship concerns at different times of year – such as annual commitment in the fall, second-mile giving at year-end, planned giving at All Saint’s Day, etc. Develop stewardship themes that fit with different church events and liturgical seasons.
36. Encourage faithful giving over the summer by preaching on stewardship the last Sunday before school is out. Everyone knows the churches bills do not go on vacation, so quit reminding your members of that.
37. Make giving and stewardship education a part of your ministry with children and youth.
38. Take the time to do everything related to stewardship well. Poor planning results in poor giving. Inspire generosity through sound management
39. Know that people give to healthy organizations where they know their money is used wisely.
40. Exhibit honesty and openness in financial interactions.
41. Seek a good working relationship based on trust between the pastor, treasurer, and financial secretary.
42. Make sure at least two unrelated people count the offering each week.
43. Make sure all funds are administered properly. Keep precise records of income and dispersements. Keep your giving records secure.
44. Keep the congregation informed of financial matters in meaningful ways. Issue timely financial reports and make them available to any member who requests them. Report financial concerns in a consistent manner.
45. Send out pledge reports/giving statements in a timely fashion, always with a thank you and a reminder about any update that may be needed.
46. Arrange for an independent audit or review of funds annually. Put a brief announcement in the Sunday bulletin a few times stating the completed audit has been reviewed by the finance committee and is available to members wishing to review it.

Say thanks often

47. Find multiple occasions and ways to say “thank you” to those who make the church’s ministry possible — from the pulpit, in person, in the newsletter, and on their giving statements.
48. Conduct an annual “thank-a-thon” not associated with a fund drive.
49. Tell stories of how lives are changed because of their giving. People need to know their giving makes a difference.
50. As a sign of appreciation, make sure all your procedures for giving are as convenient as possible. Avoid procedures and policies that are for the convenience of those who handle the funds rather than those who give the funds.

Download a PDF of this page to share with others.

Read and download free.

Apply Now for the 2018-19 Lewis Fellows Program
We are now receiving applications for the 2018-19Lewis Fellows program that brings together outstanding young clergy (under the age of 35) from a variety of denominational backgrounds for intensive leadership development activities and sustained peer interaction. Support for this program is provided by the Lilly Endowment's Transition into Ministry initiative.
Applications are due by April 13, 2018.
Learn more about the program, meeting dates, costs, and eligibility requirements.
Quotable Leadership
Get rid of things that aren't working to make space for new things that are. (Lisa Bodell)

Register Now for "Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money"
Conference and Livestream, Sat., March 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern Time, Washington, DC
Managing church finances requires skill, dedication, and know-how, but also the heart of a steward. Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money provides practical advice, best practices, and resources for pastors, finance committee members, church treasurers, financial secretaries, and bookkeepers -- all those charged with the sacred trust of protecting, sustaining, and growing the resources God has entrusted to your church. Save with early-bird registration through February 12.
Learn more and register now.

Reach New Disciples with the "Taking Church to the Community" Video Tool Kit
Explore strategies your congregation can use to reach beyond its walls with worship, community events, ministries, and service. The Taking Church to the Community Tool Kit features engaging videos, presentations, and supplemental materials and is designed for both self-study and for use with groups in your church.
Learn more and watch introductory videos now.
***

A New Start in Lent by Doug Powe
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe says that congregations, as well as individuals, can make a new start during Lent by giving up some things, like fear or lethargy, or taking up other things, like risk and new rhythms.
Typically, we think of Lent and Ash Wednesday as times of individual soul searching. Lent is a time for each of us to recommit ourselves to Christlike living. As a sign of this commitment, we typically give up something or take on something during Lent. I believe Lent can also be an opportunity for congregations to do communal soul searching. What are those things we as a congregation need to give up or take on during the season of Lent? This sort of communal soul searching can help a congregation make a new start.

Congregations can need a new start, just as individuals do. The season of Lent is the perfect time for us to give up fear and lethargy. It is the perfect time to take on risk and new rhythms.

