Rachel - Week 8 - Conflict

Insights on conflict.

1. Conflict is often used to challenge yourself into thinking hard about why you believe what you do and to have enough information to back it up.
2. Conflict helps you grow as a person because is reinforces your beliefs.
3. It helps keep you away from apathy, because if no one ever challenged your beliefs why would you believe so strongly in it?
4. Conflict has a way of bringing two people together because of the reconciling process after a conflict.

Rachel - Week 8 - 5 tips for motivating volunteers

Again, I was able to interview Julia Hurlow.

5 Tips for Motivating Volunteers

1. Clearly state the need

2. Find people whose strengths match the need
3. Identify how, what they would be helping with, is going to fit into the big picture
4. Give encouragement
5. Trust them. Once you appoint volunteers, let them run with and allow them to lead. Don’t be controlling

Thursday, Week 6 “Office Work,” Taylor Shanks

I think the shift I’d like to see is the shift becoming more of a balance between the trend of the 1970s and the trend of the 80’s.  The role of a pastor these days is a mix between the role of someone who prepares a sermon to preach the Word of God and someone who has other responsibilities, including administrative responsibilities in the office.  Having too much work in the office cuts out of time for preparing and being active in ministry.

            In an ideal world, there would be time I would put aside for each task, for both preparing a sermon, administrative needs and other aspects of ministry.  As a pastor, I think its crucial to be organize, with either a physical planner or some sort of computer program with your schedule, Microsoft Outlook, iCal, whatever.  Spending time preparing for a sermon, I would imagine 1 ½ to 3 hours a day, so 10-15 hours a week, meting maybe 6-10 hours a week, counseling 4-5 hours, and outreach 2-4 hours.  As a pastor I believe that my family and personal time with the Lord are also important, so I think having time with them should also be included in the schedule.  As pastors we must realize that our job is not merely preaching, that we have other roles as a spiritual leader of a church and a great responsibility to help the needs of our people.  Disregarding professional responsibilities such as administrative work or any office work would be disregarding our call into ministry, we are called to be there for all, in and out of the office.  

Tuesday, Week 6 “Church Conflict Story,” Taylor Shanks

February 22, 2009, Interviewed Pastor Ryan McCarty

            Meeting with Pastor during lunch this past Sunday, I was able to discuss a church conflict story and how they happen to come about in the church.  He shared with us a story about conflict.  There was a woman who was leading a dance ministry at our church for young inner-city girls of the area.  She was upset with Pastor Ryan because she thought that is was silly to send so much money to Zambia, Africa and should invest in something more local, like the outfits of the dance ministry team.  Her reasoning was that these inner city girls should have outfits, because this dance team is a ministry.  The dance ministry is a chance to get the girls off the streets and into something where they can minister in a way to others that is unique.  When the girls can’t afford the outfits, they can’t participate in the ministry.  The woman thought that the money would be better placed in outfits for the dance team. 

            Pastor Ryan and his wife, Katara really considered the feelings of this woman, reflected over the mission of God’s House and met with the woman, with both Pastor Ryan and Katara present (so Pastor and the woman would not be alone).   They made sure to thank her for her hard work with the ministry and wanted to show her the difference she was making in the lives of those young girls.  They reviewed the mission of the church with her that God’s House is using their finances for both the local community and the for the world, that we must acknowledge ourselves as a local body and help our brothers and sisters on an international level.  They suggested that she organize a fundraiser for the dance team and she did, and the fundraiser worked and the dance ministry continued. 

            Pastor is convinced that conflict usually does not appear until there are at least “ten to twelve offenses.”  This woman had many personal disputes with Ryan and Katara in the past and was “not willing to submit to the kind of mission the church as a whole.”  She actually ended up leaving God’s House a few years later.     

