Local Church Pastoral Staff

The Pastor cannot lead a church all by himself. A congregation is too complex, diverse, and multifaceted for any one person to grasp the full range of needs and opportunities to do ministry. Clergy and local lay leaders must work together for the holistic ministry of the church, both through inreach/nurture and outreach.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, limitations and flaws. Hence, we need all the help we can get. It's amazing that God has called us to such a holy work with such serious implications for eternity, yet we are so  needful of wisdom, knowledge, strength and skills to do the task.

Do not worry though, because God has already provided the help we need. On the one hand, "'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). On the other hand, He has given men and women spiritual gifts in the church to partner with Pastors for the task at hand (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Timothy 3:1-13).

Here is the Pastoral Staff model I use for my churches:

1. Pastor
2. All Elders
3. Head Deacon
4. Head Deaconess
5. Ministry Coordinators (for Congregational Care, Outreach, Children & Youth, Family & Adult, Communication, Music, Social, Hospitality, and Sabbath School)

I have a 10-15 minute meeting with the Pastoral Staff each time I attend the church on a Sabbath (I pastor three churches), or during the week by conference call. We take time out to discuss pressing matters, counsel with each other, and pray. It helps us to build a close working relationship and bonds us as a team. In the end, the church benefits from united leadership.

Like it or not, the church sees the Pastor through the eyes of its local leadership (they've been together for years before we got there, and will be there years after we're gone). The Pastoral Staff model is a quick and effective way of staying in touch with what's happening in the congregation.

Organizing Your Board of Elders for Ministry

The Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual provides a general job discription for the Elders of the church, but you may have observed that there is no suggestion as to how to divide the labor for effective and efficient ministry in a multi-Elder situation.

In my district, I implemented a system of delegation of pastoral responsibilities that has specific Elders doing specific things. This reduces the unnecessary overlapping so common in most churches. It lends to smoother operation, and actually getting something done in the Elders department (most pastors testify that their Elders perform primarily on Sabbaths on the platform).

Here is a brief description of what we have done. I hope you will benefit from this approach (you may have to tweak this a little to fit your local situation).

Head Elder/Administration – Oversees implementation of board and business meeting decisions. He/she is the leading officer in the absence of the Pastor. Responsible for compiling the quarterly Sabbath worship roster (platform participants only - the Pastor is solely responsible for compiling the preaching schedule). Coordinates the mid-week prayer services of the church by assigning worship leaders and platform participants in Pastor's absence (great for those Pastors who have multi-church districts). Handles all matters of church life and members' concerns with the assistance of other members of the Board of Elders, referring only the more difficult cases to the Pastor.

Congregational Care Ministries Coordinator – Responsible for coordinating member visitation, including the sick and shut-in members (all Elders, Deacons and Deaconesses should be on the visitation schedule, with the Pastor inserting himself as his district schedule allows, or as circumstances dictate). Chairs the benevolent committee to disburse needy funds, and facilitates ministry efforts of the hospitality and bereavement committee. Assigns spiritual guardians to, and assists in mentoring new believers. Insures that each member is encouraged to participate in the monthly “Book of the Month” readings (I assign a book for each month. This may be a book of the Bible, a book on prayer, or some other Adventist publication on spiritual growth, family life or stewardship, etc.). Consistently encourages the church in the matter of worship through prayer, Bible study, witnessing, etc.

Outreach Ministries Coordinator - Chairs the personal ministries council, and fosters outreach as a personal responsiility of every member.

More descriptions coming soon...

Conference Calling Can Save You Big Bucks!

Attenting the many board and committee meetings at your local church can be an expensive exercise today for you and your church members. Maybe it's time to turn to modern technology as a cost effective approach to doing church.

Fuel prices demand that we rethink the number of meetings we drive to church for. Conference calling can be just as effective in getting the business of the Lord done, and members will appreciate the fact that they can participate in important decision making in the comfort of their own homes.

I have used FreeConference.com since 2003 for many meetings. I encourage you to setup an account today and continue reading this article to learn how it works.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SETTING UP AND USING YOUR FREE CONFERENCE CALL ACCOUNT:

The setup information for the conference call program is as follows:

Go to www.FreeConference.com
Select User Name:
Select Password:

1. Logon to: https://www.freeconference.com (please bookmark on your computer)
2. Login with the following - User ID and Password
3. Click on "SCHEDULE" at top of page (or QUICK SCHEDULER in gray section in center of page to repeat a conference by simply changing the date)
   
4. Select "WEB-SCHEDULED STANDARD" (the second option in the center of the page)
   
5. Click "NEXT"
6. Enter the NUMBER of expected participants (I recommend 4 to allow for absenteeism, as this number is low and still allows as many people to call as you will probably have in the meeting), DATE, TIME and DURATION of meeting (select 25 minutes for short meetings and 55 minutes for longer, etc.)
7. Click "NEXT"
8. Enter/choose an ACCESS CODE . Please note that if you do not choose an access code, the system will automatically assign one to you, but you can always EDIT the selection to make it what you want it to be. Be sure to check the ACCESS code before you CONFIRM the conference at the end.
   
9. Click "NEXT"
10. Click "NO" for email invitation to participants (yes, if you setup the email function later on)
    
11. Click "NEXT"
12. Click "CONFIRM THIS CONFERENCE"
13. PRINT CONFERENCE DETAILS
14. DISTRIBUTE/NOTIFY PARTICIPANTS OF DIAL-IN NUMBER AND ACCESS CODE (ignore organizer code)