Equipping Church Guidebook : Your Comprehensive Resource

by Sue Mallory and Brad Smith

• ISBN13: 9780310239574
• ISBN10: 0310239575
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

Like a building site well-stocked with quality raw materials, your church abounds with possibilities--life-changing ministries just waiting to be developed. The Equipping Church Guidebook shows you how. Refining and expanding groundbreaking material, this in-depth approach helps you identify, equip, and empower lay ministers who will profoundly influence your church and your community. Behind this volume lies a massive body of research on hundreds of equipping churches across the country. Now you and your leadership team can reap the benefits with this exhaustive, hands-on resource. Nothing else compares with it. Designed and field-tested by today's leading architects of equipping ministry, Leadership Training Network, The Equipping Church Guidebook is a blueprint for custom-building the systems and culture that are ideal for your church. Part one, Building an Equipping Ministry Vision and Culture, explains what an equipping church is, walks you through the conceptual stages, and helps your church transition to equipping vision and values. Part two, Building an Equipping Ministry System, helps you lay relational and strategic foundations, and then build on them an equipping system that gives structure and effectiveness to every aspect of church life. The Equipping Church Guidebook includes * Detailed information, clear instructions, and helpful examples * Abundant charts, graphs, and diagrams * Worksheets and assessment forms to help you apply the concepts in this book * Practical suggestions and checklists * "Contractors Conferences" to foster dialogue and decision-making as a leadership team Together with The Equipping Church, this guidebook helps you and your leadership team catch and implement the vision of Ephesians 4:11-13--equipping the saints for works of service that lead to spiritual maturity--in your church. One of the most challenging and exciting journeys in your church's life lies ahead of you. Let the adventure begin!

Table of Contents

Tables, Charts, and Forms	9	(11)
Acknowledgments	11	(2)
Preface: What is Equipping Ministry?	13	(8)
Introduction	21	(8)
PART 1 BUILDING AND EQUIPPING MINISTRY VISION AND CULTURE
Why Equipping Ministry? Clarify the Purpose to All Involved	29	(30)
What are the Biblical Imperatives of Equipping Ministry?
What is Changing in Society to Make Equipping Ministry More Urgent?
What is Changing in the Church to Make Equipping Ministry More Urgent?
How Has God Preceded You?
What Needs in Your Church Will This Address?
What is Equipping Ministry? Look at the House Plans...	59	(17)
Talk to the Engineers
Characteristics Shared by Equipping Churches
Building a Healthy Equipping Ministry Culture
Identifying the Elements of an Equipping Ministry System
Building Teams and Integrating Roles
Using Generic House Plans in Your Church Planning
Where is Your Culture Now? Survey the Site	76	(25)
Assessing Your Church's Current Balance
Assessing Your Church's Current Culture
Where is Your Structure and Program Now? Survey the Exisiting Structure	101	(28)
Assessing Your Church's Structure
Assessing Your Church's Current Program Emphasis
Assessing and Updating an Existing Equipping Ministry System
Assessing Readiness for Change in Your Church
Where Do You Want to Be? Prepare the Architectural Drawings (Envision)	129	(9)
Where Do You Want Your Culture to Be?
Where Do You Want Your Equipping Ministry System to Be?
Translating Dreams into Vision
Evaluating Progress: How Will You Know When You Get There?
How are You Going to Get There? Draw the Blueprints and Lay the Foundation	138	(25)
Developing a Strategy
Hiring a Director of Equipping Ministry
How Will You Prepare for Change? Get Your Hard Hat On	163	(11)
Protests (or Concerns) about Equipping Ministry
Tips for Managing the Inevitable Resistance to Change
Suggestions before You Get Started
Common Mistakes to Recognize
How Do You Lead the Equipping Church? Oversee the Contractors	174	(13)
Preparing for Ongoing Entrenchment of an Equipping Culture
Equipping the Director of Equipping Ministry
PART 2 BUILDING AN EQUIPPING MINISTRY SYSTEM
Understanding the Work of the Director of Equipping Ministry and the Equipping Ministry Team	187	(3)
Defining Equipping Ministry in Your Church	190	(15)
Exploring Your Church Home
Assessing Existing Equipping Ministry Systems
Defining and Sharing the Vision for Equipping Ministry
Developing an Atmosphere of Discipleship
Building Relational Foundations	205	(22)
Selecting and Building the Equipping Ministry Team
Defining and Integrating Ministry Connectors
Facilitating Change
Building Strategic Foundations	227	(17)
Building Strategic and Administrative Support Systems
Developing Your Leaders
Building the Equipping Ministry System: Prepare	244	(16)
Assimilation
Biblical Foundations
Building the Equipping Ministry System: Connect	260	(65)
Discovery
Matching and Placement: Church Connections
Matching and Placement: Community Connections
Building the Equipping Ministry System: Equip	325	(22)
Training
Affirmation
Feedback
Evaluation
Ongoing Leader Development
Recognition
Reflection
Bibliography of Sources Quoted	347	(2)
Glossary of Terms	349