What are some of the key factors holding our churches back?

1. Board Structure: Permission Granting vs. Wisdom giving
Typical Board progression
Congregation - Representative/Permission Granting - Staff - Wisdom

Stuck in Congregational approval of everything
Stuck in permission granting or wanting permission granting
Stuck in staff boards
Not moving to wisdom boards… Policy governing boards

According to John Carver in "Boards that make a difference"
There are four main functions or policies that board should do

Ends: Results… Output = Factory
What are key results that we are looking for…
At what output do we want these results
What is our product…
Do we want to develop any new products

Limits of Executive: Boundaries; The Box
What is the size of the box
What are the core values
What is the philosophy of the organization

Board-Executive Relationship: How the machinery of authority
Is passed from the board to the executive.
Evaluation of the Executive:

Board Process:
How the board represents the ownership of the organization

You must keep the board from meddling or making decisions in areas that are really the staff's areas… This is a constant process…

What most boards take their time with
Day to day operational decisions
Staff matters
Financial management
The treasurer is really a staff person to the CEO
The board can ask for an audit…
The board should be addressed on new monies
The means to the ends…

Keep the staff oriented people off the governing board
2 kinds of elders: ruling elders and shepherding elders
Deacons are individual servants of the physical needs of the church
Deacon boards are not necessary, but deacon teams are…
Teams are one leader deacon with people helping him

A good board does what:
Aims at purposes
Aims at results
Keeps the values of the organization
Creative about the purposes
Hands off the means
Trivial
Past
Day to Day

A good board agenda

Prayer

Development time:
Personally/ Relationally/ Board Member

Information
Major programs and operations in the factory
Major personnel moves within the factory
How much product was produced in the factory
What major programs will produce more product
WDEFC

Decision items:
New directions within the box
Work near the edge of the box
New programs outside the approved budget

Prayer
Leaders should be really clear as to the difference between governing board members and staff that assists them…
It is often helpful to really assess is this person staff or governing board
Do they work for the leader or function on the board level…
If a board member is serving in a staff role then they have to take off their governing board member hat and submit to their immediate supervisor.
If a board member is serving as a governing board person they have to take off their staff hat and submit to the constraints of the board process…

2. Reactive Ministry Style vs. Active Ministry Style
Not taking advantage of the 2 hours of significance per day…
Not knowing when those 2 hours are or what should be being done…

Not realizing that I must move past doing more ministry style
Do it - Lay Assistance - Lay Leaders - Part Time paid - Professional Help

No Goal setting or Problem Solving
No Yearly planning session
No weekly or monthly planning session
No effective time management
20/80 planning

A new way of looking at goal setting and time management

Notice that they kept trying to capture Jesus in a reactive style…
He set the agenda… He had time to pray… cause He made it…

What are the key areas that need to have movement or change or problems solved?

Preaching
How do we get people to do what the Bible says
How do we engage people deeper about the Biblical Truth
How do we increase the impact of Biblical Truth
How do we help people retain what they have heard
What problems do these people face?
What do these people need to know? That they don't
What do these people value?
What are the wrong answers that these people have?
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Children
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
How do we actually change kid's lives each week
How do we cause kids to accept Jesus and follow Him
What does a mature child look like?
What does a mature child know?
What does a mature child do?
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Youth
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
How do we move past baby sitting our kids
What does a mature teenager look like?
What needs to be known by a teen to be mature?
What are the typical actions of a mature teen?
What projects could Godly Youth do…
What serious commitments could Teens make
Why aren't our kids more mature
What is keeping kids from being strong Christians?
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Adult
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
What is the best way to make progress as Christians?
What ministries are needing to be accomplished?
What are the crucial truths adults need to know?
What are the crucial actions adults need to take?
What are the crucial feelings adults need to keep them Christian?
What are the crucial principles in each area that they need to know
God - Self - Marriage - Family - Church - Work - Money - Society - Friends
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Men's
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
What are we going to use men's ministry for?
How are we going to address real men's issues
What are the unique problems of our men's ministry?
What does a Godly man look like?
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?

Women's
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
What are we going to use women's ministry for?
What are the unique problems of our women's ministry?
What does a mature Godly woman look like?
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Music
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
What equipment would move this ministry forward
What would draw more people into participation?
How can we honor God more with this ministry?
How can this area be a more effective worship tool?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Facilities
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
How can we honor God more with this ministry?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Finances
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
How can we honor God more with this ministry?
How can it be a more effective discipleship tool?
How can it be a more effective evangelism tool
How can it be a more effective fellowship tool
How can it be a more effective compassion tool?
What are the obstacles to real effectiveness in this area?

Worship
What would really release ministry if done in this area?

Individual
How do we get people to worship God during the week?
How do we get people to live in a state of worship?
What prompts, tools, resources would help people to
Worship during the week?

Corporate
How do we increase the intensity of our worship?
How do we increase the truth of our worship?
How do we increase the participation of the inner man?
How do we increase those who really worship?
How do we increase the presence of God at our services?
How do we expand people's concept of worship?
Are people being touched by God at the corporate services?

What are the major obstacles to real worship in this congregation?

Discipleship
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
How many you are going to get through the bases this year
What is the minimum amount of information needed to be mature?
What are the major obstacles to discipleship in this congregation?

Evangelism
What would really release ministry if done in this area?
How many presentations do you want to make this year?
How many souls are you trusting God for?
How many souls can God trust you with…?
How many baptisms?
What are the major obstacles to evangelism in this congregation?

Fellowship
What can be done to increase the level of intimacy of the people
What level of intimacy are the people on with each other
Sharing Clichés
Sharing Facts
Sharing Opinions, Concerns, Expectations
Sharing Feelings
Sharing Needs
What does real mature Christian fellowship look like?
What are the major obstacles to fellowship in this congregation?

Compassion:
What are social justice projects God might want us to do
What are compassion projects God might want us to do?
Who are those God might be tapping to do these?
What are the major obstacles to compassion in this congregation?