Ministry Leadership Final Exam Flash Cards

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Title: Ministry Leadership Final Exam
Description: Questions from Dr.Douglas' final for Ministry Leadership
Number of Cards: 57
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Author: shstoke9
Created: 2011-12-07
Tags: leadership-cts ministry
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    • Question
    • Answer
    • Side 3
    • As presented in the lecture, "Transitioning from Seminary to Vocational Ministry" there are five stages in your ministry development. State which of the five stages (other than stage 1) you think will be the most difficult for you and then present a strategy for how you will overcome the challenges of that stage.
    • •Stage 1: Getting Acquainted (months 1 to 12)
      •Stage 2: Getting Established (years 2-3)
      •Stage 3: Getting Rolling (years 4-5)
      •Stage 4: Developing Insights (years 6-7)
      •Stage 5: Gaining Appreciation (years 8+)

      Personally, I think the transition from stage 1 into stage 2 will be the most difficult. The point at which I first realize that everyone does not consider me to be the most wonderful minister in the world will be a real reality check. It’s not the conflict that comes with this stage that worries me, but the gradual curtailing of compliments. At first people thank the “new guy” for all his great work and great insights, but when he becomes common place and is no longer the “new kid in town” it will be hard not to feel special anymore. This signals to me that the second stage will call for a lot of repentance of idolatry on my part.
    • You find yourself having difficulty finding volunteers to serve in the youth ministries of the church. Drawing on the section, Rules for Recruiting in Chapter 23, and your own experience with the writing of your Divine Design through the Equip the Saints packet, present your strategy for recruiting volunteers.
    • I would start by administering a divine design packet to as many people as were willing to take it. That would help people crystalize their understanding of their gifts, and make it easier for me to look to that person for help when I needed someone with their abilities. Then I would start looking for volunteers far in advance of when they would need to start their duties. For instance, If I need them in the Fall, I would start looking in the Spring. When I found them, I would provide some sort of additional training to help them understand what they're doing and how to do it. Finally, if things don't work out, I would ask, Well then where will you serve?
    • According to I Corinthians 12, what is a fundamental cause of conflict in the church. Outline a Sunday School lesson from this passage on this topic.
    • According to 1 Cor.12 a fundamental cause of conflict is jealousy over spiritual gifts and the sense that some gifts are less important than others. 12:1-3 The common gift of faith
      12:4-11 Individual gifts for service
      12:12-31 The gift of the Body
    • In the instructors Communication Wheel there are temperaments or styles of communication and receptivity. According to the instructor, you generally have the greatest difficulty understanding and communicating with your opposite temperament: INTJ with ISFJ, ESTJ with ENFJ, etc. First, briefly describe which of the 16 temperaments describes you most accurately. Second, using the guidelines presented in Week 9 Church Personality and Evangelism, explain how you might effectively communicate the gospel to those of your opposite temperament.
    • INFP-ISTP
      As an INFP I naturally think in abstract, big picture terms and enjoy ideas. However, ISTPs belong to the realm of concrete, mechanical situations. They crave hands on experience involving technical detail. I would lead small gospel workshops where we would delve deeply into the details of the theology of a book such as Romans, parsing out the nuances of grammar before having them create a gospel presentation to give back to me. This would let them get a hands on feel for the subject.
    • Using the material provided in Week 9 Outreach Examples by Style, present an evangelism program that best fits your personal evangelism style.
    • As an INFP, I enjoy abstract thinking, connecting ideas together, and reflective study. To create a program for people with my style, I would fashion an intensive gospel workbook that others could sit down with, get information and then answer personal questions about. This would give other INFPs a chance to ponder the depths of grace. I would add in a final project where they would present what they've learned to others in the group. Because they enjoy linking new information with old, this presentation would have to include the way the gospel interacts with something in their everyday life. For instance, "The gospel and freedom", or "The gospel and friendship". Connecting big ideas will be key.
    • Using the material you may have included in the last section of your Philosophy of Ministry, describe in 100-150 words your personal evangelism style.
    • Warm, long term friendships marked by patience and meaningful, in-depth conversations are the heart of my personal evangelism style. I believe that being open and vulnerable so that the other person knows me well, warts and all, is a crucial aspect of them seeing how good and loving our savior is. This in combination with discussion about the nature of the world, evil, suffering, and God's place in the affairs of man will be how God uses me to bring others to him.
    • During an interview with a church Search Committee, you are asked which type of budgeting you prefer: Unified or Separate. Drawing upon the material presented on p. 471-472 what is your response and reasoning for your preference.
    • The point of having an elected church leadership is that they should lead. Therefore, I am in favor of having a unified budget. However, so that everyone can feel heard, I think that having different accounts, rather than funds, for various programs is a good way to administer finances. Like marriage, there will always be conflict when dealing with money, but open communication between all parties is key.
