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So, You Were Asked to be a Health Ministry Coordinator!

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

I received an e-mail from someone who was asked to coordinate a health ministry in her church and was looking for help. I thought perhaps my response could benefit others.

I’m not in the medical field and I have never been involved in a health ministry of a church. So, right upfront, I need to say that I am not coming at this from an experience base. I am looking at it from a biblical perspective for balance and observation of what churches have done.

Some churches do nothing, solely dealing with spiritual issues. On the other side of the spectrum are churches that have a health and wellness program that is so focused on the physical that it could just as well be done by a secular group. Then there are churches that “dabble” in it, perhaps providing blood pressure screening and having a nurse/doctor within the church recruited to be on-call for emergencies or first-aid. And, some churches have a full program of services but keep focus on people’s whole being and not just the physical.

It would seem to me that if you are going to have a health ministry in a church, it should have some purpose other than purely attending to the physical being of people, a distinct purpose or emphasis that distinguishes it from what people can find elsewhere.

Scriptural principles that can be considered are:

We are to be stewards of our bodies and so a church can train people to treat their bodies (“a temple of the Holy Spirit”) in ways that glorify Him. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
We were made by God with a body, mind, soul, spirit. The greatest command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). And so, a church can minister to the whole person, integrating physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and social health and wellness.
We are told that Jesus came “that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). Might that not include the whole of our lives and not merely the spiritual? And so, a church can help people experience that abundant life spiritually but also physically as is possible on this side of eternity by helping people learn to prevent problems physically that could affect the rest of their being.

The questions are:

How far should your church pursue and provide a health and wellness ministry? How much of the church’s resources (time, volunteers, budget, facilities) should be devoted to it? — I cannot provide answers for your church. Prayer is integral to answering those questions.

How many of the following services should your church provide? blood pressure and other health screening, fitness training, nutrition classes, scheduling medical personnel (nurse, doctor) to be on standby for emergencies or first aid during services, participation in a blood donation program, HIV/Aids awareness, making referrals, providing information & resources about health care, massages of head, neck, and shoulders for stress relief, CPR training, flu clinic, help for living with chronic illness, visitation, basic care for the elderly, basic care for pregnant women or new mothers, visitation, serving as a liaison or advocate, etc.

How far should your church go in instructing about health and wellness? (health fair, classes, preaching, workshops, seminars, newsletters, support groups, counseling of options, etc.)

How far reaching should these services be extended? (your church family only or also as a community outreach)

If you are getting involved on the ground level then you should:

Build a purpose/vision statement. — why you will do what you do

Build a profile of your church members (age, sex, physical issues and needs they face). – where you will focus (start with greatest needs)

Build a team of qualified people and train them. — who will implement the ministry

Build a plan. — how to meet the needs with the time, budget, facilities, and volunteers you have to work with

Build a calendar of activities. — when you will provide services, training, classes, etc.

Build an awareness among the congregation and/or community. — what this ministry can do for them

If you are directing or coordinating a pre-existing health ministry in your church, then you would probably not do the first task listed above unless it was never done. The other tasks will be ongoing activities. You will organize, schedule, plan, recruit, train, and supervise volunteers to achieve the ministry’s objectives.

For more specific help, let me suggest that you network with people from other churches who have implemented an effective holistic health ministry.

Posted in Church Ministries | 3 Comments »

So, You Were Asked to be the Youth Director!

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

I received an e-mail from someone who was asked to be the church’s youth director. Though having been to seminary, this person did not feel trained for youth ministry. Perhaps my response will help others with a similar dilemma.

I am all for training. That is what Ministry Tools Resource Center is about … equipping / training people for ministry. Let me suggest that you pursue training specifically for youth ministry. That could include attending youth ministry conferences, networking with other youth ministers, and/or doing reading about it to learn from people who are veterans. Look at training as an on-going process and not a one-time effort. You can take a look at the Youth Ministry Resources page for help.

With that said, let me emphasize that training isn’t everything. First and foremost, you need a love for the Lord that spills over into a heart for the teens. If one or both of these are missing, teens will soon notice.

Your love for the Lord will keep Him first and in the center of all you do. Your love for the teens will give you the motivation to invest into them and the youth ministry what is necessary to help them love the Lord too.

Out of your love for the Lord will come an authenticity that speaks volumes to youth, probably more than all the actual words you will speak. Out of your love for the teens will come an atmosphere of acceptance, respect, and security which appeals to deep-rooted needs within them and opens them to further ministry.

Let me suggest that you work on three objectives:

Understand youth and their culture and meet them there.

You need to meet them where they are to take them to where they should be, to go deeper in their walk with the Lord. If you don’t understand how they view life, the messages you send might not get through the way you intended. They might be hearing something different than what you think you are communicating. – Resources about Youth Culture
Build community in your youth group, making the emphasis about relationships … first with God and then with you and the other teens.

Let me encourage you to read a previous blog posts, The Focus of Youth Ministry. From this focus, you then strategize or plan out your youth program and meetings. What can you do to help them “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18), to love Him more? What can you do to help them know one another better, not to be cliquish, but to engage in true body life to help each other grow? What can you do to let them know you care? — Ideas for Building Community
Disciple or mentor them in their love relationship with the Lord.

Youth ministry needs to be about more than fun activities. It even needs to be about more than simply learning “about” God or gaining head knowledge from the Bible. Teens need help in navigating through life with Christ at the helm. They need to see an example. They need to be nurtured. They need feedback and debriefing. This can happen one-on-one and/or in small groups. Some will happen in your regular youth group meetings, but it is going to take more than the large group setting. Given the number of teens in your church and your youth ministry staff, how can you best work toward this goal? You might find the Shepherding Ministry section on the MinTools.com site to be helpful. Start by reading through all the general pages. Then under venues, look at discipleship. It doesn’t specifically deal with youth, but the principles apply.

