Exciting study for small church leaders

Out of all the books I’ve written for bivocational and small church leaders The Healthy Small Church: Diagnosis and Treatment for the Big Issues has been the most popular.  Numerous churches have bought copies for their leadership to study as they began to look at the health of their church.  Some churches have purchased copies for every member of their congregation and have used it to study how they can become a healthier congregation.  One church that went through a church split purchased copies of the book for every member so they could try to determine how to prevent such a thing from happening again.  Judicatory leaders have purchased copies for the pastors of every church in their district.  Because of the book’s popularity I’ve led workshops based on this book for numerous denominations across the United States and Canada.  Numerous people have asked when I would develop a study course based on this book, and today I am announcing that study course is now available!

This course will consist of 15 lessons.  Each week you will receive an e-mail containing one of the lessons that comes out of the 15 chapters of the book.  Each lesson will consist of questions based upon things discussed in the chapter that you can use to examine your own church.  These will be ideal to use with your church leadership to lead them through a study of this book as you and they examine the health of your own church.

If you have follow-up questions you would like to have answered you can e-mail me your questions and receive a reply.  In addition, you will be entitled to one 45 minute free coaching call where we can discuss anything you would like to discuss.  (This by itself is a $100.00 value!) 

WHY AM I MAKING THIS STUDY AVAILABLE?

Research indicates that 80 percent (or more) of the churches in North America are plateaued or declining.  Approximately 100 churches close their doors every week.  Most of these are smaller churches that have been in decline for years.  A healthy body will be a growing body, and the fact that these churches are in decline or closing indicates that they have had health issues for years that have gone undiagnosed and untreated.  I DON’T WANT YOUR CHURCH TO BE ANOTHER STATISTIC!  That’s why I want to make this study available to as many people as possible.

There is another reason.  Most studies of this nature are not designed for smaller churches.  Even though the median size church in America today is 75 people, there are few resources developed that speak specifically to the needs of these churches.  That was why I wrote my first book on bivocational ministry and why I continue to write and speak on the issues that affect the smaller church and its leaders.

AFFORDABLE

• Because this is the first time I’ve offered this course I am making it available for only $249.00.  For that small investment you will receive:
•  15 lessons sent to you by email, one lesson each week for 15 weeks.  That’s less than $17.00 per lesson!
•  One free copy of The Healthy Small Church. (A $13.99 value)
• The opportunity to discuss with me by email the lesson for the week.
•  One free 45 minute coaching session by telephone on any topic you choose. (A $100.00 dollar value!)
• Discounted coaching if you should decide later that having a personal coach would benefit you and your ministry.

WHO SHOULD ENROLL IN THIS COURSE?

This course is designed for bivocational ministers and small church pastors.  If you are a lay leader in a small church encourage your pastor to enroll, or if you do not currently have a pastor you can take the course yourself.  I highly recommend that when you take the course that you do not keep this material to yourself but that you involve your leadership boards in this study with you.

ABOUT ME

For 20 years I served as the bivocational pastor of a small, rural church in southeast Indiana.  I left that church to become a judicatory leader in our denomination working with churches of all sizes, but the majority of the churches I serve are smaller congregations.  My passion is with these churches and their leadership.  I have published eight books and several journal articles on small church and bivocational ministry.  My Doctor of Ministry thesis was “Coaching Bivocational Ministers for Greater Ministerial Effectiveness,” and I have had the opportunity to coach numerous bivocational ministers and judicatory leaders who work with them.

Over the past decade I have been privileged to lead conferences and workshops for numerous denominations in the United States and Canada that addressed the needs of bivocational and small church leadership.  In these sessions I have been able to encourage and applaud these churches and their leaders for their contribution to the Kingdom of God as well as speak to the real challenges they face.  I want these churches and their leaders to achieve the vision God has for their ministries.

HOW DO YOU ENROLL?

I know most courses of this nature require enrollees to pay by credit card and some even charge the credit card each month.  I’ve been listening to Dave Ramsey too long to ask you to go into credit card debt for this study, so we’re going old-school.  Send me a check for $249.00 with your name, address, e-mail address, name of church, average attendance for your morning service and average attendance for your church school.  Send it to Bivocational Ministries, PO Box 1113, Madison, Indiana 47250.  Lessons will be sent out to this first cohort starting on September 8 which means the registration deadline for this cohort will be August 25.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  If you’re ready to go, send in your registration material today!