Four Things That Will Revolutionize Your Ministry

Prepare For The Session:

Get The Book Effective Staffing For Vital Churches (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801014905)
Read The Introduction plus Chapters 1 & 2 (15 pages)
Read and prepare for discussion using the questions below.

Agenda:

In the introduction, the authors make a case for the importance of their book. Which of the four reasons most resonates with your ministry?
Though this book was published in 2012, the warnings about the changes in church seem even more ominous today. Check out this article and note a couple observations for yourself about the changes we are seeing today compared with some of the notes found in chapter two.
The author notes, in a section titled, “The Keystone of Staffing” in chapter two certain shifts that he has seen in churches. Your church may have a very small paid staff or several on the payroll. Regardless of the staffing size, the work of ministry extends beyond what any one person can do. Ministry is a team sport. How do you see item #3 (Staff functions as scouts) play out in your church (consider that inner circle lay leaders often function as staff in many church contexts)?
What else in chapter two is noteworthy to you?

Prepare For The Session:

Get The Book Effective Staffing For Vital Churches (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801014905)
Read Chapters 3 & 4:
Read and prepare for discussion using the questions below.

Agenda:

Of the following four statements, which one is MOST descriptive of your church and with one is LEAST descriptive. (When we meet, try to unpack why you describe your church in this way – and even how it got to be that way)

Our church has a culture of existing members/attenders inviting unsaved people to their home / group / ministry / church service.
Our church has a highly personal follow-up process to express the love of Christ to new people. People who visit have a good probability of staying.
Our church has a disciple-making process. We grow people with intentionality.
Our church identifies, recruits, trains and sends people to lead ministries. We don’t only recruit volunteers, we raise up capable shepherds, teachers and leaders.

Of the Four Things, which do you tend to be most passionate about? Which do you spend the most time on? If there is a difference here, consider what would need to be true to align your passion and your time.
The first thing I thought of when I read these chapters is this: Our church has a full plate of ministries already in our church. We barely (or not) have enough people to do this. My best people are already working in their areas of passion. How do you identify (or not) with these sentiments?
During your reading of chapter 4, what do you think of the descriptions of the Invite Key Leader? What emotions does this chapter provoke (excitement, dread, passion, guilt, overwhelm, etc)?
What Invite strategies (in the chapter or not) have you used (let’s say post-COVID for timeliness) that have borne some fruit? What did you try and discard?

Prepare For The Session:

Watch Dave Ferguson, Hero Maker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFwmUzY9YCA
In Hero Maker, Ferguson (and co-author Warren Bird) describe 5 Hero Making Practices. The first shift is Multiplication Thinking. Ferguson writes: “Later Jesus told them they would likewise reach a huge number of men, women, and children. In Acts 1:8 he said, in effect, “I don’t want you to think in terms just of Jerusalem. Don’t even limit yourselves to this region, nor to people with your economic or religious background. Actually, by the power of the Holy Spirit that I’ll be sending you, I want you to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. Yes, a handful of people will connect with millions, and later with billions.”

Agenda:

Connection: In your view, what is the right size for a church to move from Hero ministry to Hero Making ministry?
Introduction: How Sonlife Ministries changed my view of 2 Timothy 2:2.
Discussion Questions:

Both Ferguson and Effective Staffing emphasize the importance of apprenticing leaders and servants: Tell a story about someone who apprenticed you (in a big or small way) that has forever changed your life.
Page 69 of Effective Staffing, the authors (the “Bills”) write, “The problem in most churches is that the lead pastor doesn’t understand they’re a head coach and not a player.” Here’s a big qualifier from Derek: “The reality is that most leaders operate effectively when both a coach and a player.” As we consider what the Bills mean, there may be some room for us to minister more through coaching. Add some thoughts to the chart below:

Being a Great Commission church and implementing the Four Things requires a movement of leadership and ministry from being led/performed by the one or the few and becoming a ministry of the many. We all want to be a part of a ministry that lives out our theology of spiritual gifting of every believer. From Ferguson’s video, what is one of the 5 Hero Making practices that most resonate with you today? What are you passionate about?
At 16:30 in the video, Ferguson refers to Bob Buford and his phrase, “My Fruit Grows On Other People’s Trees.” What is one thing that would need to be true of you and your church’s ministry to move more toward training, supporting and unleashing fruit growers?

Prepare For The Session:

Read Effective Staffing Chapters 12 & 13. These chapters cover all the transition points

Agenda:

“Hot Seat Format!” Everyone will sit in the chair (virtually) for 10 minutes! During that time, you will spend 2 minutes (timed!) sharing from the two 3 bullets below. Then the others in the group will speak wisdom and truth into you.

We limit the amount of time that you talk while in the hot seat so that others can speak wisdom to you.

From the list of six items listed on page 103 and the list of five more on 112, which bullet most describes a step that you think would help you open up your leadership.
Describe a pain point that you feel in this area. (For example, if you select “Cast the church’s long range vision,” the pain you feel may be: the church board and I seem to value totally different things and I haven’t been able to convince them)
Highlight a sentence in the book (probably in one of the sections that details that bullet) to share with others that represents a next step that you could take to move ahead OR What is a question that you would ask you fellow cohorters that you want help to figure out in your leadership or ministry?