    • You have been at your new church for a year and you discern that your problem-solving strategies are conflicting with the style of some of the key people on the Committee who oversee your ministry. Present your strategy, as guided by Swindoll on p. 369, regarding practical ways you can diminish these struggles.
    • 1. Schedule time together between official meetings,
      2. Get away for overnight retreats,
      3. Translate attitudes into actions,
      4. Support each team member.
    • The Chairman of the Search Committee of a church with which you are interviewing, asks you to verbalize your Personal Mission Statement. However, one of the members of the Committee asks, I have never heard of a Personal Mission Statement; what is that. How do you answer the Committee member using descriptors presented in the class lecture. Explain to the Search Committee two ways that your Ministry Values and Principles, as presented by the lecturer, would guide the way you conduct your work among them.
    • Your personal mission statement summarizes or encapsulates your philosophy of ministry.
      Your personal mission statement reflects your values.
      Your personal mission statement is derived from your divine design and succinctly expresses your understanding of God's call upon your life.
    • Respond to the following case study by interacting with the two outreach styles presented by the Instructor; i.e., front door and side door. You are candidating for a ministry position at a church. In the course of the interview, one of the Search Committee members asks you to present to them the outreach style with which you most resonate. Upon hearing your statements, he then states that the outreach style with which the church resonates is the other style presented by the Instructor in class. Respond to this case study by: 1. presenting to the Search Committee the outreach style with which you resonate; 2. interacting with the Search Committee member regarding the church’s outreach style and how you would be able to minister in that different outreach context.
    • My outreach style is the Side Door style. This outreach style emphasizes people to come into with an individual or group of members outside of the church. Evangelism and nurture occurs before they come into the church services. The ministry draws people through felt need activities, small groups open to the community and friendship evangelism. This is a form of evangelism shown in Scripture.
      You current evangelistic style is bringing people through the church doors through high visibility and large events or through advertising or survey visitation. Most of the evangelism and the nurturing happens after the people come onto the church property. Both are correct ways of evangelism and one is not necessarily better than the other. Now, I can help supplant the current evangelistic style by offering a different form of evangelism for the people. Some people may not feel as comfortable in coming into a church without some form of relationship. I can help train and equip church members who are highly relational to interact with neighbors, love them and share the Gospel with them and bring them to the church. A relationship is built, relational capital is there for people to come and visit and stay at a church. It is just another means of equipping God’s people to spread the Gospel and offering a way for different people to come into the church.
    • You are in the middle of an interview for a position at a church, when a Search Committee member says, "Our last staff member was the worst leader and manager I ever saw. What do you know about those roles in a church?" In response, quote and comment on the definition of leadership and management provided in the second and third full paragraphs on p. 312.
    • I. Though often overlapping, it is important to distinguish leadership and management
      A. Leadership – “Doing the right things,” diagnoses, vision, goals, motivation, etc.
      B. Management – “Doing things right,” stewardship of resources, planning, budgeting
      II. Apply to your specific ministry position (i.e. Assistant Pastor)
      A. How I will manage – as an assistant I will carry out and implement the vision of those in authority over me.
      B. How I will lead – as one responsible for certain areas of ministry within the church I will lead in that sphere well, provides vision, motivation, etc. to those working under me.
      Well, the paragraphs state that there is no clear, broadly agreed upon definition. It lists several potential ways of viewing a distinction between the 2 concepts:
      Leadership = doing the right things / determine whether the ladder is leaning on the right wall
      Management = doing things right / successfully climbing the ladder
    • 3. On p. 319-320, the author presents four descriptions of management styles. Choose the style that fits you the best and describe how you would explain that management style to a Search Committee.
    • Shepherd-spontaneous, informal, sharing, participative, sensitive, emotional, contemplative
      I believe that leading people involves getting down into the trenches with them, living life on life, and guiding them towards a closer walk with Jesus through encouragement and faithful love.
    • According to the lecture, Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church, there is a First Level of Conflict called Tension. Drawing on the Cause, Community, Corporate paradigm, choose which of these three Cs fits your ministry style the best and which fits your ministry style the least. Next describe a ministry scenario in which you can see yourself engaged in a conflict with your opposite ministry style and then describe the steps you would take to resolve the conflict.
    • As an NF, my C is Community because I am people focused. The ST is least like me and would probably choose Cause because of their love of structure and plans. In order to resolve tension I would discuss the problem with them, work on strategies that would scratch our ways of doing Church, and stay in communication so that we can both be sure to be on the same page.
    • The senior pastor of the church you are serving, gives you the task of forming a Budget Committee to revamp the way the church develops an annual budget. Based on the information provided on pp. 467-469, how would you lead this process?
    • I would start by forming the committee with non-business men that represent a broad range of people in the church.

