Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10 NIV

On January 12, a 7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti crumbling buildings and inflicting a catastrophe upon the lives of the people of one of the world’s poorest nations. It has left some asking, “Why, God?” while mourning the loss of so many lives (including servant leaders and missionaries from our own United Methodist connection). But in Isaiah, we find words of great reassurance from a God whose love is unfailing, unshakeable, and unmovable even when all around us seems to be crumbling.

At Resurrection, we have initially responded to the crisis in Haiti in the following ways. We have taken a special offering, sent financial contributions to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and collected items for health kits. This week Pastor Adam is in Haiti to explore next steps for the long term engagement of our congregation.  On Friday, 1/29, Adam will share a report about his trip at our Annual Church Conference and Gathering. You can watch the gathering live from 6:15-8:30 pm CST at www.live.cor.org. Also, at the request of many of our congregants, we reposted a sermon series from our archives entitled “Where was God When? The Problem of Evil and the Providence of God, and Adam addressed briefly the problem of suffering and evil during an informal time we hosted after the 5:00 pm Sunday worship service. We have provided links where you can view both of these videos.  As church leaders, times like this compel us to be even more passionate and diligent in reaching into our communities sharing a message of hope that can only come through Jesus Christ, sharing the message of a God of love and compassion. What is your local church doing to bring hope to your hurting community and helping people grow deeper in their faith?

We are currently in the midst of a sermon series entitled “Who is this Man?” The goal of the series is to strip away perceptions and help our congregants get to know Jesus more deeply through the eyewitness accounts of those who actually knew him. What an exciting journey as Adam walks us through the gospel of Luke!

Challenging congregants (and even more importantly, inspiring them) to take next steps to grow deeper in their faith is one of the greatest joys and challenges we face as church leaders. Too often, our congregants (and sometimes we personally) become complacent, satisfied to be on the shore and not venture deeper. In this edition of Leading Beyond the Walls Journal, several Resurrection Staff members share one of the ways their particular ministry area is intentional about moving an individual deeper.

My husband recently experienced the benefit of moving from the “shore” into deeper water. Each year, my extended family takes the week after Christmas to gather in Destin, Florida. This is a special time because we intentionally set aside our computers, cell phones, and the distractions of home, and instead focus on one another. During this week, we always grow deeper in our relationship with one another.

While in Florida, my husband loves to deep sea fish. In the past, writing that my husband loves to “deep sea fish” was kind of an overstatement, because he was standing on the shore throwing in his fishing line. His normal daily catch was 2-3 fish that we enjoyed for our evening meals. This year, he decided to charter a fishing boat so he could go farther out and fish in the deeper waters. This year, on his day of “deep sea” fishing, he and the other family members who accompanied him caught not 2-3 fish, but 75 fish. The thrill experienced by going deeper has inspired him to get off the shore. Deep sea fishing has taken on new meaning and commitment.

What will you do to inspire your congregants to move away from the shore and take a next step with Jesus Christ to deepen their faith?  These articles shared by Resurrection staff are meant to be a catalyst for your own creative ideas and strategies as you think about taking people deeper especially as you prepare for Lent.

Debi Nixon is the Executive Director of Adult Discipleship and Catalyst Ministry and is the author of CATCH: Connecting and Attracting Visitors and Catch a New Life, a book written specifically to help new members to take their next steps as they connect with your church.

What will your congregation be doing to grow in their faith this Lenten season?  In twenty years as the senior pastor at the Church of the Resurrection the most impactful Lent we ever shared together as a church came as I led the congregation on a 40-day study of the final day of Jesus’ life.  We called this, “24 Hours That Changed the World.”

The idea was to retrace the events of the final day of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Last Supper and ending with his death and burial.  The first Sunday of Lent began with the Passover Seder set for the disciples.  The sermon helped our congregation understand what happened at the Last Supper and why.  We then ended the service with Holy Communion.

The following week we moved to the Garden of Gethsemane where we focused on Christ’s agony, his perseverance, as well as Judas’ betrayal and the disciples’ desertion.  Each week in the series I sought to help our congregation see themselves in the story.  We also prepared daily scripture readings so that our congregation could read through most of the material from the gospel accounts of the final day of Jesus’ life.

