5 Ways To Discern A Call To Overseas Ministry

from Jenny Manley:

1. Opportunity (Acts 16:6-10; 20:22)
2. Need (Matt. 9:37)
3. Desire (Ps. 40:8)
4. Godly Counsel (Prov. 15:22)
5. Willingness (Acts 20:24, Ps. 37:4)

Click through to read her explanations for each of these points.

(ht: Vitamin Z)

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7 Alternatives To Sunday Morning Announcements

from unseminary:

Ministry leaders think if they just get their event or program “promoted from the stage” people will flood into it. Church communications people are peppered with requests all the time for people wanting to get “their deal” in the announcements. The urgency from those leaders leans towards desperate. However, the more you talk about on a Sunday morning the less effective the messaging for everything is. You need some solid ways to say “no” to other ministry leaders by providing alternative communication channels.

Direct Emails: Each of your ministry areas needs to cultivate an email list of people who are interested in their area. This is a critical skill for communication today. 

Cause Foyer Chaos: Church is fun … right? How could you bring a little piece of the event you are promoting to the foyer on the weekend? Taking the students on a Camping Trip? What if you figured out how to serve s'mores to guests? (And then hand them an info sheet on the event.) Is your small group ministry launching off for the fall? What if you brought a living room into the middle of the foyer? 

 
Social Media: How can you engage your people to get “talking” about the ministry program through social media channels? The goal here isn’t just to “call to action” but to create content that spreads dialogue about the ministry initiative. Ask some questions related to the topic on Facebook. Take some pictures of your team prepping and post them on Instagram. Think conversations not signups. 

Information Cards: As people are leaving the service have your ushers hand out a small printed piece that has all the information you are attempting to communicate as well as a compelling ask to join. Make sure to train your ushers to be friendly and to ask your people if they would like the cards.

 
Call People  

Snail Mail

Kill It

(read the whole post at unseminary)

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Top 11 Signs You May Not Be A Good Leader

from Scott Williams:

The reason I attribute these signs to not being a ”Good Leader” is because a leader has to at least reach the mantle of being a “Good Leader” before they can be a ”Great Leader” Here are 11 Signs They Are Not A Good Leader… Remember ”They”could be you! 

1. they are not willing to fail.
2. they only talk and never listen.
3. they don’t develop and produce other leaders.
4. they micro-manage; that’s management not leadership.
5. they are insecure or threatened by someone that they lead.
6. they are not willing to follow and learn from those that they lead.
7. they are focused on pleasing people and what people think. Consumed with whether or not they look good to their superiors.
8. they don’t genuinely care about the people they lead and have difficulty getting people to follow.
9. they are willing to make the wrong decision, because of the fear of fall-out from making the right decision.
10. they only dream about being like so and so, instead of being the best they can be.
11. they don’t embrace the reality that the culture they create trumps all of the little vision talks and rah-rah cheers. Culture eats vision for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Do You Have A 90-Day Plan To Leave Your Church?

One of our most read and commented posts on this site is How To Leave Your Church - And Do It Well!

It has struck a chord with so many people because many have felt trapped in unhealthy or spiritually abusive churches. They know they've needed to move on, but the church hasn't provided that freedom (i.e. spiritual abuse, heavy handed leadership, control).  At Ministry Best Practices, we've tried to provide advise that will honor God and His church, at the same time give people the freedom to find a spiritually healthy place to worship and serve.

Recently I received a comment from a reader named "George" and he provided some helpful advise from his recent experience having to leave his church. Here is what he said below:

This year, I left my church due to heavy-handed leadership issues. I would recommend people start their 90-day exit plan now.

1. Find a new church FIRST by asking other people who left years ago where they are now. 

2. Set a meeting with the pastor at the new church you wish to attend. Ask how you can fit in. Explain the ministries you've been part of and ask if they need your help.

3. If you are a volunteer, find someone to take your place at the old church. If you run a ministry, shut it down during a logical time (Summer, or at the end of the curriculum or end of month or year).

4. Quietly disappear. Don't confront leadership, especially if they are heavy-handed. They will try to meet with you but that's only to bully your, or failing to do that they will pretend to take your comments to heart, but will actually start marginalizing and backstabbing you. It's best to just slip out the back door, and enjoy your new life and ministry.
I wasted 2 years of ministry time at my church trying to make the pastors sensitive to certain issues. I should have gone to another church that had the same vision that God had given me. I could have ministered to dozens more people had I left earlier.

Blessings to you, George

Would you add anything to George's comments and thoughts?

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Even More (Honest) Church Postcards

A continuation from my previous post, here are even more honest church postcards, that you'll never see in your mailbox, from Echo Hub

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