      The budget will be determined based on each ministry within the church giving an estimated budget for their expenses (“bottom-up budgeting”).

      I will implement zero-based budgeting so that each year everything in the church budget must be measured based on its effectiveness. This budgeting starts at zero and works up based on the priorities and plans of the coming year.
    • There is a church interested in you coming on their staff, but you begin asking questions about their particular ministry style (or church personality). A member of the Search Committee asks you to explain what you mean by a church's ministry style or personality. What is your explanation?
    • We would all agree that people have different personalities. Because of this we are going to approach problems or tasks in a different ways. When I say my “ministry style” I’m not talking about my competencies, life stage, experience, theology, or godliness, but my unique personality working itself out in ministry. And in the same way that people have different personalities, so do churches. It’s easy to see this reality when we compare a high steeple formal church, with an urban informal house church. Neither one is wrong or sinful; it’s merely different styles of ministry. In order to find out your ministry style, just find the 30 opinions leaders in your church, get them to take the Myers Briggs personality inventory, and whatever personality the majority of those 30 people fit into will be the guiding ministry style of the church.
    • A member of the Search Committee interviewing you for a staff position challenges you by asking, "Are you saying that our ministry style (or church personality) is all you need to know about us?" How do you respond in the context of the instructors point that there are at least six elements that define a church.
    • Ministry style is only one of six elements that will help me understand your church. The other elements are godliness, theology, competencies, life stage, and experiences. If it seems like I’m particularly focusing on questions related to church personality, it’s because church personality or ministry style is the factor usually overlooked. Understanding your church’s personality will help me to better understand how it functions on a daily basis, like understanding a computer's operating system. That information will in turn help me to better understand how well my own ministry style will work with yours.
    • Towards the end of your interview with the Search Committee of a church, you discover that your two predecessors in the same position did not make it past 5 years in that church. What questions would you ask the Search Committee (reflecting interaction with John LaRue's research) that describe the first four reasons that pastors experience conflict in the ministry.
    • A: LaRue’s research showed that the first four reasons in forcing pastors to exit were:
      1. Conflicting Visions;
      2. Personality Conflict with Board Members;
      3. Unclear or unrealistic expectations;
      4. Personality Conflicts with non-Board Members.