Subsequent weeks included the trial before the Sanhedrin, the trial before Pilate, the torture and humiliation of Jesus, and finally, his crucifixion.  All of this led up to Easter and the resurrection and victory of Christ.  During the series I also sought to help our congregation understand the significance of the death of Christ for us.  I unpacked four different theories of atonement, one each week during the final four weeks of the series.

The series had a significant impact on our congregation.  People invited their friends.  Sign-ups for missions activities and discipleship opportunities went up.  Attendance at our Maundy Thursday service and our Good Friday prayer vigil went up.  Easter attendance was up.  But more than that, there was a palpable sense that people were growing deeper in their faith during this series.

For the last three years I have been preparing a book, a 40-day devotional, and a small group video based upon this sermon series – the project and resources are, like the sermons they were based upon, entitled, 24 Hours that Changed the World. The book offers a biblical and historical examination of the events surrounding the death of Christ, a discussion of various theories of the atonement, and it attempts to help the reader find themselves in the story.  The daily devotional book includes 42 daily readings with a short scripture, a reflection and a prayer.  The video was filmed in the Holy Land and here at Resurrection and is designed to take small groups to Jerusalem to reflect upon the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life.  It is meant to supplement the book and comes with a leaders guide.

This year at Church of the Resurrection we’re going to reprise this sermon series.  We’re giving away copies of the devotional book (one per household) on the first weekend of Lent as an outreach tool and to invite everyone to join us for this Lenten journey.  Many of our small groups will use the video and book; and each week I’ll preach on these themes.  Abingdon has prepared a video promo that is meant to be shown in worship the weekend before Lent for those churches who are pursuing this study.  If you’d like to see the sermon series promo click here.

To find out more about the book, devotional and video, or for ideas on how you can use this emphasis in your congregation (sample letters, promotional materials and more), click on this link.  It will take you to my page at Abingdon Press.  Remember, Lent is early this year – Ash Wednesday is February 17.

Blessings!
Adam Hamilton

I just returned from leading a group on a two week trip to Israel and Jordan.  We took several minutes to walk along the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee, just a stone’s throw from the historic remains of the Synagogue of Capernaum.  Was this the place where Jesus first called his disciples to leave life as they knew it and begin the journey to follow him?  Little could they have imagined what their choices that day would mean for them, or for the world. What Jesus did that day in the Galilee he still does, and what Jesus said he still says: “Come, and follow me.”

But today, things seem far less clear.  We interact with people everyday who have been around the church and heard Bible stories since childhood but are unaware what they actually mean, unsure if they have a personal faith.  The ministry of evangelism has fallen on hard times.  The conversion-initiation experience of the New Testament has become for many a confusing and circuitous path of false starts and uncertain beliefs.  At lunch not long ago I asked a searching businessman, “Are you confident you are a Christian?”  His candid response caught me off guard, “ I prayed a prayer one time, but I don’t think it took.”  My friend needed a new place to start.  Many in the emerging generation do not know God in Christ nor have even a slight awareness of the timeless essentials of the Christian faith.

I have been a huge believer in and practitioner of The Alpha Course since discovering it nearly 15 years ago.  Alpha is a ten week practical introduction to the Christian faith that comes from Holy Trinity Brompton Church (Anglican) in central London.  The Alpha Course has spread like a California wild fire around the globe with 50 million participants in over 150 countries.  Alpha helps local churches actually do evangelism and also creates an environment for spiritual renewal within our faith communities.  Here at the Church of the Resurrection we have all agreed on Alpha as a common starting point beyond attending worship. The Alpha Course provides the church with a clear starting line for the journey of faith.

The Alpha Course can be as small as a half dozen people meeting in a home or workplace, or as large as several hundred participants meeting in one large room.   Each Alpha session consists of a shared meal, a 30-minute talk on a Christian essential and a small group experience to discuss what they heard.  Alpha is a safe place to ask questions without threat of being made to feel stupid. At the end of Alpha, participants celebrate by inviting friends and family to come and learn through talks and testimony what Alpha is and to invite them to join the next course. We offer Alpha three times a year at our Central Campus, or provide the video tapes for homegroups to use the material at anytime throughout the year.  We will begin a new Alpha Course immediately following Easter. It is a perfect entry point for a person who visits the church for the first time this Easter to take a next step to go deeper on their journey of faith.

