Healthy Boards
Healthy leadership doesn't happen by chance. Intentional plans are needed and consistent execution is essential. If churches and ministry organizations expect to be healthy, they must be guided by healthy leadership boards.
The Building Healthy Boards series is a collection of 10 workshops that MinistryLift first facilitated in 2016. The workshop topics emerged from a survey taken by pastors and denominational leaders where they were asked to identify the greatest challenges they face on governance boards.
TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Each session is designed to be delivered as a two-hour presentation, but each can be customized to fit your context (sessions can be shortened, lengthened, or even combined with elements from other sessions). The length of the training videos below are typically 60-80 minutes long and MinistryLift members can access these videos for free (if you're not a MinistryLift member, click here to learn how it works).
Life By Meeting: Making Your Meetings More Life-Giving and Productive
Dr. Larry Perkins unpacks the factors that influence and enhance productive and vital board meeting experiences as well as habits that create dysfunctional interactions and competing expectations. He also provides suggestions to promote a more spiritually-effective board culture and set of working relationships and expectations. Finally, consideration is given how a board's leadership is critical to healthy “meeting life” experienced by a board and its members.
Larry Perkins, PhD, has taught biblical studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels since 1978. He has served as President of Northwest Baptist Seminary (2000-2010), Dean of ACTS (1995-2004), and is one of the founding members of the Institute for Septuagint Studies at Trinity Western University.
Spiritual Leadership in Community
How would you describe the environment of the board or team that you’re a part of? Who are you becoming as you serve on this team? What kind of environment are you and your teammates building and how is it shaping the people around you? This workshop focuses on the importance of character and relationships within a leadership community. We consider what contributes to creating safe environments where leaders can flourish. We also identify how a board or team can build strong relationships with their larger congregation or organization.
Daniel Beutler, DMin, is a life-long learner who was born and raised in Switzerland. Daniel is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is passionate about coaching and equipping leaders and churches to discern their next steps towards God’s desires and purposes.
Moving from Maintenance to Visionary Thinking and Strategic Implementation
Most major change initiatives fail or simply fade over time. How can we discern God’s plans for our ministry? What can we do to make sure that we execute those plans well so they persist over time? In this session, we will look at eight proven steps for leading change. The desired outcome is for participants to develop a higher capacity to help their boards and other ministry teams discern God’s leading and to implement plans that persist over time. You can see a free video overview of the Eight Steps to Lead Change.
Randy Wollf, PhD, is the founder of MinistryLift and Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies at MB Seminary (Langley campus). Randy served for 20 years as a pastor, church planter, and missionary and has also served on several ministry boards in multiple roles.
Models of Church Governance and How to Adjust Your Approach as Your Church Changes
Ever wonder if your church’s governance system is more hindrance than help in accomplishing Jesus’ mission? In this workshop we explore what it takes to create a church governance model that facilitates Jesus’ mission for the church.
Ron Toews, DMin, has pastored, taught at MB Seminary, served as ACTS interim principal, and worked in leadership development with the BCMB Conference and Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Managing Finances Well: Best Practices for Ministry Boards
Every board has reporting obligations—to their members and to the government—and every board is tasked with the responsibility of managing the finances of their organization. This reality requires board members to understand their personal and corporate responsibilities and how this intersects their role as an overseer. This session touches on principles, regulations, and necessary steps to help boards develop best financial practices.
John Webber, MA, CGA, is the former Director of Administration and Finance at MB Seminary. His background includes leadership and administrative positions with a trust company and a chartered bank. He has also served in various church and parachurch boards as treasurer and chair.
Making Good Decisions: Discerning God's Will Together Even in the Midst of Conflict
Group discernment can be a challenging task—even when there is unity amongst team members. This session provides a framework for making wise decisions together and how to account for conflict when it arises.
Randy Wollf, PhD, is the founder of MinistryLift and Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies at MB Seminary (Langley campus). Randy served for 20 years as a pastor, church planter, and missionary and has also served on several ministry boards in multiple roles.
Increasing Your Board’s Capacity by Developing Leaders
Developing leaders in the local church is one of, if not the greatest need in churches today. It is also the most rewarding ministry experience any leader can have. Our greatest legacy will be the leaders we have developed. Developing leaders is more than teaching a class, it is sharing life and ministry with those who look to us for mentoring. This session will highlight effective ways that pastors and boards can develop leaders for the current and future needs of the church.
Abe Funk, DMin, has served as a pastor, church planter, and denominational leader in both Canada and the United States, and was one of the leaders who helped develop the ACTS Seminaries in Langley, BC. After 48 years of active ministry, God led him to write and teach on the topic of leadership in local churches (he has published two books on the topic). Abe served 14 years as a district minister and 18 years as the national leader of the Baptist General Conference of Canada.
Scripture uses the metaphors of family and shepherding to describe the work of elders. This session will explore how elders can keep their biblical mandate central while als
Rob Thiessen, MDiv, has served as BC Conference Minister of MB Churches since 2012. He previously served as Pastor of North Langley Community Church for 17 years and Orchard Park Bible Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake for 7 years. o functioning with governance wisdom and effectiveness.
Building a team means the conscious development of community; a sense of togetherness with other members of the team. However, community is not our final goal… communitas is. Communitas is community that is developed in the context of a challenge. It is togetherness with clear vision and goals. Join us as we develop the themes of community and communitas in building strong board teams.
Dan Nicholson, DMin, has provided visionary, pastoral leadership to churches ranging in size from 100 to 1,000. His primary work is in the areas of re-visioning, equipping, mentoring and empowering leaders, facilitating community partnerships, and teaching.
Hiring, Firing, and Leading Through Pastoral Transitions
What role does a leadership board play when a staff person is hired or terminated? How can they facilitate productive staff evaluation processes that focus on future growth and not past weaknesses? How can boards navigate through uncertain waters when their churches go through pastoral transitions? In this training session, Dr. Wollf looks at a number of HR best practices that can strengthen board-staff relationships and increase the effectiveness of the staff leadership team.
Randy Wollf, PhD, is the founder of MinistryLift and Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies at MB Seminary (Langley campus). Randy served for 20 years as a pastor, church planter, and missionary and has also served on several ministry boards in multiple roles.
Purchase the complete set of Building Healthy Boards videos
BLOG ARTICLES
MinistryLift bloggers sometimes write on board governance. Here are some articles that relate to the topic (you might also want to visit www.churchboardchair.ca).
5 Ways to Motivate More Effective Board Meetings - the designed time that board have for meetings is extremely limited, which means that board leaders must plan wisely to derive the most value during these scheduled interactions.
How to Develop Strong Board-Staff Relations - the growth of an organization depends on the strength of the working relationship between its board and staff.
Is Your Team Turning You into a Better Person? - board members contribute toward their team's goals, but they also have an impact on each person.
10 Principles for Discerning God's Will Together - how a group of people can listen to God before nailing down their decision.
8 Steps to Lead Change in Your Church - a modified change framework to use within a ministry setting.
Making Change Stick - a summary of The 4 Disciplines of Execution approach.
Discerning and Implementing Strategic Priorities - a step-by-step process to help you clarify and act upon key priorities.
Don't know your next step? Complete this 3-minute questionnaire to clarify your training need.