Raising expectations begins by clearly communicating the expectations associated with the discipleship process of your church. Certainly, the leadership of the church plays a major role in the information they communicate and the manner in which they communicate expectations.
The first step begins with developing a clear, easily explained, and communicated mission / purpose statement.
The mission statement needs to contain both the purpose of the church and a clearly defined discipleship process. For guidance on doing this, see Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts by Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer.
The second step is to communicate this mission statement to all the membership.
This can be done through a series of sermons supported by church-wide communication of the mission / purpose statement through the mail outs, website, church signs, etc. Get the word out about your mission / purpose.
The third step is to develop a membership classes for all new members.
These classes are not always for new or prospective members. They should be made available for those who simply have an interest in the church. However, the focus of the class is essentially the same. Those who attend are introduced to:
Membership Expectations
Church Leadership must share clear expectations through a membership class:
"The expectation part of the class lets those present know how they can become members of the church, and what is expected of members. It is that latter aspect that is critical in the essential church. Many of the dechurched today tell us that they never heard what was expected of them. They thus “fell through the cracks” without anyone noticing." (Essential Church, p. 215)
Intentional Relationships
New and prospective members are asking:
Existing members must be taught and encouraged to take time to develop new friendships with new members. If a person cannot name at least six others as a friend in the first six months they are likely to drop out. Small groups or Sunday School must be one of the most important concerns of the church for its new members. Small Groups / Sunday School Involvement provides for:
Ministry Involvement
In the Membership Class discover:
Provide list of ministries opportunities and ways to get involved.
A Membership Class will help you Inform, Interact, and Involve
1. Inform
People look for a church that has a clear vision and a strong sense of mission. Their hesitancy to become involved often is overcome when a church has a clear, challenging, motivating mission. Communicating such things as the church’s history, vision, goals, beliefs, and worship style helps newcomers understand your church.
2. Interact
Relationship is the core of Christianity. Help participants build relationships with others in the class, within the congregation, and with Jesus Christ by creating an informal, warm, friendly atmosphere.
3. Involve
Each person should be expected to become involved in an appropriate ministry role or task. By informing people about the ministries of the church and helping them find a place, we increase the chances of their staying.
If you need more help, here are Three Sample Formats for Your Membership Class along with suggested resources.
Also, iIf you are looking for help in this area be sure to pre-order Essential Church or register online for the Essential Church Retreat featuring Thom and Sam Rainer (February 26-28, 2009 at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina).
I look forward to working with you and providing information and insights in this newsletter that will both encourage and equip you to do the work of ministry.
Please call me at 615-251-3893 or email me at dan.garland@lifeway.com for help that you need.
Dan Garland
Director of Pastoral Ministries and Church Consulting
LifeWay Christian Resources
Developing Ministry Teams in Bivocational Ministry by Steve Echols
After twenty years of being a pastor who was fully funded, I entered the world of bivocational ministry somewhat unexpectedly. After answering a call to teach at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, I began a bi-vocational pastorate. Now in my seventh year of bivocational ministry, I have learned that developing ministry teams is not an option but a necessity. Fortunately, I have discovered that bivocational ministers actually have some advantages in developing ministry teams. Read more...
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SBBMA Bivocational Regional Resource Centers
A Regional Bivocational Resource Center seeks throughout its geographical region to encourage, promote, connect, and service bivocational/smaller membership churches, ministers, and families for their effective service in God's kingdom. Primarily within its role as an entity of a Baptist, Christian educational institution, each Resource Center will provide:
Center leadership, Training programs, A resource "lab", On-campus events, Regional events, SBBMA participation. learn more...
Guidestone has recently released their 2007 Guidestone Financial Solutions for Bivocational Ministers and has given us permission to post it here. This 8-page guide is full of advice and help for pastors of churches with smaller budgets and limited resources.
Dowload it now: 2007 Guidestone Financial Solutions for Bivocational Ministers (2.5 MB PDF)
Visit the GuideStone Financial Resources website for more help.
Be sure to visit the Southern Baptist Bivocational Ministers Association website along with other State Bivocational Ministry Websites:
Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas
Dan Garland is the Director of LifeWay's Pastoral Ministries and Church Consulting. Dan came to this position in August 2007. Dan has twenty-two years of pastoral experience in various size churches, mainly in Kentucky. He was also the Team Leader for Church Development and Evangelism for the Kentucky Baptist Convention for over seven years. In that capacity Dan worked with bivocational pastors and smaller membership churches.
You may contact Dan Garland at 615-251-3893 or email him at dan.garland@lifeway.com.
© 2001-2008
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