It is impossible to call men, women and students to begin a life journey of following Christ without making clear just where the starting line is.  Join us in the now familiar refrain, “Start with Alpha.” To learn more about The Alpha Course, visit www.alphausa.org or contact me, Jeff Kirby, at the Church of the Resurrection Jeff.Kirby@cor.org

Rev. Jeff Kirby oversees Alpha and Men’s Ministry at Church of the Resurrection. He is a noted speaker and teacher and can be reached at jeff.kirby@cor.org.

One of the perennial issues small group or Sunday school ministries face is the call to lead individuals deeper into the life of Christian discipleship.  While it is hard to find anyone who disagrees that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, there is confusion about exactly what that means.  Over the last few years at Resurrection, we realized in order for groups and individuals to move deeper, the  leaders needed to be able to articulate clearly what we mean when we say “…becoming a deeply committed Christian.”

We have worked for more than a year to clearly articulate what it means, at least in the context of our ministry, to be a deeply committed Christian. The primary guiding document we produced is called “The 15 Core Traits of a Deeply Committed Christian.”  A downloadable copy is available on our website.  We encourage you to utilize it not simply by copying it for your ministry, but by revising it according to your context for ministry.

This document has become key to the development of a number of programs and ministries.  We have formed a core discipleship strategy around inviting individuals to Learning Communities which focus their teaching on these core principles.  For non or new Christians we invite them first to Alpha which is a basic introduction to the Christian faith.  From there, individuals are invited to on-site learning experiences focused specifically on the three overarching areas articulated in the 15 core traits document knowing, loving, and serving God. We have developed three six week  learning experiences where participants are able to discover more about each of these areas  in an interactive teaching environment, led by an experienced teacher, but also involving significant table and small group experiences.

Ultimately, the goal is to move individuals into a small group (home based, Sunday morning, Disciple, women’s, men’s, etc).  As they move into a small group from this intentional process, individuals have a better understanding of what it means to know love and serve God, and the important role small groups play in their personal discipleship. This creates small groups that have a healthier focus of intentional discipleship, not simply social interaction.

Once in small groups, leaders are trained and encouraged to regularly evaluate, review, and guide their groups according to the 15 core traits.    Groups are asked to engage in studies and experiences that touch on each of the core traits which helps groups avoid the tendency to get stuck in one area of discipleship.To this end, we have created a curriculum selection tool .This tool is organized around the core traits, and further categorizes items according to level (introductory, intermediate, advanced).  Feel free to use this tool to find resources. To order resources contact your local Cokesbury store or to visit www.Cokesbury.com

While this will always be a work in progress, these tools have become an important resource and help guide our decision making and training as we pray, think, and plan around the question of how to lead people deeper in the Christian Life.

Correy Trupp oversees Small Group Ministry at the Church of the Resurrection. He can be reached at correy.trupp@cor.org.

Chuck Russell provides support to leadership development and catalyst ministry efforts at the Church of the Resurrection. He  can be reached at chuck.russell@cor.org.

Many of our churches experience higher worship attendance during Lent as new people, disengaged church members, and unchurched people anticipate Easter. They may have been brought up in a faith that practiced Lent and feel that they need to get back to the roots of their faith.  They may be a non-believer who’s was invited by a neighbor to join them in worship. For whatever reason they choose to attend, your church should be prepared and equipped to follow up with  your first time visitors in a way that prepares and inspires them to take the next step in their journey of faith.

At Church of the Resurrection following up begins with delivering  coffee mugs to first-time visitors.  It has been a priority since the beginning of our church.  Our Senior Pastor personally delivered all the mugs following worship during the first five years.  He made a point to meet the visitors, get to know their stories and welcome them by name the next time they visited.  This was a powerful way to make a connection and  impact on someone’s spiritual life. When our Senior Pastor remembered their name on their next visit, they were very likely to join the church.  Since the time our Senior Pastor began delivering coffee mugs to visitors our mug ministry has evolved into a team of people that continues this practice of follow up and outreach.

Of course, every church is different in the ways in which they follow up and reach out to visitors.  However we have discovered that implementing a mug ministry is something that any size church can do.   A coffee mug is a tangible reminder of their visit.  Unlike bread or cookies, the mug remains in the visitor’s home for a long time.

If someone has visited your church and has registered their attendance with you, timely follow up is crucial.  It shows your church cares about them and wants them to be connected. If you don’t have a mug ministry, consider starting one this Lent. The following are a few steps to help you get started.

