Just about any time I invite people to be a part of an upcoming Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors (like the one that’s beginning soon), I get requests from Bi-Vocational Pastors to do “bi-vocational pastors coaching.”

I have a huge heart for bi-vocational pastors in part because I can identify with the unique challenges you’re dealing with.  I was bi-vocational for the first few years of planting The Journey.

So today, I want to share some good news and bad news about Coaching for Bi-Vocational Pastors.

The bad news, unfortunately, is that we’ve looked at the logistics and the possibilities of trying to do an evening network, and it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to offer anything like that anytime soon.

However, the good news is that the very nature of my Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network makes it “bivo-friendly.” In fact, I have a lot of bi-vocational guys in my current network.

Most of them are able to carve out 2 hours a month from their job to join in on the call (especially considering that you know the dates and times months in advance).

Also, even if you can’t join me for all of the calls, you still receive an MP3 recording of each session.  In effect, you’ll build a library of coaching audio that you can listen to over and over.

If you’re a bi-vocational pastor who’s committed to growing personally and leading your church to grow, I strongly encourage you to consider applying for this upcoming network.

I’ve heard time and time again from current participants that the investment, time, and energy it takes to participate is more than worth it for the impact the network has on them and their churches.

P.S. – You can see and hear what some recent coaching participants had to say about their coaching experience here (you can download your application here):

http://www.churchleaderinsights.com/telecoaching/

Hey – I don’t want you to miss out on The Activate Webinar that Kerrick Thomas and Adam Bishop are leading tomorrow (January 20) at 1:00 Eastern.

If you’re currently doing semester-based (Activate) small groups or are considering them, this is a great training opportunity for you.

Best of all, there are no travel plans required - you can join Kerrick and Adam in this training from your home or office – you just need a computer with internet access and a phone line.

One registration per church is required - that means you can gather around as many of your team as possible to listen in.

Here are the details:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Eastern)
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm (Central)
11:00 am – 1:00 pm (Mountain)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Pacific)

Here’s what you can expect to learn:
- How do I get 100% of my church involved in small groups?
- What are the basic elements of an effective small groups system?
- How do I recruit and train enough small-group leaders?
- What are the myths that are holding back my small groups?
- What is a good structure for small-group ministry?
- How do I get small groups involved in serving and evangelism?
- How do I get started?

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

P.S. Since Kerrick and Adam are on the front lines of the latest Activate Small Groups thinking, you may want to consider applying for their upcoming Small Groups Pastor Tele-Coaching Network.  For more info or to download an application, click here.

One tool that I find useful any time I go through any type of training (live, webinar, audio, book, etc.) is to write down my top 10 key learnings, and how I can apply them.

I recently received an email from Dr. Kenneth Sesley where he shared his list with me.  Kenneth is the Pastor of Kingdom Advancers Family Church International in California, and a member of my Senior Pastors Tele-Coaching Network.

With his permission, I’m sharing his Top 10 Keys to Breaking the 65 Barrier at his church – it’s one of the best lists I’ve seen:

1.  I must model ministry by serving as an example to the congregation.

2.  I must mentor new leadership.

A.  Hand pick them.

B.  Ask them if they are willing to help me implement the things that need implementing.

C. Invest in them by pulling them together for occasional short training meetings.

3.  I must continually cast vision for growth.

4.  We must focus on making the Sunday Services better, by first planning them further in advance. This starts with using a preaching calendar.

5.  The church must  develop a childcare ministry - nursery, preschool, kindergarten and elementary classes.

6.  We must utilize Big Days combined with special attraction series during key growth periods in the Winter (February), Spring (Easter), Summer (Mother’s/Father’s Day), and Fall (Back to Church Sunday).

7.  We must use Personal Evangelism that focuses on inviting unsaved and unchurched friends and family, as well as using Friendship Evangelism to invite the community to church.

A.  All of this must be combined with the power of Mass Promotion.

B.  And then combine all of this with our loving First Impressions Assimilation Team.

8.  To break through the 65 barrier completely we must get to 75-85 worshipers a week. This means that our facilities must have between about 95 – 125 seats.

In addition, we need a minimum of 40 to 50 parking spaces. This will require some changes.

9.  We must add a staff member.  Maybe a part time Worship Leader or Youth/Children’s Minister.

10.  We must begin thinking 125 by:

A. Planning how and where we will seat 125.

B. Planning and preparing sermons and worship services for 125.

C. Keeping 125 in my thinking constantly.

D.  Finding some pastors whose churches are at 125 and are growing and get to know them. Learn everything I can from them. Take some leaders there so they too can SEE the next step!

Great work Kenneth – I look forward to hearing how God honors these changes!

Are you struggling to break the 65 Barrier at your church?

I’d like to offer you a FREE Copy of Breaking the 65 Barrier (normally $23.95)!

Just click the “Ask Nelson” button on the right side of this blog and ask me for it – but hurry, I can only offer this for the next 3 days.