      Four questions we should ask:
      1. What is your vision for the next ten years?
      2. What kind of conflicts surrounded the last two pastors leaving?
      3. What are some expectation that you thought your former pastors did not live up to?
      4. How does the governing board operate?
    • In the midst of your interview with a Search Committee, one of the members is visibly bored and says, I am not interested in issues of Philosophy, I want you to communicate to us the practicalities of how you would minister among us. Explain to the Search Committee why the wide variety of expectations represented in the church make it essential that you present your philosophy of ministry to them. List and explain the three covered in the slide entitled To Navigate a Wide Variety of Expectations.
    • 1. It is not your calling to fit traditional or contemporary
      - knowing my philosophy of ministry, you will have an understanding of how I want to do ministry, one that fits a more traditional view, or contemporary or a mix
      2. To be like your predecessor or senior pastor or staff person
      - I am not the previous person and I want to show you how I have similar qualities as the previous person but at the same time different qualities so that you are not surprised.
      3. To be like a popular Christian personality on radio or television
      - Many times public leaders become the cookie-cutter model of the perfect pastor or leader. But people have different styles and different philosophies of ministry that may be different and so if you want a person more like Tim Keller, I am not going to be your person
    • According to the lecture, Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church, there is a Second Level of Conflict called Opponents. Drawing on the Win-Win paradigm, describe a ministry scenario in which you can see yourself engaged in a conflict with another staff member, a lay leader or member of the church and then describe the steps you would take to resolve the conflict.
    • Opponents is marked by high trust and respect, disagreement, and disappointed expectations. If one of my trusted elders had expected me to lead a bible study for his junior high son, but I had gotten sucked into more pressing concerns, he would have been disappointed. I would have approached him, apologized that I couldn’t lead the Bible study, but then offered to lead an overnight camping retreat involving him, his son, and several of his son’s friends. His son and his friends would still get to spend some time with me and know that I care about them, and I could continue to do the more pressing work of the church.
    • According to the lecture, Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church, there is a Third Level of Conflict called Adversarial. Drawing on the Win-Lose paradigm, describe a ministry scenario in which you can see yourself engaged in a conflict with another staff member, a lay leader or member of the church and then describe the steps you would take to resolve the conflict.
    • In the adversarial stage individuals choose sides and seek supporters; information is distored and one sided; feelings become tense; the other person’s views are rejected; and differences are distorted.
      If our kinship church was growing to include new members, and I started looking for a new building to move our church in order to accomadate the influx of people, some of the older people might get mad; especially if the church property had been given by their family a long time ago. However, we need more room and there’s no way to expand the facilities. I would continue to push for moving the church, and finally if the kinship crowd still wasn’t interested, I would probably plant a church with the leaders of the influx crew and move somewhere a few miles away.
    • According to the lecture, Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church, there is a Fifth Level of Conflict called Destroyer. Kenneth Haugk in his book, Antagonists in the Church, presents five characteristics of “Destroyers”. Choose and describe two of the five that you may have seen in an individual or group at some point in your life or ministry.
    • In my brief foray into ministry, I’ve never had someone outright try to destroy me. However, in the ministry that I volunteer with now, I lead group therapy for addicts. Once, one of the men just dropped out of the group. He gave no warning, refused to meet with me or the head of the ministry, and when he finally did agree to see the head of the ministry he was not open to talking about things. He could not be reasoned with. He simply didn’t like me and the group he was in. He placed all the blame squarely on everyone else, and then he took off never to be seen again.
    • You are a few months into your first church ministry position and you discover that you are serving a kinship church. How did you come to that conclusion.
    • It is a small church of several tight knit, intermarried families. There’s a board of elders, but behind the scenes, it’s a few influential matriarchs who decide what happens and what doesn’t happen. The church is not really interested in growing larger or reaching out to the rest of the community. They simply want a chaplain who will bury, marry, and baptise its membership.
    • You are assisting the officers of the church you serve in developing their individual Philosophy of Ministry Statements. List for them the three corners of the triangle that make up the Philosophy of Ministry and provide the short question that describes each.
    • The Normative Element: “Why I Conduct My Mission As I Do?”

      The Situational Element: “What is My Place in Ministry?”

      The Existential Element: "How I Uniquely Represent Christ in Ministry?"
    • In explaining to the people of the church how to choose their ministry values, you present four guidelines as explained by the lecturer. List and explain those guidelines.
    • Choose Ministry Values that are derived from your theological foundations and lessons from your mentors that reflect what is most important to you.