Week 9: Leadership Characteristics for Thursday by Melissa

Week 9: Leadership Characteristics

What are the attractive characteristics of a church leader?
1.The leader actually implements the things that they say they will
.2The leader works alongside their workers and helps them in any way that they can
3.The leader is always available to communicate with or gets right back to you if they are away doing a specific task
4.The leader has a clear vision on what they are trying to accomplish
5.The leader evaluates their workers and programs to constantly try to get better and more effective
6.The leader has a strong relationship with Christ and encourages their workers
7.The leader makes clear what their expectations are for each worker

Week 9: Firing a Teacher Melissa

Week 9: Firing a Teacher

I interviewed Jil Mazellan on 02/11/09

Advice on firing a Sunday School teacher:
1.Don’t ask them to be a teacher the next time around
2.Jil hand picks the teachers so she hasn’t put anyone in the position that she couldn’t work with. She knows if someone could handle the position.
3.She did have some early childhood teachers that weren’t patient with the kids so she gave them helpers in their classrooms
4.Jil says to always look ahead and try to predict the situations that could occur with people and never put children at risk with someone.

Week 8: Thursday Conflict Melissa

Week 8: Conflict

List of Insights on Conflict from a Theological Perspective:
1. We are called to be united in the Body of Christ so conflict should be resolved as soon as possible to keep the unity
2.If you think someone is upset with you it is Scriptural to confront them in a kind and loving way
3.If someone is acting in a foolish manner it is best to approach them on your own and then if they don’t change their behavior bring more people into the situation
4.Pray for those that persecute you with holy hands, not in anger
5.Love one another as Christ has loved you
6.God’s love is not exclusive so our love shouldn’t be
7.Be patient and understanding because love is patient and does not envy

Week 8: Motivating Volunteers Melissa

Week 8: Motivating Volunteers

Interviewed Jil Mazellan on 02/11/09
Tips on how to motivate volunteers:
1.Cast the vision (get excited and describe the benefits)
2. Ask people by phone, don’t desire an answer right away
3. Evaluate people’s gifts (where will they be successful)
4. Work hard alongside them (ask what they need and delegate so you can give that to them)
5. Keep yourself free to support the volunteers (providing the tools for success)

Week 7 - Rachel - Campus vs. Church

There are a few differences between getting along with people in college and getting alone with people in a church. Because the environments are so different and peoples temperaments are different. Here are some differences:

1. It is easy to get along with people in college because it is only 4 years and at the end of those 4 years you will probably never see most of the people again.

2. It is a little harder to get along with people in a church because they are a part of the church family and they will not always agree on everything, and unlike in college you have to work at repairing those relationships because you want all of those people to stay.

3. It is easier to get along with people at college because for the most part they are all around the same age as you and have the same generational views, compared to a church where you have people from many different generations.

Week 7 - Story of Conflict - Rachel

I interviewed Julia Hurlow

Julia told a conflict story that happened at JC Bodyshop towards the beginning of the year. There was a parent who approached her one Sunday morning after worship. This parent complained about how the music was too loud and how her daughter was getting headaches. Julia said that at the time, she did not know that this parent had been coming to the leaders with problems all along, and now, with Julia being a new staff member, this parent approached her. Luckily, Julia’s boss picked up on this and together they were able to talk with this parent. They suggested to the parent that it would maybe be a good idea if they found a new youth group because the daughter was obviously not happy here.

Julia said that in this situation, it was good that they confronted the conflict and got it taken care of right away.

Week 6 - Office Work - Rachel

I would like to spend my week at church in a mixture of office hours and calls. I like the idea of having some office hours so people know when you are available in order to come in a see you without having to set up an appointment. This way it will allow me to get some of the office work done in between my time with people.

I would also like to spend part of my time doing calls. I think that going and seeing people and getting some personal interactions with the congregation outside of the church building would be very beneficial, to the congregation and me.

I would like to spend a maximum of 20 hours a week doing the office hours. This would give enough time to make a simple schedule but not enough where it takes up my entire day. The rest of the time I would like to be making calls, 20 hours a week would be enough to really get to know some of the church body and the community.

Week 7: People by Melissa

Week 7: People Campus vs. Church

Difference between getting along with people at college compared to getting along with people in a church situation

1. When you’re in college you can pretty much choose who you hang around with, if you don’t like someone then you can easily avoid running into them
2. When you’re in college the campus is usually spread out and chances are you won’t have every class with the person so you may be around them less than at church
3. When you’re in college you’re usually only there for 4 years then you might never see the person again!

