Bivocational ministry training

Last week I attended two events hosted by local funeral homes for the ministers in our area. One of the amazing things I noticed was that six of the ministers attending were either graduates of our region's Church Leadership Institute or were about to complete that program. The Church Leadership Institute (CLI) is a program that our region developed around 2002 to train lay leaders, but we found that several of our bivocational ministers also enrolled in the program. In fact, we added an additional year (five courses) specifically designed for persons serving in bivocational roles to the original two-year program. Today, we have a number of our churches being served by graduates of our CLI program. One of the things I am most pleased about of my time as a Resource Minister in our region was that I had the opportunity to lead the team that designed this program and served as the director of CLI until my retirement.

CLI was never designed to replace seminary training, but it does provide some of our bivocational ministers with basic ministerial training to enable them to better serve their churches. A number of lay people in our churches have also completed CLI helping them to more effectively serve their churches as well.

For many years bivocational ministers have struggled to find training opportunities designed to speak to their specific needs. That's why I began writing books that addressed those needs and began to lead workshops and seminars built around the information in those books. I was very blessed to have an Executive Minister, Larry Mason and later Soozi Ford, who allowed me to lead these events across the US and Canada for various denominational groups.

The need to train our bivocational ministers is still needed. Their numbers are growing in almost every denomination. While some have seminary training, many of them do not. They desire training, but it has to fit within their already tight schedules and it has to speak specifically to their needs.

While I was serving in my judicatory role I had to limit the seminars and workshops I could do, but now that I am retired I am free to lead more training opportunities for these bivocational leaders. There are several topics that have been well received by past groups. These would include my most requested seminar "The Healthy Small Church," "Bivocational Ministry for the 21st Century" and others. I've also developed specific topics that were requested by the host denomination to better train their small church leaders in those areas.

If you are a denominational or judicatory leader I would love to work with you to help equip your bivocational ministers and small church leaders. Just contact me and we can discuss how I might be able to do that. If you are a bivocational minister or a lay leader in your church and would be interested in having me speak in your judicatory ask your denominational leadership to contact me. I know that now is when many denominations are making plans for their 2020 annual meetings and scheduling other training events so this is the time to get me on your schedule. I would love to work with your churches and their leadership.

The healthy small church

This past weekend I was privileged to lead a "The Healthy Small Church" seminar in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Grace Presbyterian Church. The event was sponsored by the host church and co-sponsored by United Faith Presbyterian Church. We had 52 people register for the event that included Presbyterians, Lutherans, United Methodists, and Church of the Brethren. I've led this workshop for numerous denominational groups across the United States and Canada and comes from my book The Healthy Small Church: Diagnosis and Treatment for the Big Issues. This is my best selling book to date and the seminar I am most often asked to lead.

Too many people view smaller churches in a negative light. They see small churches as unhealthy, outdated, traditional, old, set in their ways, unwilling to change, and so forth. All of these may be true for some churches, but they do not define all smaller churches. Many smaller churches are healthy and robust with great ministries that are making a difference in the lives of their congregations and communities. Even better, for those churches that may not be as healthy as they would like, they can change and become healthier.

The book and the seminar addresses some of the issues that can cause a church to be unhealthy. A church without a vision will not be as healthy as one with a vision that informs the decisions of the church. Worship services that do not lift up people and allow them to experience God in meaningful ways will cause a church to be less healthy. Conflicted churches and churches that are inward focused rather than ministry focused will not be healthy churches. The list goes on.

However, the book and the seminar not only pinpoints some of the issues that cause a church to be unhealthy, they show how a church can address those challenges in ways that will promote health. A healthy church will be a growing church, and a growing church will be more effective in its various ministries.

Judicatory leaders have purchased the book for every pastor in their area of responsibility. Churches have purchased it for their leadership boards and studied it together chapter by chapter. One congregation called asking if they could get a discount if they ordered 100 copies to give to every family in their church. (YES!) A Nazarene pastor in Michigan led his congregation through a study of the book and told me later about the positive impact it made on the church. I later was privileged to preach in that church.

Although the book title indicates it is for small churches, the word small changes for different denominations. A small church in one denomination might well be a mid-size church in another. Also, the issues and principles addressed in the book are applicable to any size church. I intentionally wrote the book using small church examples because few books are written specifically addressing the needs of the smaller church. Everything in the book is equally applicable to larger churches as well.

The folks hosting this latest event did a great job of promoting it and with making sure it was a successful. I thank both the pastoral and lay leaders of these churches for inviting me and making the day special for all who attended.

Connect with God, at home and in the community

For the past few days I've been privileged to be part of the General Baptist 2016 Summit in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The theme of this summit has been "Connect...with God...At Home...In the Community." It ended last night after three days of wonderful meetings, informational workshops, and excellent worship. Attendance was great, and there has been a magnificent atmosphere throughout the event.

This year I was invited to lead three workshops: "The Healthy Small Church." "Bivocational Ministry for the 21st Century," and "The Healthy Pastor." I've had the opportunity to meet some wonderful church leaders who are passionate about what they are doing as well as the opportunity to learn from other speakers at the plenary sessions.