      1. Describe an atmosphere in which you are most fruitful,
      2. Influence the decisions you make,
      3. Compel you to take a stand,
      4. Supply meaning to your life and work.
    • . The Chairman of the Search Committee of a church with which you are interviewing, asks you to verbalize your ideal church from among the seven presented by the lecturer. How do you answer the Committee member using descriptions presented in the class lecture?
    • The Spiritual Development Church - (Fellowship Ministries) The pastor ministers as a mentor who is driven by a passion for the spiritual growth of people. The people serve according to their divine design. The desired result is transformation of lives within the church and in the community
    • You find yourself candidating with a church that has had 70-80 people in average attendance for the last 2-3 decades. What are some questions you will want to ask the Search Committee in regard to kinship issues? Refer to p. 324-325 in the book.
    • “who would you say are the key people in the church that could make any initiative work with their support?”
      “How long have they been in the church?”
      “Do they have family in the church?”
      “What are some major stories of church life that center around these families?”
    • Respond to the following case study by interacting with the two outreach styles presented by the Instructor (i.e., front door and side door). You are candidating for a ministry position at a church. In the course of the interview, one of the Search Committee members asks you to present to them the outreach style with which you most resonate. Upon hearing your statements, he then states that the outreach style with which the church resonates is the other style presented by the Instructor in class. Respond to this case study by:
      1. presenting to the Search Committee the outreach style with which you resonate;
      2. interacting with the Search Committee member regarding the church’s outreach style and how you would be able to minister in that different outreach context.
    • Side Door Style of Outreach
      Encourages contact with individuals or groups outside of Church. Evangelism and nurture occur before the come into the church
      Attract people through: Felt need activities, Open to community groups, business persons breakfast, Friendship evangelism

      vs.

      Front door Outreach Style of outreach
      Big events are initiated to attract first time visitors, Most new people are introduced to the church at an event on the property
      Most evangelism and nurture occurs after people come onto the church property. They attract people into the front door through
      High visibility – one time events designed to interest particular groups. Outreach by advertising, direct mail, and surveys. Word of mouth interest.
    • Respond to the following case study by interacting with the four leadership styles presented by the Instructor during the Week 8 lecture on Church Styles. You are candidating for a ministry position at a church. In the course of the interview, one of the Search Committee members asks you to present to them the leadership style with which you most resonate. Upon hearing your statements, he then informs you that the leadership style with which the church resonates is one of the other styles presented by the Instructor in class (for this case study choose one of the other four styles). Respond to this case study by: 1. presenting to the Search Committee the leadership style with which you most resonate; 2. interacting with the Search Committee member regarding the church’s leadership style and how you would be able to minister in that different context.
    • As an NF, I am a participating/enabling leader. I like to join in the task with people, give them responsibilities and duties so that they can buy into church, and then watch as we all join together in building up the body of Christ. The opposite of this style is the strong, benevolent leader. If I were working in a church like that, I would have to see myself as someone who was tasked with serving and participating with this leader, honoring his way of doing things and respecting the fact that God will use him to build up the Church just as well as he will use me.
    • According the lecture: Week 10 Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church, there are generally five ways that people are tempted to respond to conflict as NTs, STJs, SFJs, NFs and SPs. Describe which of the five seems to fit you the best and then explain your strategy for overcoming those temptations in the midst of crisis and conflict.
    • NFs are tempted to emotionally attack others and their ideas, using put-downs to discredit them. May tell people how they really feel. I think that I would take a step back, quell my emotions and come up with a plan for how to deal with the situation. I would also want to meet with the offended party, if I could, so that we could talk a bit about the situation and how to deal with it in a God-honoring way.
    • You are in the process of discipling a member of the church you serve and have completed with him the Divine Discovery study that has resulted in the following fifty word mission statement: “Joe Smith is an Encouraging Shepherd called of God to show compassion for those who are straying for the purpose of helping them form long-term, in-depth spiritual relationships with Christ and His people through small groups, service projects and missions in order to help them mature in their walk with the Lord.” On the basis of this mission statement, what six theological convictions would you help him develop as the foundation for his calling?
    • o Service projects (servant hood) Mark 10:45
      .
      o Encouragement – Hebrews 10:24-25

      o Compassion –Colossians 3:12

      o Missions – Matthew 28:18-20
      o Maturity in walk with Lord – Ephesians 4:13

