Northwest Conference Leader

"We are poets, we live with people who fight demons and are thrown into the lion's den on a regular basis."
"The work of the poet is to get you to participate"
"It is a privilege to be a pastor."
"One of the first questions we should ask our leaders, 'How is your prayer life?'"
"You can't keep the Sabbath by yourself"
"There are two words in our culture that people respond to: 'Help me!'"
"Pastors need to develop a hermeneutic of scripture through which all of scripture must be treated."
"People in our churches don't need advice, they need a pastor!"

Jim fretheim

Northwest Conference Superintendent

Congregational Management: A holy calling

by John W.Wimberly, Jr.

Congregations are among the most fascinating systems anyone can be called to manage. Like all systems, they are filled with anxiety. Unlike most systems, they also are filled with a peace the world cannot give. Like most systems, they are guided by a vision. Unlike most systems, they are guided by a vision that has endured for 2,000 years.

As managers of these congregational systems, we make a mistake if we ignore the God-given vision and divinely implanted peace that has sustained the Christian church and congregational life for two millennia. They are strengths upon which we can build effective, growing ministries.

To fully maximize the vision and allow the peace of Christ to manifest itself in the lives of congregations, managers need to pay close attention to the systemic inputs of people, facilities and money that generate the ministry outputs God calls on congregations to produce. To that end, there are six key practices for effective congregational management:

Thinking Systemically. When managers of congregations deal solely with parts of the body of Christ rather than the whole, they become totally reactive. They fix the plumbing leak but never address an aging plumbing system that, over time, will deplete scarce financial resources that could have been used for mission. Reactive managing is more time-consuming than proactive attention to the system as a whole. When a major personnel, facilities or financial subsystem malfunctions, it can bring the entire congregation to a grinding halt. It is far easier to keep a system maintained and running properly than to restore one that has failed. But such care requires that managers recognize and understand the systems of which they are stewards. To stay focused on the relationship of the parts and the whole, I recommend keeping Paul's body of Christ imagery front and center. Comparing the body of Christ and its parts with the human body and its parts, Paul blends the idea of the whole with its parts in pure systems theory manner. Just as the human body needs ears as well as eyes, the body of Christ needs teachers, prophets, leaders and managers. This is not only excellent theology, it is also excellent management theory.
Understanding the Difference between Management and Leadership. Effective organizations are run by people who know when they are leading and when they are managing. The two require very different but complementary ways of thinking. Leadership thinks long-term, management short-term; leadership focuses on strategic issues, management on implementation; leadership inspires people, management brings people together into a cohesive, efficient group. When a pastor or layperson can differentiate between those occasions when she needs to lead and those when she needs to manage, she will be more effective and fulfilled.
Lubricating the System. Managers "grease the gears" of a system to keep it running smoothly. Before friction (such as facilities issues, personnel problems or financial surprises) reaches the point where it can limit ministry, managers apply the needed lubrication (usually involving more people, space or money) to keep the parts running smoothly. If the system lacks effective management, the parts will begin to work against themselves in ways that damage the productivity of the whole. Paul advises that even the most nondescript parts of the body of Christ are significant. So it is in the life of a congregation.
Maximizing the Possibilities of the Parts. When working with personnel, effective managers seek to bring out the best in those they manage while limiting the impact of an employee's weaknesses on the system. With facilities, managers make the most of the limited space they manage, setting aside funds to pay for future capital costs. With finances, managers maximize dollars by ensuring that money is handled in a manner that discourages fraud, keeping utility and insurance costs as low as possible, and matching investments appropriately to the needs of the congregation.
Limiting Risks. By the nature of their role in a system, congregational leaders are supposed to take appropriate risks. They may choose to start a program for which there is, initially, inadequate personnel and financial inputs. Fulfilling their role, congregational managers are supposed to identify and reduce risks. They ask the questions the dreamers sometimes ignore: "How are we going to pay for this?" or "Are we ready to make the repairs and renovations to our electrical and plumbing systems that will be needed to sustain this new program?"
Aligning the Parts. Productive managers have a clear understanding of the vision and goals a congregation is attempting to implement. Ideally, this vision has been mapped out in a strategic plan that includes accompanying objectives, strategies and performance measures. When the inputs of facilities, finance and people are aligned with a well thought out strategic plan grounded in solid theology, a congregation can move mountains. However, it's essential to have every part of the body aligned and invested in the plan. The organization's "foot" needs to understand that it is as important as the "brain." As Harvard Business School's Kim Clark says, "You need to have everybody believe in the organization. You need everybody to think that they're part of it, and they are being invested in, as well as being asked of."

The best managers learn as they manage. Sometimes, we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. However, learning what works and doesn't work with our given inputs and our own individual strengths and weaknesses as managers is key to growing into the practice of management.

Henry Mintzberg is a professor of managerial studies at McGill University whose writings are filled with great wisdom as well as practical insights. In his latest book, "Managing," he writes, "Let's recognize management as a calling, and so appreciate that efforts to professionalize it, and turn it into a science, undermine that calling." I couldn't agree more. Management is a calling-and managing a congregation is a holy calling. Good managers help God and God's people do God's work.