Giving up fear
Many congregations need to fast from fear. Congregations that are experiencing challenges or even congregations that are thriving often fear taking the next step. Those experiencing challenges often fear another low turnout at a ministry event. Instead of believing where two or three are gathered God is at work, an attitude of “Why bother?” permeates the community. Thriving congregations, where things have been going well, often get to the point of fearing it will all fall apart if they try this next thing. In both cases fear can paralyze a congregation, preventing it from living out its calling to be ambassadors for Christ. Fasting from fear during Lent can help a congregation to move forward boldly.
Giving up lethargy
Many congregations need to fast from lethargy. In Revelation 3:16, the church at Laodicea is described as being lukewarm. There are some congregations just going through the motions. They really have no enthusiasm for Christ. Individuals show up for worship and various church meetings just because it is what they have always done. The passion for God and making a difference in the lives of others is not visible. Lethargy is dangerous; the congregation is functioning, but no one seems really invested. Fasting from lethargy during Lent can help a congregation regain passion for its mission.
Taking on risk
In recent years, some have discovered that it is taking on a practice during Lent, rather than just giving something up, that helps them draw closer to God. Some congregations need to take on risk-taking. It is one thing to give up fear, but another to be intentional about trying something new. During Lent, a congregation can try something new as a short-term experiment. For example, instead of talking about starting a Bible Study at the local coffee shop or senior home, go and do it. The risk is limited to the Lenten season, so even if it does not go as planned it will not be devastating. Taking the right risk during Lent can create a new opportunity for your congregation to recommit itself to Christ and participate in God’s transforming work.
Taking on new rhythms
Some congregations need to take on new rhythms. A congregation that is lethargic needs to break out of the mundane rhythms that are currently plaguing the community of faith. For example, instead of holding the Easter egg hunt on the church property as you do every year, why not move it to a park or school near the congregation and make it a community event? The idea is to think about how some of the things you are doing can be done differently to reenergize the faith community. Developing new rhythms is challenging because we are creatures of habit, but the payoff is that it can help us engage with passion once again.
A new start for congregations as well as individuals
Congregations can need a new start, just as individuals do. The season of Lent is the perfect time for us to give up fear and lethargy. It is the perfect time to take on risk and new rhythms. Think about what you can do at your congregation? A new start may be just what you need.
Related Resources

• The Lent Challenge by Tom Berlin
• Creative Lenten Activity Encourages Reflection by Kelly Crespin

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9 Ways Leaders Can Promote Faithful Stewardship by Ann A. Michel
Leadership is a critical factor in nurturing a culture of generous giving, says Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff. She names the nine key leadership practices that help to promote a climate of faithful stewardship within a congregation.
Many factors come into play in nurturing a congregational culture of responsible stewardship. But leadership is undoubtedly one critical factor. Teaching both stewardship and leadership to seminarians, I’ve honed in on a key set of skills and practices for those who want to lead effectively in the realm of congregational stewardship.
Perhaps the most important roles for a spiritual leader is to help people see money and giving through the lens of their faith.
1. Set an example
There is truth in the adage, “You can’t lead someone where you haven’t been yourself.” It’s nearly impossible for a pastor or other church leader to be credible on issues of giving without first committing themselves to tithing or sacrificial giving. If your own giving doesn’t meet the standard you exhort others to, it’s time to get serious about your own stewardship.
2. Provide the theological framework
Our faith has a powerful, life-changing message about generosity and abundance — one that stands in sharp contrast to our cultural narratives, which are saturated in greed, scarcity, and acquisitiveness. Perhaps a spiritual leader’s most important role is to help people see money and giving through the lens of their faith.
3. Connect stewardship and giving to vision and mission
While maintaining our institutions is part of responsible stewardship, giving to the church is about more than balancing the budget or meeting institutional needs. Leaders inspire generosity best when they connect giving to the vision and the mission of the church — not just the bottom line. Transforming lives is a more potent cause than paying the bills or keeping the lights on.
4. Preach regularly about stewardship but not in the context of asking for money
In many churches, giving is addressed from the pulpit only once a year, in “The Annual Stewardship Sermon,” which generally comes at the end of a perfunctory commitment campaign. What if, instead, stewardship sermons were preached at various times throughout the year, totally apart from when you’re asking people to make pledges? People are more receptive to hearing what you have to say if they don’t think it’s a thinly veiled attempt to get more of their money.
5. Develop the skill of asking for money
The success of any ministry leader depends in large part on being effective in asking others to engage in ministry as participants or financial supporters, which means that asking for support is a critical leadership skill. If you’re reticent about asking people for money, think about these questions: Why is it important to you? Why is it important to them? And why is it important to God? Learn to approach these situations forthrightly and with confidence. Practice in front of a mirror, if necessary. Or partner with someone else who is skilled in asking.
6. Say thank you
One of the best ways to cultivate generosity is to say, “Thank you!” regularly and often, especially in the church where giving and gratitude are linked theologically. Yet churches typically lag far behind other charities in acknowledging their supporters and donors. Find multiple occasions and ways to thank those who make the church’s ministry possible — from the pulpit, in person, in the newsletter, and on their giving statements.
7. Cultivate others as stewardship leaders, especially laity
While it’s important for pastors to be stewardship leaders, if the pastor is the only person addressing the subject, it can be awkward and even appear self-interested. Engaging others in stewardship leadership creates a sense of ownership in the outcomes and motivates them to delve more deeply into a subject they might otherwise neglect.
8. Model faith and generosity in matters of church finance
Consider the mixed message when a church asks people to give sacrificially in faith that God will provide abundantly while at the same time it projects alarm and fear when communicating about the church’s financial situation. A congregation needs to practice what it preaches, to demonstrate a mindset of abundance, not scarcity, and to give generously beyond itself, if that is what it expects from its members.
9. Model transparency and accountability around money and giving
Money is a taboo subject in many congregations, inhibiting frank conversation about how giving connects to accountable discipleship. Pastors and other leaders can break the silence by talking more openly about their own personal stewardship and how they give.

