Articles for tag: Mentoring

November 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Talking Church

By Dennis Bratton During a discussion about mentoring, talk turned toward the idea of a coaching cohort. The term coaching struck a cord of familiarity. I”d taken part in peer coaching for years. We didn”t call it that. It was just a group of preachers who got together once a year to talk church, play some golf, and talk church some more. The benefits of those connections were far-reaching in my ministry. I was in a growing church and regularly facing issues and challenges for which I often felt ill equipped. My best source of counsel came consistently from those

August 31, 2011

Christian Standard

Proper Care and Feeding of Campus Ministry Graduates

By Gretchen Magruder Dear local church, Let me introduce you to some new members headed your way! My friends have just graduated from college and are looking for a new community to join. They are excited about finding a place to jump in and serve, and will be checking you out over the next few months as they transition from college life to (hopefully) gainful employment. Everyone wants to be known. I know they look young, but please don”t assume they”re with their parents or that they”re just going to be around for a short time. Ask them to tell

July 5, 2011

Christian Standard

Turn Them Loose

By Dan Scates “No one is helping. No one else is carrying the load. No one is leading. No one is committed. No one seems to own anything. I feel alone and overwhelmed.” Now what? Church planting taxes every leadership skill and exposes every motive of the heart. After three decades of church planting experience, one thing I have learned: Each church plant is unique, yet the challenges they face are similar. Distinctive to each plant is the planter”s ability, church location, target audience, ministry priorities, and available resources. On the other hand, the challenges faced by each new church

May 16, 2011

Christian Standard

Adult Education and the Challenge to Make Disciples

By Tom May Just before ascending to Heaven, Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and make other disciples“”a word that implies teaching and mentoring (Matthew 28:18-20). He also used the word teaching in those verses. With the blasting trumpet of an elephant”s screeching cry, the church is challenged to teach in such a way that the result makes disciples. It”s been the elephant in the room for years. For decades, churches have interpreted Jesus” final instructions to mean “cookie- cutter” programming””Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening service, Wednesday evening service, and an adult Sunday school program that mirrored the activities for

May 5, 2011

Christian Standard

What”s Happening with Women”s Ministry?

By Darrel Rowland So what”s a big bearded guy like me know about women”s ministry anyhow? Does it help that when I was young I helped a proud member of the Dolphin Circle””that would be my mom””wash the glass Communion cups and put them on the big wooden pegboard to dry? (Rats, the Methodists and Lutherans would beat us to lunch again.) Obviously, my experience doesn”t qualify me to know what”s going on with women”s ministry in Christian churches. So I talked to some folks who”ve traveled to many of our churches, hosted workshops or conferences, consulted with congregations, maybe

November 5, 2010

Christian Standard

Marks of a Successful Discipler

By Rick Lowry Personal Life “¢ Models servanthood before group members. “¢ Is in the Word daily, along with being in prayer and practicing other spiritual disciplines. “¢ Feels a sense of personal spiritual growth and passes on that challenge toward growth to members of group. “¢ A spiritual leader outside the group meeting. “¢ Accountable in life to another spiritual leader outside the group. Passing on the Faith “¢ Prays for individuals in the group. “¢ Places a high priority on the group and the people in it. “¢ Is spiritually, emotionally, and relationally open to group members. “¢

January 13, 2010

Christian Standard

Time-Consuming . . . and Effective!

By Mark A. Taylor One of the most time-consuming methods for developing volunteers is also one of the most effective””and most overlooked. Some call it discipleship. Lately the popular word has been mentoring. Both terms describe a similar approach: ongoing, individualized attention to a person for the purpose of helping him or her grow spiritually and discover his call to Christian service. A number of methods, strategies, and approaches are out there. But I”ll never forget the advice Dr. Steven Hancock gave me and the rest of his Christian education students in seminary many years ago. “Whenever you do anything

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Keys to Cultivating Leaders

By Glen Schneiders READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Developing the Leadership Culture“     Don”t Shortcut the Selection Process for Potential Leaders You will pay in the long run for shortsighted personnel decisions (paid and unpaid). In the early days of church planting, the tendency is to fill slots with “warm bodies,” and often we have to do that. But as you do, assess which people have the capacity to lead. Don”t hand over control too quickly; it is much harder to reclaim it. David Cottrell puts it this way, If you hire tough, it will be a whole lot easier

November 8, 2009

Christian Standard

City Centered: Making a Difference One Relationship at a Time

By Jennifer Taylor Residents of inner-city Cincinnati need money. They need educational opportunities. They need clothes, medical care, and healthy food. But Hope Inner City provides none of that. Instead, the young couples working in this economically distressed, sometimes dangerous neighborhood offer the gospel through consistent loving relationships. It”s a new approach for many church leaders, but for these missionaries it”s the best way to build the kingdom. Programs vs. Presence Hope Inner City does organize some program-oriented outreach activities; a ministry for children ages 4 to 9 includes songs, stories, games, snacks, and more, while a preteen ministry focuses

July 5, 2009

Christian Standard

Strengthening Families: Community and Church Working Together

  By Nancy Karpenske  Exhibit A: snapshot of a teenager and an older person talking while eating at a fast-food restaurant. Exhibit B: snapshot of that same older person dropping the teen off at his home, stopping for a few minutes to talk with the teen”s mom. Exhibit C: snapshot of that same older person now in the principal”s office with the same teen, serving as an encouraging presence in a “check-up” meeting. Exhibit D: wide-angle photo, large conference room. The participants” name tags identify them as representatives of agencies from across the county: employment services, department of health, probation

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