I always enjoy working with General Baptists. Several years ago I participated in two leadership events hosted by Oakland City University, a GB related school and made connections with several of the leaders of this great denomination. One of the reasons I enjoy working with them so much is their commitment to the Great Commission and to the local church. Another reason is the cross-section of people who attend their meetings. It seems that they have many young pastors and church leaders who are really on fire for ministry. I always enjoy continuing our conversations after a workshop because they are like sponges wanting to soak up more information. Quite frankly, I learn a lot from them and am always energized by our interactions.

The focus of this conference was on connecting with people. We can't influence people if we don't first connect with them. Too many churches want to do ministry but really don't know the people they are called to serve and how they can best serve them. When we first connect with them and learn their needs and hopes we will be better able to provide meaningful ministries to them.

I also greatly appreciated the focus on connecting with our families. Sometimes our families get left out when we think about doing ministry. As I've often said, if we fail our families we will have failed as ministers. This conference understands that and there was a major emphasis on connecting with our families and ensuring that our family relationships remain strong.

Of course, none of this really matters if we haven't first connected with God. Our relationship with Him is foundational for everything else we do. Without that relationship with God as our foundation everything else is building upon sand.

The final service was very moving as several people responded to the invitation to consider God's call to ministry and to the mission field. A number of young people to answer that call signifying a great future for General Baptists as it moves into the future.

I want to thank Franklin Dumond for inviting me to participate in this year's Summit and to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen. Great things are happening in this denomination and even greater things will continue to happen in the future.

How can seminaries better equip bivocational ministers?

This past Monday I was privileged to deliver the keynote message at a bivocational minister's conference hosted by Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. The event had about forty people in attendance including bivocational ministers, members of their churches, and individuals from the School of Religion. It was a very well developed conference that included insights from a recent study conducted by Phil Blaisley who traveled the country interviewing bivocational ministers and members of their churches as well as a brainstorming session on how seminaries and Bible schools can better train bivocational ministers for ministry.

This final question is one that every seminary and Bible school needs to address. The facts are obvious. Bivocational ministry is growing across denominations and is projected to continue that growth. The church is going through an incredible transition, and I don't think anyone knows right now what it will look like on the other side. Most seminaries are still training pastors for the old model of church. Their assumption is that their graduates will go to fully-funded, growing churches, and the role of the pastor is to manage the church.

I'm not sure that assumption will be valid in the future; I'm not positive it's valid now! The median size church in America continues to be around 75 people. This size church can seldom provide adequate compensation for a fully-funded pastor. In fact, we now see churches of 100-120 unable to provide a financial package that will support a fully-funded pastor and his or her family. Add to this, there are a growing number of ministers who feel specifically called to bivocational ministry and have little interest in serving a fully-funded church.

While bivocational ministers might want to pursue theological and ministerial training, many of them are not going to be interested in the traditional MDiv degree. Serving a church and working a second job often doesn't allow them time to attend seminary, and many of them don't see the MDiv as suitable for the ministry they are doing. Many of them will look for a two-year degree that offers practical ministerial training as well as some theological education, and many of them want that education available online.

As the attendees brainstormed some of the things they would like to see seminaries offer bivocational ministers I was struck by the number of them who did, in fact, already have an MDiv from Earlham or another seminary. However, they realized there were some things missing from their previous seminary education that would have better prepared them for the realities of bivocational ministry. They contributed much to the discussion about how seminaries can better equip bivocational ministers for their ministry.

The Dean of the School of Religion was in attendance throughout the conference. He and others from the school have much to consider over the coming months, and I applaud them for their willingness to listen and think about how they can better serve their students. This is a conversation that every seminary and Bible school needs to have or they are going to see their future students seeking their education elsewhere.

As we all agreed, this is not an easy discussion for seminaries to have because we don't really know what the church is going to look like as it goes through it's current transition. The only thing we do know is that it will likely be different than it is now, so now's the time to begin thinking about how this transition will impact the education our seminaries will offer the students of the future.

Bivocational ministry conference on March 21

Earlham School of Religion will host a Pastor's Conference that will explore "Bivocational Ministry for the 21st Century" on March 21, 2016. Earlham is located in Richmond, Indiana. I have been asked to present the Keynote address for this event. Throughout the day there will be panels of pastors and congregants speaking on bivocational ministry as well as a report given on new research that ESR professor Phil Baisley has been doing. This promises to be an excellent event for anyone interested in bivocational ministry, and I am honored to have been asked to have a part. You can read more about the event and find online registration here.

It is exciting to me to see so much research and focus being done on bivocational ministry. When I was a bivocational pastor from 1981-2001 I cannot remember a single conference offered specifically for bivocational ministers. Perhaps there were some of which I was not aware, but I cannot recall anyone offering such a conference. For the past few years numerous denominations and schools have scheduled conferences that addresses bivocational ministry. As bivocational ministry continues to grow across denominations the number of such conferences are also growing. I am currently scheduled to speak at several of these in 2016.