Adapted from "The Business of the Church: The Uncomfortable Truth that Faithful Ministry Requires Effective Management" by John W. Wimberly, Jr.,copyright ©2010 by the Alban Institute. All rights reserved.

Communications Corner
Google Docs Rocks!

James Brown

Recently, I started using a FREE internet program called Google Docs that has revolutionized the way we do weekends at Crossroads Church.

As the Experience Pastor, one of my main responsibilities is to help our Sr. Pastor develop creative and compelling sermon series. In order to do that, we had to stop asking the question, "What are we going to do this weekend?" and start planning further and further out.

"Why would you do this?" you might ask. After all, Jesus said, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34).

This statement is true in life and it is especially true in ministry. Keeping things straight for one week is a challenge. Trying to organize more than one week at a time seems virtually impossible.

It seems like a good idea, but is it really worth all the extra energy? Maybe not: unless you have a tool that will allow you to get the right information to right people at the right time. That's where Google Docs comes in.

The weekend is on its way. So, before you spend another minute making extra calls or sending more e-mails, check out Google Docs. Why? Google Docs is a tool that empowers "those who need to know" to update themselves!

Here is why Google Docs rocks:

Google Docs uses your existing Microsoft and Mac software to create a universal document that everyone can open.
Google Docs is stored online, so even if your computer crashes, you haven't lost a thing.
Whenever you make a change to your Google Doc, it updates in real time.
The information on Google Docs is available 24/7.
You can impress your friends by telling them you use Google Docs.
There are no pesky ads when you use Google Docs.
Google Docs is absolutely FREE.

Go to http://docs.google.com and take a few minutes to learn about how Google Docs can help your service planning. With a little discipline (you have to make sure you keep the information current) and a little training (helping to make sure everyone knows the link to access the document), you will never again have to hear the words, "Well, how was I supposed to know?"

Covenant Trust Company Event
"Surviving Difficult Financial Times"
Wednesday, June 23 at 2 p.m.

As we all weather the current economic climate, many of us are experiencing increased anxiety and uncertainty in today's market. It is a constant struggle to discern all the information that is conveyed through the media and it can be a challenge knowing who to trust. As a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church, Covenant Trust Company is positioned to be an excellent resource that you can offer to your congregation.

Your church staff and congregation are invited to a presentation by Charles A. Walles, President of Covenant Trust Company, titled Surviving Difficult Financial Times. He will be speaking at Covenant Village of Golden Valley on Wednesday, June 23 at 2 p.m. in the Fellowship Center. This event is open to everyone, whether or not you are a client of Covenant Trust Company. The message is appropriate for all ages, but can be particularly helpful to people approaching or already in retirement.

This will be an informal presentation that will allow ample time for questions so that everyone can understand who Covenant Trust Company is and what they do, as well as gain practical knowledge that can be applied to your specific situation. A cake and coffee reception will follow the presentation.

Also, as you are planning for the months ahead, we encourage you to consider partnering with Covenant Trust as a part of your ministry. Hosting a Covenant Trust Company workshop is a great way to promote stewardship in your congregation and also help ensure the future and legacy of your church. They are willing to work with you and your church's leadership to set up a workshop that is appropriate for your specific situation.

If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Lawson from Covenant Trust at 1-877-222-3960 or kelawson@covenanttrust.com.

Thank you Paul Julin

The Northwest Conference has been blessed to have Paul Julin serving within our churches and camps, providing accounting services and expertise for the past five years. Paul has also graciously served on the NWC Finance Committee for the past two years.

Recently, Paul has decided to discontinue his accounting work within the conference in order to spend more time with family in other parts of the country. We are very grateful for the great service that Paul has provided throughout our region. His experience, expertise, and humble spirit have been deeply appreciated.

If you have been working with Paul in the past, please make note of his resignation. If you continue to need assistance, feel free to call Mark Stromberg at the NWC for the names of other potential accounting consultants.

New video series highlights ministry priorities of the NWC

The Northwest Conference recently released a series of video segments designed to highlight ministry priorities of the conference, including: "Congregational Vitality," "Church Planting" and "Children, Youth & Family." Each video features interview segments with NWC staff, lay leaders and pastors-intermixed with photos and video footage from the churches highlighted-telling stories of how the conference has influenced and aided ministry on the local level.

The videos are designed for use throughout the year in church new member classes, services and other adult education opportunities to help congregations better understand and engage the work of the Northwest Conference.

Each church's delegates left the NWC 2010 Annual Meeting with a DVD copy of the videos. Because of the range of DVD players and technologies available in our churches, we are aware that the DVD copies may not work perfectly in all instances.

The series is currently available on the new NWC web site's video page. The videos are also available in even higher definition on Vimeo (click here) and this would be the ideal source for streaming the series in your church or group.

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