First, a custom imprinted coffee mug with your church name, phone number and/or web site is important.  The imprint should be simple and reflect only the basic information on the church.  Because Church of the Resurrection uses the same coffee mug as a thank you gift to members who turn in their annual stewardship pledge card, the mugs are dated each year.  Using the mugs for both purposes allows us to buy them in a higher quantity, and enjoy lower bulk pricing.

Depending on the volume of visitors, it helps to break down the process into bite-sized pieces.  Recruit volunteers to:

• Come during the week to stuff the mugs with current information on your church.  We include a simple note-card size paper that provides our Connections Ministry contact information.  The Connection Point is a central place where those brand new to your church can go to get information.  Our Connections Ministry serves as the conduit to ensure all requests about connecting into ministry are delegated to the appropriate area and followed up on timely.

• Input first-time visitor attendance information into a computer mapping system.  The maps are put into the mug to assist the delivery volunteer.

• Deliver the mugs to the visitor.  Your “muggers” should have clear guidelines to follow.  At Church of the Resurrection, we see this opportunity as a way to say thank you for visiting, and to invite the guests to visit again.  The “muggers” are instructed that this is to be a very quick and casual encounter They simply knock on the door, introduce themselves as being from Church of the Resurrection and quickly say, “ I don’t want to come in, but I am bringing you this mug to let you know how much we appreciated you visiting and we hope you come back. Is there any question I can answer for you today?” If there are no questions,  they thank them again, and leave. Remember, the guest may be very new to the faith or not familiar with the faith at all, and it is important to make them feel comfortable.  If the visitor is not at home, the mugs are left near the visitor’s door  with a short handwritten note

Occasionally, I’m asked if people are offended when we come to their door.  It’s actually quite the opposite.  This ministry sets the tone for how you welcome people into your church.  People are happy and often surprised that someone would take the time to visit their home.  Leaving an impression such as this opens the door to allow your church to reach their hearts and plant the seeds that can help them grow deeper in their faith.  Make a commitment this Lent to find a way to follow-up with your first time visitors and see what happens as a result of these connections.

Susan Bell oversees the Guest Services Ministry at Church of the Resurrection. She can be reached at susan.bell@cor.org. More information about our first time visitor and follow-up strategies is included in our new resource CATCH: Attracting and Connecting Visitors.

Planning worship and the music resources used can be a complicated, but rewarding process.  The responsibility of leading people who are at different places in their faith walk to a deeper understanding of what’s happening in worship takes many different levels of preparation.  Selecting a piece of music is the beginning of the process to present a moment in worship that is truly engaging to those who are worshiping.

The first process in the music selection is to find hymns, anthems, and congregational responses that will enhance the service’s theme.  Once those selections have been made it’s important to look at the texts for all the music and choose music that has a clearly defined message that is understandable and a musical style that fits with the congregation.  It’s important that our selections, both musical and textually, expand the vision and mission of our church.  The music that we select should say something about who we are as Christians and as a congregation.  Resurrection’s goal is to find music that also engages the worshiper visually.  We often look for a piece that can be paired with a visual element such as a video presentation, a processional with banners, liturgical dance or a dramatic portrayal.

During Lent, we will focus on the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life.  One of the major pieces we will use during this season is “Man of Sorrows” by Greg Nelson and David Hamilton.  It’s from a collection called “My Redeemer Lives!” that is available from any major publishing organization.  This has been one of the most power musical elements we have ever used in worship.  We have paired this with a video elements depicting the crucifixion.   As the song is sung by the choir and played by the orchestra, still shots are shown on the screens.  This transitions into moving shots of faces in the crowd during Jesus’ beating.  During this entire sequence, there are live sounds of a whip in the background.  At the end of this powerful sequence, we follow it with an original monologue from the soldier who performed the whipping.

This kind of sequence is typical of the kinds of things we try to do to engage our congregation through word, music and visuals.  We are intentional about planning each element of worship with all three of these elements in mind.  By using each of these pieces, we are able to speak to every congregant no matter how they are reached in worship.

Sometimes worship elements need explanation.  Find ways to intentionally introduce new elements and use transitional pieces to make worship services flow well and keep the congregation informed about what they will and are experiencing.  This is important when setting up hymns or inviting the congregation to experience worship elements.  For “Man of Sorrows” we tell the congregation what they are about to experience and explain the song to those who are not familiar with it.  It’s important to allow the congregation to grow deeper as they experience the worship you have planned for them.