I want to encourage the readers of this blog to locate some of these conferences and make plans to attend. Many of these offer excellent resources and information. Some offer just one primary speaker while others have several workshops to choose from. It's also encouraging to meet other bivocational ministers at these events. So often, we can feel that we are almost out here by ourselves doing this ministry. The fact is that there are many bivocational ministers, and we need to connect with one another.

This conference should be a good one. I'm interested in hearing what Phil has learned in his research, and I'm looking forward to hearing the panel discussions. I expect each will be very informative and encouraging. If you are able, I encourage you to register for this event.

The worst deception is self-deception

This past Thanksgiving week has been pretty exciting, especially around the dinner table. We enjoyed two different Thanksgiving meals as our son came in the week before Thanksgiving and we had another big meal the Sunday after Thanksgiving when our daughter and her family came. It's a good thing I had set the bathroom scales back ten pounds before the holiday or I would have really felt bad about the weight I gained!

OK, I didn't really set the scales back ten pounds, but it was tempting. Just like we're often tempted to try to deceive ourselves in other ways. Like when we excuse our sins by pointing to persons who commit worse sins (in our opinion) than we do thereby justifying our behavior as "not so bad." Or the times we convince ourselves that the problems in our church, or our family, or our business is the fault of everyone else.

I still remember the day I attended a John Maxwell conference when he was promoting his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (10th Anniversary Edition). At the time I was frustrated with the way things were in our church and in our family-owned business. Neither was growing the way I wanted, and I was blaming our congregation and our business employees for that lack of growth. Then Maxwell starting talked about the Law of the Lid and how no organization could grow beyond the lid of its leadership. Suddenly, his words hit me. I was the leader of both organizations. Our problems were my responsibility and were a reflection of my poor leadership. It wasn't the fault of other people; I was the lid keeping our organizations down.

As long as I was content to blame others for our problems we were stuck. That's what makes self-deception so harmful. When we deceive ourselves we are unable to see new ways of doing things. How often do you hear someone (perhaps yourself) say, "I've tried everything there is. Nothing going to change this." The reality is that you haven't tried everything there is to try, but as long as you keep thinking that you'll never identify a new approach that might succeed. Actually, there are probably dozens of things you haven't tried. Winston Churchill once said, "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." How does one do that? By knowing there are many other things yet left to try that will result in eventual success.

Self-deception will also prevent a person from growing. I've met people, including some in ministry, who believed they already knew everything they needed to know. Now, most of them would not say that, but you can tell by their attitudes that this is their belief. You can also tell it by their lack of attendance at training events. If they do attend some conference or workshop they seldom stay for the entire event. They have too much to do that's more important. People who already know everything will not be committed to life-long learning.

That's a shame because much of the knowledge and skills we've learned in the past is no longer useful today. Medicine has changed so much that doctors must work very hard to stay current on new treatments, available medicines, and the latest technology if they want to serve the patients well. This is no less true for those of us in ministry. If we are not growing as ministers we will be unable to lead our churches through the challenges of the 21st century.

What this means is that if we deceive ourselves in thinking that the problems in our church are always the fault of others and that our seminary diploma means that we've learned everything there is to know about ministry we will quickly forfeit our right to serve in ministry. We will be unable to lead our churches forward, and our self-deception will make us unable to understand why.

As we approach 2016 it may be a good time to take a hard look at ourselves. In what areas did we grow in 2015? What knowledge or new skills do we need to focus on developing in 2016? How will we develop them? Are there ways our leadership is actually hindering our church's ministry and, if so, what can we do about that?

Church consulting and coaching

Everywhere I go people ask what I'm going to do after I retire at the end of the year. While there are several things I plan to do, two of those things are to do consulting with churches and coach pastors and church leaders. My current ministry responsibilities did not allow me to do as much of that as I would have liked, especially with churches outside our region.

I should hasten to add that the Executive Ministers I was privileged to work with in our region never objected to my leading seminars throughout the US and Canada. In fact, they encouraged me to do so. One told me that I was one of the few who was doing such seminars and conferences for bivocational and small church leaders, and he would certainly not prevent me from leading those. At the same time, I felt that I had to be careful to not ignore my primary work in our region.

With my upcoming retirement I will have more time available to lead such events. I already have four speaking engagements scheduled for 2016, and I have been in conversation with one church about the possibility of consulting with them in 2016.

Like many churches, this church is not associated with a denomination, so there is no one they can contact to help them address some issues in their church. The church leaders are currently deciding whether to invite me to come and work with them.

One of the things I enjoy is coaching church leaders. My DMin thesis was "Coaching Bivocational Ministers for Greater Ministry Effectiveness." That thesis later became the basis for my book The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide. That work demonstrated how effective coaching can be for church leaders who are ready to move forward with their lives and ministries. In my retirement I would like to coach church leaders who are feeling stuck, facing problems, or are just ready to move to a higher level of effectiveness. I believe this will be a great way to add value to their lives and ministries.

Conferences, consulting, and coaching. Three of the ministries I enjoy doing the most. If your district is ready for a conference to help train your bivocational and small church leadership, give me a call. If your church needs a consultant to help them work through a challenge they are facing, I may be able to help. If you are a church leader who is ready to move forward, let me coach you through that process.