With the advent of a new year and the second decade of the 21st century, let me take the time to remind you of the array of services the staff of Ohio Ministries and the professionals whose services we utilize can provide pastors and lay leaders as we all seek to do the work God has called His church to do. Ohio Ministries exists to serve the local church and pastor. The list below, though not exhaustive, is of many of the services we can provide you and your congregation in 2011:
Services for Pastors
Pastoral Leadership Skills Coaching. To successfully lead today's church a pastor needs a skill set that most have never been taught. Important skills such as vision casting, delegating, team building, leading the church through change as well as a host of other skills are often missing from the pastor's tool bag. Additionally most pastors have not been coached and mentored in these skills. Ministry Advantage seeks to address both of these needs as participating pastors are coached through an online curriculum that seeks to teach the pastor how to lead at a higher level.
Church Coaching Weekends and Pastoral Coaching. A new era in state ministry came with the introduction of coaching weekends for congregations that want to turn around and to become a Great Commission church focused on making disciples. Almost 90% of the congregations of the Church of God in Ohio are either plateaued or in decline. For the most part this is due to becoming internally focused on the needs and desires of the members rather than on reaching those outside. Anytime the church focuses primarily on the members the church gets off mission and thus begins to move towards stagnation and eventual decline. To address this reality in the hope of changing the status quo, we offer church consultations for a limited number of congregations utilizing a coaching/consulting team, and we provide coaching to a limited number of pastors beginning with those pastors of the congregations with whom we do the coaching weekends. The end result will hopefully be turnaround churches that move from stagnation and/or decline to congregations once again focused on the Great Commission.
Leading From Your Strengths. Director Randall Spence and Associate Director Esther Cottrell are both certified as trainers in the Leading From Your Strengths leadership assessment tool created by Christian psychologist John Trent. This assessment device can help the pastoral leader discover how he/she serves the Lord's purposes best based on his God given strengths. This tool can be utilized individually by the pastor or as a tool in leadership development and training with lay leadership or staff.
Compensation Planning. Ohio Ministries has the latest and greatest information regarding church employees. We can assist the pastor by sharing information regarding pastoral compensation as well as that of associates and other church employees. This information is based on surveys conducted across denominational lines.
One-on-One Coaching. For the pastor or associate who desires to move to the next level in his or her ministry, or who simply needs some help in overcoming some situation, Ohio Ministries has trained coaches who can walk with the pastor in such a time. Ohio Ministries staff desire to help the local pastor maximize his life and ministry and to fully accomplish the call of God on his life.
Coaching Clusters. In the Fall of 2011 we will begin the third round of coaching clusters designed for pastors and associates who desire to maximize their life and ministry. Up to eight pastors meet monthly in each of our five districts for the purpose of learning together, accountability, and fellowship. These learning clusters are designed for personal, spiritual and ministry growth.
Church Finance. Many churches have issues or needs around proper accounting procedures and compliance issues. Often it is just good to have a knowledgeable outside resource person look at the business practices of the church and to make suggestions for improvement. Through the services of Director of Finance Bob Fulton, Ohio Ministries now provides such consultation services.
Preaching & Teaching. The staff of Ohio Ministries are available to preach in your church at request. This can be for regular or special services including installations, dedications, etc.
Counseling. In every ministry and life there come those bumps in the road when we need the help of a professional to help us sort through things and to help us move to emotional health. Ohio Ministries can help link pastors and pastoral families to such services as needed.
Conflict & Mediation Services. Increasingly conflict seems to be a reality in the life of the church. Many pastors and congregations try to deal with conflict by avoidance and denial only to see matters escalate and grow worse. In those moments of conflict it sometimes can be helpful to call in an outside expert who has both the training and the experience in helping a pastor or congregation weather the storm of conflict and even come out the better as a result.
Church or Site Assessment. Should we build on or relocate? Are we maximizing our building space? These questions and more occasionally arise regarding facilities. Utilizing the services of a licensed architect, Ohio Ministries is now able to provide such services.
Church Planting. Ohio Ministries seeks to identify and to assess those who feel called to plant a church. To this end a concerted effort is being made in the years ahead to plant new churches throughout our state.
Services for Lay Church Leadership
Volunteer and Employee Background Checks. Every congregation needs to do “due diligence” in protecting its children and the congregation. This means doing a criminal background check on those persons who work with minors and additionally a credit check for prospective pastors. Ohio Ministries is able to provide such a service to those congregations.
