Category: Volunteers

Posted in Church Growth & Vitality, External Relations, Faith Formation, Is Interim Ministry for Me?, Leadership Development, Mission and Vision, Team Building, Volunteers Tagged with

15 min 02 s

Rev. Peter Ilgenfritz

  • First four minutes Peter shares a bit about his entry into interim ministry
  • Sparking curiosity among parishioners for change
  • Instilling ownership among parishioners for change
  • Making space for imagination in times of anxiety
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Posted in Buildings and Property, Entering and Engaging the Congregation, External Relations, Financial Management, Staff, Stewardship, Volunteers Tagged with

8 min 16 s

Rev. Dr. Laura Barnes

  • What their financial documents reveal about the condition of the congregation – what to look for
  • Here’s when and how I ask for their financial documents and what I do with them
  • What if I don’t have any financial training? Should I just leave all that to others?
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Posted in Boundaries, Church Decline, Church Growth & Vitality, Leadership Development, Managing Expectations, Pastoral Care, Preaching, Volunteers Tagged with

10 min 58 s

Rev. Quentin Chin

  • Helping the congregation think realistically about part-time ministry
  • Reframing part-time ministry from loss to gain
  • Ideas for how to lead Confirmation, preaching, etc., in new ways
  • Is attending church suppers considered “work” for the pastor? If so, how to negotiate that
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Posted in Church Decline, Church Growth & Vitality, Leadership Development, Spiritual Formation, Volunteers Tagged with

12 min 10 s

Rev. Jeff MacDonald

  • Characteristics of churches that thrive after moving to a part-time pastor;
  • Highlights of how lay ministries benefit the congregation;
  • Creating platforms for laypeople to share experiences of meaningful engagement;
  • Barriers hindering lay people from using their gifts; Suggestions for how the pastor can help lay people to overcome barriers to using their gifts in ministry;
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Posted in Church Decline, Church Growth & Vitality, Leadership Development, Spiritual Formation, Volunteers Tagged with

14 min 10 s

Rev. Jeff MacDonald

  • Being intentional rather than reactionary in the move to a part-time pastorate;
  • Questions to help the laity get clear about their roles in the move to a part-time  pastorate;
  • Key questions to ask yourself to understand how your pastorate is structured now;
  • Formal vs. unspoken expectations and their consequences;
  • Allowing the laity to do what they’ve long been authorized to do but don’t realize it;
  • Helping the laity to see that there’s actually very little that is doable only by the pastor;
  • Seeing the pastor as a strategic resource to advance the mission of the congregation;
  • Why being clear about the congregation’s mission is so essential to a successful part-time pastorate;
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Posted in Church Decline, Church Growth & Vitality, Governance, Leadership Development, Managing Expectations, Mission and Vision, Spiritual Formation, Volunteers Tagged with

14 min 30 s

Rev. Jeff MacDonald

  • How the pastor can overcome resistance by the laity;
  • How can a pastor help a congregation move beyond the resistance that just comes up when, when change is in the air;
  • Being intentional rather than reactionary in the move to a part-time pastorate;
  • Questions to help the laity get clear about their roles in the move to a part-time  pastorate;
  • Key questions to ask yourself to understand how your pastorate is structured now;
  • Formal vs. unspoken expectations and their consequences;
  • Allowing the laity to do what they’ve long been authorized to do but don’t realize it;
  • Helping the laity to see that there’s actually very little that is doable only by the pastor;
  • Seeing the pastor as a strategic resource to advance the mission of the congregation;
  • Why being clear about the congregation’s mission is so essential to a successful part-time

Listen or Read Now!
Posted in Church Decline, Church Growth & Vitality, Governance, Leadership Development, Managing Expectations, Mission and Vision, Volunteers Tagged with

14 min 03 s

Rev. Jeff MacDonald

  • How a part-time pastorate can actually be more empowering for lay people;
  • How part-time ministry can be a career boon for creative types who have other streams of income;
  • How a part-time pastorate can be life-giving for both the pastor and the congregation;
  • How a part-time pastorate can create a grounding and stable life for the creative gig worker;

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Posted in Church Growth & Vitality, Faith Formation, Governance, Leadership Development, Self-Care, Team Building, Volunteers Tagged with

10 min 07 s

Rev. Dawn Adams

Innovative adaptions of governance to help engage younger generations;

Ways to make it easier for people to say, Yes, to serving;

Innovative ways to helps parishioners feel connected to the congregation and serve with joy;

The Spirit can often work through, No, not just through, Yes.

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Posted in Church Growth & Vitality, Faith Formation, Spiritual Formation, Team Building, Volunteers Tagged with

11 min 50 s

Rev. Niki Harvell

Injecting Play into Curriculum, like Confirmation, can boost engagement and focus purpose;

Tips and examples for how to incorporate play easily into class curriculums;

Advice for the leader who doesn’t think of themselves as a “play” person – who feels uncomfortable leading a play activity;

Play directly affects people’s level of engagement and motivation;

Using play to release Holy Spirit energy!

Play has so many benefits for not only individuals, but for our ministries and our leadership.

Examples of simple and more advanced games;

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Posted in Change Management, Church Growth & Vitality, Governance, Leadership Development, Pastoral Care, Team Building, Volunteers Tagged with

11 min 31 s

Rev. Joe Graumann

Are your Church Council meetings a drag? You know – people come because they have to, persevering through a meeting that’s bogged down in procedures and run with a lack of imagination. Boring! Lots of time and energy is wasted. When can I go home?! If so, Rev. Joe Graumann offers some simple changes that can make Council meetings more fun and productive – ones that people will actually looking forward to attending – in this episode titled, “Flipping and Equipping the Church Council for Fun (enjoyable) and Productive Meetings”

Using the Relational Model for Council meetings – put cool stuff up front and

Reports submitted in advance;

Tapping into the flexibility offered by Roberts’ Rules;

Moving New & Old Business before the committee reports;

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