Week 13: Minister's Taxes

1. My BEST ADVICE is: use TurboTax software each year
2. Ministers do NOT pay income taxes on housing expenses
a. LIMITATION #1: It must be DESIGNATED IN ADVANCE by the church
b. LIMITATION #2: It is also limited to the "Fair rental value of the house plus utilities
3. However, ministers DO pay Social Security taxes on housing
4. Ministers buying a house also get to take their housing interest as a regular deduction—so called “double dipping.”

Tax preparers can provide assistance by verifying that an individual meets the definition of a minister under IRC section 107 and by maintaining adequate documentation to ensure that valid housing-allowance claims are upheld. This information can also aid those serving on church boards or as advisors to churches. These preparers can enhance tax-law compliance by educating church leaders and employees on the requirements of IRC section 107 and by providing advice in cases where an employee’s right to a housing allowance is less clear.
Application of IRC Section 107
IRC section 107 allows a tax-free housing benefit for a “minister of the gospel” in two situations. First, the employer can allow the minister to live rent-free in a home (parsonage) owned by the church. The minister can exclude this benefit from gross income up to the home’s fair rental value. The value of the parsonage must be clearly distinguished from other compensation, and includes items such as furniture, insurance, utilities, and taxes.
If a parsonage is not provided to the minister, a nontaxable housing allowance can be provided so that the minister can rent or buy a home. This is the option used most frequently. It provides ministers with the freedom to choose their preferred type of housing. The allowance covers items such as mortgage payments (principal and interest), insurance, repairs, utilities, and other expenses to keep the home in working order.

Week 13: Ministers Taxes

1.  I think the most important thing that ministers need to remember about taxes is that they should use some kind of software, like TurboTax.  This software is programed with all of the rules concerning taxes that most ministers do not know offhand.  Another great aspect of this software is that it is usually more effective in doing taxes than a CPA (certified public accountant) because it knows all of the rules concerning ministers and their taxes, whereas a CPA may not know this information offhand.  

2.  Ministers do not pay income taxes on their housing expenses as long as they are designated in advance and do not go above the fair rental value.  I had no idea that pastors did this and this is something that many people would overlook.  This can save a lot of money for pastors.  

3.  Ministers get to take their housing interest as a deduction.  This sounds shady since ministers already have the advantage of not putting their housing on their taxes but this is an allowance given by the IRS.  It is called "double dipping."  I think pastors need to remember this because, again it is an allowance.  

4.  Pastors have to claim their honorariums.  Pastors get a lot of breaks from the IRS and while at times we may not seem to get paid the amounts we believe we should that does not mean that we should hide certain payment from the government.  It would be easy not to claim this kind of a payment on taxes but this is illegal.  Honorarium means that pastors are getting paid for a service and therefore it is a part of taxable income. 

5.  Ministers need to claim unused housing allowance.  This is pretty simple but it would be easy for pastors to not use all of their housing allowance and then keep the rest of it as untaxed income, however whatever money is not used from a housing allowance becomes taxable when you do not spend that money on housing.  So pastors must claim their unused housing allowance. 

6.  Unfortunately it would be easy for a pastor to hide the fair rental value of his home.  Pastors could as the church to place a very large sum of their income as "housing allowance" and then set the value of their home at a very high price.  This would allow them to cover their income and not have it taxed.  Unfortunately again, this is cheating.  Pastors need to make sure that they understand what the fair rental value of their home is.  

 

Week 12: Learning Leadership

"Some leaders learn to lead by making mistakes and then reflecting enough on those mistakes to develop principles for the future...another way is to learn the principles based on the mistakes of others." 

My initial reaction to this statement is to believe that the person who would rather learn from personal mistakes rather than the mistakes of others does not care about the damage that can happen when mistakes occur.  Yes mistakes in ministry will occur regardless of how much we research and prepare for a service or event, but that does not mean that we can lessen the effects of those mistakes by doing some research.  I tend to think that leadership is something that can be learned and not something that is simply inherent.  In my opinion there are leadership qualities that can be developed by looking at the leadership of others and then putting certain traits and characteristics in play.  In my life and ministry, it is my hope that I can put the lessons that others have learned into practice and in some way lessen the effects that mistakes may have on my life, my ministry, or those I am ministering to.  I have to do my best to learn how to be the best leader because my leadership ultimately affects the Kingdom of God and his beloved.  If I'm not trying to learn then, in my opinion, I'm not showing God or those around me that I care about their spiritual formation.  So, I'm going to do anything I can to learn from the mistakes of others and not "learn on the job" without doing any research.  

Week 13 singleness and Ministry

Week 13 Singleness and Ministry

5 items I intend to practice to avoid sexual impurity and impropriety in thought, words and deed

 

1. I will tell my wife, the same day, if another woman begins to come on to me.

 

2. I will not spend time alone with members of the opposite sex, I will always make sure there is at least one or (preferably) two other people there.

 

3. I am going to keep an accountability partner that I will get a hold of and talk to at least once a week.

 

4. I will not allow myself to get overworked and be away from home for too much time, I will always make family time a priority.

 

5. I am going to get an accountability program for my computer and let my wife content advisors on my computers.

Week 13 Minister’s taxes

Week 13 Minister's Taxes

Most important things that I need to Remember about Ministers and Taxes

1. Buy a tax program to use such as Turbo Tax, do not use the free internet service, but actually buy the program.

 

2. Minister's do not have to pay income tax on housing allowance, but they do have to pay social security tax on the housing allowance.

 

3. Don't be unethical when it comes to filing taxes even if you have to pay more.

 

4. Most Churches reimburse the Social Security tax you pay on your housing allowance, or at least part of it.

 

5. You can deduct the interest you pay on your house if you own it, (the "double-dipping" principle)

 

6. Go to the DS with tax issues because this is his/her job.

Week 12: 360 Degree Leader

The theory of the 360 Degree Leader states that regardless of position or authority, a person in any role as the ability to lead people in positions all around him.  He can lead those who have authority over him but supporting, encouraging, and working as hard as he can for them.  A person can lead others at the same level as him by not competing against them but by working with them, giving them ideas, and encouraging them.  And finally, a person can lead those below him, but can do so in a way that empowers and enables rather than simply demanding something from them. 

I can see how this leadership trait would be effective at the River Community Church.  I believe that because the church is still in its beginning stages it needs 360 degree leaders.  I believe that by having an attitude of service and not competition we can empower leaders to take up roles in ministry that will ultimately do great things for the churches future.  In my thinking, I think it would be great for the church to develop lay leaders who feel like they have ownership over a part of the ministry.  The ministry becomes their own and they take great pride in it.  I have seen how a church plant may struggle because it can be difficult to get people involved at first, but by having the leaders encourage those on all levels to take up ownership of the ministry will help tremendously.  

360 Degree leadership is also something that I feel will really benefit the church staff as a whole.  It can eliminate, to some degree, the hierarchy that exists between the senior pastor and the other pastors on staff.  When a senior pastor leads with principles from the 360 Degree leader, he does not simply show authority and power to the other pastors, but he encourages them and empowers them to go and minister, maybe with the same authority that he has.  A 360 Degree leader will give opportunities to other pastors to succeed and grow in ministry.  I think that would be great for the church because it can help alleviate friction in the relationships between staff pastors.  We're all working towards the same goal and if we become 360 Degree leaders we are helping everyone move in a way where they can serve and minister.  

Week 12 Essay Insightful Response

Week 12 Essay

Response to the statement: "Some leaders learn to lead by making mistakes and then reflecting enough on those mistakes to develop principles for the future…another way to learn is the principles based on the mistakes of others."

    If all leaders were humble enough to admit when they have made a mistake then they, and the people they lead would be better off. One of the problems with the first part of this statement is that people are not willing to admit they have made a mistake. Which of course is not right because we have all made mistakes, it is just that some people are not willing to be honest with themselves and think that they never do anything wrong. Another problem with the first part of this statement is that leaders are too often not willing to accept blame or responsibility for the mistakes they make. They are quick to place blame elsewhere and absolve themselves from any wrong. Good leaders are willing to admit that they have make mistakes and are willing to reflect upon those mistakes and grow from the mistakes they have made.

    More leaders are willing to learn from the mistakes of other because it is much easier to say someone else has made a mistake. Leaders should look at the lives of the leaders of the past and people currently in leadership and see what mistakes they have made and learn from them. If someone has already made one mistake then you don't have to make the same mistake to learn from that mistake. We should to others to see what they have done both wring and right to learn from their life experiences as if it were our own experiences.