1. Getting along with people at church is usually mandatory, especially if you’re on staff! It’s not really appropriate to avoid people when you’re supposed to be ministering to them!
2. When you work for a church you get attached to your ministry there and chances are if you’re a committed person you’ll develop job security and could be there for far more than 4 years.
3. If you don’t get along with someone that is a key person in the church it could ruin your entire reputation in the church depending on how much influence they have.

Week 7 Church Conflict Story Melissa

Week 7: Church Conflict Story

Interviewed Jil Mazellan on 02/11/09
There was a family that appeared after Jil started working at College Church and they were determined that since she wasn’t ordained and since she was a woman she couldn’t be respected in ministry. The lady of the family even had to be let go from a volunteer position in Sunday School as a result of this conflict. The couple made Jil’s life a living hell and they were grouping people to be on their side. Pastor Steve called a meeting with the man of the family and Jil and the man continued to bash her in front of Steve. When Jil stepped out to take a phone call the man told Pastor Steve she wasn’t qualified and didn’t know what she was doing. After the meeting was over Steve asked Jil what she wanted out of it and she wanted to walk out of the meeting with resolution and be respected. Jil says that she was disillusioned that the conflict could be resolved and Steve set in the reality that just because you’re working in a church doesn’t mean everyone will life you. Jil continued to be in ministry at the church and the couple eventually left the church.

People, Thursday, 2/19, Taylor Shanks, Week 5

All of your work should be “people-purposed” whether it is answering an e-mail with an important question from a person or whether it be planning an event that includes people, that we should be people-focused.  If we trying to reach inanimate objects by sharing the gospel, there would be no response, no reason to help shape lives and be a vessel of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, all your work should be infused with the purpose that without the factor of people in the equation there would be no ministry, no one to minister, no odd jobs to further the ministry of the Lord.  If you struggle with doing small jobs and see them as purposeless, then think back to why you started working in ministry and who you are doing it for.  

Time Management Advice, Tuesday 2/17, Taylor Shanks, Week 5

1. Boundaries, the biggest thing is you have to learn to say no.  That is how I manage to set boundaries.  If you are always saying yes to others and no to yourself, and to God, you have no boundaries; people are always going to be taking up your time with no balance or boundaries   Boundaries apply physically, emotionally and spiritually.  There is only so many places you can privately with someone of the opposite sex by yourself, a certain amount a space between you and someone else, boundaries on how much you share about your emotions and your spiritual life with others as well. 

 2.     Having a physical schedule/planner/Blackberry or whatever it takes for you to write your schedule down day to day, tracking everything you do, like appointments, eating, sleeping, etc. etc., it allows you to see where you are lacking or where you need to spend more time.  

Week 6 - Time Management - Rachel

I interviewed Julia Hurlow once again.

Hours: 3.5

Time Management Advice

1. Boundaries: Say no. Remember to say no to one thing because you said yes to something else. Julia has a very strong personal conviction to set boundaries for herself because she knows what she’s capable of handling and what she isn’t capable of doing. She also knows what works for her when taking care of commitments, and that involves planning things out so she doesn’t become overwhelmed.

She also is a big advocate of structure. She personally works better in dealing with things in “chunks” and to schedule personal time.

2. Time Management Advice: (1) Have clear, defined expectations of yourself and also have the church give clear and defined expectations of what they want out of you. (2) Learn to say “no!” Say no to obligations and yes to self care and personal time.

Week 5 - People Essay - Rachel

From what I’ve seen and learned about church administration, about half of what a minister does is in contact with people and the other half of the administration work is for the people.

By doing contact work and having staff meetings, it makes administration work able to focus on people. When a minister is planning, they have to keep in mind that they are planning for the Lord for the people.

Ministry is all about serving the Lord by serving people. Although creating a budget might not seem like a people oriented task at the time, the reality is that if a minister didn’t work out their budget for that year, then his or her ministry wouldn’t last very long. There would be no more serving the people.

Week 5 - Hours Worked in Ministry - Rachel

Hours: 2

I met again with Julia Hurlow.

