Week 8 – Tuesday
Word of Hope
Rev. Scott Wiley 4/13/09
Motivating Volunteers
1. Make a specific job description
2. Offer a time limited commitment
3. Recruit face-to-face in conversation
4. Do not use general announcements to the entire church
5. Tell them why they are the person for the position
Monday, April 13, 2009
Week 5 - Thurs. - Josh
4/13
People
The administrative side of ministry is often overlooked by those of use who are called into ministry. The idea of being stuck behind a stack of papers that are waiting for my attention is almost enough for me to join the art department. But I have a few ideas that may make administration more about people than paper.
• Take it with you – if you have computer or paper work that is not sensitive or captures all of your attention, bring it with you and go have a cup of coffee with a program leader or church member. Make sure the situation is informal enough that you will not offend others if you bring your work with you.
• Make mundane logistical meetings a time for fellowship – involve food somehow and give people a chance to unwind before getting to the nitty-gritty; maybe they will leave feeling better than when they came.
• Make phone calls – when stuck in the office make follow-up phone calls to people. There is not a lot of effort involved in calling someone and asking how they have been.
• Make meetings relational – any time you work with others make it a relational time; don’t ignore the business at hand but make room for friendship.
People
The administrative side of ministry is often overlooked by those of use who are called into ministry. The idea of being stuck behind a stack of papers that are waiting for my attention is almost enough for me to join the art department. But I have a few ideas that may make administration more about people than paper.
• Take it with you – if you have computer or paper work that is not sensitive or captures all of your attention, bring it with you and go have a cup of coffee with a program leader or church member. Make sure the situation is informal enough that you will not offend others if you bring your work with you.
• Make mundane logistical meetings a time for fellowship – involve food somehow and give people a chance to unwind before getting to the nitty-gritty; maybe they will leave feeling better than when they came.
• Make phone calls – when stuck in the office make follow-up phone calls to people. There is not a lot of effort involved in calling someone and asking how they have been.
• Make meetings relational – any time you work with others make it a relational time; don’t ignore the business at hand but make room for friendship.
Week 3 - Thurs. - Josh
4/13
Parliamentary Law
There are those who think that Roberts Rules of Order are too divisive for the churches purposes. This is a stance that I disagree with, people will always disagree - even if the decision is eventually unanimous, there will be those who have simple conceded to be done with it. There has always been disagreement in the church, since Paul and Barnabas, and growth has come from those troubles. Do not think that the spirit can only move through conformity. But for the sake of argument (and my grade) let us say that there are issues with Roberts Rules – what would I change.
• Make firm statements about what decision a yes or no vote will result in so that those who are unfamiliar with the format of parliamentary law cannot be taken as suckers.
• Remove the need for a second in order for a motion to continue to the discussion phase, consider all motions so that each person ideas gets equal representation.
• Allow for less formal wording when moving from stage to stage of parliamentary law.
• Ask for more than a simple majority on all decisions – ¾ perhaps
Problems
• Much time will be spent discussion ideas that have very little merit because they are advance without the need for a second
• The formal wording provides a contrast of demeanor so that those present understand that there is something important happening and those they should wipe the drool of their legal pad and pay attention.
• Moving to a ¾ vote will slow down any decisions from happening, motion will remain motions forever until people finally concede or the church dies form stagnation because it cannot go anywhere.
Parliamentary Law
There are those who think that Roberts Rules of Order are too divisive for the churches purposes. This is a stance that I disagree with, people will always disagree - even if the decision is eventually unanimous, there will be those who have simple conceded to be done with it. There has always been disagreement in the church, since Paul and Barnabas, and growth has come from those troubles. Do not think that the spirit can only move through conformity. But for the sake of argument (and my grade) let us say that there are issues with Roberts Rules – what would I change.
• Make firm statements about what decision a yes or no vote will result in so that those who are unfamiliar with the format of parliamentary law cannot be taken as suckers.
• Remove the need for a second in order for a motion to continue to the discussion phase, consider all motions so that each person ideas gets equal representation.
• Allow for less formal wording when moving from stage to stage of parliamentary law.