Week 11: Maxwell Book

The 360 Leader by John Maxwell challenges the myth that only a select few at the top of an organization can lead and encourages leaders to empower those below them to lead in all directions.  

In essence, Maxwell is trying to empower people to lead everyone they come in contact with.  He states that a 360 leader knows how to effectively and respectfully lead those that have authority over them by making them look good and encouraging and following them.  360 leaders know how to build relationships with co-workers so that they can work effectively together rather than in competition with one another.  And 360 leaders know how to utilize, encourage, and empower those whom they have authority over.  A 360 leader knows how to build relationships with everyone they work with and use those relationships to reach goals more effectively.  Its about learning how to submit and serve one another rather than serving your own self interests as a leader.

I happen to agree with Maxwell's point, that a 360 degree leader can have a massive affect on an organization, because competition and selfish motives are not present.  I feel that making this a reality is much harder than it seems.  To rid ourselves of selfish motivation is difficult enough at times.  How often do we look at those above us who do poorly in leadership roles and try and work harder to make them look good?  Not very often.  But I do believe that having a 360 degree leader attitude is one that reflects the heart of Christ and will help our churches serve in a way that is more effective for doing the ministry of Christ.  

Week 11: Maxwell Book

From John Maxwell's 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
The Law of Respect:
People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves
I think this is interesting; yet so true. Whether you are a follower who is just beginning to discover the impact of leadership or a natural leader who already has followers, you can learn to be a better leader. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership distills Dr. John C. Maxwell's insights from more than thirty years of personal experience. Each law of leadership is like a tool to help you achieve your dreams and add value to the lives of other people. In The Law of Respect, you will learn why:
Leaders go their own way when a group first comes together
People change direction to follow the strongest leaders
People naturally align themselves and follow leaders stronger than themselves
Major change tests respect for a leader

Mistakes Ministers Make

Joe McDaniel
1. You stop growing.
It's hard for a pastor to continue to grow because they are always pouring out into others lives. So you need to find a way to 'feed' yourself.
2. You stop caring.
NEVER stop caring. You show you don't care, we show you the door!
3. You stop listening.
You're job is to listen to people listen, and we need you to listen. Whether it's counseling or whatever, listening is as important as preaching.

Week 11: Mistakes Ministers Make

I interviewed Deric Brown from The River Community Church on March 25th at the church. 

1.  The first mistake that new ministers make is thinking that they can simply gain the respect of their congregation by having the title of pastor.  They need to earn that respect and earn the right to know the intimate things about a church member's life. 

2.  New staff members need to learn to follow in the footsteps of their leaders or former church leaders.  It is helpful when a pastor listens to the advice of a former leader of the church because he has the knowledge and experience needed to guide the congregation. 

3.  Slow down.  New pastors may think that they have something to prove and while this is somewhat true the pastor needs to take his time and ease his way into the position and changes that may be occurring within the church.  

Week 12 Essay Theory X and Theory Y

Week 12 Essay Formal Leadership Theory

Theory X and Theory Y

    First of all theory X says that managers or leaders must assume that employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work at every opportunity. Theory Y says that employees may be ambitious, self-motivated, and exercise self control.

    I have seen an example of theory Y leadership in a Church that I once attended. It is Athens Wesleyan Church, the Church I went to growing up. The pastor of the Church would allow people to be involved with ministry and allow them to take risks and go out on a limb. Theory X leaders do not allow this because of the close supervision they believe that people need. Theory X leaders try to do everything on their own or have their hand in everything so they can "make sure it goes right."

    This was not the case at Athens Wesleyan. The pastor would allow people to be involved with the various ministries in different ways without babysitting them. At Athens Wesleyan there were many people that were involved in the ministry of the Church and encouraged to be involved in the ministry of the Church because the pastor thought that the people would want the ministry of the Church to be successful, not for fear of retribution if they fail, but because they could grasp the ministry of the Church and take leadership and ownership in it.

    At Athens Wesleyan the pastor would also listen to the ideas and suggestions of others. He did not always think that he is right, and was willing to listen. This is not the case with theory X leaders. The pastor of Athens Wesleyan Church was a theory Y leader and would encourage and develop the ministry of the Church with the help of volunteers that he was willing to let take a chance and take ownership in the ministries they were involved in.

Week 11 Essay Maxwell Book

Week 11 Essay

Maxwell Book

    The John Maxwell book that I looked into is called The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The principle that I learned from this book is what Maxwell refers to as "The Law of Process." The law of process says that a leader does not become a leader in one day but to become a good leader it is a process. In this chapter there is the story of Anne Scheiber and how through a life time of saving she was able to go from making a little over $3,000 a year to leaving an estate worth over 22 million when she died. Maxwell uses this an example of how you cannot just do something overnight, but it is a process and this process is often accompanied by many sacrifices, had times and though decisions.

    I thought that this is an excellent principle of leadership especially in the world today. This is helpful with my generation as we are the "fast food" generations and want things done yesterday. We are not patient and often times don't want to put hard work into something. We want things and we want it now. From reading Maxwell I better realize how I have to be patient and invest time and energy into becoming a leader. Even if I am a good leader now I will not get better without hard work. There is a t-shirt that I once saw that said "Don't wish it was easier, wish you were better." I think this describes how I now feel about leadership, I don't wish it was easier, but I wish I was better and am willing to work hard and invest time into this process to become better.

People Work

I think the best way to work with people is by hanging with people. The best way to get good at doing something is to continuously do it. It is always hard to find something easy, when you don't do things repetitively.
Often times, 'homeschoolers' are people who have poor person skills. I think this is due to the fact that they do not necessarliy hang with people day in and day out.
Learn to pacify the situation instead of destroying others. Managing conflicts skillfully–bring responsible, making sound decisions, being inventive, helping others–can be a powerful opportunity for growing both professionally and spiritually. Choose to be curious, dropping “fight or flight” mentality. Recognize that we do not need to limit ourselves to a narrow perspective of achieving our objectives, voicing our opinions, protecting our territory. We can explore a wider set of possibilities for helping the situation. We can also attract resources during conflicts. By modeling our own resourcefulness first, we can then invite others to offer suggestions and share responsibility. First pacify, then discover that we are resourceful enough to be daring and available, free from fear and arrogance. Pay attention, and with such alertness we can preserve the sanity of our world even during extreme discord.
A working relationship means finding the best way to communicate with your co-workers, from supervisors to interns. You must together determine strengths and weaknesses, so that work can be accomplished most effectively. A working relationship also involves respect, trust, and, especially in an office setting, honesty. With these building blocks, a relationship is built on the foundation of work productivity. Many people work together for years without seeing each other outside the office.

Week 10: People Work

As I think about relationships and relational people I believe that a part of it is truly a gift that people are given for ministry.  I can think of countless pastors I have met who simply have an ability to be relational and develop deep and beneficial relationships with their communities.

   However I also believe that we are able to develop and learn the ability to be relational in ministry.  I believe that I am one person who has developed the ability to be more relational as I have matured and learned in ministry.  

The first thing I think of that helps develop relational people is to intentionally and maybe even forcefully place yourself in a position where you will be around people more often.  Doing so allows you to be more comfortable and confident around larger groups of people.  I know that when I started doing this I recognized how I would avoid and shy away from situations where I would be around a group of people.  So first getting around people and developing a comfort with that is important. 

Another aspect of becoming a relational person that I see is that we must become good listeners.  When we know what people are going through and talking about we will be able to have intentional and meaningful conversations.  I can't count how many times I have found myself thinking about the next thing that I will say to someone when I get into a conversation with them.  When I do this I lose focus on what will really have an impact on the person that I'm talking to.  So, to be able to develop better relational skills we have to learn to listen to what others are saying so that we will be able to have meaningful conversation.  

One of the hardest things about being a relational person is actually knowing what questions to ask and how to ask them.  I know from first hand knowledge that it is important to be able to ask good questions that cause others to respond with answers other than a simple yes or no.  It can be hard but it is important to learn how to ask questions that will make people talk.  As I said before, listen carefully so you can ask the right questions, but then learn how to ask questions that will make a person go deeper.  