      o Shepherding: John 10:11
    • According to Robert Clinton, “Christians who plateau early reveal a common pattern. They learn new skills until they can operate comfortably with them, but then they fail to seek new skills deliberately and habitually. They coast on prior experience.” Develop a ministry scenario for yourself in which this quote could become true for you and then outline a plan to prevent its occurrence.
    • Potential Scenario: You move to an area where you’ve never lived before to plant a church and are motivated at first to learn the new culture, the people, the local idols, etc. Given prior training, mentoring, and your spiritual gift in evangelism you begin to engage the culture with the gospel and see visible fruit of people coming to faith in Christ as a result of your ministry. However, you get comfortable and stop learning about the “new” culture, the people, and the local idols. You feel like you’ve got a handle on things and aren’t as “hungry” to learn because seeing the fruit you’ve seen makes you feel like you’ve got it figured out and you “coast on your prior experience.”
      A plan to prevent this scenario may include: Praying daily for non-believers. Continue meeting with non-believers throughout the week for building friendships and discussing the gospel. Take other disciples along with you to train them in evangelism. Spend time around others who have the gift of evangelism.
    • You find yourself embroiled in a church conflict. In discussing the problem with the elders, how do you state your three assumptions regarding your understanding of the nature of the conflict. Draw upon the material at the beginning of the lecture, Week 10 Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church.
    • 1. Not all conflict is the same. 2. One’s gut reaction is not a reliable indicator of the actual level of seriousness. 3. Response to conflict should be adjusted to the level of seriousness.
    • According to the lecture, Ministry Timeline and the slide: Tell Your Story and How It Fits into Gods Story, how might you explain in a Sunday School class how the Creation, Fall, Redemption, Glorification paradigm can be expressed through the Ministry Timeline exercise.
    • 5 Phases of the Ministry Timeline:
      Phase 1: Sovereign Foundation : 16-26 years
      Phase 2: Inner Life Growth : 5-12 years
      Phase 3: Ministry Maturing : 8-14 years
      Phase 4: Life Maturing 12+ years
      Phase 5: Convergence and Finishing Well

      Tell Your Story and How It Fits into God’s Story:
      Creation: How from your birth, God has been sovereignly at work in your life.
      Fall: Your sins and failing from the past he has/is using for good.
      Redemption: How God has/is transforming you.
      Glorification: Manifestations of God’s glory that he has/is working into your life.


      The Creation, Fall, Redemption, Glorification paradigm is one which we use to illustrate God’s work throughout history (and into the future). It shows us God’s actions and sovereign control in the course of the world. While we often use this paradigm in big brush strokes to get a look at the whole picture, the Ministry Timeline exercise is helpful in allowing us to see the CFRG paradigm at work in our personal lives. It helps us to see that our stories are not divorced from the larger one. In fact, God is working out his larger story in our lives.
    • According to the lecture, Ministry Timeline and the slide: The Descent of a Leader, what are four ways you can guard yourself from the descent experienced by more than 70 percent of Christian leaders who do not finish well.
    • 1. Continue to listen to the assesements of others and seek to never stop growing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 2. Stick to my convictions. 3. Find ways to fan into flame my passion for leaving lasting contributions. 4. Work to maintain a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.
    • You have just concluded your first year serving in a church when you realize a pattern has developed in your relationship with the Church Board of their turning down your requests for ministry initiatives that seem to you to be relatively modest. As you think back about the way you spent your ministry time over the previous 12 months, you realize you neglected some basic ministry activities. What are several of those ministries you could have conducted better as presented in Stage 1 and Year 1 of the lecture, Transitioning from Seminary to Vocational Ministry.
    • I realize that I haven’t spent time with as many of the people as I can, so that they don’t relate to me yet. I haven’t learned about any of their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and desires. I haven’t any them through a divine design packet. In short, I haven’t built relationships with them. I also haven’t participated in much hands on ministry by doing something like a staff training event, a retreat, a volunteer appreciation banquet, or a short term outreach effort.
    • On pp. 364-365, in Developing New Guidelines and Policies, the author makes this statement: “. . .focus on the functions of ministry rather than on the forms of ministry.” Drawing on the author’s insights, how do you plan to make sure that new policies and procedures foster, rather than thwart, the long-range organizational goals of the church.
    • We need to adopt a spirit of humility, trusting that others besides us will have both a brain and the Holy Spirit to guide them. Then we need to put in guidelines that are loose rather restrictive. We need to differentiate between patterns and rules, and because they can change, patterns shouldn’t be codified. Every rule that we make should be explained so that future leadership will know how and why to change it if they need to. In general, we should move slowly when creating guidelines and policy.
    • According to the lecture, Ecclesiastical Conflict and Antagonists in the Church, there is a Fourth Level of Conflict called Antagonist. Drawing on the Matthew 18 and Covenant Vows models, describe a ministry scenario in which you can see yourself engaged in a conflict with another staff member, a lay leader or member of the church and then describe the steps you would take to resolve the conflict.
    • 1) Differences are seen as absolutes
      2) Individuals warn of serious consequences if…
      3) Information is spiritualized into “good” and “evil”
      4) Feelings become tense and justified
      5) Other person’s views are attacked as sinful
      6) fighting mentality that is clearly evident (fight or flight)