Compensation for Church Employees. What is fair compensation for a pastor, for an associate, or even for a church secretary or custodian? Ohio Ministries now has a resource from which we can help you determine what is a fair compensation based on church size, location, church income, education, etc.
Pulpit Committee and Interim Pastor Assistance. Ohio Ministries along with Church of God Ministries in Anderson are two sources of information for churches looking for a pastor, an interim, or for pastors interested in relocation. Ohio Ministries has numerous resumes plus is in continuing conversation with many pastors open to a pastorate or to an interim pastorate. Additionally Ohio Ministries provides a “Pulpit Committee Handbook” for pulpit committees.
Pastoral Position Assessment. Utilizing the Leading From Your Strengths assessment tool created by Christian psychologist Dr. John Trent, this assessment can help the pastoral search committee or church board in determining what the pastoral position in their congregation requires in a potential pastor. By utilizing this tool and then having a prospective pastor take the assessment, the leadership can get a picture of whether or not a candidate might be a good fit for their congregation. While certainly not the only tool in the pastoral search process, it can nonetheless be a useful tool.
Conditional Deeding Assistance. Every congregation should be conditionally deeded to Ohio Ministries. Many of our congregations previously conditionally deeded their property to Church Extension in Anderson. With the demise of Church Extension, those congregations need to do again their conditional deeding now naming Ohio Ministries as the successor should the church ever close its doors. On occasion we hear of a congregation closing its doors with the remaining constituents attempting to sell the property and distributing the proceeds amongst themselves. This is illegal and the stuff of which prison sentences are made. Regardless of size or the unlikely nature of your congregation ever closing, every congregation should be conditionally deeded.
Church Incorporation. Many of our congregations likewise have never bothered to incorporate. Some that did incorporate have allowed that incorporation to lapse. We are attempting to discover those that have not incorporated or that have allowed their incorporation to lapse and to inform of this need.
Church Finance. Many churches have issues or needs around proper accounting procedures and compliance issues. Often it is just good to have a knowledgeable outside resource person look at the business practices of the church and to make suggestions for improvement. Through the services of Director of Finance Bob Fulton, Ohio Ministries now provides such consultation services.
Conflict & Mediation Services. Increasingly conflict seems to be a reality in the life of the church. Many pastors and congregations try to deal with conflict by avoidance and denial only to see matters escalate and grow worse. In those moments of conflict it sometimes can be helpful to call in an outside expert who has both the training and the experience in helping a pastor or congregation weather the storm of conflict and even come out the better as a result.
Church or Site Assessment. Should we bulid on or relocate? Are we maximizing our building space? These questions and more occasionally arise regarding facilities.
Church Planting. Ohio Ministries seeks to identify and to assess those who feel called to plant a church. To this end a concerted effort is being made in the years ahead to plant new churches throughout our state.
Other Services
In addition to the services listed above, there are many other services provided by organizations and ministries that fall under the umbrella of Ohio Ministries. Examples are as follows:
Camp Marengo | Ohio Retreat Center. With the programming staff in the persons of John & Melyssa Trussel and others, the hope is to greatly expand the usage of the retreat center and camp. Example ministries that take place there (not a total listing) are:
* Summer youth camp
* Winter young adult retreat
* Fall men's ox roast
* Leadership and church retreats
* Pastors prayer and study retreats
* School and other organization retreats and events
* Band camps
Credentialing of Ministers. The Credentials Committee is responsible for the licensing and ordination of those called into career ministry and annually holds an ordination service during the fall general assembly meeting to ordain those whom God has called to ministry.
Fall Feasts & Spring Fling. This ministry for senior adults is comprised of several events held in the fall and the spring throughout the state. Held at several Amish restaurants throughout the state, this popular ministry involves good food, fellowship and a program for the entertainment as well as inspiration of older adults.
Missions. The Churches of God help sponsor eight missionaries across the globe through money funneled from local churches through Ohio Ministries.
O-Net. This state youth ministry group is responsible for the state youth convention held annually in November.
Churches who want to grow need to consult with someone who can help them determine how much debt they can safely carry as a part of their expansion program. Too often churches plan a huge expansion that they can not finance. In some of the more unfortunate cases the church starts out on an oversized project with their own cash and then can not borrow the money to finish it. There are lots of unfinished projects out there.
Posted by: Church Finance | February 13, 2011 at 05:03 PM