There is a tendency to become someone you are not when you feel as if being relational isn't a strong point.  Its easy to think that becoming someone other than who you are will help in an uncomfortable situation, however faking it is sometimes very easy to see.  I've been fake before in relationships and I have had people tell me that they know and can see when I'm being fake.  This gives people the idea that you don't care about their relationship.  So it is important to understand who you are, what your abilities are, and how you may react in uncomfortable situations.  

Finally, I feel it is important to share your heart.  One thing that people respect and respond to is genuineness.  If you are genuine in your relationships and show people your heart and how you care about them, it will help you develop relationships.  How can we expect others to show interest or share intimate things if we are not willing to do the same?  We need to find a good way to share our hearts in a positive manner and allow others to share with us.  

Like I said at the start of this post, some people do just have an ability to form relationships and carry conversation with others.  But we can develop our abilities if we are willing to find out who we are and place ourselves in a position to learn. Yes it will be uncomfortable at first, but understanding that these relationships can be use by the Spirit to work in the lives of others should encourage us to preserver.  

Week 11 Mistakes Ministers Make

Week 11

Mistakes Ministers Make

I interviewed my wife, Jessica Trout, on Monday March 23, 2009.

Three Mistakes for a new staff person with a church to avoid:

1. Don't think you can do it all on your own:

    - It seems that many times pastors come into a church and think that they can do everything on their own or that they don't need people to help them. They should be open to allowing others to help because they don't have to do it all on their own.

2. Don't take too long preaching:

    Many times when pastors come into a church they feel that they have to impress the people of the church and they do so by giving long and drawn out sermon to show the people how much they know. It would be better to hear a short impactful sermon than one that is long and drawn out.

3. Don't be afraid to ask for help:

    This goes along with #1 but many times a new pastor is afraid or slow to ask for help because they do not want to seem inadequate to the people of the church, but they should not afraid to ask for help.

Church Fight

Pastor Jared
There was a female youth worker who had an issue with the youth pastor. They were little spiffles at first. But over time, they began to escalate into bigger issues. Eventually, everything added up and was bottled. One day in the office, the female came in a began yelling at the youth pastor. It got so out of hand the pastor asked her to leave, but she wouldnt. People in the church gto wind of the situation and about 1/5th of the people ended up leaving because of the issues and the fact that they were never settled. The youth pastor was eventually let go, once all the details were made public.

Leadership Characteristics

Here are some Quality Characteristics:
Honest - Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust.
Competent - Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings.
Forward-looking - Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values.
Inspiring - Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary.
Intelligent - Read, study, and seek challenging assignments.
Fair-minded - Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others.
Broad-minded - Seek out diversity.
Courageous - Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress.
Straightforward - Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time.
Imaginative - Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative!

Week Nine Essay Leadership Characteristics

Week Nine Essay

Leadership Characteristics

A list of characteristics that "make" people want to follow a leader:

1. Politeness

2. Kindness

3. Openness and transparency

4. Bold

5. Someone who is not afraid of failure

6. Someone who knows what they stand for

7. Someone who does not let other people walk over them

8. Someone who is willing to take a stand for what is important

9. Someone who is personal and pleasant to talk to

10. Someone who shows they genuinely and truly care about you

Week 9: Leadership Characteristics

This is the list of attractive leadership characteristics a good church leader would have (in my own opinion and no particular order of course). 

1.  Servant-hood/Humility - A good leader in my mind serves those around him and is humble about the position he has been entrusted with.  In all facets of his life, he makes service and humility a key part of who he is.  

2. Visionary - This leader has vision and does a good job sharing this vision.  He not only is able to cast vision but also is able to make that vision a reality. He effectively communicates this vision to get others on board.  

3. Vulnerable - When a leader is able to be vulnerable with others I believe it shows sincerity and discernment.  The leader knows what it is to share his heart with others but also knows when to share and how much to share.  

4. Intelligent - A good leader is intelligent and desires to continue growing.  They know that when they stop learning they stop leading.  Good leaders are able to teach others what they have learned.  

5. Mentoring/Equipping - Sharing the knowledge, experience, and wisdom they have is an important part of a good leaders requirements.  They need to understand what it is to mentor and equip others to minister.  They take others "under their wing" to prepare them for ministry or life in general.  

6. Disciplined - A good leader is disciplined and knows when to say no.  They understand what it means to prioritize and take responsibility.  

7. Relational - Good leaders are able to form intentional and long lasting relationships that are beneficial.  

  

Firing a Teacher

The biggest thing that I was told is to do it in a loving way. And if at all possible, try and find another spot for them in ministry. Obviously, if a teacher is not teaching correct and sound doctrine, that is a great and needed time for release.
As mentioned earlier, the most important thing to do is to go about it in a loving and compassionate way. No one, especially someone who is being relieved of their duties, likes a jerk telling them that they're done! We need to go about it in a way that they know 'why' it is happening. The way we do this is by just telling them, "Listen, here's why..." We may even come to that 'meeting of release' with a set list of reasons explaining why and how you came to the conclusion.
If at all possible, try and find another place of ministry for them. Whether that is letting them sit in on another, more experienced teacher and let them watch how it's 'supposed to be done'! Sit a major reason for releasing them from their duties may be a result from poor theology, get them in a situation where they can fully enagage and learn to re-vamp their personal theology in a timely and correct manner.

Week 9: Firing a Teacher

I interviewed Pastor Matthew Trexler at Starbucks on February 18th.

This is a list of the advice that Pastor Matthew gave me concerning how to remove a teacher. These are in no particular order.

- Confront head on and share goals with the teacher that can possibly fix the current problem.
- Develop a timeline for yourself to approach and find a solution to the issue, which includes both helping and removing the teacher.
- Review their spiritual gifts.
- Never tell them that they are doing an "awful" job.
-Equip and coach them to see if they just need help in ministering because you don't want to lose willing volunteers.
- Go to them and ask them how they feel about how their ministry is going. They may understand the problems they are having and willingly tell you. This can be extremely helpful in the process because if they recognize their own problems it makes removal easier for you as a pastor.
- 100% honesty is critical.
- Share with them how you as a leader perceive their ministry.
- Ask them if they are enjoying the ministry.
- Find other possible roles for them to serve in if they are willing and desire to continue to serve in another capacity.

Week 8: Theology of Conflict

One of the greatest misunderstanding about conflict that I believe exists in the church today is that conflict is sin. I think there is a large portion of people within our churches who have begun to equate conflict with sin. We avoid conflict as if it isn't supposed to exist. We have a hard time realizing that conflict is a part of our fallen world and that it is an expression of the diversity that God has created. No we should never let conflict spill over into anger, bitterness, slander, gossip, or any other sin issue, but we as a church need to understand that we will deal with conflict and having conflict itself is not sin.

1. Conflict Exists
When dealing with interpersonal conflict it is important to always recognize that it is a part of our world and our churches and it is not something that should be avoided. Christ never avoided conflict with his disciples or any other person who was doing something contrary to what he preached. This is true for those of us in the church today. We need to recognize conflict and not avoid it.

2. Love in Conflict
All conflict should be approached with the heart and mind of Christ. Regardless of what the conflict is over, we should never approach someone with a personal vendetta or with anger. As followers of Christ it is critical that we are focused on love and unity. That is what Christ desires of us and that is what we should strive for in our interpersonal relationships. No, we won't always agree with the decisions and opinions of people, but that does not mean that we should forget about what Christ has showed us about how to treat one another.

3. Recognizing Sin
In conflict its important to recognize sin. The unfortunate thing is that conflict in the church can sometime be a result of a sin issue or can lead to a sin issue. Recognizing what sin is from a Biblical perspective is critical to making sure that we know how to approach conflict. Once we are able to recognize sin that will enable us to intentionally and effectively confront a brother or sister in Christ.

4. Discipline
At times it may be possible that conflict will lead to the church having to discipline a member. Remember that discipline is not punishment or a means of hurting someone, but it is a lesson and teaching moment for the person who is struggling. At all times we should remember our love for this person and that our actions need to line up with who we represent.

5. Restoration and Redemption
Conflict needs to have an end. Regardless of whether or not you ever come to a consensus about the particular topic, you need to agree to focus on things we have in common rather than our differences. There are so many things that are so much more important than the petty things that we sometimes get in conflict over. We also need to recognize that discipline is not the end when our conflict does lead to this action. We must be willing to restore and redeem our brothers and sisters in Christ to the church.