      I am being attacked for spending too much time with non-Christians, and I have started to dress and listen to the same music as some of them. People say that it is sinful for me to adopt non-Xn dress and music. I respond by saying that as long as these things aren't overtly sinful, it's okay. The lines are drawn. When I back off of the music, the antagonists want me to stop hanging out with the non-Xns altogether so that I can get back to business of serving the church.
      Resolution: I remind them that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. I schedule time with the particular antagonists so that we can get together and build a relationship. I try to get the non-Xns and the antagonists to hang out so that they can all learn something from one another.
    • According to the author in chapter 33 on pp. 464-465, there are distinctions among three generations in the church in reference to their attitudes towards stewardship. Analyze the description of the one generational attitude that you find the most inconsistent with your theology and values.
    • I have the biggest problem with my own generation, the Busters. They tend to suffer from compassion fatigue and give only when they see that they are immediately getting something in return. “I pay $6 for 2 hours at the movie theaters. Therefore, I will put $6 in the collection plate in return for 2 hours worth of worship and instruction.” They assume that other people will fit the bill of maintaining a ministry, and they are not willing to buy into things that are not always conveinent or where it is sometimes difficult to see how they directly gain from their involvement in a community. I would approach this generation by helping them to see the benefit that they gain from the church community, that they have a responsibility as adult Christians to nurture an organization that will care for them and their children throughout their lives, and by teaching non-manipulative tithing.
    • Soon after you begin your ministry, you discover that the church in which you are serving is violating copyright law in one or more of three ways. Drawing on the material in chapter 38, on p. 540, how would you make a presentation to the Session regarding ways the church can avoid copyright infringement.
    • Long Answer: I would affirm our desire to use copyrighted material for the building up of the church and edification of the body of Christ to the glory of God. Then, discuss how easy it is to violate rules that constitute copyright infringement: making copies of copyrighted materials, make a derivative work or publicly perform a copyrighted work. I would further explain that we have an opportunity to model before the church how to carefully implement ways to avoid copyright infringement: obtaining permission from the copyright owner, obtain a license to use the material, or claim “fair use.”

