Reprint: Safety 101

Safety 101
A church leader's guide to risk management

Developing a comprehensive risk management plan for your church starts with assessing the risks in each key area of ministry.
When a child custody dispute erupted after a nursery school graduation ceremony at the Grabill Missionary Church in Grabill, Indiana, teachers at the school were caught squarely between the battling parents. "At the time, we didn't have a clear policy in place," Pastor David Sjoberg said, "and our staff even disagreed among themselves how to handle the situation."
In the wake of that incident, church leaders realized that they needed to develop more comprehensive risk management policies. "We want to make our church the safest place we possibly can for the children in our care," Sjoberg explained.

Like an increasing number of churches, Grabill Missionary sees the need to take steps to prevent problems before they happen—the very essence of risk management. Many churches, like Grabill Missionary, are working on comprehensive risk management plans that thoughtfully consider and address the exposures involved in their ministries.

Developing a Plan

Even when church leaders recognize the value of developing a risk management plan, it's sometimes difficult to know where to start. Your first challenge is finding the right person to oversee the responsibility. Then, you need to decide which area of ministry to tackle first. Trying to address every aspect of your ministry at once could be overwhelming and discouraging. Once you have implemented risk control measures in one area, you'll be able to build on that success to make changes elsewhere.
Choose good people. Recruiting the right people to develop the plan is key, says Matthew Greene, southern regional manager for Brotherhood Mutual. Create one or more committees of people who understand and value risk management. Include professionals in areas you intend to address, such an accountant for financial issues and a builder for structural ones. Most importantly, Greene says, "put someone in charge who is invested with enough authority to make things happen."

Take small steps.

To make it more manageable, break the process of developing a risk management plan into several "bite-size" steps. First, focus on the areas most central to your ministry, suggests Jehu Brabham, business administrator of Parkway Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi. For his church, this meant starting with children's activities and transportation.
Identify risks. Then, look at all the possible risks in those areas, asking yourself: "What's the worst thing that could happen?" In the children's area, you might ask if a non custodial parent could kidnap a child or if the nursery wing could catch fire. Assess the probability of each risk and what you can do to reduce or eliminate it. (See "Six Steps to Reducing Risk")

Use available resources.

"Remember that you don't have to reinvent the wheel," Brabham said. "There are many places to find help with risk management strategies." He picked up ideas from reading church-oriented magazines, talking with other church business administrators, and conferring with his insurer's loss control experts.

At Brookside Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Executive Pastor Rocky Rocholl found that his membership in the National Association of Church Business Administrators was a valuable source of information about risk management. He also found help within his congregation. "We've been fortunate in having a number of insurance professionals among our members, and we've tapped their knowledge in identifying risks and finding ways to address them," he said. "Risk management has been in our DNA from the start."

Implementing the Plan

Once the plan is developed and approved, communication is critical. Church leaders should share relevant parts of the plan with key employees and volunteers and make sure they get periodic training, Rocholl emphasized. At Brookside, training usually occurs quarterly. It also occurs as new volunteers are screened and selected.

Brookside Church's risk management plan covers 13 different areas, from human resources to preventive maintenance and emergency response guidelines, said Rocholl. Each component of the plan (e.g., childcare) is developed by the director or minister for that particular area, working with his or her staff and volunteers. The plan must be approved first by the entire staff and then by the church's Leadership Council before being implemented.

The rollout of a new plan may upset some church members. When Parkway Baptist introduced extensive new screening policies for childcare and youth workers, some longtime volunteers questioned whether the policies went too far. Brabham explained that the policies were developed with one thing in mind—protecting the church's children. He reminded volunteers that screening them would allow the church to stand behind each of them with full confidence, and he said the grumbling slowly gave way to understanding.

Following Through

Once completed, a risk management plan shouldn't just end up as a document that gathers dust on a bookshelf, Greene said. "It really needs to be an all-encompassing, proactive approach," he explained. "We keep seeing new types of risks all the time, so you need a plan that's updated fairly often."

For churches like Grabill Missionary that are just starting to develop a plan, Greene offers encouragement. "Ultimately, having an ongoing risk management plan is one of the best investments a church can make," Greene said. "By spending a little time up front and thinking through their risks, church leaders can effectively protect their ministry and keep it moving forward."

Adapted from Volume 18, Issue 3, of The Deacon's Bench. View a printable version (PDF 881k) of this issue.