Conflict

1. Conflict does not mean a relationship is over. This one is huge for me. I have recently lost someone very dear to me because of conflict. Just because something has come in between a relationship, does not mean it's done. If so, then that means you don't really care about the relationship to begin with.
2. Let's don't take on the Mennonite view of conflict. Shunning. If there is a conflict, address it.
3. If there is a conflict, address the person who the conflict is with. Don't go to other people and try to pursuade them to 'your side'.
4. Move on. Once the spiffle is resolved, let it be resolved. Over. Done with. Gone.

Motivating Volunteers

Jared on Monday
There were a number of things in which i was advised to do in order to motivate volunteers.
1. meet them where they are. In order for the volunteers to be happy with where they are, match them up with tasks that fit them.
2. be positive. Sometimes volunteers act like volunteers. Treat them with understanding and help guide them along the way.
3. treat them like adults. They are there to help students, not to be treated like one. Don't look down on them because they might not know what exactly to do.
4. give them responsibilities. Let them know that you trust them by giving them things to do. And maybe it's things that aren't pressing, but things none-the-less.
5. be thankful. People do not even have to be there, so let them know that you are glad and thankful for them to be there!

Week 8: Motivating Volunteers

1.  I interviewed pastor Matthew Trexler on Wednesday February 18th at Starbucks.

2.  Here are five tips that pastor Matthew gave me for pastors who are trying to motivate volunteers.  

- Announce the volunteer position frequently in services and make sure that there are printed handouts that tell the possible volunteers what the job is, what the requirements are and how often they will be asked to serve.  

- Depending on the volunteer opportunity you may want to ask specific people that you know have specific skills to think about serving in this capacity.  Its much more effective to have a conversation and describe the position fully to a possible volunteer.

- Provide a great deal of information about how the church will serve the volunteer.  Volunteers are sometimes hesitant to serve because they fear that they will be on their own.  The church should provide them with information about how they will be equip to serve in the church.  

- When asking for volunteers for leadership positions and not just service positions, make sure that you have some kind of interview to make sure that you have the right people to lead.  Teachers and people who will be in front of the church need to be held to a higher standard because of what they are entrusted with.  

- Give them needed rest.  Volunteers are afraid that once they volunteer they are owned by the church.  Finding some kind of a rotation for volunteers or a schedule is important to make sure that the church is not burning out its volunteer base.  We should show our appreciation to our volunteers and make sure they know how important they are to the ministry.  

Week 7: People - Campus vs. Church

1.  More choices for friendships: One thing that I have discovered at my time here at IWU is that if I want to I can surround myself with people that I have "hand picked" to be my friends.  There is a larger number of people and personalities to choose from here at school than there are in most churches.  The church I attend while I'm here at school has about 150 people in it and I see most of them every week while I am at church.  

2. Theological Issues: I think it's easier to get along with people at school because the issues that people have to face in church are sometime much deeper than issues faced a school.  Theology is one of those things.  People can form opinions about the university and what it stands for but when people begin to form opinions about a church it hurts more.  This is what they believe with all their heart and soul.  What they believe, in some circumstances, should not and can not be changed.  

3.  More Involved in Decisions:  At church, the congregation is a lot more involved in the big decisions that are made, whereas in a university there are a smaller number of people involved in making big decisions.  Churches seem to have a greater number of people who get involved in the deepest of levels and when something goes wrong or someone doesn't agree it can cause great division.  In a university setting, people are not as involved in the decision making process and that takes responsibility out of there hands and therefore when decisions are made, usually the community is not as greatly offended or affected.  

Week Seven Essay: church vs. campus

Week Seven Essay

People – Church vs. Campus

I think that there will be many differences between getting along with people on this college campus and getting along with people in the church you are working at. Some of these differences are.

1. At the campus you can avoid people if you want to, in the Church, as a pastor, you cannot avoid the people of your church so even if you are annoyed or clash with someone else you cannot avoid them

2. At the campus you can be respectful and courteous to the people you disagree or clash with, in the church you cannot just be respectful and courteous to the people of the church but you have to actually like them and carry on conversations with them and be involved with their life.

3. On a campus it is easier to get away from everyone by going home for a weekend or getting off campus for a day, in the church this is harder because it is your job to daily be involved with the people in your church. It is harder to take a weekend or a day off just because you want to.

4. There are usually less hurtful arguments or disagreements on a campus compared to the church. If someone on campus does something you don't like or disagree with then you can just choose to hang out with different people or just not do something with that individual, in the church disagreements are usually taken more personally and feelings are hurt and if people want to do something else they will usually have to leave the church and a lot of people get hurt through that.

Church Conflict Story

I interviewed Pastor Jared about this story.
Even though he hasn't had that much ministry experience, he has already heard a couple spiffles that have not ended very well. One in particular stuck out to him. There was a girl named, he called her Megan, and she was the type of girl who would back out at any sign of trouble. She was a youth staff member, so she was one who was helping out at her own leisure. Within the church they had specific training of how to deal with students when they are disrespectful. The way this was communicated to me made me feel as if she was sort of new at dealing with students.
There was a student who was from a very troubled home and it affected the entirety of the student. There was another student who was described as a pest, and would get on everyone's case about everything. On this paritcular instance, the pest was just annoying the troubled kid, to the point of the troubled kid hitting him in the face. Now, Megan, thought she was dealing with them in the right manner, but she wasn't. She grabbed the pest and the troubled boy both by the arms and began to raise her voice at them, both. This continued to frustrate the both of them, and she began to yell at them. Eventually the Pastor came over to see what the loud noises were about.
Long story short, the pastor had to then tell Megan that she did not properly handle the situation. He then told her that if the kids wanted to, they very easily could press charges against her for holding them back and grabbing them without their permission.

Week 7: Church Conflict Story

1.  I interviewed Pastor Matthew Trexler on Wednesday February 18th at Starbucks

2. This happened while Pastor Matthew was working on staff at his last church.  A pastor (Phil) on staff became aware of another assistant pastor who's actions with a parishioner who was a part time office worker were beginning to cause concern among people in the congregation and members of the staff.  The pastor was having one on one lunch meetings and behind closed door meetings with this parishioner.  The pastor was single and the part time staff person was married, regardless of this fact however they were not acting above reproach.  Phil, other staff members, and members of the church congregation began to notice this issue and so Phil approached this other pastor on staff to enlighten him to the issue.  Phil was told by the pastor that there was no issue and that none of his actions were a cause for concern.  Due to the lack of desire to change his actions, Phil then approached the senior pastor.  Phil informed the senior pastor of the issue and also included that the issue was causing disunity among the pastoral staff and among the church congregation.  Although Phil stated these issues to the senior pastor, no confrontation was made.  Phil then re-approached the senior pastor saying that the issue with the pastor who was not above reproach in his actions must be resolved today.  Phil laid out how to handle the situation with the other staff member but still no actions were taken by the senior pastor.  Finally, Phil began to realize that no actions would be taken by the senior pastor.  A response to the issue finally came when the local church board got involved and eventually told the district superintendent.  This issue caused pastors to realize that their leader was not willing to take necessary steps to protect the church and its members and Phil realized that it was time to resign.  This issue caused relations to be strained between staff members and the senior pastor.  

Week Seven Motivating Volunteers

Week Seven

Motivating Volunteers

I interview Pastor John Klotz of New Life Community Church on 02-02-2009 at 10:00 A.M.

The following is the list of five tips for motivating volunteers.

1. Go directly to a person and ask them to volunteer. A pastor usually has an idea of who they want working with what.

2. Have many mass announcements in the Church to let people know you need volunteers.

3. Let people know how long they are volunteering for. Many people think that when they volunteer they are volunteering forever, but that is not usually the case.

4. Give the specifics for what they are volunteering for. For example don't just tell people that they are volunteering for the youth ministry, but tell them what you need volunteers for and what they will be doing.

5. Assure volunteers that you will equip them to do the job they are volunteering for. Support and encourage people that are volunteering and don't just leave them out to dry. Give them the tools and equip them to be able to do the job and do it well. Don't just leave them out on their own.

Week 6: Office Work

I'm a really relational person and the way that ministry was done in the 1970's seems highly appealing to me.  I would be able to spend a majority of my work week meeting with people and building connections with other people for the church.  In my case however, I would need time for myself.  I'm an introvert and this type of ministry, while rewarding, would at the same time be very taxing.  

