Fall 2003
Managing The Local Church, Part 1

Theme Articles

Ask The Superintendent
Management: The Other Side Of Pastoral Ministry, Part One
Interview with Thomas E. Trask
While preaching and teaching are the primary spiritual responsibilities of the pastor, there is another side of pastoral ministry that must not be overlooked or underemphasized.

Management Principles to Effectively Govern Church Life
By T. Ray Rachels
As pastor, you are called to manage your church. Navigating the matrix of church-management issues can be an arduous and painstaking task for any ministry leader. Whether large or small, paid or volunteer staff, leading and managing your church effectively remains at the heart of ministry.

With broad sweeping strokes, author T. Ray Rachels launches the theme of this issue with an article that encapsulates a number of salient points pertinent to local-church management.

Managing Church Government: Making The Systems Work For You
By Richard L. Dresselhaus
A wise and successful pastor knows how to work within the framework of organizational polity and navigate through bureaucratic roadblocks to accomplish purposeful ministry. The work of the Kingdom is far too urgent for you to settle for less than fully utilizing the church’s governmental systems to ensure the fullest possible release of ministry by every believer and staff member in your church. An important task of your pastoral leadership, then, is to ensure that the church’s policies and procedures advance the work of the Kingdom rather than hinder it. This section explores the central issues of church polity and governance and provides practical guidance on how you can make the church’s systems work for you.

Managing The Church Office: An Ever-Changing Challenge
By Shirley J. Good
The church office is the hub for the business and ministry functions of the local church. To some, it is a place of refuge where the comfort and wise counsel of a loving pastor is found in time of need. For others, it is a launching pad out of which volunteer ministry flows to the four corners of the church and community. And to others, it is a welcome center for visitors seeking a new church home. However, to pastoral staff, a well-run church office means enhanced productivity and the promise of quality pastoral care and outreach.

When most pastors said yes to the call of God to ministry, they were probably not thinking about managing the church office and having to dig their way out of paperwork. Yet, managing the office is part of every pastor’s job description and pertinent to equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. This section explores the many facets of managing the church office. Whether you are the pastor of a large or small church, you will find something in this section to assist you in your office-management role.

The Art Of Managing Church Staff
By Dan M. Reiland
As pastor, you have a responsibility to manage and mentor your staff. Selecting and developing the right people is at the very epicenter of fruitful leadership development. Your ability to develop your staff is the lid lifter that allows your church to reach its God-given potential—a Spirit-filled potential far beyond the limits of natural gifts and talents. Unfortunately, many senior pastors have had less than euphoric experiences with staff. Regardless of where you are with your staff—really loving them or ready to leave them—this section is dedicated to help you better lead and manage your staff.

Technology And Church Office Equipment
Technology is everywhere in ministry. But it wasn’t always that way. Most started by getting a computer to help with accounting and then added another for managing a database. Today computers are on every desk and in nearly every briefcase. We still use them for accounting and database management, but we also use them as study, communications, and purchasing tools. Because of the significance of current technological advances to ministry opportunity, many churches are taking the high-tech road to modernization and equipping their offices with quality digital equipment.The sidebars listed under "Technology and Church Office Equpment" will help you navigate through the sometimes confusing world of digital technology.

Management Resources

Editorials

Ministry matters
By Gary R. Allen

In closing
By Michael Messner

Columns

Preaching That Connects
Six Levers of Series Preaching (part one)
By Craig Brian Larson

The Church and the Chosen People
Is Jesus Really King of the Jews?
By Ray Gannon

When Pews Are Few
Managing the Smaller Church
By Ralph Adcock

History Is His Story
Girolamo Savonarola—The Prophet of Florence
By William P. Farley

A View From the Pew
Looking Through the Stained Glass Window
By J. Diane Awbrey

College Corner
Who Is in the Basket?
By Robert H. Spence

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