How to Draw the Best Out of Your Team - Church Leaders Intelligence Report

How to Draw the Best Out of Your Team

Steven Liparoto, in his leadership guide, "How to Draw the Best Out of Your People" offers the six leadership practices that make the most of your team members.

1. Lead Yourself. Self-discipline must be "job one" if you are to draw out the best in others. Know your natural talents, your limits, your goals and values.

2. Know Your People. Discover what each person is best at and capitalize on those gifts, talents and abilities. Do not attempt to "fix" their weaknesses but find ways to manage around them.

3. Build Trust With Them. Building trusting relationships with your team members will encourage full commitment from them. An absence of trust leads to a fear of conflict, avoidance of accountability and eventual inattention to results.

4. Coach Them. Provide the resources, encouragement, guidance and correction needed so your people can excel and achieve winning results. Address the needs of the whole person: heart, body, mind and spirit.

5. Release Them. Continual checking up on your team members warns of a lack of trust and damages your credibility. When you permit your team members to function autonomously with less over-the-shoulder monitoring, they are "released" to exercise their own judgment about achieving results. This freedom creates a sense of ownership, accomplishment and responsibility. Define your goals and results clearly, then be approachable and recognize positive contributions.

6. Have Fun With Them. Intentionally create a satisfying, joy-filled workplace by playing fair, encouraging friendships, offering challenging work, and reminding the team that the work is worthwhile. When you give people the opportunity to get together and laugh, it creates a strong sense of camaraderie, solidarity and team orientation.

   Excerpted from Steve Liparato, "How To Draw the Best Out of Your People" Leadership Guide
   Adapted from Mark Sanborn, "Why Leaders Fail" Leadership Wired, 08/08.

   
   

The Minister's Life

I have heard it said that nothing is more important in ministry than the life of the minister. I've been reading of late about the minister's life, and like most lives, it is a morass of emotions, dreams, desires and disappointments. Really, the goal of life is life, right. And smack-dab in the middle of life and ministry, stuff happens. Death and taxes, and a review from the district superintendent!

It's all good, but there is another factor - I call it the superman factor. The minister is never to show these facets of humanness to "real" people, except for the occasional (and I mean, occasional) personal sermon illustration. Always smiling, always speaking with "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs," the minister never lets one emotion through the tough pastoral INFP veneer (that was you Myers-Briggs fans!)

So, who do you confess to? To whom do you turn who serves as community to you? I hope you have someone. I pray that you find someone - a trusted counselor, a minister in another community, in another denomination to serve as spiritual director, a soul friend.

At Berachah Leadership Coaching, there are those who can serve as that soul friend. Drop a line at berachahleadership@gmail.com

be blessed!

sp

Here's another freebie! Free Food!!

8 Simple Ways to Control Stress!
Simple modifications in posture, habits, thought, and behavior often go a long way toward reducing feelings of stress and tension. Here are 8 quick and simple things you can do immediately to help keep your stress level under control.


1. Control Your Anger:
Watch for the next instance in which you find yourself becoming annoyed or angry at something trivial or unimportant, then practice letting go - make a conscious choice not to become angry or upset. Do not allow yourself to waste thought and energy where it isn't deserved. Effective anger management is a tried-and-true stress reducer.

2. Breathe:
Breathe slowly and deeply. Before reacting to the next stressful occurrence, take three deep breaths and release them slowly. If you have a few minutes, try out breathing exercises such as meditation or guided imagery. The best guided imagery comes from the Bible.

3. Slow Down:
Whenever you feel overwhelmed by stress, practice speaking more slowly than usual. You'll find that you think more clearly and react more reasonably to stressful situations. Stressed people tend to speak fast and breathlessly; by slowing down your speech you'll also appear less anxious and more in control of any situation.

4. Complete One Simple To Do:
Jump start an effective time management strategy. Choose one simple thing you have been putting off (e.g. returning a phone call, making a doctor's appointment) and do it immediately. Just taking care of one nagging responsibility can be energizing and can improve your attitude.

5. Get Some Fresh Air:
Get outdoors for a brief break. Our grandparents were right about the healing power of fresh air. Don't be deterred by foul weather or a full schedule. Even five minutes on a balcony or terrace can be rejuvenating.

6. Avoid Hunger and Dehydration:
Drink plenty of water and eat small, nutritious snacks. Hunger and dehydration, even before you're aware of them, can provoke aggressiveness and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress.