On the other hand, I am all about sermon preparation as well as taking care of administrative tasks because I think it is critical that the church runs like a well oiled machine.  And it doesn't really matter how close you are with everyone, but if the sermons and services of the church aren't good, people won't stick around for long.  

So here is the shift that I would like to see.  I think there can be an equal balance of these two ideas.  Half of the week can be spent working on the relational aspect of the ministry, while the other can be spent in sermon preparation and administrative tasks.  Personally, in a 60 hour work week, I would spend 30 hours in visits with members, visitors, hospitals and the like.  The other 30 hours of the week I would spend in sermon preparation and office work.  I know this seems like a cheap answer but I really think it would provide a healthy balance for a pastor.  The hours he works would be defined and would allow for some "breathing room" when it comes to accomplishing the goals for personal ministry.  

Office Work

I would love to be out into the world living life with my congregation. i have a personal statement about my life, "people are what make me tick!" and it's true. I love people! if i could only be around the office in the morning and have my time to put together the weeks' sermon and then get ahead for the next series', i would love that! to be able to leave the office around noon and have a lunch with a parent or student, that would make my day! I see this shift as a generational thing more than a ministerial problem. the more people become dependant on each other, the more the pastor is needed. as long as people will lean on each other, the pastor will need to eventually be involved. i would also love to be able to make house visits as often as needed without being hindered by a set amount of time in the office! ...but that's my ideal world!

Time Management Advice

As completely selfish and not team-mate as it sounds, my pastor shuts his door to get away from the day. He says that it is the only way that he feels he can really get into writing his sermons and to have time for himself. I totally understand this and can tell how it would be difficult to find time for yourself, and even your ministry, inside the church! how ironic!
the best advice that was given to me was just to do it. the best way to get into a routine and a set schedule is to start doing it. but the other piece of advice that i found as helpful was to let the secretary know that you do not want to be disturbed except for emergencies. "once you get into a groove, it always seems as if you get interrupted!"

Week Six Essay: Office Work

Week Six Essay

Office Work

    I think that office hours are necessary for a Pastor in the Church today. I think that many people now expect pastors to hold office hours and be available at the Church on a regular basis. I think that depending upon the size of the Church would depend how long, and how many hours you have to spend in the office at the Church. The more people that attend the Church the more you would have to be in the office, the smaller the Church I think that there would be less need to be in the Church office. I also think that the number of hours a pastor spends in the office at the Church would also depend on how many pastors are at the Church. If it is a multiple staff Church then I think a pastor might be able to spend less time in the office if they all have a rotating schedule of who is going to be available at the office. If there is a solo pastor at the Church they might have to be at the office more because no one else would be there.

    Personally I would not like to spend a whole lot of time in the office of the Church. Once I get interrupted on something it is hard for me get back on track and get work done. I hate interruptions and once I start something I want to finish it before I take a break or get interrupted. Ideally, in the Church I would want to be in the Church office for 3-5 hours three days a week and then spend a full day at the Church the other two days of the week and then not be in the Church office at all one day a week (preferably Saturday). I would like to have an office in my home or a work area so that I could go and get my work done without having to worry about the various interruptions throughout the day. All the Pastors that I have got to know really well also do a lot of visitations in hospitals and homes. This is something that I would also like to do in ministry and think it is important to get out there and be with our people. I would like to spend 7-10 hours a week visiting people in the Church either in their homes or people who are in the hospital.

    I would also like to spend some time of the week writing. I love to write and in the future see myself writing books, articles and other various writings. I think that writing will be a large part of my ministry and it is something that I think I will spend at least 5-7 hours a week in writing and it could be even more than that if I needed to do some research for the writing.

    I would only like to spend 25-28 hours in the Church office a week preparing sermons, lessons and other various Church responsibilities. I assume that is probably not realistic, but in an ideal world that is the amount of time I would like to be in the office of the Church.

    At the least this would be 37 hours of work in the Church and at the most it would be 45 hours of work in the Church. I think that it would be a great temptation to spend as little time as possible in the Church office and doing Church work, instead of investing a full time schedule into the Church work. However, I think that it is necessary to spend full time schedule in the Church office and doing Church. I hope I don't fall into the temptation of doing ministry half-hearted or cutting corners just to save a little time in my own personal schedule.

Week Six Church conflict

Week Six

Church Conflict

    I interview Pastor John Klotz on February 2, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. in the morning. Pastor John told me a story about when he first took over as Pastor at a Church. The old pastor was also the one who had lead worship. All he did for worship was use an organ, piano and sang hymns and some worship choruses. Pastor John said that he doesn't sing well and doesn't play any musical interments so he knew that he was not going to lead worship. His family is very musical focused as his wife sings and plays the piano, his one daughter plays the drums, his pother daughter plays the bass and his other daughter also sings. There were also some people in the Church that had musical talent and wanted to play in a worship band with more contemporary music.

    So Pastor John let his wife get together a worship band complete with drums, bass, acoustic guitar, and 4-5 people singing. Some of the people in the congregation did not like the change in worship style and started to talk about the new pastor behind his back and amongst themselves.

    Pastor John said that after a few weeks the people started to approach him and demanded that the worship style change back to the way the old pastor used to do worship. Pastor John said that he tried to talk to them about the new worship style and the way things were going but they didn't want to have any discussion, they wanted to change the worship style no questions asked. Pastor John said that many people in the Church liked the new style and that he couldn't change it because he felt God was leading them in this new direction.

    Pastor John said that there was more talking and murmuring around the Church until one week about 7 families stopped coming to the Church and never returned. He said that afterwards many new people can to the Church and it grew but they lost some of the people from the Church because of worship style.

Week 6: Time Management Advice

I interviewed Pastor Matthew Trexler and Pastor Kaleb Wakeman on Wednesday February 4th. 

1.  Setting Boundaries:  Pastor Matthew told me that it was absolutely critical for himself to schedule time to focus on the priorities in ministry.  He said that this takes a lot of effort because people and other circumstances are always presenting themselves and it can get difficult to focus on priorities.  He also said that it was important for him to make sure that he had a division between being at home and at the office.  He says that when he is home his main role is to be a father and husband.  He does not work on sermons, answer the phone, or do any visitation.  He also makes sure that he protects his day off.  

2.  Time Management Advice:  The two best pieces of advice that Pastor Matthew gave me were to schedule ministry time and set goals.  He said scheduling, again, helps set boundaries, but also helps manage his time.  When he schedules himself, he knows what he needs to accomplish and the time that he has to accomplish his tasks. In his opinion it is also critical for him to set goals for the week.  Each week he sets goals for himself so he knows what he wants and needs to get accomplished for the ministry that week. He looks at the ministry objective of the church and sets goals that will help accomplish this objective.  He also makes sure that he takes care of the needs of the church that present themselves through the week.  By scheduling his time and setting goals he is able to increase his effectiveness and efficiency as a pastor. 

Week 5: People

Along with a close connection to the lives of the parishioners, the pastor is the chief administrator, fund-raiser and superintendent. The spiritual merges with the mundane as he meets with advisory boards, contractors, investors, donors, the various church committees, and the school administration. This constitutes the bulk of the pastor's daily routine. If there is a financial problem in the parish or the school, of if there are building or repair projects in motion the pastor inevitably is strapped with the day to day decision-making and supervision. The pastor often devotes the majority of his energy to the mundane and hopes the Holy Spirit will guide the spiritual.
Then, of course, the pastor has his own personal and family needs that are very much like those of the parochial community - weddings, funerals and life and death issues. He has his personal involvement with siblings and parents. Often a pastor, like myself, is a member of a religious community. This involves communal living with its difficult and enjoyable moments, and its demands on the pastor's personal time.
It's all about people.

Week 5 - People

I think the saying "It is all about people" is absolutely correct.  Our job is all about people, the problem is that people don't understand that our administrative tasks are done as a means of best serving them.  I think it would be hard for a congregation to have great relationships with the staff but yet not be able to grow spiritually because we as pastors don't spend enough time in study, or we don't have small groups to get people assimilated and discipled.  

Most pastors don't have the ability to have a face to face individual meeting with most of the people in their congregation during the week.  The most time that an individual will spend with the pastor will be during the Sunday morning service.  Like I mentioned before, I think it is critical that we spend time taking care of the administrative tasks because it is a way that we can invest in our people. I'm not saying that a pastor should be completely shut off from people during the week.  That is actually the complete opposite of what I think should happen.  I feel that it is the job of the pastor to be available and to spend time meeting with the congregation, but this cannot always be his priority.  There are other tasks that are critical to making sure that the church ministry is being effective.  