P.S. We’re exactly ONE MONTH AWAY from the start of my brand new Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network, where we work together to break the growth barriers that your church is facing.  For more information and to Apply Now, go to:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching/

“It’s the little things that make the big things possible. Only close attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation first class.”
J. Willard Marriott Sr., Hotel Executive

I often hear from church leaders who are just one or two small changes away from seeing big results in one area or another of their church.

It may be sending handwritten notes to first time guests (assimilation), planning their preaching calendar (worship planning) or printing custom offering envelopes and putting them in each week’s program (stewardship) but whatever the reason, the pastor is hesitant to make the change.

I like to say that some of the smallest tweaks to your systems can bring tremendous peaks in terms of your church’s effectiveness.

Here’s an email I received recently from one of my Coaching participants:

Nelson,

I’ve heard you say that other coaching participants have told you that this network is like drinking from a fire hydrant and it truly is….

More than that, I am realizing how many areas of the church that I’ve been neglecting from a leadership standpoint.  This network has been an eye-opener as to how much I really don’t know.

One specific area I wanted to let you know about – I had reservations about making the changes you recommended when it comes to offering envelopes.

I wasn’t sure  – because of the added cost of printing – whether or not to print custom envelopes and put the envelopes in the bulletin each week, but we bit the bullet and went for it anyway.

That one idea has paid for itself and then some!

The two biggest stewardship changes that we’ve made is collecting the offering at the end of each service and putting the offering envelopes in the program… small changes but huge results!!

Thanks for all that your team does – it is appreciated!

What changes are you holding off on right now that have the potential to increase your church’s Kingdom impact?

One of the reasons my Coaching Networks have been so effective is that it provides Pastors with proven systems knowledge AND the accountability (the nudge) to put that knowledge into practice.

We’re only one month away from my next Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network (it begins on February 18) and it may be a good fit for you.

For more information and to download your application, go to:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching

Thank you for a very successful Fusion Webinar on Tuesday.

In light of the recent Fusion Webinar and the questions from it, I wanted to share again this post on hosting a regular Newcomers Reception as an environment to connect with new people at your church (click here for “How to Host a Newcomers Reception“).

One question that people often ask when I talk about doing the receptions is “when should we do it?”

Here are a few thoughts:

• Hold them when you think you can get a crowd - I aim for 30-60 people in attendance.  This will make the reception more enjoyable for everyone and reduce any potential awkwardness.
• Consider scheduling Newcomers Receptions about 1 month after key Big Days plus one in the summer.
• Here are a few good times:
  • March (one month after your February Big Day)
  • May (one month after Easter, depending on the date)
  • Late July (to connect with new summer attenders)
  • November (one month after your October Big Day)
  • and possibly a Christmas Reception
• Host the receptions on Sundays after your services. This will reduce the chances that the receptions will conflict with small groups or other activities.

The key to a successful Newcomers Reception scheduling is to do everything you can to have enough people to raise the energy level and reduce the “wierdo factor.” In other words, the more people who attend, the more likely it will be for newcomers to meet some people they can relate to.

P.S. For more information on Newcomers Receptions and other advanced Assimilation strategies, check out The Assimilation Intensive.

One regular concern that I am asked about when it comes to Activate (semester-based) Small Groups is “how do we handle childcare?”

Recently, my friend Roy Mansfield (Small Groups Pastor at Northstar Church in Panama City) shared some of his thoughts and best practices on how to best accommodate the children of Small Group participants.

He gave me permission to re-print his insights AND to share some of their documents with you:

We have a large number of children in our church. I’ve found that there are several issues that are often viewed as challenges but are really wonderful opportunities to have a much more effective small group.

We have a handout (see below) that we give to our small group leaders of different possible child care options that they can use as a tool to decide how their group will take care of the children in their group.

The first time the group meets together they see the makeup of the children and their ages. The leader leads the group to decide how they will take care of the children. I equip the leaders to look at the makeup of the physical home and children and then suggest the best way to care for the children.

This is s fantastic opportunity for the group!  The first time they meet together they have the opportunity to find a way to work together to care for one another. Leaders also have a sign up sheet (see below) that is used to give people the opportunity to take turns to watch the kids (if that’s the way they choose to care for the kids).

We also have groups do outreaches together. They all serve together at least once a semester in a Sunday service as well. As you will see from the sign up sheet we try to give as many people as possible a responsibility in the group. This transfers ownership to the group members as much as possible.

We do allow group leaders to list their group as “all children welcome” “unable to accommodate preschool children” or “unable to accommodate children” but we encourage as many groups as possible to be open to accommodate all children. See below for a sample groups list that we give to everyone to choose a group.

I hope this is a help.

Thanks.

Growing together…

Roy

Great thoughts – Here are those documents:

• Group Sign Up – Snacks, Childcare, Host Home (.doc)
• Small Group Childcare Options (.doc)
• Small Group Catalog (.pdf)

Thanks so much Roy!

P.S. To learn more about how to effectively implement small groups at your church (regardless of the setting) check out The Small Group Intensive.