• Ask for more than a simple majority on all decisions – ¾ perhaps
Problems
• Much time will be spent discussion ideas that have very little merit because they are advance without the need for a second
• The formal wording provides a contrast of demeanor so that those present understand that there is something important happening and those they should wipe the drool of their legal pad and pay attention.
• Moving to a ¾ vote will slow down any decisions from happening, motion will remain motions forever until people finally concede or the church dies form stagnation because it cannot go anywhere.
Week 2 - Thurs. - Josh
4/13
Tithing
When it comes to tithing, it means 10%. While there is no new testament statement drawing 10% as the line to meet, the Old Testament background of the command to tithe constitutes giving a tenth (Genesis 14:20 “Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” - Genesis 28:22 “and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." - Deuteronomy 14:22 “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” and several more). Many feel that the New Testament interpretation of tithing is “give what you can” or “what feels right”, but I see the New Testament as urging us to give more and do so joyfully.
Members of a congregation should give the full amount of their tithe to their local church. This is a practice referred to as storehouse tithing (Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.) Malachi indicates that the entirety of a person’s tithe should be brought into the service of God’s house, what many would interpret as the local church. In reserving the full tithe for the local church God promises to pour out his blessing, something that is much more satisfying that any warm fuzzies one may get from giving to a cause.
I think that those who give to the church should be thanked. While those who tithe should not be out looking for thanks, or any sort of return for their giving, there is a greater joy in giving when you know that your sacrifice is being noticed.
Tithing
When it comes to tithing, it means 10%. While there is no new testament statement drawing 10% as the line to meet, the Old Testament background of the command to tithe constitutes giving a tenth (Genesis 14:20 “Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” - Genesis 28:22 “and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." - Deuteronomy 14:22 “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” and several more). Many feel that the New Testament interpretation of tithing is “give what you can” or “what feels right”, but I see the New Testament as urging us to give more and do so joyfully.
Members of a congregation should give the full amount of their tithe to their local church. This is a practice referred to as storehouse tithing (Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.) Malachi indicates that the entirety of a person’s tithe should be brought into the service of God’s house, what many would interpret as the local church. In reserving the full tithe for the local church God promises to pour out his blessing, something that is much more satisfying that any warm fuzzies one may get from giving to a cause.
I think that those who give to the church should be thanked. While those who tithe should not be out looking for thanks, or any sort of return for their giving, there is a greater joy in giving when you know that your sacrifice is being noticed.
Week 13: Singleness and Ministry>>>Trenton Prieshoff
I was told by a District Superintendent when interviewing that "it is not a problem that [I am] single," but I realize that it is, in fact, a problem if not handled properly. I have seen youth ministers date the girls in their youth group and I have heard too many reports of sex scandals in every denomination and tradition to think that it is "not a problem." As soon as my call to ministry really sank in, I made immediate changes to my behavior and continue to commit myself to a new "code" as situations come up which my previous code did not cover:
- I maintain a very strict "NO TOUCHING" policy with women and girls. Even a touch on the shoulder or any kind of comforting touch to the hand, etc is enough to give a woman the wrong signals. The best method for avoiding temptation is to not give it a chance to start. Even with my closest female friends, touching is limited to a "one-arm hug" (and with those 4 or 5 I will comfort, but not with any physical touch).
- I will be firm with how I manage relationships with females verbally as well. When women have emotional problems which require counseling or just advice, I will listen but enough to understand the source of the issue. At that point, I will guide them to another female on staff or within the church who could help them better for having gone through the same thing. If it is something I can help with personally for having a similar experience or being able to shed light from a different perspective, I will do so only in the presence of that second female or after she has met with them.
- I will have a strict "Open Door" policy. There are some I can provide counseling for, but for serious issues, they need to see a professional counselor. As far as my role is concerned, the door needs to stay open or we need to meet somewhere where there are witnesses who can attest to my behavior in order to attest for my integrity and alleviate doubts when others in the congregation have them. That same "Open Door" policy would help deter any problem people who sought to develop a relationship with sinful intentions.