• Theology of Stewardship and Biblical Generosity Video Tool Kit
• “50 Ways to Encourage Faithful Giving,” a free resource from the Lewis Center
• Giving Up to Our Potential by Ann A. Michel

Read more.
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
Attempting a new ministry or a ministry for which you have no track record requires a different set of questions than those you might ask when attempting to improve an existing ministry. Some of the questions for a new ministry effort include:

• Does this ministry fit our mission and values?
• Is it feasible in light of our strengths and capabilities?
• Does it meet an important need?
• Are we clear about those we seek to reach and serve?
• What do we need to learn and with whom should we be talking?
• Is there a way to test our initial ideas and plans?
• On what assumptions are we basing our plans?

Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.

Learn about Stewardship and Biblical Generosity
Designed to nurture the spiritual discipline of giving, Theology of Stewardship and Biblical Generosity may be used in a variety of Christian education settings or in conjunction with an annual stewardship emphasis. This video tool kit is ecumenical and may be used for self-study or with groups. Featured topics: Stewardship 101; What the Bible Teaches about Giving; A Christian Understanding of Money, Possessions, and Generosity; Biblical Generosity; and Faith and Generosity.
Learn more and watch an introductory video now.

Should Pastors Know What Members Give?
Should pastors have access to contribution records? In some congregations, pastors are prohibited from knowing what people contribute. In others, pastors choose to shield themselves from this information. A good pastor, however, pays attention to all the signs of spiritual development, including stewardship. Read "To the Point: Should Pastors Know What Members Give?"
To The Point
Every time I teach on stewardship, this question invariably comes up: “Should pastors have access to contribution records?” In some congregations, pastors are prohibited from knowing what people contribute. In others, pastors choose to shield themselves from this information.
The stated reason often is that a pastor might show favoritism to those who contribute more generously or fail to minister adequately to the less generous. But really? What pastor is so obsessed with money that he or she is incapable of ministering fairly to all? Anyone that crass would probably play favorites with those who attend worship and Bible study more regularly, too. Yet no one suggests that pastors wear blindfolds in the pulpit to prevent them from seeing who is in the pews.

A good pastor pays attention to all the signs of spiritual development. And someone’s giving is one important fruit of spiritual maturity. Growth in giving can signal a deepening faith commitment. And an unexpected drop in giving can be a symptom of other pastoral concerns, such as illness or unemployment.