Scheduling time for relational ministry in my mind is important.  Maybe a couple times a week a pastor can spend a few hours visiting people at their homes or work places.  It is still important to show that we as pastors do not simply want to preach at people, but we do desire relationships with our members.  I also think it is important for a pastor to be involved in fellowship opportunities that the church provides.  Depending on the size of the church the pastor may be the leader of these events, but regardless of size and responsibility, a pastor should be involved with the events the church holds as a way of connecting and building relationships with the people.  Ultimately the people need to know that the pastor is involved and wants to have a relationship with the church, but is also our responsibility to make sure that the ministry of our churches is effective and that we are assisting the Spirit in changing lives for eternity.  

Week Five essay, “It’s all about people”

Week Five Essay

"It's all about People"

It is often said in ministry that the things we do are all about people. This is a great attitude or mindset to have while doing administrative type of duties. When you are doing the administrative tasks it would be best to think as them as part of your ministry instead of just something that you have to do.

One of the ways that you show someone you love them is not just by doing stuff for them that they know about and that they see, but it is doing things for them that they might never know about. Doing administrative type work that allows the Church to run smoothly and function is a way to show the congregation how much you love them, but it is also a good way to show God how much you love Him.

Keep people in mind. When you are taking phone calls or have to talk to people that stop in unexpectedly, it is not something to get upset about, but instead consider this an opportunity for joy to get to talk to someone and maybe brighten up their day a little bit.

If you do not do the un-fun, boring and mundane administrative work then there is a good possibility that someone else will have to cover up for your slacking, which is not a good thing and you show that you are more concerned about yourself than the other person(s) that might have to do the work. How is that about the people? It isn't. Keeping the other in mind that will have to pick up the slack for your laziness is not focusing on other people.

I plan to remember that doing these tasks show people how much I love them and show them that I am willing to do the administrative stuff I don't like to do because I love them.

Week 5: Hours worked in ministry

Pastor Jared
1. Study--10
2. Administrative/office--20
3. Services--5
4. People--15
5. What else--5

It is amazing how much time he spends on studying compared to everything else. It's definitely more than a 40 hour week!

Week 5 - Hours Worked in Ministry

On February 4th I met with Pastor Matthew and Pastor Kaleb from the River Community Church.  We were meeting together to plan a sermon series that is starting at the River in March.  While I was interviewing Pastor Matthew he suggested that I also interview Pastor Kaleb to understand the difference in the hours that they work based on the differences in their role in ministry.  

1.  Study (alone) - Pastor Matthew will spend 30 hours per week in study alone for his sermon preparation.  This number does vary based on different responsibilities that he has to fulfill but the average time spent per week is 30.  

2.  Administrative/Office (administration, paperwork, computer etc.)  Throughout the week Pastor Matthew will spend 6-10 hours doing administrative and office tasks.  

3.  Services (worship, Bible studies etc.) - On a weekly basis Pastor Matthew spends 3.5 hours in services.  

4.  People (meetings, committees) - On average Pastor Matthew will spend 10 hours a week in meetings.  

5. Other (graphics, media) - Usually for each sermon Pastor Matthew spends time developing or helping to develop graphics and find media for Sunday morning.  The time spent doing this per week is usually 2 hours, however the time spent by others preparing the graphics and media is much longer.  

Observations:  The first thing that came to mind as I was talking to Pastor Matthew is that it is critical to be scheduled.  With all of the responsibilities that he has it is important to recognize the time that is needed to complete everything before sunday morning.  

It would also be critical to recognize when you can have time away from ministry.  With so many hours to be logged in ministry it would be easy to let it take over your life and neglect other areas of your life that need attention.  Pastor Matthew has a family to care for and invest in but also needs time for himself away from ministry.  To invest all of his time in ministry would burn him out and would hinder him from being the father and husband he needs to be.  

The last thing I observed was that a lot of time is spent on the Sunday morning service.  I think this is critical because there is no way that Pastor Matthew can meet on an individual basis with everyone in the congregation.  Because the Sunday morning service is going to reach more people than individual relationship building can I think spending a lot of time in preparation is extremely important.  This also allows him to feel more prepared for his ministry and will allow him to focus on individual relationship building.  

Week 5 Time Management

Week 5

Time Management Advice

New Life Community Church has still not had a board meeting yet this year so I kept moving on to the next assignment in the syllabus.

I interviewed Pastor John Klotz from New Life Community Church on 02/02/09 about time management boundaries. He gave me a list of things that he does to set up boundaries for himself in his schedule so his time is not controlled by others.

1. He bought a laptop so he could work outside the Church and not always be in the office

2. He tells the secretary he isn’t taking any calls for a period of time unless it is an emergency

3. He makes a list of things to do at the beginning of the week, the list includes:

- People he needs to call

- Meetings to prepare for

- People to go visit at home or in the hospital

- Other various tasks

4. Putting up post it notes as reminders of things to do

I then asked Pastor Klotz for his best two pieces of time management advice:

1. Take a class on time management

2. Find someone who is a good time manager and learn from them how to manage time well.

-Derek Trout-

Week 4: Staff Report to Board

First, the only "employee" of the board is the senior pastor. When other staff members are members of the board, there is often confusion as to who is responsible to whom. Do other staff members report to the board or to the senior pastor? It should be the senior pastor but when other staff sit on boards it is often the case the boards start to manage them as well. In good governance all staff report to the senior leader and the senior leader both sits as a board member and is accountable to the board.I have seen a number of situations where staff were always at board meetings and the senior pastor was unable to deal with problematic issues of performance of these staff members because they were "members" of the board. This tied the hands of the senior leader to lead and caused significant pain. There are cases where staff will use their "proximity" to board members to do end runs around the senior leader and if they are board members this becomes very easy if they are so inclined.Second, remember that the job of boards is to govern, set policy, direction and provide oversight. The job of staff is to deal with the day to day ministry issues and to ensure that the policies, direction and ministry initiatives of the board are carried out. These are two very different responsibilities. One does not want board members doing management and one does not want staff members doing the job of the board. When staff members are regularly at board meetings it often confuses the responsibilities of board and staff or policy and management.

I interviewed my local church pastor yesterday and he gave me some really good insight as to what he expects from the staff.  It is a lot easier now to understand what exactly might be expected in a staff report.  My pastor helps his staff develop technically a "to do" list for the week.  They work on getting the tasks on the list accomplished as well as fulfill their other responsibilities in the church.  Here is a list of what I think a staff should include in their report to a senior pastor.  

1.  The health of the pastor this week - Are you feeling stressed, tired, burnt out, or encouraged enthused, uplifted?  Use this time to tell the senior pastor how you are doing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.  

2.  Actions in Ministry - What was done in ministry this week?  Who did you visit?  What did you accomplish? 

3. How did those actions go?  Report to the pastor on how those actions in ministry went.  Tell him about conversations, victories, and new contacts.  

4.  Problems in Ministry - Was there anything that the senior pastor would need to know about that may need to be addressed?

5.  Vision - What ministry vision is being cast for the next week?

6.  Ministry log - I believe for added accountability it is important for staff members to provide a log of their hours in ministry to their pastor.  This is added accountability to make sure that they are actively participating in their ministry. 

7.  Questions - I think this is a great time to ask questions and have a senior pastor share their knowledge and wisdom with a staff.  Ask questions about ministry or life.  How did the senior pastor approach certain circumstances?  What does he do to maintain boundaries?  

I think a lead pastor should always be in the loop as to what is going on inside the ministry of the church.  This brings added accountability but also the opportunity for someone more experienced in ministry to share some success stories as well as some examples of what not to do in ministry.  

Staff Report to Board

I would repeat Derek's post. I think that it is very important in everything that is being presented that you give a good look at what the minstry looks like and what direction the ministry is heading. I know that the bigger the church, the less often the head pastor or board members make their way to other ministries, especially if you are a youth pastor.
I feel that it is important and very respcetable, for a younger pastor especially, to go out of his way to let the board know that he wants to do ministry alongside the board members. To let them know that you want to be apart of the team that they have put together.
The biggest thing, in which I have already mentioned, is to show them the direction in which the ministry is heading. It is paramount to let the board know what you have disucssed within your ministry and to fill them in on how you plan on keeping your ministry afloat!

