Resources for Parish Ministry Published by St. Alban's School of Ministry with the encouragement of EFAC
Your Church, a practical journal for church ministry (http://www.christianity.net/yc) has conducted a survey of the working habits of 580 pastors in the United States. They found that a 54-hour week is usual and that more than half of the pastors were satisfied with the workload and didn't feel guilty about working so long, according to the October/September issue of the magazine.
What did trouble 66% of them is that their job was never done. Although most occasionally thought a 9-5 job would be nice they valued the job flexibility.
The survey identified the factors that led to the long work hours. Most claimed their long hours were their own decision. The top reasons were personal expectations (68%), unfinished work (64%), and a love for the ministry (61%). Less than 20% blamed unreasonable demands from church members or church boards, according to the report.
The survey also investigated the impact on families. Two missed meals a week for married pastors seems usual plus another two nights out at meetings after dinner. Not surprisingly spouses are not as satisfied about the workload as the pastors. Such differences were reported to be sources of stress and conflict between pastors and their children as well as their spouse.
According to the report 80% of pastors acknowledged they were affected physically by the workload. 40% said the workload had resulted in health problems, although emotional stress was a more common affect. An astounding 90% said they took home the mental and emotional stress of ministry.
Grappling With Erratic Attendance
Is your attendance going up and down? You are not alone. Many churches find they have wildly fluctuating attendances with little apparent reason why some come so intermittently.
John Simpson is the General Superintendent of the Baptist Union of Victoria. In a recent article he discussed this strange phenomenon and put forward some possible factors including:
* The work place has become much more demanding.
* Employment is no longer a largely Monday to Friday enterprise.
* The pressures on adults are being felt by younger people too.
* Sunday is no longer the holy day it used to be.
* There are factors in the congregation too. There is often a perceived lack of connection between one Sunday and the next.
* The community life of the church may be weak.
* There is no doubt that the consumer society has clearly invaded church life. People worship where they feel at home and where they see their own and their family's needs being best met.
* If a church is marred by long running tension, erratic attendances are a certainty.
* Attendance at worship services alone will not be sufficient glue to generate commitment.
* Some churches are simply out of touch.
* Too many churches lack an effective process for following up newcomers.
* There is also the issue of the lonely Christian. There is a battalion of people who have a deep faith which is not shared by their families.
* There is no sense of the "otherness" of God in worship.
* Dramatic changes to worship patterns will almost always produce erratic attendances.
* Churches with team ministries face some special problems.
Identifying possible causes can help to find solutions. Certainly we are living in an age of choices. Not only do people make choices about which church to attend, but they also make choices about how much to attend. It is well known that the old denominational loyalties are breaking down. It also seems that a traditional degree of loyalty to any church cannot be assumed. People are much more intentional about their lack of involvement. It is not merely a lack of enthusiasm but a choice made in the light of many factors. Whether this ought to be the case, or needs to remain the case is another matter.
You can access the whole article at http://genesis.acu.edu/ministryhealth/116_js_erratic_church_attendance.html
Where Is God?
A couple had two little boys, aged 8 and 10, who were very mischievous. The two were always getting into trouble and their parents could be assured that if any mischief occurred in their town their two young sons were in some way involved. The parents were at their wits end as to what to do about their sons' behavior. The mother had heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in helping problem children in the past, so she asked her husband if he thought they should send the boys to speak with the clergyman. The husband said, "We might as well. We need to do something before I really lose my temper!"
The clergyman agreed to speak with the boys, but asked to see them individually. The 8-year-old went to meet with him first. The clergyman sat the boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?"
The boy made no response, so the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?" The boy looked around the room but made no answer, so the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face, "WHERE IS GOD?"
At that the boy bolted from the room and ran directly home slamming himself in his closet. His older brother followed him into the closet and asked, "What happened?" The younger brother replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time." "What do you mean we're in BIG trouble?" said his brother. "God is missing and they think we did it!"
Helping Bible Readers
Clifford Warne formerly the Director of Anglican Television and the producer of Ron Haddrick's readings of the Good News Bible on Cassette, has produced a cassette to teach Bible readers how to read the Bible aloud. It is first rate and worth getting and passing on to your Bible readers. The Art of Reading Aloud is available from Word bookshop for about $14.
Welcoming Transferring Members
With increased mobility and church attenders shopping around it is commonplace to have people turn up to church who are looking for a new home. Sometimes we are very grateful to receive some new workers (and givers).
But it is worth talking to their previous Rector (or pastor). Not everyone turns out to be what they first appear to be. Many in fact bring needs with them which their previous pastor can help us understand. Consulting is certainly advisable when they say they have had a falling out with their previous church.
Mission Minded Evangelism Tool
Mission Minded is a small booklet subtitled A tool for planning your ministry around Christ's mission. It is a practical book which is suitable for planning days, Parish Council discussions and clergy analysis. It enables you to work out how what you are doing contributes to making the gospel known and building up the church. It is also useful for planning strategies for evangelism.
The tool itself is a grid which can be applied to current parish activities, the budget, new endeavors; potential contact groups etc. The grid consists of stages of the process of learning to follow Christ: Raising Awareness; Initial Contact; Pre-evangelism; Evangelism; Follow Up; Nurture; Training in Ministry.
Written by Peter Bolt, published by Matthias Press and available from Koorong.
