The Columbia Partnership

An Overview Article on Will Your Congregation Still Exist Ten Years from Now?

 

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Factors That May Impact Your Survivability, Vitality, and Vibrancy 

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 TFL Dialogue, George Bullard on Will Your Congregation Still Exist

A Travel Free Learning Article, September 22, 2010 Edition

By George Bullard, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership

Voice: 803.622.0923, E-mail: GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

North America has at least 350,000 congregations. Best estimates indicate one percent of these congregations die, close, to belly up each year. In ten years 35,000 congregations will no longer exist. Will your congregation be one of them?

What is the survivability quotient of your congregation?

Leading Transformation

 

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Straub,_Leading_Transformation,_9.27.10_Edition.pdf (28 KB)

A Travel Free Learning Article

 

By Gary Straub, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership

Voice: 502. 320.4336, E-mail: GStraub@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

Some people collect antique post cards or Depression era glass, I collect leadership quotes. One quote by business guru Peter Drucker remains my all-time favorite: “No organization can rise above the level of its leadership.”

As applied to congregational transformation: no congregation can rise above the spiritual leadership level of its pastor and core key leaders. Jesus’ wilderness temptation is a classic description of the dynamics that distract leaders from leading out from their soul. They are threefold: 1. Purloining leadership privileges for personal prerogative. 2. Presuming our own PR protects us from gravity. 3. Arrogation of power.

Ten Commandments for Team Development

 

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Kessler,_Ten_Commandments_for_Team_Development,_9.20.10_Edition.pdf (30 KB)

A Travel Free Learning Article

 

by Ken Kessler, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership

Voice: 804.338.5058, E-mail: KKessler@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

 

My youngest son, Jacob, started high school this year, where he learned the importance of teamwork. His teachers introduced him to several projects he must complete with other students. Jacob shared with me that he is worried about this group work. His experience with group work has not been good to this point in his academic life. His declaration led to a long conversation about how important it is for everyone on the team to do their part.

As I later reflected on our conversation, I realized I need to do a better job of following my own advice. Much of the work I do with congregations and leaders involves teams and groups of people. How often do I try to make sure the people with whom I am working are connected and moving together as a team?

Larry Sykora Joins The Columbia Partnership as a Ministry Colleague

 

Download Larry Sykora Joins the Columbia Partnership, 9.13.10 Edition

Larry Sykora of Cumming, Ga has joined The Columbia Partnership as a Ministry Colleague concentrating on Developing Resources. Larry is now available to assist congregations with capital campaigns, planned giving, and annual giving. He is the fourth new person to connect with the Developing Resources Team this year. 

Larry enjoys “building relationships with people and pastors to guide them and help them reach an understanding of God’s will for them in relation to generosity, and then to act on that understanding.” He believes he can best do this through The Columbia Partnership as a member of the Developing Resources Team led by Ruben Swint, a Ministry Colleague and board member with TCP.

Systemic Evangelism

 

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Preparing Church Members for Evangelism

 

A Travel Free Learning Article

By William T. McConnell, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership

Voice: 513.367.4316, E-mail: BMcConnell@TheColumbiaPatnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

Some Basic Observations

Possibility you, the reader, do not know me. I feel that you need to know that I am not writing on this subject in a vacuum. I have been involved in pastoral ministry for almost 40 years. Every church I have served has grown significantly. (I have the suitable-for-framing certificates to prove it.) I have been involved in evangelism in my denomination within the local, regional and national manifestations of the church. Evangelism has been my passion, and I have studied and pursued it for all of my life. Through my studies and pursuits I have concluded that the key to church growth is found, not in church growth programs, but in church transformation.