Pastors who do not know what people give cannot help but make assumptions. And those assumptions are almost invariably wrong. The shut-in who has not attended church in years might not seem like a key player in your church. But if she is the most faithful tither, doesn’t she deserve affirmation and thanks? It is easy to assume that an active church leader is also a faithful steward. But what if that leader was never taught the fundamentals of faith and generosity? Isn’t it better to know than to guess wrongly?
There are valid pastoral, spiritual, and developmental reasons why pastors, and sometimes other key church leaders, should know what people give. But money can be a touchy subject. And people might be upset if they assume their giving is unknown to the pastor or others and then find out otherwise. If this information has always been tightly guarded, think carefully about the best ways to begin to pierce the veil of secrecy. Here are a couple of options.
Establish a Policy
Some churches find it helpful to formulate a policy on access to giving records. Begin by asking, “Who already knows what people give?” Even in churches where there is a high level of secrecy around giving, somebody knows what people give. Then ask who else needs to know and why? Do the clergy need to know for pastoral reasons? Do finance or stewardship leaders need to know to promote better stewardship? Formulate a clear policy and ask your finance committee and governing board to approve it.
Give People an Option
A church in New England had the idea of adding a check box to their pledge card that said, “It is all right to share my pledge amount with my pastor.” At the last minute, they decided to make it an opt-out box instead, reading “Please do not share with my pastor my pledge amount.” This alerts people to the fact that the pastor knows, but gives them a choice in the matter if it causes discomfort. The pastor reports that very few people check the box.
Model the Way
Ultimately, the best way to foster a culture of greater transparency around giving is to talk about it more. Pastors and other leaders can model the way by openly discussing their giving in thoughtful, appropriate, and humble ways. When we share testimonies about our giving, we teach and inspire others about the importance of faithful giving.
I am not suggesting printing giving amounts in the newsletter. Although strangely, many people who insist on secrecy with church giving don’t object to their names and giving levels appearing in the annual reports of other charities. In fact, they would be upset if left off! But the conspiracy of silence around giving in churches is contrary to responsible stewardship. Accountable discipleship requires that we be far more transparent around faith and money. Being a bit more open about our giving and a little less uptight about who knows are good steps in that direction.
Dr. Ann A. Michel is associate director of the Lewis Center and lecturer in church leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary where she teaches stewardship classes.
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To the Point
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Quotable Leadership
Rather than going to God with a list, go to God and ask what is it you have that you need to let go of, and what is it that God has that you need to receive. (Marty Cauley)

Adult Education Studies for Your Small GroupsThe Lewis Center is the home of the Wesley Ministry Network -- video-based ecumenical studies that encourage energetic discussion and personal reflection. Ideal for your congregation's small groups, adult Bible studies, and Sunday School classes, courses include lessons on DVD, Leader's Guides, Participant's Guides, and more.
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Register Now for "Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money"
Conference and Livestream, Sat., March 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern Time, Washington, DC
Managing church finances requires skill, dedication, and know-how, but also the heart of a steward. Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money provides practical advice, best practices, and resources for pastors, finance committee members, church treasurers, financial secretaries, and bookkeepers -- all those charged with the sacred trust of protecting, sustaining, and growing the resources God has entrusted to your church.
Learn more and register now.
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Engaging Millennials in Small Groups Requires Constant Adaptation by Scott Chrostek
In his book The Kaleidoscope Effect, Scott Chrostek says permanent, static programming doesn't work with emerging generations. He describes how Resurrection Downtown in Kansas City has succeeded in drawing Millennials into small groups by constantly adapting their approach.
The Millennials I meet aren’t necessarily looking for the church to have a place to worship, receive the sacraments, and grow in faith; they are looking to make quality friends — friends who share a similar worldview or set of values. At Resurrection Downtown in Kansas City, we attempt to adapt our programming to meet them where they are in the hopes that they will experience God through these relationships.

To lead the emerging generations, we must exude an affinity for change, adaptation, and innovation. We must constantly find ways to improve our ministries. We must be willing to try new things all the time.