7. Do a Quick Posture Check:
Hold your head and shoulders upright and avoid stooping or slumping. Bad posture can lead to muscle tension, pain, and increased stress.

8. Recharge at the Day’s End:
Plan something rewarding for the end of your stressful day, even if only a relaxing bath or half an hour with a good book. Put aside work, housekeeping or family concerns for a brief period before bedtime and allow yourself to fully relax. Don't spend this time planning tomorrow's schedule or doing chores you didn't get around to during the day. Remember that you need time to recharge and energize yourself - you'll be much better prepared to face another stressful day.

If you would like more information about stress reduction, spiritual formation, or organizational revitalization, email berachahleadership@gmail.com

Here's a free resource for you!

Has it been a busy summer for you too?? Do you rememeber the quiet, lazy days of summer?? Not any more - with mission trips, Vacation Bible School, outreach missions to reach lost people....you might need a vacation from your vacation, too!

Well maybe you've been thinking about how to do church different this year, to display a lived Christianity. Well, here are some questions that growing churches ask. If you want some help on growing your church, in bringing a revitalized vision for mission, read on.....

If you would like a free demographic report of the faith and lifestyle preferences, email berachahleadership@gmail.com

10 Questions Growing Churches Should Ask
Brought to you by
Berachah Leadership Coaching
“Redesigning life by revitalizing organizations”
berachahleadership@gmail.com

1. Is your ministry strategy creating buzz in your community?

If people aren’t talking about what’s happening at your church, they’re not inviting their friends. What are you doing to create dialogue and make people think “I need to check that out and see for myself”?

2. Do volunteers own the ministry of the church?
You can’t hire enough staff to accomplish the entire ministry spectrum that needs to be accomplished in a growing church. With that in mind, you need to create a culture where the volunteers expect to do it before staff.

3. Do you exceed the expectations of your first-time guests?
Whether we like it or not, our guests are consumers before they’re convinced they should become learners or worshippers or servants. That means they’re walking into your doors for the first time expecting an experience that meets or exceeds what they’re getting at the theatre, the restaurant and the mall.

4. Are you attracting the very best talent to your team?
This is about both staff and volunteer team development. Ministry success begins with gifted people who are committed to the vision. Are you getting and keeping the best?

5. Are people having fun?
You have to give people hope, encouragement and the chance to laugh. We live in a fast-paced, stressful culture. If people can’t find health and balance in your church, they’ll find it someplace else.

6. Does your team know, embrace and champion the church's established vision and values?
Leaders need vision. Resources will follow vision. Churches divide because of lack of vision. You have to figure out where you’re going to know if you’ll ever arrive.

7. Do people accept change as normal?
Believe it or not, even churches can develop a culture where change is both expected and embraced. And change is certainly critical in a culture that is continually morphing.

8. Are you addressing the real issues of real lives?
People are looking for more than a three-point message that exegetes the biblical text. They’re trying to parent their kids, save their marriages, deal with losses and illnesses and addictions. They’re trying to find purpose and fulfillment for their lives. Is your message relevant to their lives?

9. Are you as committed to developing effective systems as you are to innovation? As churches grow, they need to move from a purely entrepreneurial approach to one that also values the development of effective systems and strategies in area like structure, staffing, technology and finances. Through systems big churches remain small enough to personalize the experience for every attender.

10. Have you built a church of leaders?

You can’t do it alone. It takes a team of empowered leaders to take ministry to the next level. What are you doing to multiply and release the leadership potential in your church? And, are you creating an environment where high-capacity leaders are welcomed? These are the questions that have been challenging my thinking in recent years. I don’t know that our ministry has completely arrived in any of these areas, but I know these have been the issues we’ve tried to address along the way to continue the growth cycle we’ve experienced. These are the continuing questions that come out of our mission statement, the filter for how and what we do to create a mission culture. Hopefully, they will challenge your thinking as well.


Berachah Leadership Coaching has been assisting congregations in discerning their futures. We believe that the entire congregation has a role in this process and that the leaders often need specific skills, resources and a set-apart time to guide the congregation in the process.
For more information, or to schedule a pre-consultation conference, call Charles Roberts at 516-620-3535, or email berachahleadership@gmail.com

Today I was at a glorious community of believers

What a fellowship! What a joy divine! Leaning on the everlasting arms! What a blessedness! What a peace is mine! Leaning on the everlasting arms!

