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PROCEDURE

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By Ken Blue

1 a : a particular way of accomplishing something or of acting  b : a step in a procedure. 2 a : a series of steps followed in a regular definite order *legal procedure* *a surgical procedure*  b :  : a traditional or established way of doing things  b : PROTOCOL”

 Pastor, do you have a clearly defined procedure on how your church is going to reach young families, and the steps you will take after they profess to trust Christ?  Is this procedure in writing and on your calendar? Are your staff members and church leaders aware of it? If ask, could they clearly state your purpose statement and assimilation procedures? If not, guess who dropped the ball?

 The definition of a procedure is stated above, and is clear. It means you have an established way of accomplishing the assimilation of families into your church and the ministry for Christ. It is a series of steps. Are those steps clearly defined, and is each one well planned and implemented?   

 In the matter of bringing families from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity, there a four steps that must be clearly defined and employed. 1. You should have a class every four months for new members. This class is a requirement for membership, and teaches what your church is all about. Each class should take three to four hours to teach. 2. Four months later, there should be a class on how to study the Bible and grow in your new life. 3. four months later, a class should be taught on how and where one might serve the Lord in the local church. 4. Finally, four months later, a class should be taught on how to commit one’s life to God’s will for their life.

 Any pastor, sincere about the things we have stated above, should contact Pastor Murphy at Open Door. He said, on Easter weekend they had, “20 people to accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, we had over 100 visitors…”

 

 

 

 

THE KEY IS LEADERSHIP

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(Be sure and listen to the great gospel songs)



THE WATER MARK


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money


Keeping your money tank full


By Ken Blue


“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” Proverbs 21:20. 


“He that gathereth in summer is a wise son…” Proverbs 10:5. 


“The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” Proverbs 30:25.


Pastor Dallas Dobson was a dear friend of mine; he is now with the Lord. Both of us were from Arkansas and had many of the same childhood experiences. I remember a story he told me that is worth repeating. Hopefully, it will help other pastors.


We were discussing church finances, and he asked me if I remembered the water towers use by the old steam engines that came through our town. I assured him I did. He said, “If you remember, there was a gauge on the outside of the tower to indicate how much water was in the tank.” I told him that I remembered clearly the tower and the gauge.


“Well,” he said, “I look at our church finances like one would look at the water tower. I know how much money it takes to operate our church each month. I keep the tower filled with enough money to keep our church running for at least three months; even if we never have another penny come in during that time. That way, if there is a major emergency, we could continue to operate while we waited for rain.”


From that time forward, I determined that we would maintain enough in the tank to keep our church operating for a minimum of three months. I know many churches are struggling and it is very difficult for them to put anything in the water tower. But, I suggest that you start now and put a little in this special fund until you have an adequate reserve on hand.


Some pastors believe they must spend every penny each week. Therefore, when a special need arises, they are unable to do anything about it. If you work a secular job, you should not attempt to purchase property or build buildings. Also, you should not start supporting missions until you are fulltime, and have started this fund. Missions is not the golden calf, nor should you assume that God will increase your income because you increase your expenses. Many of the special meetings may need to cease until this fund in established.


Beware of borrowing money, and be wise as to how you spend or save it. “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7. Put money in the tank and then keep an eye on it. It is not a lack of faith to save; it is Scriptural, and it is a mark of good senses. In fact, it is an act of biblical wisdom!


DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE REVOLVING DOORS?


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doors

By Ken Blue


Some churches have little trouble gaining members. They are diligently spreading the gospel, and people are obedient to the Lord. However, most churches have trouble keeping members. They lose them about as fast as they get them.


It is a fact that many churches cannot break the “75 barrier” or the “200 barrier”. Both barriers are related to “group dynamics” (principles that affect people’s ability to relate to one another in a particular group). The problem basically boils down to this:  growth does not continue, because people are not being assimilated into the “family life” of the congregation. Some pastors do not really care about church growth, being happy to maintain the “status quo”. The solution to the “revolving door syndrome” actually has several different elements. The key is the involvement of every member.


We cannot over emphasize the importance of every member getting involved in some ministry of the church. If you want the church to become more important to the member, he or she must become involved. This means the church must have an unlimited list of ministries where members can serve. If you can maintain a high level of involvement, the dropout rate will be lower. 


A church must increase its ministries in order to grow. I observed one church that had a ministry list of four, one was the missions program, and the other was their Christian day school. This shows a lack of understanding or a lack of vision.


Every church should make a list of ministries where members can participate, and that list must be adequately communicated to the congregation. The church should then double or triple the list. In addition, there must be a strategy and plan as to how each person will be recruited and installed in a ministry. 


Remember, everyone wants to be an important part of an important organization. Also, the old saying, “use me or loose me” is not that old. If you want to shut down the revolving door, you must provide important places for important people to serve. Those places must be important to them. 


POLICIES AND PROCEDURES


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Policies and ProceduresBy Ken Blue


“…See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5.


Policies are usually written orders or directions made to regulate the practice or the actions of people. Procedures describe a particular way of accomplishing something or of acting. It outlines a series of steps in a definite order. Primarily, policies have to do with rules and standards, whereas, procedures deal with how to proceed and carry out a task or mission.


Every church has policies and procedures. However, in most cases they are not written. They are assumed without giving much thought to them. These two documents are very important to the operation of the church. They must be in writing and made available to all who need them. There should few requirements, and they must remain simple. Don’t allow them to become a roadblock to the growth of the church. The more rules you have, the more resistance you can expect. They should be written in order to keep the church focused on its purpose. That is, they should support the structure and strategy of the church


There should be policies for every ministry. All workers must read and agree with them before they are installed in a ministry. Remember, do not recruit, install, and then present the policies. You are asking for trouble if you do. Give people plenty of time to read the policies and procedures before installing them. Some churches require the Job Description be signed after it has been agreed upon. The overall policies and procedures of the church should be taught to those seeking membership, prior to joining.


Sunday School teachers may have the same policies, but the procedures can change from class to class and department to department. The procedures will let the workers know the expected time to be in the class room, and give a step by step process from the time of arrival to the time of dismissal. Each step, with a time frame should be clear. This lets the teacher know how to carry out the class hour. Flexibility must be allowed.


It is important that the pastor take the lead in the writing these documents. As one can see, these will control what the church is about, and how it will proceed. Therefore, the pastor and staff should write these to ensure that they comply with the overall purpose of the church.


I suggest that policies and procedures be written for each Job Description. The pastor should take time when writing these, in order to communicate what he wants.


I mentioned in another article that one of the areas of complaint will be over policies and procedures. So, write them with care, and expect that some who disagree with them. These people are not on your team, so ignore them. Work with those who are eager and willing to work with you and help the church go forward. Policies and procedures may need to change. They are not your Bible; therefore, they can be adjusted as needed.