Unfortunately, many churches still require several clicks or links to access their online worship streaming. In addition, churches often put the streaming link lower down on the page, rather than centrally located.
Because people are coming to your website because they are Internet savvy, put the link to streaming your Sunday service at the top and in a prominent place on your webpage.
Make access to your online worship service as easy as attending a live worship service.
Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: There is a an important difference between deduction and induction, and the two are often confused. Watch the video below where Sherlock Holmes makes many small observations to reach a bigger conclusion. This is induction and as Holmes demonstrates, should only be utilized by someone with expertise in induction. See the second video regarding what can happen with bullies use induction.
Also remember that deduction means to take a large concept and logically deduce specifics from it. Induction is the other way around, which takes many small factors and tries to create a large picture. Induction, which the Monty Python sketch below demonstrates, can lead to a witchhunt.
What characterizes your leadership style? Dr. Bob Whitesel, professor of Christian Ministry and Missional Leadership at Wesley Seminary, discusses two leadership styles that are also found in the military. How will different leadership styles implement the goals and vision of your church and ministry? (Excerpted from the Society For Church Consulting’s Church Staffing Summit 2015.)
There may be many factors involved in why your church community has too many tasks and not enough leaders to implement them. Dr. Charles Arn dives into this question and offers solutions for how to create a better role-to-task ratio for your congregation. (Excerpted from the Society For Church Consulting’s Church Staffing Summit 2015.)
Discover how friendship is a key to creating community in your church. Dr. Charles Arn, Professor of Christian Ministry and Outreach at Wesley Seminary, shares ideas of how to develop this aspect of your congregation and the reason why it will lead to church growth. (Excerpted from the Society For Church Consulting’s Church Staffing Summit 2015.)
Are you a shepherd, a visionary or a combination of both? Dr. Bob Whitesel, professor of Christian Ministry and Missional Leadership at Wesley Seminary, talks about his leadership style and the pros and cons he found along the way. (Excerpted from The Society For Church Consulting’s Church Staffing Summit 2015.)
Everyone is a mixture of various leadership styles. Hear Bob Whitesel share what his marriage unveiled about how different leaders approach decisions and even God. How could different leadership styles complement your church’s team? (Excerpted from the Society For Church Consulting’s Church Staffing Summit 2015.)
Commentary by Prof. B.: Most weeks and in most courses, I put a link to my video introduction to the weekly assignments and give hints for getting more out of the course, its readings and its homework. The video below is an introduction to the entire MDiv course, titled: LEAD 600: Congregational Leadership.
I have created many postings/videos to help you. And, you can easily use “keywords” to find the help you need:
Search for the keywords “Student Success” if you have a question about assignments, due dates, attendance, etc.
Search for something like “Intro. to LEAD 600 assignment _____________” to find video introductions to most weekly assignments. Thus, each week use the key words “LEAD 600” along with a “key word” relevant to the weekly topic (e.g. “ethics,” “strategic leadership,” “budgeting,” etc.) to find specific video introductions to most weekly assignments
Search when you need information, not all at once. I give you a lot of information because I want to help you as much as feasible.
And, because I have provided a lot of information, don’t try to read or watch all of my postings at once.
Rather, each week and when needed use keywords to find more information as you need.
So, use keywords like “LEAD 600,” in this wiki to find more hints about how to make the most out of this learning experience. Plus, you can also look ahead to postings and videos on upcoming assignments.
Welcome to the learning journey. I hope you can tell from my enthusiasm that I look forward to participating with you in this educational experience.
The area of church finances and accounting is woefully neglected in many of the churches I encounter. This video introduces learning activities that can be utilized by my clients, colleagues and students to analyze their current financial practices … and improve them.
This is another video introduction I have recorded for my colleagues, students and clients regarding how to reach out to people who feel like they are not part of a group. Called “out-group members” these are often people in our churches and on our boards that are estranged from the group. Thus, they see themselves as “outside” of the group and not fully accepted by most members of the group. The responsible and effective leader will reach out to these individuals, rather than exclude them. For an introduction to strategies that will help you connect with out-group members, watch this video. (This video will be especially helpful mini-lecture if you are a student in one of my courses.)
This is an introductory video about how to not only lead deliberative bodies, but also how to lead the “out group” members you will usually encounter in these boards/committees/churches. This video serves as an introduction to my students regarding the assignments associated with the important topic of leading those God has sent to your community, but who don’t yet fit in.