Strategic Prayer Focus
Strategic prayer is prayer for key people for strategic outcomes. One group of key people is our main lay leaders. Who are the top five leaders in the parish. Top in the sense that they have most influence on the character, direction, and mission of the congregation? How to pray best for them? For their relationship with God; for their unity; for fire in their belly for the cause of Christ; for love for the body; for humility in service...
Birthday Cards
One way of fostering fellowship and encouraging people is to remember birthdays in the pewsheet and the notices, as well as to send birthday (and anniversary) cards to parishioners. Some churches have a member of the congregation do this. But there are some advantages to the pastor doing it since it allows personal messages of encouragement to be included. How to find out the birthdays? Either keep records (for next year) when you hear about them on the grapevine or ask for them each year when you ask people to update their contact information for your parish records. Once the tradition is established people don't mind divulging the date (even if the year is sometimes concealed).
What Attracts Secular People to Church?
The current issue of Leadership magazine includes an interview with James White about seeker-churches such as Willow Creek.
In answer to the question what attracts a secular person to a seeker church his answer was "His or her relationship with a believer."
The advantage of so-called seeker services is that they take seriously the dilemma, that most Christians intuitively know not to invite their friends to church because they know it's not designed for seekers and probably won't help the seeking process, according to White.
From "Baptism Dad" to Churchwarden - it really happened!
How can we best capitalise on the enormous opportunity for evangelism presented by those who ask to have their infants baptised into the Church?
Every minister must have at hand materials that will assist in sharing both the gospel - the magnificent offer of God's grace, and the responsibility for human response in concrete terms.
To avoid the charge of being individually "hard-line", there is a need to base both in the authority of the Scripture.
Meirion Griffiths has produced a workbook which could be one segment in a course of preparation, containing four studies to be completed by parents and godparents, using Bible passages illustrating the four steps of response: repentance, commitment, discipleship, and church membership.
This booklet has helped many people to clarify their understanding of the faith, and to make a commitment to Christ and begin the trail of active membership that leads to Christian maturity.
Copies are available from Meirion Griffiths at $10.00 each, including postage: PO Box 92, Maddington, WA 6109, Ph 9459 2920 Fax 9452 2720
"TO KNOW AND SERVE GOD"
A Biography of James I Packer by Alistair McGrath Hodder & Stoughton 1997
What is the connection between a bread van and a theologian? This question is answered in the pages of McGrath's first-rate book, written with the full cooperation of the subject.
By any standard, "Jim" Packer's contribution to the place of evangelical faith in the mainstream of the Church's life today is immense. His influence has been claimed to be second only in importance to that of C.S.Lewis.
Every facet of theological and ministerial life has benefitted from the mighty achievements of this humble man. McGrath deals in a readable manner with the subject's academic career, but also elicits Packer's instrumentality in so many aspects of Christian understanding and professional ministry today - as a theologian of immense ability, a moulder of "men for the ministry" (not women!), a champion of the Puritans, and as author of books well able to stand alongside the latter.
For those (like the reviewer), who remember Packer personally, and the pain and the major dislocation that political and doctrinal issues can have within the experience of fine Christian people, McGrath's account recalls the reason behind Packer's differences with Martyn-Lloyd Jones, his "co-belligerence " with Roman Catholics, and his departure from the UK to Canada's huge profit.
Few Christian books are a "must read"- this is definitely one.
Meirion Griffiths
What do you do to help newcomers stay ?
What do you do?
Do you have ideas to share?
Leadership magazine reports a survey by United Parcel Service identifying the main reasons volunteers drop out of service. With radically changed working habits churches are struggling with a different volunteer resource than was the case 20 or 30 years ago. Maybe there are some clues here for us.
One to One Mentoring/Discipling
Personal one-to-one discipling is a key to the nurture and growth of new Christians and especially of leaders. It is more than imparting information. It is an opportunity to impart your attitudes, aspirations, lifestyle and motivation.
Many clergy spend time with a few key leaders one to one to nurture and encourage them and to provide a sounding board for their own experience of ministry. In this kind of discipling there are some key ideas:
1. Relationship: Your relationship with Christ is most important because you are passing on your spiritual life to them. Your relationship with them is also vital.
2. Commitment: To do this well will require time and effort and clear decisions about priorities.
3. Concentration: On one at a time. True disciples are not massed produced. Notice Jesus' method of spending three years with just twelve and giving special time to just three of them.
4. Duration: It will take time. Stick at it even if others say your time is being improperly spent.
5. Teaching and Training: You will want to teach them what is involved in being a minister of Christ.
6. Environment: Christian fellowship is important. Help them share fellowship with you and others
In your one-to -one RELATIONSHIP:
1. Be open to them. Allow yourself to be honest and vulnerable. Be truthful about your own limits and failures.
2. Believe this one to one discipling of believers is really important.
3. Desire to be used. Ask God to use you. Let him use you.
4. Be available. Give time and energy for them.
5. Be consistent in your lifestyle. This is important because it is your lifestyle they are learning.
6. Continue to grow in Christ yourself. Look to those ahead of you as well as those behind.
7. Accept yourself. Don't pretend to be something you are not.
8. Be confidential. Don't discuss them with everyone one you meet. Nothing will ruin your ministry as fast as your tongue.
9. Be interested in other parts of their lives as well as the spiritual. Socialise when you can. Remember what they tell you and keep praying for them.
Dale Appleby