Vibrant worship is the creation of minds and hearts centered and nurtured by Jesus Christ.  There are infinite possibilities available no matter what size congregation you serve.  Work with your teams and artists in your church. Remember that a good idea in one person’s mind can become great when a group further develops that idea together.

In the next few days we will post a link to our creative teams planning process here.

Kevin Bogan oversees Traditional and Blended Worship Arts at the Church of the Resurrection. He can be reached at kevin.bogan@cor.org.

Lessons in leadership surround us. Sometimes we make discoveries because we have intentionally  read a book or an article on leadership, or attended a conference, and other times we make discoveries in surprising ways. I just returned from New York City where my college-age daughter completed a summer internship in the Bronx. While in New York, she lived on City Island, and often would enjoy time in the late afternoon at the beach on the Long Island Sound. She wanted me to see the beautiful place where she would sit, read, and dream.

Approaching the beach, I noticed little movement in the water. It was stagnant, cluttered with debris, and cloudy. I wondered how this environment could provide encouragement when it appeared so life draining.  But, Emily shared that each day when the tide came in, the water became clear. The debris would disappear, and the clearing water would reveal the beauty of hidden seashells and sea life. And she was right. I waited and watched. As late afternoon approach and the tide came in, the once stagnant water was now moving with great energy. It changed from cloudy to clear, and became life-giving. As I put my feet in and experienced it’s now refreshing effect, it made me reflect on my own leadership.

As leaders, we too often experience stagnancy in our leadership. We focus on implementing plans, giving out so much  we fail to allow fresh ideas and new ways of implementing ministry to flow back in. Over time when we do not find ways to refresh the way we do things, our ministry becomes cloudy and maybe even full of debris. As I watched the moving tide bring fresh water over the beach, I realized the importance of finding ways for new ideas to regularly flow into my leadership and ministry.

This edition of the Leading Beyond the Walls contains articles written by staff at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. It is our hope one of the articles will spark a new idea for your ministry. The team at Church of the Resurrection also invites you to experience two days of “high tide” at our annual Leadership Institute. Together we will explore key leadership principles in plenary sessions led by Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton, engage in worship that will refresh your soul, discuss issues unique to church leaders, and network with one another as we discuss ways to grow our churches and engage in the important work God has called us too.

God has called you to important work as a leader in your church. Join me in making an intentional commitment to evaluate the current state of your ministry and leadership. Together lets discover new, fresh ideas to avoid ministry stagnancy.

Debi Nixon will be leading a Pre-Institute workshop at the Leadership Institute entitled CATCH:Connecting and Attracting Visitors. For registration information visit www.cor.org/li2009.

If your church keeps doing more of what you’re doing today, what results could you reasonably expect in the coming years? 

While God is unchanging, those churches that stick with the same game plan year-after year will soon find that their best days are behind them.  This isn’t unique to only churches.  All businesses and organizations that cease to innovate will find that they soon perish as the world changes around them.  Some churches, however, are poised for growth and continual innovative risk-taking.  They are destined to remain vital into the future because they are intent on moving forward– not with a scattered moment-to-moment pursuit of what’s hot in ministry or adopting the practices of a select group of lead churches.  Instead, vitality and innovation flourish in these churches because they focus on a short list of things that will matter most in the coming year.

Contrary to commonly held opinions, visionary leadership isn’t about clearly predicting the future or stumbling across a solo leader with a Midas touch.  In fact, any church that is seeking to follow God’s leadership, regardless of its size, can develop a clearer sense of direction that will lead toward more effectively fulfilling God’s plans. 

How does this work at Resurrection?

Some folks are surprised to hear that our Church Council plays a key role in promoting innovation by setting our strategic direction annually.  Within the United Methodist system, the Council is elected annually to represent the highest level of temporal leadership in the church.  We recognize that the church belongs first to God and our aim is always to remain faithful to God’s leading.  Second only to God, however, the church belongs to the congregation — the body of believers — not to the pastors or staff.  So, when it comes to setting important ministry and operational objectives, our churches fall under God’s authority first, the people’s authority second.  In return, great Church Councils know how to release and authorize their pastors, staff and volunteer teams to serve the church mightily.  When this works well, the Council functions much like an organization’s Board of Directors where leaders are elected annually by shareholders (members) in order to steer the organization and represent the voice of its membership.

