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…is one of the most important times for someone who has paid attention and might think about changing some habit or belief in response.

But, alas, I have heard the following closings to sermons:

* “That’s it. See you next week!”
* A prayer that reviews the sermon…..Amen….Guitar player gives some thoughts about the sermon, sometimes showing she was not listening….then starts a song.
* “Shake hands with three people on the way out!”
* “Let’s sing something — what shall we sing, Freddie?”

Years ago, many churches had a response song — often “Just As
I Am” (as in a Billy Graham service)…..and some invited people to
come to the front of the church room to show they wanted to
“Accept Christ as Savior” or respond to “how God had spoken to
them.”

Maybe in response to that, some went to the “alas” ways noted.

______Clearly a sermon is given to urge obedience and application to life.
______Clearly a pastor should think carefully about a response avenue.
______Consider the following:

Sermon (with practical obedience and application calls throughout)
Prayer by sermon person. Not a review of the sermon to God, who does not need a review….

A brief prayer++ of worship and appreciation to God for the main truth given…then giving people a private quiet moment to thank God for that gift, or to ask His help to obey and apply it…..(Many will actually pray that way…)

Then a moment of quiet prayer introduced by, “If you are not sure of this connection with Christ as Lord and Savior, ask God for help to go that way, and to be sure….(Quiet moment)…. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Then, to show the chosen response song is tied to the sermon, not a separate issue or a production number but a response-from-the-heart song, the speaker intros the song in two or three sentences….and asks, “Please stand” as short intro to song immediately starts…. And the speaker sings it also. Maybe even stays up front to sing along with the people, for he is responding also, and helping others to respond with thanks to God and obedient faith.

This also positions the pastor-speaker to give a meaningful benediction or blessing from the Word of God to tie together the whole worship service, followed by a sentence of care or sendoff.

++(To remember: I have watched a lot of closing prayers on video and “playback” where the praying pastor is straightening his notes and closing his Bible or moving his lectern out of the way, causing me and other cynical viewers to wonder if he is really praying :-). Of course you can pray while you drive or do something, but this is about leading the church and viewers in worship and response.)

Seems like the closing
of the service should be carefully
thought through and purposeful

The best exercise our staffs ever did to know and appreciate each other, and see God’s grace in action

“The Ten Most Important Decisions or Events in My Life”

Each staff member prepares the list, to be given and described in just seven minutes in front of all staff, just one at a time, early in a staff meeting.

(Does not include physical birth, which is assumed ☺ )

Okay, everyone will say he or she cannot do it in seven minutes, but stick to that, and allow three minutes for brief questions after.

➢ Very healthy exercise for people to go back through their lives and narrow down the most significant decisions or events, positive or negative, that affected them. And still do.

➢ Very healthy for their teammates to hear where they, the presenters, have been and see why they are the way they are.

> God always ends up getting a lot of credit

Pastoral Director of Seniors and Care

To plan and manage the pastoral care and general church ministries to and by the over-65 people to New Covenant, always in step with the direction of the pastor and to fulfill the overall implications of the church values and vision

Report to: the senior pastor, through regular verbal and paper reports
Time: an average of 8-12 hours per week
Compensation: _______ per month, with no benefits or extras; and with 10 weeks off each year (though still responsible for assigning special and regular needs those weeks

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

…Provide or assign pastoral care as needed for seniors when ill or in need

…Give vision and strategy to the ministry of the church to these people in general, related to care ministries but also outreach ministries toward the unchurched

…Represent the needs of these people to the pastor, proposing options for ministry

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

… Provide or assign pastoral care for the individuals in this group when they are in need (as defined by the pastor if ambiguous) — when unbelieving, sick, shut- in, hospitalized, or hurting from tragedies or death of a loved one; advise the pastor of needs.

…Lead the scheduling of senior socials for fellowship and edification and ministry to others; help organize them in line with policies and pastoral vision.

…Oversee with the pastor the Sunday and home community groups and teaching groups for this age. Perhaps host or teach one yourself. Appoint a group leader, a teacher or facilitator, a care captain, and a missions manager.

… If possible, lead or ask someone to lead a true small (4-7) discipleship group of all men or all women for this age group, meeting at least twice a month for personal growth, accountability, and ministry.

A preliminary proposal for an administrative and ministry assistant in a church of 200-500

Report to: Pastor
Time: Four days a week,  five weeks off without pay at agreed-upon times;  two weeks with pay on top of that.
Wages:  ______ per month.    
Benefits: None are included.

General responsibilities

• Manage the flow of work and recruit volunteers where possible for the weekly publications,  meetings,  and records of the church.

• Keep the pastor’s schedule and assist him to be ready for meetings and boards and appointments.    Be responsible for printed agendas for any board or committee meetings where he has responsibility.

• Be the “point person” on staff responsible for the ongoing areas of assimilation, building-use schedule,  volunteers, special events,  and women’s.

• Work with the volunteers in these areas to help with with the vision of excellence for these ministries,  and to have them do much of the administrative work.

• Keep our website up to date,  working with someone who manages the technical and the details.

• Be responsible for the good record-keeping of the church.

• Be responsible and give excellence to the communications systems of the church,  keeping and assuring a good mood of joy and grace in the telephone connections and a short weekly email to all the church.

• Assist in any other ways as needed.