Hours Worked in Ministry

1. Study: 10-15 hours
2. Administration: 15 hours
3. Services: 10 hours
4. People: 5-10 hours depending on the week
5. Miscellaneous: 5-hours depending on the week

Some observations that I made: (1) There is an incredible amount of responsibility put upon a person in her position, meaning that if she isn’t able to get it finished, it won’t get finished. (2) She has to plan in down time or personal time for herself, or her work schedule will take over her life.

Week 4-Attend A Board Meeting, Taylor Shanks-Tuesday Post

1.  I went to God's House Ministries where the closest thing we have to a board meeting is called a leadership meeting, they do not use the system of parliamentary procedure, but it is how the decisions and the direction of the church is reported to those who volunteer and put in time at the church.  We met for a total of two hours. 

2.  The decision making process is more of a voiced consensus that if the pastor suggest something, people follow with a nod of agreement or raise of hands to agree or disagree with the pastor, who is in charge of the direction the church is heading in.  

3. 

•  There are different groups of volunteers who break into groups to brainstorm ideas for the separate ministries within the church. 
  
• there is only one paid pastor on staff at God's House and everyone else is a volunteer staff, which is a unique set up, 
• Pastor Ryan and Katara makes it known how grateful they are to have such a dedicated volunteer staff
• Pastor Ryan and Katara make the executive decisions for the church, but the leadership meetings are there to ensure that others on leadership are in agreement with what they act on and to see if there are additional ideas or disagreements.

Week 6 Office Work Essay Melissa

Week 6: Office Work Essay
I believe that there has been too drastic of a shift from the 1970’s “office work” to the late 1980’s churches appearing as insurance agencies. I think that there needs to be middle ground. I understand the need for administrative work when a church is dealing with a building with many programs that occur, but ministers are made to be with the people as well. In my ideal world I would like to spend 20 hours in the office doing administrative work. If I broke these hours down it would be 3 hours in meetings a week, 5 hours in study for my lessons, 4 hours returning emails and phone calls, 4 hours planning events and having 4 hours of “open office” hours a week where teens could come in and seek my counsel. My other 20 hours in my work-week would be spent out with the students. I would attend their sporting events, plays, concerts and other special events. This would provide me with the ability to get to know many students in their “element” and disciple them further. I would strategically spend 5 hours out of those 20 with key leaders in the youth group to mentor them personally. Oh, what a dream!

Week 6 Tuesday Time Management Melissa

Week 6: Time Management Advice

Interviewed Jil Mazellan 01/09/09

1.She sets boundaries by taking advantage of her days off (Monday and Friday)
- Holding the line for family
- Drawing a clear line
- Not having students around at home
- Trying to budget time
- Lives by Microsoft Outlook, cleans out her email all the time
- Keeps things simple and orderly

Time management advice:
- Always keep the bigger picture in mind, should be God’s ministry not yours
- Shut your office door when you need to
- Work hard and get a little rude if you have to
- Realize you’ll never make everyone happyLearn who the people are that you need to make happy and prioritize

Week 4 Staff Report to A Board-(Thursday) Taylor Shanks

I was not really sure what an official "staff report" was until I did some asking around to figure out that this is an essential action that a staff pastor should take to allow other staff members and the board know about what is going on in the ministry that he or she is in charge of.  How uncomfortable might you be if you a part of a church board and you had funds and important people investing time into a ministry yet you somehow had no idea what was going on in that ministry?  No updates would make me skeptical.  

A staff report to a board should include a multitude of things.  It should first and foremost show where the budget and finances are going.  The board usually has active members in the community aboard and it is important for them to see where their money is going and how effective it is.  

Include names of those who are involved in the ministry and the work they are doing, praise volunteers for their willingness to serve and show how the organization of the ministry is improving, as jobs are getting done by both the staff and the volunteers who are involved.  

Be consistent in how you construct your reports.  Don't confuse the board with the unexpected template and order of items in your reports, allow them to be read with consistency.  

Be honest.  Don't lie about attendance and how the ministry is doing. Do not stretch the improvements or the needs of the ministry, that can get you in trouble for being dishonest and not a leader reflecting Biblical holy living.  

Finally, make sure you explain the importance of your ministry and why it should continue to exist, show its influence on the church community and the surrounding communities of the area.  

