The following is the Appendix from my book ‘Your Church Can Come

    Alive’ – 34 marks of a healthy church. Available for $12 plus a

    couple of dollars etc. for postage, (Please contact me by email:
    simply click on the ‘Contact Us’ button top right on your screen
    for details). There are also two videos

    from a seminar on this theme – four and a half hours of teaching

    for your church’s leadership group (and others). They’re $40 – or

    the lot, together with two manuals for discussion, $50 posted.

    Most pastors fail this text of excellence: don’t be too hard on

    your pastor if he/she is a bit embarrassed… Encourage your pastor

    to grow!

                 Pastor-teachers ‘prepare God’s people for Christian

            service, in order to build up the body of Christ’, so that

            they may become ‘mature people’ (Ephesians 4:12,13). How well

            are you doing?
                 Answer every question by circling the appropriate number

            (1) (2) (3) (4) or (5). If in doubt, choose the most nearly

            correct answer. Note: ‘Practical theology’ is all about the

            practice of ministry, and covers such areas as the theology

            of ministry, spirituality for ministry/mission, preaching,

            Christian education/formation, counseling, church leadership,

            Christian management etc.
            1. PREPARATION.  To equip myself to equip others I spend time
            in prayer, reflection and study each week:  (1)  20+ hours
            (2)  15-19 hours  (3)  10-14 hours  (4)  5-9 hours
            (5)  Less than 5 hours
            2. DELEGATION.  As a pastor-leader I would delegate at least
            three or four pastoral visits to others each week; I do not
            attend most committees in the church but keep in touch with
            them indirectly; I live comfortably with the idea that people
            other than I can chair significant church meetings or comm-
            ittees; I am not worried if I do not know the details of
            everything that happens in the church; When a job has to be
            done I have a habit of asking myself ‘Am I the best person to
            do it?  Would I be depriving someone else of a ministry if I
            did it?’; I readily delegate tasks to others; most of the
            time I have the skill to choose the right person for a job,
            and am happy to leave them with it; I circulate leadership
            material (including GRID) to all our leaders.
            (1)  I would score well in all these areas
            (2)  OK in four or more of them  (3)  three  (4)  two
            (5)  one or none
            3. THEOLOGICAL TRAINING:   (1)  4+ years full-time or