At Resurrection, each fall our Council Chairperson works with our Senior Pastor and executive team to design and facilitate a process that ultimately leads to the Council’s adoption of an annually updated strategic plan.  The plan isn’t rocket science and clairvoyance is not required.  Instead, we tend to follow a relatively simple and flexible process that can be easily adapted to fit a church of any size.

First, we begin by remembering why we exist
Our Council begins the planning process by steeping themselves in our purpose, vision and journey.  Three statements summarize for us why we exist, where we are going and how our people will get there. 

• Our Purpose: The Church of the Resurrection exists to “build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians.”  We have this statement in 20-inch letters on our Narthex wall.  It is printed in every single bulletin every single weekend and it is listed on the top line on every agenda distributed at the church.  It is vital because we simply cannot serve with maximum effect if we can’t explain why we exist.
• Our Vision: At Resurrection, the three prongs of our vision illustrate what we believe is possible through God’s work in the ministry of the church.  The vision is: “changing lives, transforming the community and renewing the church.”  We believe that people (particularly non and nominally-religious people) will be reached and will continue to see their lives changed by the hope they discover here.  Further, we envision a metropolitan community that is improved because of the existence of Christians working hard to address our city’s social ills, including poverty and racial division.  Finally, we are committed to contributing to the vitality of other churches, believing that God has something bigger in store for all of us.
•  Our Journey: We are in the business of producing deeply committed Christians.  What is a deeply committed Christian and how will we know if we are good at producing our product?  At Resurrection, we believe someone who is on a path toward becoming a deeply committed Christian will, above all else, be growing in the areas of knowing, loving and serving God.  Job one, therefore, in every sermon, program and ministry is to help people of all ages and affinities grow in their Christian understanding, spiritual transformation and to daily live their faith in the world.If your church hasn’t developed compelling and easily memorized statements that capture your specific DNA, you may want to begin by modifying your denomination’s mission statement to fit your church.  For example, a statement built upon “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” would be an excellent start.  The important thing is that you know why you exist, where you are going and you have a picture of how your people will get there.

Second, we examine where we are today
In this stage, our goal is to capture any words, numbers and images that help describe where we are today.  We do this in rapid-fire fashion, attempting to capture as much information as possible on chart paper around the room.  During this stage, we won’t allow ourselves to try to solve anything.  Instead, we fill the walls of a conference room with brief statements — both objective and subjective — from Council members describing the current state of affairs at Resurrection.  Be sure to include as many vital statistics as possible, including professions of faith, membership changes, attendance patterns, giving data and small group participation.

Third, we seek to identify existing issues
Based on the first two steps, the Council turns its attention to identifying overarching issues of importance to the church.  Issues may be ministry weaknesses, strategic opportunities or operational vulnerabilities.  Regardless of the process used, the key thing here is to allow issues to emerge out of a deep understanding of who we are (step one) and where we stand today (step two).  This process may be greatly enhanced by the use of reports from congregational surveys or we may hear presentations from experts such as demographers, developers, civic leaders, urban planners or school system personnel.  It is also helpful seek key insights from the church’s staff and lead volunteers.

Finally, we create a short list of priorities that will drive us forward
The final stage is to develop a short list of priorities based upon prayer, discernment and reflection on the work generated in the previous stages.  The aim is to name the most significant issues which should rise to the level of greatest significance in the coming year or two.  At this point, a good facilitator will be able to assist the group in the process of sifting through all the issues previously identified in order to form consensus around a short list of priorities.  Once these priorities have surfaced, our Council then delegates a select group of people to work with the Senior Pastor in order to draft our church-wide objectives and bring them back to the Council for final approval.  In many cases, three well-crafted objectives may be ideal, with each one being SMART- specific, measurable, ambitious, realistic and time-sensitive. 

Once you have your short list of objectives, the real fun begins.  The work of turning those objectives into action is then assigned to senior leaders in the organization  including pastor(s), staff and lay ministry teams (notice not committees) who are in positions to guide project teams to take action and make progress on the goals.  Notice that setting objectives and monitoring strategic progress is the work of the Council.  However, determining the details of the implementation plan and driving toward results is not the work of the Council.  The Council has provided prayerful wisdom expressed through authoritative strategic direction, oversight and governance.  But the church’s work is assigned to leaders who will develop ministry implementation teams and report their progress back to the Council throughout the year.