      Short Answer: I would explain that we have an opportunity to model before the church how to carefully implement ways to avoid copyright infringement by obtaining permission from the copyright owner, obtain a license to use the material, or claim “fair use.” Further, inform them that the religious music performed in the course of the service is exempted because it is a performance and not copying music.
    • In Chapter 22, p. 304-306, the author provides four images of ministry in order to lay the theological base for church volunteers. How would you present these four images in a Sunday School lesson.
    • The servant leader, the holy priesthood, the body concept, and the equipping leader. I would explain the biblical basis for each one of these images, how it relates to the person of Christ and his work, and then using a series of diagnostic questions, help each person see what picture best fits them and their gifts.
    • During your interview with a church Search Committee, they acknowledge that the church has limited numbers of volunteers, a lack of gifted leaders and inadequate resources. Drawing upon the four questions presented in Chapter 22, p. 309, what four questions can you ask to help them make the most of what they have.
    • What are we doing well?
      What are our potentially fatal flaws?
      Whom are we reaching?
      Who else is already doing it?
    • Two of your ministry volunteers ask you to explain to them the distinction between spiritual gifts, natural gifts, fruit of the Spirit and roles in the church. Drawing upon the material in Chapter 22, p. 310, how would you respond to their inquiry?
    • Everyone, Xn and non-Xn, possesses natural gifts. Intellectual gifts, athletic gifts, creativity and the arts fall under these categories. However, only Christians have spiritual gifts. These are things like evangelism, prophecy, and faith. God can use people's natural gifts along with their spiritual gifts, but a natural gift is more than an amped up spiritual gift. It is solely a gift of God.
      Although spiritual fruit comes from God, it is distinct in the sense that it is not given at once, but developed. Gifts help define what a Christian does, but fruit is a result of character, defining who a Christian is.
      Roles are the use of spiritual gifts in the service of the Church, and lead to fruit.
    • By drawing on the material in the right column on p. 319, present to a Search Committee a strategy for redesigning the church’s volunteer endeavors to attract the people the church needs.
    • I would poll congregants and do some research on local demographics. Finding a potential pool of workers is key. Then, consolidate training; Rewrite volunteer tasks so that they are more manageable and realistic; recruit retirees as recruiters and volunteers; offer quality training that will give people confidence in their task.
    • In Chapter 24, p. 331-332, the author says in the section, Create Encounters, that there are strategies that can help us develop meaningful relationships with those we mentor. Use those strategies to describe how you might identify those whom you would mentor for leadership in the church.
    • Since mentoring is based largely on friendship, which itself is based upon shared interests, I would start a program that was interesting to me. For instance, weekly basketball games, or a book club. I would then find people to connect with at these events, build a relationship, and start getting to know them.
    • In chapter 25, p. 337-338, Hersey and Blanchard state that two factors, the ability and willingness of your volunteers, tell the pastor and-or staff member how much and what type of support that workers in a ministry need. Name and describe the type of support these four need.
    • Unable/Unwilling-Insecure about ministry skills and lack of comittmment. These are prevolunteers who need to be kept in contact with those who are already volunteering.
      Unable/willing-Volunteered but are uncertain how to do their task. They may need formal training along with encouragement and supervision.
      Able/unwilling-Have the confidence and the experience but may lack the relationship. They need affirmation from the leadership and those whom they are serving. Prevention of relational breakdown is key, especially avoiding burnout. If they are still unwilling to work in a specific task then they need to be coached into a new one.
      Able/Willing-may not need as much relational support or coaching but does need material support-supplies, space, creative freedom, and an occasional word of encouragement will keep them satisfied.
    • You discover that several of your volunteers are not thriving in their ministries and are in need of your care. Drawing upon the four methods or styles of support presented in chapter 25, p. 338-340, how would you meet their needs for support.
    • It seems as though they are either able/willing or unable/willing so the first thing I would find out is if they think they need more training or relational support. If that is not the case, then I would ask them if they need more material resources-space or supplies-or creative freedom.
    • According to the author in chapter 27, p. 360-361, what is one of the first tasks you should accomplish upon arriving at the first ministry you might serve?
    • Find out what the written and unwritten rules are. The written rules will be contained in the constitution, BCO, and other policy manuals. The unwritten rules should be discovered by polling a good amount of the influential leaders about the past conflicts and successes in the church.
    • Your one year honeymoon has concluded in the church you are serving. You find yourself reflecting on how your ideas for bringing change to the church, which were so enthusiastically received by the Search Committee, have not been accepted at all by the church as a whole. According to chapter 27, p. 361, what fact have you had to learn the hard way and what could you have done differently during the interviewing process.
    • I should have found out who the policy makers were. "What four or five people could make or break any program?" I could also have found out more about the big conflicts and successes in the church's history, and dialogued with multiple policy makers about what they were willing to tolerate.
    • In chapter 38, on p. 510-512, the author presents five guidelines for introducing effective change in the church budget. Describe and interact with one of these five guidelines regarding a ministry you might conduct after seminary.
    • Maintain your character even if you modify your vision. One of the things that I would like to advocate for in the future is women's ministries-especially having a licensed counselor on staff to help women deal with their particular issues. I know that people will say that that will open the door to women's ordination. I don't think that it necessarily does, but I would be lying if I said that there was no way that that could somehow happen in the future.