Additional insights can be found in an accompanying video that I recorded. After you listen to the video below, click this next link to listen to 10 minutes more on ideas about how to reach out group members: churchhealthwiki.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/out-group-members-my-video-introduction-to-strategies-that-teach-them-part-2/
I am often asked how I became an author and what advice I might give to someone starting out. Here is a 12-minute video introduction that covers: how to get a publisher interested, how to pick a topic, where to promote your book and the future of publishing. I pray this helps more colleagues/students spread the good news of their budding, ministry insights.
This is another video introduction I’ve recorded for my colleagues, students and clients regarding how to prevent group exit. Students may find this video helpful in understanding their homework on the topic.
More notes that can help the learner watching this presentation are available at the link below:
Commentary by Prof. B.: My students in Transformational Leadership have the opportunity to hear in Oxford the author of this article, Michael Moynagh, personally explain the shared economy strategy of the Fresh Expression Movement. Read this article for a good introduction. First is a lengthy video followed by a short article.
(Drawing from his experiences, both as the Director of Research for Fresh Expressions and as Editor of Share–a collection of resources out of the Fresh Expressions phenomena–the Rev. Dr. Michael Moynagh (based at Wycliff Hall, Oxford) shared with assorted members of the Trinity community the impact that this, more than 10 year pioneering movement continues to have throughout the United Kingdom; April 11, 2013)
Just as the pieces of broken bread – in their different shapes and sizes – belong to the one loaf, we see that in all our diversity we belong to each other because we each belong to the one body of Christ.
Phil Potter, Team Leader of Fresh Expressions UK has likened the ‘mixed economy church’ to rivers and lakes. Rivers flow, bubble with energy and bring new water into lakes. Lakes are deeper and more tranquil. Just as rivers and lakes need each other, new forms of church flow into the existing Church and are enriched by its depth and traditions.
Four Methods that Mix Things Up
In some cases, a mixed economy church develops when new believers have a blended church experience. They attend both a fresh expression and an established church. There is nothing in the Bible to say that you can’t belong to two local churches! Rather than consumerism, this is about commitment – to more than one Christian community.
Shared events between an established church and a fresh expression can also lead to the development of a mixed economy church. The two communities can share social events, study groups, short courses, outreach or occasional acts of worship. Both will have a richer church life for having shared together.
One place to start might be for a fresh expression to look out for opportunities to serve its parent church. Might it provide the refreshments for a church study day, for example? There is nothing like loving kindness to open others’ hearts.
A third expression of the mixed economy occurs when emerging Christians connect to the church at large. This can happen through events run by local churches together, or through regional and national conferences and training events, or through accessing Christian resources and making connections online.
Fourthly, the mixed economy develops when new Christian communities cluster together. In an English cathedral city, a small team hosts a monthly Sunday breakfast for people in the neighborhood who don’t attend church. Up to 60 have crammed into a house!
The Birth of a Mixed Economy Church
Picture this:
A house is crammed with people who do and don’t have a church. They’ve gathered around the breakfasts are other events, such as ice cream parties in the summer and hot chocolate parties in winter.
These individuals start to ask questions about spirituality and faith, they are invited to a weekly meeting at which the core team eats together, plans, prays and studies the Bible. If a person enjoys it, they are invited to join the team.
Within two or three years, the team grew from 8 to 18 people. It multiplied into two cells. The cells meet from time to time.
Now, picture the same scene after five years:
Some of the cells will no longer be new. They will represent an established church. As new cells keep being added and cluster with these older cells, they will give birth to….a mixed-economy church!
If you lead a fresh expression, keep connecting to the wider body! Existing churches may be refreshed and energized by the new life you bring. Your fresh expression may be deepened by the wisdom and experience of established churches.
Here is a video introduction to articles I have written (for anyone) and assignments (for students in LEAD 600, etc.) that deal with controlling change (which we call theories of changing). It introduces the viewer to “The Four Forces that Control Change” and how to manage each.
Here is another of the many videos I record for my students to introduce a sense of the live courses to my online courses. This video introduces important tactics for keeping Christ central in organizational planning. While we embrace organizational principles we must always screen them and apply them through a Holy Spirit informed grid.
In my courses, my students evaluate existing vision and mission statements with a goal of improving clarity and impact. To assist them in the evaluation, I’ve recorded a video introduction to their homework on evaluating vision and mission statements (LEAD 600: Strategic Leadership and Management).
I provide my students with short video lectures/explanations of their homework for clarity and to create a “live classroom” experience. Here is the video introduction to the LEAD 545 assignments on “innovation and adaption.”