Does your church have a clear picture of what lies immediately ahead?  Do you have a short list of what matters most for your church’s effectiveness in the coming years?  Do you know which efforts are currently most important to resource?  The first step in the path toward strategic innovation may be as simple as remembering why your church exists, knowing where you stand, and naming a select number of priorities for the church to achieve in the coming years.

Dan will be leading a workshop on Church Governance at this years Leadership Institute.  He is the author of  Recruiting Volunteers.

God can accomplish much more when all of the members of the body of Christ are fulfilling the purpose for which they were created—serving by using their God-given gifts and abilities.  The purpose of this article is to help you begin to think strategically about how you, as a church leader, can be more effective in unlocking the service potential of your church as you unleash your members into meaningful volunteer roles within and beyond the walls of the church.

The use of the word management is deliberate.  Management is the art, act, or manner of directing.  It involves skill and careful treatment.  Managing volunteers takes thoughtful planning.  When it is well done, an effective volunteer management system is seamless and invisible to the volunteer.  The volunteer’s focus is not on the system, but rather the ministry and the people being served.  A good system can be described in four simple steps: 1) invite, 2) connect, 3) equip, and 4) sustain.

Step 1:  Invite

The first step in the process is invite, and it is all the word implies.  Before we can invite people to join us in ministry, we must give thought to what service opportunities exist.  A leader in Children’s Ministry might identify a need for ten Sunday school teachers, one administrator, three drama leaders, six nursery workers, and so forth.  Define your needs as specifically as possible—quantify the opportunities for service and set dates for filling open positions.  Define the specific mission of the ministry, how it supports the overall mission and vision of the church, and describe the role with enough specificity to provide clarity to the potential volunteer.

Now it’s time to move to the obvious—asking an individual to serve.  Consider giftedness, and availability when identifying people to invite.  Pray to God to help you be open to the possibilities when looking for someone, and involve others in your search.  Every person in your church has a unique sphere of influence and encounters a completely different group of potential candidates than you. 

Here are a few characteristics to look for in volunteers:
• Commitment to spiritual growth
• Spiritually gifted for the role
• Supportive of the church’s vision and mission
• Teachable—an active and eager listener
• Problem-solvers

After identifying a potential volunteer, take the time to personally invite the person and share the vision of the ministry you represent.  Affirm the individual’s gifts and share the specifics of the role so he or she can make an informed decision.  Pray for the individual.  Thank the person for considering the role, and give a timeframe for an expected answer.  Follow up within that timeframe.  Be prepared to overcome the objections of reluctant volunteers.  People sometimes have a difficult time picturing themselves serving in a church.

Step 2:  Connect

Do not squander the “ask.”  Be diligent in your efforts to get your new recruit serving as quickly as possible.  Once serving, check in to ensure the placement is a “good fit,” both for the sake of the individual and the ministry.  This demonstrates God’s love, and your value of the person involved.  It speaks to the importance of the ministry in which the individual has been connected.  There are times when a volunteer discovers the service role isn’t exactly what was expected.  A conversation between the volunteer and a leader may yield a better match for service.  Your church will develop a reputation for putting people first when you utilize an effective connection process.

Step 3:  Equip

To equip a volunteer for service is to provide the initial and ongoing support, training, and resources needed to be effective.  It is literally doing all you can to “set volunteers up for success.”  People want to feel competent when serving—especially when serving God.  Strategies for this step encompass initial training, including job shadowing, providing ongoing feedback and coaching, and opportunities for personal and spiritual development.  Try to incorporate a learning component during meetings.  Even small investments in the growth and development of volunteers can produce fruit in the form of creativity, competence, and effectiveness.

Step 4:  Sustain

This oft-neglected step is critical to the vitality of your volunteers and ministry.  Churches can be famous when it comes to burning out volunteers.  Because we experience a chaotic pace in our lives outside the church, we must work extra hard to provide times of renewal within our walls.  We are preparing ourselves and the people of our churches to be in service over a lifetime—not just for a quick sprint.

Here, it’s important to nurture people with intentional means of affirmation and recognition.  Celebrate ministry accomplishments, tie back service to the fulfillment of mission and vision, and take time for post-service reflection and evaluation.  Personal expressions of gratitude go a long way in sustaining people’s enthusiasm and joy.  Making the “thank you” specific and personal is key.  Another great way to renew our volunteers is to plan events or retreats for your ministry teams.  Fellowship opportunities are renewing as well.