What a glorious fellowship. The Love for God and people was palpable. The believers were devoted to the apostle's teaching, to the breaking of bread, to the fellowship and to prayer.
What a delightful breakfast, straight out of the Caribbean, and with such marvelous company. I breakfasted with one of God's anointed - a delightful 7-year old. She says to me, "Are you a pastor? You look like a pastor!" I said, "God must have told you, you know His voice." She said, "I know his voice, but you just look like a pastor!" We talked about her home country, Jamaica, and many other things, all with great laughter. The (real) pastor of the church came into the hall, greeting everyone with a holy kiss, and it was clear that he was well loved here.

After breakfast, we entered into a time of praise and worship, breaking strongholds. It was clear that this place was built on prayer, that the people know how to pray. And, then it was time for the Word.

Romans 12:1-8 The Man God Can Use

12:1 God can use a consecrated man
12:2 God can use a transformed man
12:3 God can use a balanced man
12:4-8 God will give supernatural gifts to THAT man

Question: Do you want to be THAT man - the man God can use?

This was a fellowship on the move - Do you want a fellowship on the move? Berachah Leadership Coaching can come along side your congregation, and together seek the face of God and His soul-lutions for your area.

email berachahleaderhip@gmail.com and receive a free intro demographic report. be blessed!
sp

Coming attractions....

Churches are organic things, and like most organic things, they grow up-and-down, and east-to-west. I've done some thinking on growth, and I've come to at least one conclusion: that we need to develop a greenhouse for growth - that Scripture, holy friendships, and opportunities to be formed into Christ's likeness are the vitamins, fertilizer and plant stakes for good growth.

Acts 2:42-47 gives a blueprint for growth. After the "growth spurt" of Pentecost, the young church of at least 3,120 went into action.

They were devoted to the apostles' teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Devoted. Fully committed.

They grew up by being consistent in teaching, taking the Lord's Supper, and grew in intimacy by prayer.

Everyone was filled with awe, and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to everyone as he had need.

They grew together in love, in compassion for one another. Their practical expressions of love were expressed in the community of faith.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

They grew out of the confines of the temple, which was open space anyway, into the wider neighborhoods where their witness was public and immediate. Their "glad and sincere hearts" were a sure-fire witness.

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

They grew more as the result of a genuine love, a sincere local fellowship, multiplication of ministries through the power of the Holy Spirit. The infant church was attractive, as the light of the love of Jesus fired them all up.

If you would like to have more of this kind of focus, drive and energy in your present ministry, contact me at berachahleadership@gmail.com We can chat a bit on how to come along side you.

be blessed today.

Just how do you get it all done??

"Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches" – Proverbs 24:3

The divine combination of wisdom, understanding and knowledge is effected through the interaction of Word, Spirit and the community of faith.

-- How does a church leader balance all the roles that he functions in? Teacher? Preacher? Administrator? Referee? Evangelist? Father? Husband? Leadership Developer?

-- Where are the “watering holes” which supply you with resources, both internal and external for replenishing and revisioning?

Does the church have enough leaders to fulfill the vision God has given?

Do you sense a fit between the church’s ministry offerings and the wider needs of community?

Are there particular ministry situations where you wish you had a second set of eyes to get perspective?

Within all the roles you engage in on a daily basis, is there enough space for you to dream God’s dream for your patch of the Kingdom?

If you are pondering about these questions, we can chat about how to get you some breathing room.

Chat with me at berachahleadership@gmail.com

Redesigning Life by Revitalizing Organizations

Organizations, by their nature, are organic. Needing nurture and fertilization, organizations grow (gk, auxano) in a proximo-distal fashion. That is, organizations grow from north - south and east - west. They grow in size and they grow in impact. Pastor, Leader: how does your garden grow?

Want your organization's garden of people, resources and finances to grow? Could you use a second set of eyes to look in on a situation?
Call on Berachah Leadership Coaching to redesign your life by revitalizing your organizations.

Berachah Leadership Coaching exists to assist churches of single-cell size to bring about church health and growth through:

- identification of internal and external growth barriers
- instruction in Christian discipleship,
- implementation of growth plans, so that congregations can continue to grow into healthy and strong multiplying faith communities.

By virtue of our name (meaning, "to bless") Berachah Leadership Coaching seeks to be a blessing to the Body of Christ.

Email to berachahleadership@gmail.com and receive a free socio-environmental assessment.

be blessed, sp