These are just a few of many ideas that you can include in a staff report, it covers many areas and should allow you to help create effective staff reports.  

Taylor 

Week 4 - Staff Report to Board - Rachel

I think that a report to a board should include where you've been, where you are, and where you are planning on going. It's a review/update/check-up on what my ministry has been doing since last I met with the board. That would include some numbers, whether is attendance or how many kids went on the high school summer camp trip. It also would include what regular meet time with my ministry looks like and what he accomplish through those times. For example, how our Sunday morning Sunday school hour differs from our Wednesday night Bible study differs from Thursday morning youth group.
Another thing that I would think would be included is to let the board know plans for the future and what we hope to do and how exactly we are going to get it done. They want to understand and know what's happening with the youth. Money is being spent on it, and it's my job to reassure them that I'm being a good steward of it. It is a time for some dialogue and to help the board get a sense of what I do as a youth pastor.

Week 5: People Essay Thursday Melissa

Week 5: People Essay
Despite there being all kinds of “church administration” duties for ministries it is still possible to do church administration in a way that still focuses on people. First, I think it’s all in your mindset. As a minister you have to continuously keep in mind the people that you are doing the administrative work for. Without those people in mind you just become task-oriented. Take into account that the administrative work that you are doing is enabling ministry to be done. Second, it is also important to realize that when you are doing administrative task many times they do involve people, such is the case when thinking of meetings. During these opportunities take the chance to ask people how they are genuinely doing before or after the meeting. That action might help you feel more like a “minister” in the office. Perhaps even try to not separate “administration” from “people” because you have to have an element of both while working within the church. It isn’t fair to tease yourself that you could “be out with the people”, there is a time and a place for that.

Melissa's Week 5: Hours Worked in Ministry Tuesday

Week 5: Hours Worked in Ministry

Interviewed Jil Mazellan on 01/09/09

Study – 2 hours
Admin. –20 hours
Services – 6 hours
People – 10 hours
Visitation hours – 2 per week
Crisis Situations- 1 hour

Observations:
Ministry is a lot more administration than time actually spent with people
I never thought to factor in time for crisis situations
It seems like it should be more time spent studying

Week 4 - Administrative Work - Rachel

Hours: 6.5

What kind of administrative/office work do you do? How much time do you spend?

1. I interview Julia Hurlow on Monday night at McConn.

2. Roughly 15 hours total:
- Budget and making purchases for the snack shops, etc.
- Office paperwork
- Taking care of correspondence with parents and others
- Doing contact work
- Staff meetings - 5 hours
- Planning
- Overseeing discipleship group

3. Julia said that it's funny to take a look at everything you do on paper. It makes you realize just how much you have to do. I asked her if she thinks about when she sleeps and eats when she sees that kind of thing. She laughed at me and said, "Ya, kinda."
I know that it is important to keep track of your hours. I know that you need to keep busy while on the job, but it's also important to protect the personal/alone time you have for yourself as well.

Week 4: Staff Report to Board (Thursday) Melissa

Week 4: Staff Report To Board

Discuss what you think a staff member’s report to a board should include and what it should accomplish?

What is the function of the Board?The function of the Local Board is the carry out the will of the local church conference, serving as the chief governing and coordinating body of the local church in the interim of local church conference sessions. (Wesleyan Discipline 750).

A staff members report to a board should include:

Necessary Business: Administer the affairs of the church in keeping with The Discipline, other general and district regulations and the directions of the LCC. These affairs are in membership, pastoral staff, officers, boards and committees, property and finance and day school. (Wesleyan Discipline 782)

1. Provide the examination of all candidates for church membership
2. Nominate pastor to the LCC and renew their call
3. Elect two members of a nominating committee from among the members of the LBA

New Business: Revise and adjust pastoral salaries and review all plans of support annually, recommend changes in the financial policies as necessary.
Also Included: Updates on current ministerial programs and evaluation of past programs. As well as upcoming events and what the goal of them will be for the specific ministry that the staff person oversees and for the church as a whole. This will provide the Board with a vision of where the church is going and what its staff is accomplishing. Essential each report should bring unity within staff members and help the church evaluate if the ministry being done is efficient and effective. It is a means of accountability as well.