You’ve considered four steps to holistic volunteer management—simple in theory, yet difficult to put into practice.  Start by taking small steps in each of the four areas.  Help your church focus first on developing in areas where it has the most potential for growth.  Work with your team to bring balance to its efforts to holistically prepare people to serve, and watch the potential of people and ministry be realized through God honoring service!

 Carol is the author of  Leadership from the Heart: Learning to Lead with Love and Skill. Carol will be leading several workshops on leadership at this years Leadership Institute.  Visit www.cor.org/li2009 for registration information.

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection is committed to the renewal of The United Methodist Church and the mainline church.  Resurrection’s Student Ministries has developed and implemented an exciting ministry  to identify and raise up the next generation of church leaders.  This ministry, called MAC Track short for Ministry as a Career Track, is having great impact at Resurrection and has been shared with churches around the country.

MAC Track is a ministry designed to provide avenues for students in the 6th -12th grade, who have expressed an interest or possible calling to explore vocational ministry, ordained or lay ministry, as a career option. The components of this ministry include gatherings, mentorship, serving inside and outside the walls of the church, leadership development, spiritual formation and other activities designed to encourage and develop the next generation of leaders as they discern a call to vocational ministry. 

The model for MAC Track is simple to use in any church  setting and of any size.  The process for developing MAC Track or a similar ministry centers on identifying students, developing a process for mentorship and spiritual development, and carving out leadership opportunities. 

The first initiative in developing MAC Track was finding ways to create a culture of call within RezLife, Resurrection’s Student Ministry,  and eventually the congregation as a whole.  We looked at ways to naturally incorporate the invitation of call into existing programs.  During confirmation retreats, students were already being invited by Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton to stand up if they sensed a possible call to vocational ministry.  Simply collecting the names of these students was a natural place to begin.  We also implemented other ways to identify students including lifting up MAC Track during  weekly Rezlife worship services, focusing time during retreats and camps on the calling to vocational ministry, offering informational meetings for students and parents, and training volunteer leaders to identify students for referral to MAC Track.  One year into this ministry, we have many avenues for students to hear about and enter MAC Track. MAC Track has also been highlighted in articles geared toward the entire congregation.  We are very encouraged that our congregation adopted the task of raising up a new generation of ordained ministers as a strategic objective for 2009. 

The next step was developing a plan for mentorship and spiritual development.  For the first year, we met with groups of interested students to get their input, researched resources available within our denomination and throughout the Christian community, and developed an outline for monthly gatherings as well as a plan for mentorship within our setting.  The resources for MAC Track are available to anyone who wishes to use them as a starting point.  Each year, the resources are evaluated and updated.  

Another key component, carving out leadership opportunities, varies from setting to setting.  We always look for new ways to involve students as leaders in RezLife, our congregation, and our community.  Some examples include:  students leading beside adults in Sunday school, making hospital visits with pastors, leading puppet ministry for children, developing a student prayer team, leading a conference for student leaders from the Navajo Nation, serving the homeless and attending leadership events offered at Resurrection.  These are just a few of the things students can be included in.  Every setting offers its own unique opportunities to develop leadership in students.

As the first year of MAC Track concluded, we asked students to share what it meant to them.  Kayla is excited that she now has a community of young people just like her who understand her desire to follow Christ in the context of serving in ministry.  Hannah found a place to share her dreams with people who do not judge her by her past and also a chance to learn from adults who have gone through the process and can guide and encourage her as she discerns her call.  Matt refers to MAC Track as being like family, a place where he can connect to people who share the same goals and the same desire to seek God’s plans for a future serving in ministry. 

In the second year of MAC Track, we plan to update our resources, implement additional components, begin an interactive forum for youth ministries around the country interested in developing and implementing similar ministries, share what we have learned with others as we also learn from them, and celebrate being a part of the work God is doing in the lives of these young leaders who are answering God’s call to reach generations to come by devoting their lives to ministry as a vocation.

At this year’s Leadership Institute, we will lead a 90-minute workshop on the MAC track in Session 2. We will also be sharing MAC Track resources in the Student Ministries Forum: Pressing issues facing ministry with the next generation Pre-Institute. You can register at www.cor.org/li2009.

 The student ministries staff will be hosting a series of workshops at this years Leadership Instittue.  For registration information visit www.cor.org/li2009 Jason is the author of Youth Ministry.