Week Four Essay – Staff report to Board

Week Four Essay

Staff Report to Board

    I think that a staff member's report to a board should include some administrative type things. First of all they need to have their name on it, the date and time if the meeting and what ministry they are submitting a report for. They should also type and sign the bottom of each of their reports.

There are many other things that a report should include such as:

1. The regular attendance of the ministry

2. The budget of the ministry vs. money spent for the ministry

3. What you do and when you regularly meet for that ministry

4. What and when you have done other events than the regular meeting times

5. Tell the people who volunteer in the ministry and if you need more

6. Tell your vision for the ministry and where you see it going in the future

7. Tell how you plan to see your vision become a reality

8. Tell what areas of the ministry are going well

9. Tell what areas of the ministry need improvement

10. Make any needed proposals for more money, volunteers, buildings, etc.

I think that a report to the board should accomplish giving the board a good overview of the entire time period since the last meeting for that ministry. They should know about how the ministry works and what needs more attention or what they can do to help the ministry improve. The board should have enough information from the report that they can tell someone else about the ministry, what it does, what it wants to do and what the budget is for that ministry. The report should give the board a solid overview of the ministry so they know what is going on in the Church.

Just to let you know

I posted on hours worked in ministry because New Life Community Church has still not had a board meeting for this year so I skipped ahead to the next topic on the schedule…

-Derek Trout-

Week 4 Horus worked in Ministry

Week 4

 

Hours Worked in Ministry

I interviewed Pastor John Klotz on February 2, 2009 at 10:00 A.M.

Here is the list of time per week with hours in ministry:

1. Study (including sermon and Wednesday night prep time) – 14-16 hours

2. Administrative – 5-10 hours a week

3. Sunday and Wednesday services – 5 hours

4. Meetings – 3-5 hours a week

5. Phone calls – 2-3 hours a week

6. Counseling – 2-3 hours a week

These are the only things that Pastor Klotz told me took up a majority of his week. I thought that it was strange that he would not list prayer as part of the time he spends while at the Church during the week. I also thought that he spent much less time on study for two services (Sunday and Wednesday) than other pastors I have talked to. I thought that there would be more little things that would take up a few more hours a week that are an annoyance to deal with but Pastor Klotz did not tell me he had any of those things in class.

-Derek Trout-

Week 3 Parliamentary Law

Here are my thoughts on how to develop a new system of decision making within the local church.  It may be somewhat rough and there are some flaws but I think it could work. 

1.  Every year have the local church board go through a meeting on the vision and mission of the church.  Then give them the option of placing their name in a bid to be selected to be on the administrative team.  

2.  Draw four names from the board members who have allowed their names to be entered.  These four team members will then meet with the elected chairperson to make the decisions that are presented to them by the board. 

3.  The board will hold an open forum to discuss the range of topics that my be at hand.  This allows for everyone to have their voice heard.  All matters that need addressed can be presented at this forum.

4.  The board will then hold its own discussion on all of the items that were brought to its attention during the forum.  They will discuss matters that will be voted on.  

5.  The smaller group of four members will then take the items that they have been presented with and will vote on them.  The smaller number of voters should ensure that some decisions will be made.  

Three Flaws 

1.  I'm not sure if I like drawing names out of a hat for this selection process.  I would much rather pick the people I think are able to do the job but thats too biased.  

2.  I think the open forum to discuss items would then be a bloodbath.  Everyone who does not have the ability to vote on the matter would come out in force to rally for their item to be passed.  Not a good idea. 

3.  It may still be hard for items to be passed.  With a random system of voters people who have differing views may still get on the administrative voting team together. 

Parliamentary Law

I think the best thing any group can do is take it to God. As Derek said for his number 1, I say to spend more time in prayer.
I feel that it is paramount for the church to have a fair vote and for each voice to be heard. Although I feel it is just as important for the pastor to be fully behind each decision made. I think that the pastor, the chair, should have the say-all in this situation.
The elders of the church, the people who know the needs of the church the most, should be the one's discussing the full extent of each motion and problem with the issue.
It is paramount to understand what is best for the church as a whole. Even though it is important for the Pastor to be behind the decision 100%...it needs to benefit the church 100%.

Three Problems I see with this method:
No matter the issue there is going to be someone somewhere who may disagree with the outcome. We need to inforce the fact that the decision was made for the better of the church.
Anyway you go someone is not going to agree. Therefore each decision needs to be prayer-filled and lead by the Spirit.
The outcome of the vote should be presented to the entire church. It drives me insane when people find things out about the direction of the church through hear-say. It needs to be given to the body from the front of the church.

Week Three Essay Parliamentary Law

Week Three Essay

Parliamentary Law

List of how I would adapt parliamentary law:

1. Spend more time in prayer and meditation as a group

2. Make everything that it is voted on have to have a unanimous vote to pass

3. Have a smaller group of people make the decisions

    - Only people that are holy

4. Only allow the elders to speak

5. Let the Chair person make the decision without anyone else voting

6. Only the elders could make a motion

7. Try to pass things that would make everyone happy

8. Look at what is best for the Church, not yourself

9. All members must have an open mind and not have decided something before the meeting

10. Make compromises sp that everyone "wins"

 

Three Problems I see with this method:

    One of the problems I see for the method listed above is that it would not give everyone a fair opportunity. Only elders could speak or make proposals and that leads to a hierarchy within the Church where people are not equal.

    Another problem that I see is there is no way to make this so that there is no winning and no losing. No matter what people are going to have their own preferences and ideas, even if they spend days in prayer and meditation then they still could not agree.

    A third problem I see with this is that no attempt to make people happy will make people 100% of the time. There is always going to be someone who is upset and there is nothing you can do about it. I don't there is a way to make it that there are no winners or no losers.

Week 3 Board Meeting

1.  The River Community Church met for an Advisory Team Meeting on January 12th 2009 and met for 2 Hours.

2.  As I sat and watched the board work through the church budget as well as some other issues facing the church I realized that there were no major decisions made during this meeting.  The church was working through some major issues with their budget since they are only a year old.  The church estimated the spending that would happen for certain areas of the budget and they were off by a good amount.  It was clear that some of the members of the board were very adamant about sticking to the budget, whereas others recognized that it was the first budget the church was working with and therefore it would have some mistakes.  The discussion on the budget took about an hour to work through.  We then transitioned into discussion on the possibility of a new location for the church.  Again, no major decisions were made but organized discussion took place concerning the issue.  Pastor Matthew would present possible alternatives to the current location and the members of the board would then discuss whether or not they believed it to be a good decision.  The board members would also present their own opinions as to the spending that would need to take place for the church to move locations.  After it seemed that everyone had the opportunity to express their feelings, Pastor Matthew talked about the vision and future of the church and how at times things won't make sense but God may be calling us to take a leap of faith.  

3.  As I sat in on this meeting I realize that at times the person with the loudest voice really led the meeting.  This is something I have recognized in my leadership courses and it proves true for the local church as well.  I am glad however that the members of the board were very conversational and civil regarding their opinions.  I honestly would like to return to another board meeting where more decisions are being made so that I could see the process that takes place.  I learned a lot about finances through the conversation that took place since that was the major topic discussed.  

Week Three Administrative Work

Week Three

 

Administrative Work

 

Since the Church I attend is not going to have a board meeting until later in February I could not attend a board meeting by this week so I moved ahead to week four in the syllabus and interview Pastor Klotz about the administrative work that he does.

 

I interviewed Pastor John Klotz of New Life Community Church on January 19^th to talk to him about the administrative work that he does.

 

Here is the list of Administrative work that Pastor Klotz does on a weekly basis:

1. On Mondays totaling the attendance of Sunday school, Church, nursery and Children's Church so they can have a count of how many people were there Sunday

2. Meeting with the secretary to go over the tithes and offerings from Church

3. Meeting with the various ministry team leaders

4. The Church has a day care so he sometimes does work with them and the parents of the daycare

5. Take phones calls of people that call in

6. Make phone calls for supplies or other needed calls

7. Trying to get volunteers involved in the different ministries

8. Answering the questions that people have

9. Meeting with people if they stop into the Church

10. Setting up the chairs in the sanctuary or taking them down depending on what events are coming up

11. Doing different service things around the Church that need to be done such as changing light bulbs

 

 

The observations that I made from the meeting with Pastor Klotz and the list that he gave me is that he does not have a whole lot of administrative type work. New Life Community Church does have a full time secretary and I was thinking that might explain the reason why pastor Klotz does not have a lot of administrative work. Pastor Klotz seemed to think that he had a lot of administration duties and that he was often annoyed by them but I thought that he had it rather easy.