“Arranged marriages” that failed
Initially, we collected the names and numbers of anyone who expressed a desire for meaningful relationships. We organized these individuals to connect on a weekly basis to share life with others in groups of eight to twelve. Within a short period of time, we had launched several small groups involving over one hundred individuals. We thought we had succeeded, until they told us we hadn’t. People began to share with us how they weren’t sure they liked the people they had just committed to do life with. Slowly but surely, these small groups, created to meet the needs of our community, were unraveling. Our “arranged marriages” were ending in divorces all over the place, and what we had thought was working no longer seemed to be doing so.
Low-commitment community groups
So, we adapted. We tried to create a low-commitment approach to community life that would allow for relationships and friendship to emerge naturally. Every two weeks, we launched a “community group” — a short-term study (Bible or book), with a definite start and stop that spanned anywhere between four and six weeks. Anyone could drop in, sign up, drop out, or walk away at any point in time. We invited people to consider them as a way of drawing nearer to God in study and to each other in conversation.
People would choose to attend a group because of its convenient location, its start time, the study material, or simply because of right “timing.” By launching these groups every two weeks, we always had something new to offer anyone desiring to become a bigger part of the community.
Over the course of that next year, our community groups thrived. In some cases, people developed friendships so quickly that they’d skip another community group and express an interest in forming a new small group. In short order, we began forming new small groups, only this time they were authentic or organic in their origin.
Young and [un]Professional
We learned that while many Millennials desire to be surrounded by multiple generations, there is also a strong subset who longed to meet people their own age. In response, we launched a group entitled Young and [un]Professional or “Yups” for short. Anyone who was under the age of thirtyish was invited to join this weekly community group that gathered around a book or topic-driven lesson that would eventually move toward a social outing, dinner, or coffee. From the outset, this group gained momentum quickly. But eventually, many of the young adults who had built relationships opted to graduate from Yups by forming or joining small groups or leaving altogether. And just like that, what had once been working stopped.
Constant adaptation
And so, we adapted again. The next thing we tried was to form sports teams that were led and managed by our young adult small groups. We also launched a dinner club for young adults that met twice a month to try out the best restaurants in the community. We also formed a mission team and mission opportunities geared specifically for young adults so that we could meet people in soup kitchens, rebuild old homes, tend gardens, or pick up trash throughout the city.
We tried numerous new things to see what would connect. And whenever things didn’t, we would simply turn or change directions. Our multiple failures didn’t stop us from adapting or rotating just slightly to stumble upon or create the next beautiful thing. Most recently, we have put together a group called 20/30, and it is hosted primarily on social media, but points people to regular get-togethers ranging from coffee hours 15 minutes before or after worship services to dialogue and discussion on theology, literature, and race. This virtual group has paved the way for a variety of connection points managed in one place in the hopes of meeting as many people possible both within the church and outside it. How long will it last? I don’t know, but for now, it is hitting the right note. When it ceases, we’ll simply adapt.
This material is adapted from Scott Crostek’s book The Kaleidoscope Effect: What Emerging Generations Seek in Leaders (Abingdon Press, 2017). Used by permission. The book is available at Cokesbury and Amazon
Related Resources

• “The Kaleidoscope Effect: What Emerging Generations Seek in Leaders,” a Leading Ideas Talks podcast featuring Scott Chrostek
• Welcoming Millennials by Preserving Their Anonymity by Scott Chrostek
• 5 Keys to Cultivating an Environment Irresistible to Emerging Generations by Scott Chrostek

Read more.

Leading Ideas Talks Podcast: "The Kaleidoscope Effect: What Emerging Generations Seek in Leaders"
How can church leaders shift and adapt to the rapid cultural changes experienced by younger adults? Listen as Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with Rev. Scott Chrostek, pastor of Resurrection Downtown in Kansas City, about his book The Kaleidoscope Effect: What Emerging Generations Seek in New Leaders.
Listen now.