            equivalent   (2)  3-4 years full-time or equivalent

            (3)  2-3 years full-time or equivalent   (4)  1-2 years

            full-time or equivalent  (5)  Less than one year
            4. PRACTICAL THEOLOGY:  My theological training included
            practical theology components such as  # regular spiritual
            direction with a spiritual guide,   # personal growth and
            development,  # a supervised pastoral placement,
            #  a thorough critique of my communication/preaching skills,
            #  supervised counseling,  #  a time management course,
            # leadership skill development, # other courses in practical
            theology:
            (1)  all of these  (2)  at least four of these  (3)  three
            (4)  two  (5)  one or none
            5. CONTINUING EDUCATION.  I do a post-seminary course (of at
            least 3 days’ duration) in some area of practical theology
            (1)  more than once a year  (2)  about once a year
            (3) less than once a year (4) about every 2-3 years
            (5) hardly ever
            6.  PROFESSIONAL READING. I read books on practical theology:
            (1)  at least one a week   (2)  about 2-3 a month
            (3)  about 1-2 a month   (4)  about 1-2 every two months
            (5)  fewer than 1-2 every three months
            7. JOURNALS.  I read practical ministry  periodicals or
            journals:
            (1)  4 or more a month  (2)  about 3 a month  (3)  about 2 a
            month  (4)  about one a month  (5)  fewer than one a month
            8. LEADERSHIP TRAINING.  # I would meet with key leaders
            individually at least once a month;  # I meet with the
            leadership team for a training session at least once a month;
            # these leaders would aim to reproduce themselves in the
            lives of others;  # we have elders who visit members on a
            regular basis;  # we have commissioned deaconesses or lay
            visitors who visit in homes and hospitals;  # at least 10% of
            our regular Sunday attenders would be involved in significant
            occasional counseling of others in need;  # there is a ‘pray-
            er chain’ or similar structure to engage in intercessory
            prayer for those in difficulty;  # we have regular community
            ministries in place that would meaningfully contact the
            equivalent of at least 20% of our Sunday attendance each
            week;  # at least a quarter of our people would know how to
            pray with someone to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord;
            #  a significant minority of our people would find themselves
            spontaneously praying with another as part of a meaningful
            contact.
            (1)  We would score well in at least seven of the above
            (2)  five-six  (3)  three-four  (4)  one or two  (5)  none
            9. WORSHIP LEADERSHIP. Our church involves many people in
            leading worship services through  # seminars on worship;
            #  setting up one or more worship committees;  # having at
            least 2 people participate in leadership besides the preacher
            in most worship services;  # involving musically-gifted
            people to help choose hymns/songs;  # training persons with
            preaching/teaching skills and allowing them to minister
            publicly according to their gifts;  # opening up a part of
            many services for people to share their faith-stories.
            We do  (1)  all of these   (2)  four of them
            (3)  three   (4)  two   (5)  one or none of the above
            10. COUNSELOR TRAINING. There is a ‘counseling/how to help
            your friend’ course run by our church (or some other nearby
            group which our church members are urged to attend):
            (1)  about once a year  (2)  about once every 2 years
            (3)  about once every 3 years  (4)  every 4 years or so
            (5)  never or hardly ever
            11. VISITATION TRAINING.  To train people in visitation
            /counseling I have a trainee with me
            (1)  at least 50% of my people-time   (2)  30-40%
            (3)  20-30%   (4)  10-20%   (5)  Less than 10%
            12. GROWTH GROUPS.  The proportion of our regular Sunday
            attenders belonging at any one time to a small group for
            spiritual growth would be
            (1)  70% or more   (2)  45-70%   (3)  25-45%   (4)  10-25%
            (5)  less than 10%
            13. FORMATION.  To foster our people’s ongoing spiritual
            growth we have:  # a how-to-pray course at least once a year;
            # a bookstall operating after most Sunday services and
            perhaps at other times;  # regular book reviews from the
            pulpit and/or in the church bulletin;  # a church library
            (with books, audio- and perhaps video-cassettes) in regular
            use by at least a significant minority of our people;  # at
            least two courses on Bible study or theological topics a
            year;  # at least one seminar per year on life-related
            themes;  # a habit of regularly circulating photocopied
            articles particularly to leaders;  # announcements at least
            twice a month of outside conventions or training
            opportunities for our people;  # at least a significant
            minority of our young people attending Christian camps,
            Scripture Union beach missions, Christian groups at their
            schools or colleges and similar functions;  # leadership
            training opportunities in place for small group facilitators
            (1)  We would have at least five of the above in place
            (2)  four   (3)  three   (4)  two   (5)  one or none.
            14. ORGANIZATION.  In our church’s structure,  # we have
            regular communication between the leaders and the church;
            #  we open positions for junior members to join important
            leadership groups; #  our leaders invite and receive regular
            written communications from church members;  #  we have a
            feedback mechanism which produces ideas and suggestions from
            many in the church;  #  we have a ‘sabbatical’ system so that
            leaders must retire for at least a year every six-to-eight
            years;  #  at least 30% of regular Sunday attenders would
            belong to a committee or task force during a two-year period.
            (1)  We have all this in place   (2)  we have three of the
            above   (3)  two   (4)  one   (5)  none
            How did you score? If your total circled numbers was 14

            (honest?) go straight to heaven: you have fulfilled your

            ministry!  15-20: your church is quite unique (but don’t rush

            into organizing seminars on ‘how we succeed around here’!).

            21-30 – excellent:  now work on setting goals to improve.

            31-40 – get the World Vision video ‘Your Church Can Come

            Alive’.  41-50 – get the World Vision video and a copy of the

            book for each leader.  51-60 – definitely get the video and

            book, and get other churches in your area to combine for a

            live seminar.  (Cost? travel expenses, accommodation in

            someone’s home, and a donation to World Vision). 61+ Don’t

            get discouraged, and do all of the above!
            Rowland Croucher

Related Articles:

• Pastor Burnout Statistics
• Stress and Burnout in Pastoral Ministry: A Prologue
• Leadership for success
• Tribes: we need you to lead us
• Becoming a leader of no reputation

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