Life’s Work

Life’s Work – Ministry – Knowledge

Maximizing Kingdom Impact

Stanley Tam, author of God Owns My Business, has learned efficient ways of brining more people into God’s kingdom. He claims that his strategies cost about “35 dollars per soul.” While not literal, we can see his example of maximizing focus and effectiveness for using resources to reach people for Christ. Similarly, we should use discernment in the methods we use to complete our duty of fulfilling the Great Commission.

An example of evangelism that some church leaders use to bring more people into the church is discipling new Christians and sending them out to reach their non-Christian friends.

More importantly, church leaders should work to develop leadership and discipleship amongst the congregation. To exploit these skills individuals should council twelve people for two years. After that time each of the twelve people should be sent out to council twelve more. This would result in a chain reaction for creating disciples of Jesus Christ.

Some discipleship training books that are highly regarded include: Radical (David Platt), and Multiply (Francis Chan).

Human Resource Management

In the book, I Never Thought of That: The Essential Guidebook for Ministry Leaders, written by Bob Ostrander, he includes information on managing and human resources. For information pertaining to the benefits that coincide with employment, purchase: Employee Benefits Minibook.

Financial Management

Jerry Stephens, the founder of Ministry Consulting Group LLC. financially assists ministries by analyzing their accounting records and financial statements. For more information on the Ministry Consulting Group, visit: www.ministryconsulting.net

Centerpoint Stewardship has multiple minibook’s regarding asset management in a personal way and a ministry setting. For more information on how to manage a ministries finances, purchase: Acounting/Administration.

As Christians, we believe that our money belongs to God and should be used in accordance with his will. When we advice people on how to manage their resources, we look at it from a biblical point of view.

Sales and Marketing

In a constantly changing world, there are several emerging forms of outreach that are important to utilize. For instance, by using the internet, ministry leaders can easily encourage people to get involved in the church. Some forms of social media that churches should use in order to maximize their impact on the world are Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. More importantly, every church should have an accessible and informational website to engage potential church members. Some other significant ways to reach out to the public can be through blessing the community with food or resource drives, opening your facilities and making monetary or supplemental donations, and ultimately opening the door for getting more people into the church.

For more information on this topic purchase our mini-ebook: I Never Thought of That: The Essential Guidebook for Ministry Leaders.

Accounting

The goal and a main purpose of ministry is to serve. Thus, funding is needed in order to provide resources. However, the problem of not having enough funding arises because a ten percent tithe is not always enough to fulfill the many needs of the surrounding communities. While fully relying on God is what each ministry should be striving to do, devoting time and energy should not be neglected, for it may be God’s plan to bless those through giving them opportunities to sacrifice their time and energy. There are different ways in which we can best use our time to raise funds and further our ministry to others. Some fundraising strategies include: personal ministry letters, church offerings, food and resource drives, non-profit partnerships, yard and bake sales, car washes, or personal funding websites such as (gofundme.com).

Logistics and Operations

Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians that the events in a church service should be done “in a fitting and orderly way.” When a church service is disorganized its effectiveness is compromised. Being good stewards of our God-given gifts and resources helps benefit the congregation as a whole and brings honor to God.

From a physical and material standpoint, there are a lot of logistical factors that contribute to the efficiency of the church. Considering the usage and purpose of the building is important so it can be used to its full potential.

Biblical Leadership Principles

A biblically sound leader is one that attempts to mimic Jesus’ actions. Matthew 20:28 tells us, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” A good leader demonstrates a willingness to serve and puts others first, while having a humble heart. There is a fine line between a powerful worldly leader and a Christian leader who follows Godly principles; the God-fearing leader has no personal agenda. Discernment should be used in comparing a leader who fits God’s standards with a leader who fits the standard of the world because it can be easily deceiving.