Motivating Lay People to Use Their Gifts in Ministry

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;

The Rev. G. Jeffrey MacDonald (Jeff) is an award-winning journalist, UCC pastor and church consultant. His latest book, Part-Time is Plenty: Thriving without Full-Time Clergy (Westminster John Knox Press, 2020), explores how 20 congregations found more vitality, not less, after switching to part-time clergy. Jeff’s byline shows up in USA Today, The Boston Globe and Religion News Service (RNS) among other outlets. He serves part-time as interim pastor of a small rural UCC church in Kensington, N.H.

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