- A new one I have added since this class is not to date anyone within the church. That is asking for trouble. It makes it difficult for the church by creating divisiveness if the relationship goes sour and it hurts how the church would perceive the minister's intentions for being there: as if he were there to find a spouse rather than to serve. There are plenty of other places to meet women as Drury outlined in his article. I am very content to be single and am not on the prowl, but if I met someone through doing volunteer work, a second job, another church, etc. I believe I am open to the idea of dating.
- When dating, I maintain my "NO TOUCHING" policy with only a few added exceptions: holding hands and other "light" touching is permitted, though petting (light or heavy) are out of the picture. The first is only toying with the latter.
Week 13: Minister's Taxes>>>Trenton Prieshoff
Six Most Important Things I Need to Remember About Ministerial Taxes (Other Than What Anton has Already Mentioned):
- When buying a house, I can take off my housing expenses from the ministerial housing allowance and then take that same amount off again as a regular deduction (as I would giving tithes and other donations) and thus "Double Dip" my allowance when buying a house.
- It is easy for the church to cheat on taxes by "laundering" money: such as by taking money as for sending someone to seminary or college from the person and paying it for them so that they are still paying for their own seminary education, but now they are getting a tax credit for giving to the church. These kinds of loopholes are closely watched.
- If you opt out of paying social security, there are some pretty major repercussions: you must opt out in the first two years and if you do it for any reason other than serious religious objections, you can be charged with perjury.
- I must make sure the church withholds money for the ministerial housing allowance ahead of time in order to benefit from it, otherwise, I don't get it. (And I need to get licensed right away, because I don't get that benefit at all until I am licensed).
- Because I cannot legally ask the church to withhold my Social Security tax from my paycheck, I need to be aware of how much of my check to set aside myself in order to be ready for that tax when the time comes around.
- One option I have, since the church cannot withhold my Social Security tax, is to ask them to withhold an extra 5-6K from my paycheck annually for Income Tax. When tax time comes around, I simply transfer the amount I overpaid in my Income Taxes into the Social Security tax.
Week 4 Administrative Work - Anton Folz
#10 Week 4 Administrative Work – Anton Folz April 13th 09
1. I interviewed Rev. Brad Terhune on February 9th, 09 at Lakeview Wesleyan Church.
2. The numbered list of the things that Pastor Brad does as administrative work, and the total time that he spends.
1- Working on the church website
2- Connecting with parents and planning Upward practice times and games
3- Planning for committee meetings
4- Filing papers
5- Planning and stocking the Coffee Shop
6- Managing blogs and various other means to promote coffee shop and other ministries
7- Creating and placing the monthly updated events for the church in the bathrooms and in key places around the church building
All together Rev Brad Terhune spends approximately fifteen hours a week doing administrative and office management related tasks.
3. Observations from the interview.
Overall it was very interesting to see just how much time goes into all the paper work that allows the church to be public with the ministries that exist in the life of the church. Rev Brad spends a great deal of his time working on organizing teams and volunteers to allow for the ministries to be open. No one man or woman could run al of those ministries, thus it takes a team of volunteers to make them all run efficiently. There is more office work to be done than one might expect when first going into ministry. Without the proper office and administrative skills, a pastor will sink in paper work and fail as a result of not having organized ministries.
1. I interviewed Rev. Brad Terhune on February 9th, 09 at Lakeview Wesleyan Church.
2. The numbered list of the things that Pastor Brad does as administrative work, and the total time that he spends.
1- Working on the church website
2- Connecting with parents and planning Upward practice times and games
3- Planning for committee meetings
4- Filing papers
5- Planning and stocking the Coffee Shop
6- Managing blogs and various other means to promote coffee shop and other ministries
7- Creating and placing the monthly updated events for the church in the bathrooms and in key places around the church building
All together Rev Brad Terhune spends approximately fifteen hours a week doing administrative and office management related tasks.
3. Observations from the interview.
Overall it was very interesting to see just how much time goes into all the paper work that allows the church to be public with the ministries that exist in the life of the church. Rev Brad spends a great deal of his time working on organizing teams and volunteers to allow for the ministries to be open. No one man or woman could run al of those ministries, thus it takes a team of volunteers to make them all run efficiently. There is more office work to be done than one might expect when first going into ministry. Without the proper office and administrative skills, a pastor will sink in paper work and fail as a result of not having organized ministries.
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