• Generally bring good cheer and grace to any part of the church ministries and staff responsibilities.

You do not have to have Tim Keller or Craig Groeschel speak; neither do you need to have the finest auditorium, worship team, or coffee. But we still all can care for some basic minimums, and to do less may mean you are yawning at your main billboard for the church, your weekend worship service.

The least we can do starts at the parking lot:

…Clear directions from the parking lot, after the driver chooses a space left open for guests.
…Greeters at the door with a smile and readiness to help you find the nursery, restroom, coffee, or worship room.
…A service that starts when the big hand hits 12. Nothing sillier than a countdown to zero on the screen followed by a three-minute lull.
…A first song that most people know and can sing well.
…A joyful and warm welcome from up front.
…Just the right number of worship songs so that your legs do not quiver or your voice give out.
…A “modesty nazi” who checks what the singers wear so there are no distractions.
…Songs that are addressed to God and not just how you feel about yourself.
…A pastoral prayer that is not made up while guitar-strumming, and has some worship involved. I recommend the P-R-A-Y guide — Praise, Repent (or confess, in a quiet moment); Ask, a series of requests to our Lord; and Yield, to the theme of the day.
“Bridge prayers” are not acceptable, just to move people around on the stage.
…A sermon that gets your attention at the start, exposes what the Bible says, applies this to real life, and ends somewhere near the expected time. Pastors who say it does not matter how long you go are not aware why regulars do not invite guests.
… A brief explanation of how personal salvation with assurance relates to the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
…A response song or prayer that gives you an opportunity to respond to the sermon applications.
…A way to find out more about the church or our Lord as you leave — a way that seems feasible.

To give excellence to the setting and management of the finances and budget of the church ministries, including staff compensation and overall policies

PERSONNEL: A chairman from the main board, at least two or three others from that board; the chair of that board and the senior pastor ex-officio; one or two other adjunct members approved by the board and skilled in heart (love for Christ and the church) and hand (in financial matters.

BUDGET

1. Propose the overall budget to the main board of the church after input from program staff through the staff leadership team; and after assessment of the trends and capabilities of the church and vision for the next year.
2. Assess the methods of principles and procedures of all the financial management and recordings of the church.
3. Assess and give careful detail-protection to each monthly report and make recommendations on it to the main board each month. Do the detail work on behalf of the board.
4. Make policies about perks for staff, policies for reimbursements, and guidelines for financial arrangements with outside vendors or ministry people.
   

SALARIES

• Set salaries for all staff according to the “steps for setting salaries in the church.”
• Lead the annual review of the senior pastor before setting his annual salary and benefits without his being present.
• Set salaries for senior staff with the input of the senior pastor.
• Set a percentage increase or guideline for the senior leaders of staff to set the salaries or wages of others on church staff.

PRESUPPOSITIONS
…Every local church will want a strong portion of its budget to go “outside the walls” of that church.

…It is prudent to count all offerings that are not for the maintenance and ministries of that church as their “outside the walls” or outreach ministries — local ministries, global ministries, benevolence, evangelism in its community and area, and “walk-ins” care. These are truly missions or evangelism efforts.

…The board of oversight, with the pastor in the lead, should the the lead in setting a goal for what percentage of the total budget should be for such outreach.

…Some churches like to make a difference between ministries that are pure evangelism or missions and those that are simply charity love.

CHALLENGES
…Some churches set goals of seeing missions giving be 10% of offerings of their total budget or offerings. A few exceptional churches have made the 50% goal for money going into missions. The norm is more like 15-25% of total offerings, with a few seeing 25-40% go this way.

… The pastors and boards of oversight, often called board of elders or “the board,” should set a goal and challenge the church to increase and designate their giving so they get there. (A few churches have just one fund for giving and the leaders designate how it is distributed,)

…Church leadership must decide how to direct funds if personal designation is not the practice, or how to publicize the needs if givers designate.

STRONG PRACTICES
…Each Sunday and home group appoints a missions captain who helps that group keep in touch with and pray for and support one missionary and one local “mercy partner” that the church supports. This makes missions more than a “program” of the church, and helps the group pray for individuals.

…One Sunday each month can be designated as a time for a 2-4 minute update and prayer for one of the ministries or missionaries supported by the church.

…It is expedient to have two small appointed teams to promote missions, and care for and serve the ones supported — one for local ministries-missions and one for global. Often there is one committee for missions, and many of these think only of missions overseas as true missions endeavors — the “salt water doctrine” is the label given to that kind of thinking.

…Prayer at staff meetings for missions is essential.

… Church leadership must decide if people can designate giving for a specific missionary or ministry, or if they allow leadership to direct money given to missions to each specific ministry or missionary.

… Local missions will usually be lean in giving if people must mark their missions giving that way, as many think only of global (overseas) missions as real missions. One way around this, when people give to a general missions fund, is to decide that 21% or 31% or whatever will go to local.

…It seems healthy for a church to adopt three or four local ministries as their “mercy partners,” designating offerings from the local portion of the missions budget. This can also include an arrangement where the church promises a certain amount of support (and volunteer hours perhaps) every year and the church has, to help with guidance, one member of the board of that ministry. Obviously, that is in the case of generous support.

It would seem a prudent way to support an existing way to support a local ministry — rescue mission, food bank, pregnancy ministry, jail ministry — rather than starting a duplicate or “competing” ministry.