Smaller Churches Seminar at The Center for Lifelong Learning

Seminar 2: November 3

Many congregations struggle under the weight of organizational structures that were created at a time when the congregations were much larger than today. As a result, nominating committees have a difficult time filling vacancies in these large governing structures; members experience burn-out as they serve on multiple committees/boards/teams; and an inordinate amount of time goes into the governance of the congregation.

This course will examine how smaller congregations can create lean, effective organizations so they can better focus on the needs of the members and communities in which they exist. One method to be discussed in depth will be the use of teams. Many congregations have employed the use of teams without really understanding the techniques needed to create and sustain effective teams.

• Understand how larger-than-necessary organizational structures inhibit the ability to utilize limited resources (people, finances, buildings) effectively.
• Explore various strategies to engage congregational leaders around the topic of creating a leaner, more effective organization/ministry.
• Describe what a lean organizational structure might look like and accomplish in their context and provide an activity to complete based on their context.
• Understand best practices for creating and supporting ministry teams.

For thirty years, John Wimberly served as a pastor of a congregation that moved from family to pastoral to program sizes. After working with the Alban Institute as a congregational consultant, he is currently with the Congregational Consulting Group. John works with congregations in the family, pastoral and program categories. John has a PhD in systematic theology and MBA. He has written two books: The Business of the Church and Mobilizing Congregations: How Teams Can Motivate Members and Get Things Done.

Seminar 3: November 4

Church leaders often try to raise money by encouraging people to become more generous, or to adopt a philosophy of “abundance.” Meanwhile, our most generous potential donors are directing their gifts to other charities that focus on building relationships, projecting an inspiring vision, and building trust in the competence of the institution to carry out its plans. This course will offer a peek into the secular fundraising playbook. Small churches stand to benefit by dropping some of the unproductive trappings of traditional stewardship campaigns and asking for support in a more streamlined and effective way.

• Gain insights into the principal motivations of givers;
• Identify changes and current trends in charitable giving ;
• Understand these principles for planning a church stewardship effort:
  • Relationships of mutual respect with donors;
  • A clearly articulated ministry vision;
  • Challenging leaders to set a high standard for giving;
  • Trust in the church’s competence to accomplish goals;
  • A simple, flexible approach focused on asking for money .

• Explore basic practical fundraising skills, including the following:
  • Writing a case statement;
  • Communicating norms for giving;
  • Defining the “Ask” for individuals and groups, including alternative ways of “asking;”
  • Helping people to ask for gifts.

Rev. Dan Hotchkiss, a congregational consultant and Unitarian Universalist minister, is the author of Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, and Ministry and Money: A Guide for Clergy and their Friends, both published by the Alban Institute. For many years an Alban consultant, Dan continues to help congregations with fundraising, growth, strategic planning, and board governance as a member of the Congregational Consulting Group