Closing a Congregation as An Act of Faithfulness by Lee Ann M. Pomrenke
Minnesota Pastor Lee Ann Pomrenke reflects on the painful reality of having to bring a congregation or a ministry to an end. While there is a tendency to see closure as a failure and assign blame, she considers how closing a congregation can be an act of faithfulness and responsible stewardship that can open the way to new life.
The 10-year-old mission start I was serving was headed toward closing. It was a suburban congregation of mostly families and children surrounded by large churches of the same denomination. There were no elderly people, no building to sell, and few assets to disperse. The history they had to mourn and celebrate was relatively short, but deeply meaningful to those who remained. A more experienced interim pastor, who had closed two older, urban congregations, helped me see that while ours was not the usual story of a congregation closing, it still brought the heart of the matter into sharp focus: closing this ministry was not failure, it was a way of living faithfully.
When the number of people dwindles, and resources start to run out, the tendency is to try to stretch them, even to the breaking point. But redirecting passions and resources into a ministry that can use them well is an expression of faithful stewardship.
Confession and Forgiveness
Most church leadership resources focus on rethinking or kickstarting a ministry in decline. This desire easily translates into assigning blame when things don’t turn around. There is likely to be a bombardment of suggestions or strategies from “helpful” outsiders, especially when the ministry’s closing is made public. Anyone vaguely connected might ask, “Did you try this?” or “What went wrong?”
So, our first practice of faithfulness was confession and forgiveness. Church systems, much like families, are complex organisms. There is usually a web of interconnected causes and reactions amidst conflict. There are things everyone could have done differently in the past, but we can only respond to the present moment. We can each examine and confess our own thoughts and actions done or left undone. Then declare to each other, by the command of Christ, the entire forgiveness of all our sins. This is faithfulness.
Resurrection after Death
We are resurrection people, but resurrection comes only after death. So, the death of a ministry requires a lot of faith in the promise of resurrection. The story that resonated deeply was that of the women at the end of Mark’s Gospel, who knew the power of Jesus and his promise of the resurrection, yet still fled the empty tomb in fear. The congregation had diminished as families returned to the surrounding large churches when things got tough. They were emotionally exhausted and couldn’t yet see what resurrection could look like for them. Maybe no one would believe the power of Christ they had experienced in this community because of the ending.
We also read John’s account of Mary Magdalene weeping in the garden, but finally recognizing Jesus when he called her by name. This was the most crucial task of the tight-knit group, who could call each other by name and thereby reveal Jesus still alive and well in their midst. Their relationships were proof that Jesus foils death and brings new life, however unrecognizable it is at first. But nobody has been abandoned. Closing is not an indication that God has abandoned us or that we have abandoned God. Scripture bears witness to this, certainly, but so does our experience. When we are most bereaved, troubled, or feeling like failures, the Holy Spirit opens us to new possibilities. That’s a terrifying unknown, but one deeply rooted in God’s great faithfulness and commitment to us.
Faithful Stewardship
When the number of people dwindles, and their energy and resources start to run out, the tendency is to continually try to stretch them, even to the breaking point. But redirecting their passions and resources into a ministry that can use them well is an expression of faithful stewardship.
When the day came to vote about closure, our church council reviewed the five benchmarks they had set to inform their decision. Significantly, the one benchmark that had been satisfied was the financial goal. The bank account did not force the decision. This was an interpretive nudge. The story to be told was not that we were closing because money had run out but rather because we had discerned, with God’s help, that it would be more faithful to direct those resources into different ministries. God was calling us to more faithful stewardship.
When closing a long-lived congregation that peaked decades ago, it can be helpful to talk about the life cycle of congregations, along the lines of Ecclesiastes 3. For everything there is a season …. (See Ending with Hope: A Resource for Closing Congregations, Alban Institute, 2002.) While this narrative is not as applicable when closing a younger ministry, the need for solid theology remains the same. Whenever a congregation or ministry decides to close, consolidate, or partner with another ministry, those within and surrounding the congregation are called to be faithful to the Holy Spirit’s work through them, even in closing.
Related Resources

• What if Your Church Had No Building? by Jacob Armstrong
• Ending with Hope: A Resource for Closing Congregations by Beth Ann Gaede
• The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building by Lewis A. Parks

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The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
Despite our best intentions and hard work, often efforts just do not work out as we had hoped they would. When an undertaking fails to achieve its goals, a common response is to place blame. A more useful approach is to ask questions, such as:

• What did we learn from this experience?
• What does this say about our assumptions and approach?
• What have we learned to do differently next time?

Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.

Learn to Welcome and Engage New People
Learn concepts and strategies to welcome and respond to your first-time and repeat visitors, reach younger generations, expand your church's entry points, and get new people involved. The New Welcome Video Tool Kithelps you open your church to new people by acknowledging the changing ways that people enter into the life of congregations.
Learn more and watch introductory videos now.