Sure, there is more to youth ministry … planning and scheduling activities, service projects, group dynamic, parent relations, dealing with conflict and discipline issues, staffing, working with a budget, etc. However, if you work on the three objectives mentioned above, these other matters tend to fall into place. You might need to learn some of the particulars involved in administrating or overseeing a youth ministry, but at least you will be headed in a good direction.

Posted in Youth Ministry | No Comments »

Sunday School During Summer Months

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Summer Sunday School Obstacles:

People take vacations.

Attendance fluctuates.

Teachers need time off.

Sometimes it is hard to keep the momentum going over the summer. This is especially problematic for smaller churches.

Some churches will drudge through regardless of these issues. But, doesn’t that get discouraging for teachers?

Others will disband Sunday School for the summer. But, aren’t the faithful few important?

Summer Sunday School Opportunities:

Does it have to be an all or nothing matter? Why not change the way you do Sunday School over the summer months to overcome obstacles? You could make Summer Sunday School special or unique.

It might take a little planning and promoting but you could be surprised at the results, particularly if what you do it born out of prayer.

What does God want you to do over the summer? That’s the real issue, not what is expedient or what other churches are doing.

You can use it as a time to reach people you might not normally reach like people who are visiting regular attendees or the community. (Parents especially might be glad to have something to send their children to every week now that school is out.)

You can use it as a time to get people involved who are not teachers. People who will not teach during the Sunday School hour might be willing to commit to other types of serving if you offer something different over the summer.

Summer Sunday School Options:

Combine:

Combine some classes close in age.
Combine all classes for special events …. a movie, Puppet show, drama, magic, musical program, Bible game show, etc.

Revise:

Use stand-alone lessons rather than a series that do not build on one another so people who miss a week or two won’t be lost when they return or so you don’t feel like you must spend half of each session reviewing for those who missed the previous week.
Use a VBS curriculum, or perhaps a camping curriculum, during the Sunday School hour. (Some churches do this in lieu of a week long Daily Vacation Bible School.)
Bring in guest teachers to give your teachers a break.
If you use traditional curriculum, switch to learning centers or use the rotation model.
Take advantage of the good outdoors. Hold classes outside when the weather isn’t too hot or raining. Youth or adult classes can sit under some trees, under a pavilion or tent for a good discussion of relevant topics. Children can sit in the grass for a Bible story and enjoy some added activity outdoors. Many traditional games can be used to teach verses, truths, etc. Kids would especially enjoy water balloons on a hot summer day.

Integrate:

This could be a good time to try some intergenerational learning where you bring all ages together.
Prior to summer, have different classes plan something special to present to everyone or to other classes. Remember to have people check their calendars before assigning a responsibility.
Develop a big brother/sister type of program wherein you pair older students with younger ones to read a book or Bible story together, do a craft together, etc.

Revamp:

Plan field trips, outreach or service projects to sick/shut-ins, hospitals, nursing homes, tract distribution at parks, etc. Adults could be assigned to groups of kids. Travel time could be used to discuss things like being a Good Samaritan, etc. Some projects could be done on church grounds such as preparing food boxes, making cards for missionaries, etc.
Move small groups for adults and teens to the Sunday School hour and do something special for children like a movie, Puppet show, drama, etc.
Serve breakfast each week and give a brief devotional or object lesson, some singing and break into small groups for fellowship and prayer.
Do special outdoor activities during the normal Sunday School time with community outreach in mind like a carnival, breakfast under a tent, a car wash, etc. wherein tracts and/or information about your church can be distributed.

Posted in Sunday School | No Comments »

The Role of Curriculum in Teaching the Bible

Friday, May 21st, 2010

The Christian Education ministry of a church spent a lot of time researching which curriculum to choose, resulting in a choice they believed would fit their church. With this curriculum, over the course of time, people would potentially receive a well-rounded Bible education. As they observed their teachers, they noted polar reactions to the role of the curriculum:

Some teachers wouldn’t leave home without it.

These were teachers who were overly reliant on the curriculum. They followed it to the letter, exercising little creative thought, making curriculum their all in all. Some even taught with the teacher’s manual in hand, reading word for word. If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed the curriculum.

Other teachers would rather leave it at home.

These were teachers who used the curriculum begrudgingly, viewing curriculum as a noose around their necks. They would rather completely do their own thing but since the curriculum was required, they did just enough to make it appear like they were using the curriculum. If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed it on being confined by the curriculum.

What the Christian Education ministry skipped in the process, was training teachers on how to use the curriculum.

First, they needed to communicate why curriculum was necessary. It was a means of keeping students on track to potentially receive a well-rounded Biblical education. If teaching was not coordinated through the use of curriculum, it was possible content could be duplicated or overlapped within a short period of time and some important truths missed altogether. Curriculum was not a substitute for the Bible but rather a tool to teach the Bible.

Second, they needed to present the curriculum as a a guide. While it was important to use the curriculum, it was not expected that teachers had to teach it word for word. At the same time, it did serve to keep everyone on track and so it was important to use it.

Third, they needed to emphasize that teachers held a critical part in making sure the lesson went well. They couldn’t always blame the curriculum when teaching didn’t go well. They needed to make any adjustments necessary to insure that the lesson plan fit their students.

Posted in Christian Education, Teacher Training | 4 Comments »