a leadership, technology, and innovation blog for pastors and church leaders
If you’d like to have your issue/problem/idea discussed later this week by other swerve readers…be sure to email it to us at swerve@lifechurch.tv. You can read more about the process.
You can also read our last swerve lab on preparing young leaders for ministry. There’s some great conversation in the comments!
Thank you for being so willing to help and contribute.
Thanks to everybody who continues to respond and help those who have submitted questions to the swerve lab. If you have a question that you would like for the readers of this blog to respond to, please send it to swerve@lifechurch.tv and put “Swerve Lab” in the subject line. You can read more about the process.
Today’s question is from Sean Pritzkau. You may have seen his name around in the comments here on Swerve. Sean asks a great question about how young leaders should prepare for full time ministry. He writes,
“I’m 17 years old, just getting out of high school, and I am looking to pursue a life and career in full time ministry. I’m having a pretty difficult time finding how to prepare myself and get necessary schooling to get on my way there…So I guess my question is:
How should youth prepare for ministry if they are called for it and how should the church prepare young potential leaders?”
What advice would you give Sean? What are some ways you have seen the church equip and mentor upcoming leaders?
If you’d like to have your issue/problem/idea discussed later this week by other swerve readers…be sure to email it to us at swerve@lifechurch.tv You can read more about the process. Thanks for being so willing to help and contribute.
You can also read our last swerve lab about new believers.
Thanks to all of you who have continued to respond and help those who have submitted questions to the swerve lab. If you have a question that you would like for the readers of this blog to respond to, please send it to swerve@lifechurch.tv and put “Swerve Lab” in the subject line. You can read more about the process.
I think today’s question is a great one to get input from all of you that are involved in church leadership. Perhaps some of you who have recently become Christ followers might be able to share your experiences as well (both good and bad).
Paul Lewis, Pastor to New Believers at Palm Valley Church asks:
“I would love to hear how other churches connect new believers. Once someone makes a decision in one of their services, what happens next? What are the next steps?”
Thanks to all of you who have continued to respond and help those who have submitted questions to the swerve lab. If you have a question that you would like for the readers of this blog to respond to, please send it to swerve@lifechurch.tv and put “Swerve Lab” in the subject line. You can read more about the process.
Today’s question relates to leading volunteers through change. I think this would be a great question to hear feedback from those of you who volunteer as well as those who are in paid staff positions. Here is the question:
“I am the Director of First Impressions at Waters Edge Church. Over the last few months I have been evaluating our volunteer team routines on Sunday mornings…and the impressions that they make. I want to make some large changes, but I also want the team to join in and understand the reasons for the changes. Do you have any suggestions in helping volunteers feel ownership of changes that staff members are initiating?
Thanks!
Bill Sprouse”
Thanks to all of you who have continued to respond and help those who have submitted questions to the swerve lab. If you have a question that you would like for the readers of this blog to respond to, please send it to swerve@lifechurch.tv and put “Swerve Lab” in the subject line. You can read more about the process.
This issue comes from a church staff member who wishes to remain anonymous. Even though his/her questions are directed to church leaders, I encourage any of you who have been involved a strategic planning processes (church or business) to help answer the questions.
Anonymous -
“Our staff struggles to understand long-range strategic planning.
For whatever reason, we seem to confuse our foundational document (vision, core values, theology, affirmations, etc.) with that of a strategic plan. I would love to hear feedback from leaders who have successfully led the church down a strategic planning process.
Where did you start? How did you present it so that it made sense to ministry leaders who have never done it before? What hurdles or challenges did you run into? What made the process successful? Desperate to get some help on this.”
If you’d like to have your issue/problem/idea discussed later this week by other swerve readers…be sure to email it to us at swerve@lifechurch.tv and put “Swerve Lab” as the subject. You can read more about the process here.
Many of the topics that we have received and discussed so far have been personal decisions or struggles. In addition to those types of topics, I’d love to see if our readers could help some of you with leadership or strategy type questions. Either way, we’d like to help.
You can also check out last week’s post…Fake It?
Thanks to all of you who have continued to respond and help those who have submitted questions to the swerve lab. If you have a question that you would like for the readers of this blog to respond to, please send it to swerve@lifechurch.tv and put “Swerve Lab” in the subject line. You can read more about the process here.
This week’s question is along the lines of the Mad Church Disease issue that Anne Jackson is working on addressing.
From Anonymous:
“The past ten years I have been very involved in church leadership. There have been many trials in my life and it’s been great to lead small groups and support one another. This past year I have not wanted to be a part of any group. I feel very negative following one terrible trial after another.
How do people who are on staff deal with these times. Do you fake it? You can’t lead others when you’re falling apart yourself. I am involved with ministry but not where I have to constantly answer if I’m ok. I can’t fake it and I’m so tired. What do you do when you’re in leadership and you cannot be honest? Smile? Quit? Take a break for a while? I know I’m not alone so please respond.”
Visit LifeChurch.tv OPEN to download free church resources. From series artwork and message transcripts to children's ministry and small groups, OPEN has what you need - for free!
A free online Bible empowering community and collaboration.
Visit YouVersion.com