Suggestions for Churches with a Young Pastor
Churches that receive a young pastor need to remember how lucky they are. Many congregations say they want a younger pastor, but few have the opportunity. Learn how you can support a young pastor with "To the Point: Suggestions for Churches with a Young Pastor."
To The Point
Churches that receive a young pastor need to remember how lucky they are. Many congregations say they want a younger pastor, but few have the opportunity. They ought not, however, assume their church will automatically reach younger people simply because of the age of the pastor. Having a young pastor might improve the likelihood of a congregation connecting with young people, but not without openness to other kinds of change. Congregations sincere in their desire to work with a younger pastor to reach emerging generations must be flexible and open to new ideas and possibilities. Take the initiative in asking the young pastor for ways in which your church can become more inviting for younger people.
Congregants are encouraged to treat a young clergyperson as a pastor, not as they would act toward their children or grandchildren. It can be helpful to consider how one regards other young professionals. A patient being treated by a young doctor, for example, may not be able to help thinking, “That doctor is young enough to be my child or grandchild.” But that kind of thinking is quickly set aside in deference to the doctor’s professional role. In the end, many older people find themselves reassured when dealing a younger professional who has the benefit of more recent training. This is the same kind of regard the congregation can offer to a young pastor. Show respect for your pastor by avoiding any remarks about age that could appear to lessen the pastor’s standing. One reason such support is important is that, while laity quickly discover the gifts younger clergy bring and accept their leadership, the same may not be true for staff now supervised by someone younger than they are. Pay special attention to language you and others use for young clergywomen, who routinely report the use of “little lady,” “cute,” and “darling.”
Church members can also take time to remember what it was like to be young or to be responsible for a young family. Then they may not be too quick to criticize a young pastor who struggles with the number of night meetings on the calendar. Expecting around the clock availability from a pastor is unreasonable, regardless of his or her age.
Remember how important your support and care can be for young pastors. Many patterns and attitudes are shaped in those early years of ministry. Pray for them. Invite them for a meal. Understand their special challenges. Many are away from their support networks. Increasing numbers bring substantial educational debt. Be their advocate for adequate compensation, proper parsonage standards, and observance of maternity and paternity leave. Also encourage habits that can sustain the pastor over a long-term ministry such as regular Sabbath, time for renewal and sermon preparation, vacation time, and continuing education.
Younger and older generations in the church would do well to keep in mind the adage “We’re all in this together.” Especially within the community of faith, what unites us in Christ is far greater than what divides us as representatives of one generation or another. We are called in “all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love and making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit … .” (Ephesians 4:2-4 NRSV)
Adapted from The Crisis of Younger Clergy by Ann A. Michel and Lovett H. Weems, Jr. (Abingdon Press, 2008) with additions from young clergy participants in the Lewis Center’s Lewis Fellows Program. Used by permission.
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Quotable Leadership
To get more successes, you have to be willing to risk more failures. (Rosabeth Moss Kanter)

Early-bird Registration Ends Monday for "Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money"
Conference and Livestream, Sat., March 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern Time, Washington, DC
Managing church finances requires skill, dedication, and know-how, but also the heart of a steward. Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money provides practical advice, best practices, and resources for pastors, finance committee members, church treasurers, financial secretaries, and bookkeepers -- all those charged with the sacred trust of protecting, sustaining, and growing the resources God has entrusted to your church. Save with early-bird registration through February 12.
Learn more and register now.

Track Congregational Attendance BetterThe Congregational Attendance Profile Video Tool Kit doesn't just track attendance -- it reveals clues to improve attendance. By using the included templates, you may effortlessly produce a two-year trends chart showing the big picture. Churches have shown major improvement in attendance by acting on lessons learned from this resource.
Learn more and watch an introductory video now.
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Early-bird registration ends this Monday, February 12. Register now and save.
"Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money" Conference and Livestream
Saturday, March 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern, Washington, DC

Managing church finances requires skill, dedication, and know-how, but also the heart of a steward.
Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Moneyprovides practical advice, best practices, and resources for pastors, finance committee members, church treasurers, financial secretaries, and bookkeepers -- all those charged with the sacred trust of protecting, sustaining, and growing the resources God has entrusted to your church.
Attendees may participate in person at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, or via livestream from their own computer or mobile device across the globe. Protect, Sustain, Grow: Best Practices for Handling Your Church's Money is ecumenical and designed for all church leaders.
Sessions

• The Ministry of Financial Management
• Protecting Your Church's Money through Oversight and Integrity
• Sustaining Your Church's Ministry through Paying Attention
• Growing Your Church's Money through New Sources and Means of Giving
• Presenters

Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr. | Dr. Ann A. Michel | Dr. Daryl L. WilliamsSave with Early-bird Registration through February 12
Livestream registration: $50 $40 for one person; $75 $60 for groups of two or more people
In-person conference registration: $50 $40 per person
Current Wesley Theological Seminary students may register free for the in-person conference
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