Ministerial Ethics Review

While I was reading the article I started to get a little upset at the idea of playing with numbers or doing shady business in the church.  I know that some of the options presented by Coach that I really would take offense to, are decisions made by pastors in the local church all the time without a hint of hesitation.  Maybe I'm wrong, but as a leader in the church I want to keep myself above reproach.  I want to set the standard.  

In those situations it is so easy to toy with the idea of taking the easy route or gaining personally from our dealings.  Its funny, but even though these are just possible scenarios I had a hard time choosing answers.  I got a little upset with myself about that because I know how I want my ministry to look, but I also know how hard it might be to do everything by the books.  Thankfully I have mentors and accountability partners in my life who can assist me in saving my integrity.  Former Pastors and church treasurers are some very close family members and so I will have people around me who know the ins and outs of church finances and who can ask the tough questions.  

I guess the sooner I begin to recognize the challenges that I will face concerning my integrity in ministry, the more I can prepare myself to make the decisions that may have been able to sneak away with.  Strength grows over time too.  I believe that as I continue to face these situations and have victory over them, the easier it will become to say no to temptation concerning finances.  I want to be an example of integrity and set the standard for the members of my congregation.  I don't want to benefit from the church but I want the church to benefit from my actions.  

Week Two Essay

Response to Drury Article: What Evangelicals Believe About Tithing

 

    I thought that this article by Drury raised many good points about how "Church people" feel about tithing. I was also surprised about some of the statistics that Drury mentioned in the article such as if everyone in a congregation tithed 10% then most Church's income would at least double if not triple or quadruple. The first thing that this tells me is that the evangelical Church has a problem when it comes to tithing. I think that this problem with tithing could stem from the greed of the people of the Church or from pastors and Churches doing a poor job teaching, preaching and challenging members of the congregation to tithe. It is probably a little bit of both.

    The second paragraph of this article I found particularly interesting. The idea that most evangelicals think that tithing is not Biblical is foreign to me. I thought that Drury made a interesting point how many evangelicals view tithing much like the Sabbath command and if they set apart part of the Sabbath day then they are okay. I think Drury might be right that many evangelicals view tithing that same way and think that if they give something then they are okay.

    The third paragraph of this article made me angry about how many evangelicals view what the Church is and how they justify their giving to the Church by giving to a kayak trip. The last sentence of that paragraph makes the point that many evangelicals have wandered off from ecclesiology orthodoxy. I think that this is a huge problem in the Church and something that needs to be addressed so that people do not continue to justify giving to "the Church" when they are in fact not giving to the Church at all. I think that it is important and necessary for the people of the Church to give 10% to the local Church. I also think that the people of the Church need to give their tithe without concern if their tithe is going to pay the electric bill, pastor's salary, or to the children's ministry. As long as the money is being used as it should within the Church people should be worrying about what their tithe is specifically being used for, it is all going to help the Church and to support the ministries and people of that Church.

    I think that it would be good to thank the people of the Church that give tithes and/or offerings to the Church. But there are some problems with this. First of all there are few pastors that know what the people of the Church are tithing and giving. How can the pastor be expected to write thank you letters to everyone in the Church if they do not know what is being given? If it is a larger Church, even if there were 100 regular givers in your Church that is a lot of writing, time and energy into writing individual think you letters every year. I see no problem with sending out a photocopied thank you letter from the Church instead of a hand written letter to each giver in the Church.

    I believe that tithing should be done by all in the Church who have jobs and receive income. Ten percent should be given to the local Church and then anything else given to other ministries or organizations. In Luke 11:42 Jesus tells that Pharisees "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." I know that Jesus is not coming out and saying specifically to give a tenth of everything you earn to God in this passage, but he is instructing the Pharisees that they are right in giving a tenth to God. I understand that there are hard times that people go through and they need to make the decision with much prayer and meditation if they can give their tithe or not. But I believe that tithing should be done at all times, even if that means taking a leap of faith.

Making a Budget

I interviewed Pastor Jared Kidwell on Saturday about making a budget.
1. look at the previous year and decide which needs adjusted, more or less
2. figure the amount of last year's giving and compare that to the attendance whether you can expect more giving or less giving in the upcoming year.
3. find out the amount given for the budget this year.
4. make appropriate adjustments...from #1
5. Present the budget
6. Make necessary changes

Week 2 Making a Budget

Week Two

Making a Budget

I am doing my practicum at New Life Community Church (NLCC) in Noblesville, IN. The lead Pastor at NLCC is John Klotz. I had a meeting with him on January 19, 2009 at 10:30 A.M. to talk about how NLCC makes their budget. This is only the second year that Pastor Klotz has been at NLCC and he has only been there to help make one of the Church's budgets.

Here is the process that Pastor Klotz told me he used to make the budget.

1. Look at last year's giving – there are records of this

2. Look at the last year's budget – find and look at last year's budget

3. Try to figure out what you expect to bring in this for this year's budget

    - There is a lot of guessing and estimating here…based off of last year's giving

4. Find out if there are any big changes you expect in giving

    - Have any families moved away?

    - Are there new families in the Church?

5. Look at the spending trends of different ministries from the past year

6. Determine if any part of the Church needs less or more funds based on spending trends

7. Get together with the treasurer and have them also do steps 1-6 and then use the two budgets to come to one final rough draft

8. Meet with the other leaders of the Church to discuss the budget and have them ask questions or propose changes

- Make any necessary changes or corrections during this time

9. Present the budget at the annual business meeting in November

10. Have a time for people to ask more questions and propose other changes

11. Make any necessary corrections or changes

12. Take a vote at the annual business meeting in November to approve the budget

Week 1: Kinds of Leadership

What Is Leadership?
Leadership is a process of getting things done through people. The quarterback moves the team toward a touchdown. The senior patrol leader guides the troop to a high rating at the camporee. The mayor gets the people to support new policies to make the city better.
These leaders are getting things done by working through people -- football players, Scouts, and ordinary citizens. They have used the process of leadership to reach certain goals.
Leadership is not a science. So being a leader is an adventure because you can never be sure whether you will reach your goal -- at least this time. The touchdown drive may end in a fumble. The troop may have a bad weekend during the camporee. Or the city's citizens may not be convinced that the mayor's policies are right. So these leaders have to try again, using other methods. But they still use the same process the process of good leadership.
Leadership means responsibility. It's adventure and often fun, but it always means responsibility. The leader is the guy the others look to to get the job done. So don't think your job as a troop leader or a staff member will be just an honor. It's more than that. It means that the other Scouts expect you to take the responsibility of getting the job done. If you lead, they will do the job. If you don't, they may expect you to do the job all by yourself.
That's why it's important that you begin right now to learn what leadership is all about.
Wear your badge of office proudly. It does not automatically make you a good leader. But it identifies you as a Scout who others want to follow -- if you'll let them by showing leadership.
You are not a finished leader. No one ever is, not even a president or prime minister. But you are an explorer of the human mind because now you are going to try to learn how to get things done through people. This is one of the keys to leadership.
You are searching for the secrets of leadership. Many of them lie locked inside you. As you discover them and practice them, you will join a special group of people-skilled leaders.
Good exploring -- both in this handbook and with the groups you will have a chance to lead.
Leadership in the Bible:
2 Timothy 4:5Hebrews 13:171 Peter 5:2Hebrews 10:25Jeremiah 3:152 Corinthians 12:20Psalm 33:31 Peter 5:31 Corinthians 14:331 Timothy 5:171 Timothy 4:12Galatians 6:1

Week 1: Church Budget

LaFontaine Christian Church
Pastor Jared
50% on ministers and staff
20% on Facilities
25% on Programs
5% on Denomination support and missions

the beginning

This is our first post as a group. First of all, welcome to all! Secondly, who and where are you guys doing your practicums? My pastor is Jared Kidwell at LaFountaine Christian Church. I feel that it will be an interesting time just because it is a very small church and I am not used to the small church atmosphere so I am excited to see what God has in store for me this semester!