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SMALL GROUP LEADER

Manual

CROSSROADS CHURCH 2011 1

INTRODUCTION

This manual is intended to give the leader or coach of a ministry team or small group guidance in the process of achieving excellent group meetings. At CROSSROADS, we consider all groups that gather (i.e. ministry teams, Bible study groups, task force groups, etc) are by definition, small groups. This manual includes the Biblical basis for small group ministries, the philosophical underpinnings for small groups, a plan on how to implement effective small group meetings, and a strategy to insure the group will continue beyond one individual’s leadership.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OrganizationOrganization of the United Methodist Church 3CROSSROADS CHURCH Organization 5CROSSROADS CHURCH Mission and Vision Statement 8CROSSROADS CHURCH Core Values 8

Small Group Philosophy and FunctionSmall Group Philosophy and Biblical Precepts 10Advantages of Small Groups 10Principles of Small Group Discipleship at CROSSROADS CHURCH 13Types of Small Groups 16Guidelines for Small Group Leaders or Coaches 24CHORDS Model for Meetings 26Small Group Membership 27Guidelines for Writing Goals and Objectives for your Small Group 28Decision making by Consensus 29Church Records: Small Group Meetings and Events 30General Description of a Small Group Leader 30General Description of a Small Group Coach 31Growing the Seeds from Your Small Group 32Fostering Members at CROSSROADS CHURCH through Small Gr. Participation33

Office Administrative ProceduresCommunication Guidelines and Procedures 34Building Use and Procedures 34Church Office Procedures 36Equipment Use and Procedures 40Financial Policies and Procedures 41

Six Step Process to Conflict Resolution 44


ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Elements of the organization of the United Methodist Church include a conference system which guarantees basic democratic process. Almost all of the policy decisions are in the hand of the conferences. The chain of conferences represents a chain of representative democracy which permeates and under gird our entire church. A graphic of the organization structure is found following this section.

THE GENERAL CONFERENCE:

1. The supreme legislative body of United Methodism.2. Meets every four years.3. Composed of from six hundred to one thousand delegates, half of who are pastors and half

lay persons.4. The body is international with delegates from Annual conferences in many lands.5. It is the only group which can speak officially for the United Methodist Church.

THE JURISDICTIONAL CONFERENCE:

1. Regional Bodies - five in number in the U.S.2. The principle task is electing bishops.3. Some debate within the church concerning the value of the jurisdictional systems exists.

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE:

1. The basic body of the Church.2. Membership includes pastors and lay members. Lay membership is based on the principle of

representation of each local church.3. Votes on all constitutional amendments, elects delegates to the General Conference, and

determines all matters concerning ordination, character, and conference relationship of ordained and diaconal ministers.

4. Has the power to adopt rules and regulations as long as they are not in conflict with The Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

5. The Conference business consists largely of the various boards and agencies. It also includes election of personnel to the various boards and agencies, and the adoption of the yearly Conference Budget.


THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE: River Valley District – 494 South to Iowa

1. An optional structure utilized in some Annual Conferences.2. The only actual power it has is to vote on issuing certificates of candidacy for ordained

ministry.

THE CHURCH CONFERENCE:

1. A congregational meeting open to every member. (Only those 18 years of age or older may vote on matters of property and personnel.)

2. The primary responsibilities of the Church Conference in the annual meeting is to review and evaluate the total mission and ministry of the church, receive reports and adopt objectives and goals recommended by the Administrative Council.

3. The District Superintendent presides at the meeting of the Church Conference or gives permission to another elder to preside.

THE CHARGE CONFERENCE:

1. A special meeting of all elected officers of the congregation to make decisions on behalf of the congregation between Church Conferences.

2. The purpose of the special session shall be stated in the call, and only such business shall be transacted.

3. Presided over by the District Superintendent or pastors with the District Superintendent’s permission.


CROSSROADS CHURCH ORGANIZATION PLAN

CONGREGATION: Small Groups and Celebration Service

WORSHIP TARGET FOCUS: Believer driven, seeker friendly with elements of healing.

SENIOR PASTOR/ STAFF

SENIOR PASTOR: Pastor Paul J. MarzahnPrimary Responsibilities: Staff Supervision, Staff Relations Team, Adult Discipleship Team, Finance Team, Stewardship Team, Vision Team, Leadership Team, Worship Team, Outreach Ministry Team, and other teams as needed for support.Secondary Responsibilities: Worship Team, Youth Team, Leadership Development, Administration, Teaching, Preaching, Counseling, Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms, Confirmation, Conflict Resolution and Community Ministry. (The Senior Pastor is appointed by the Bishop and all other staff are hired by the local church.)

ASSOCIATE PASTOR: Pastor Deb Marzahn Primary Responsibilities: Campus Pastor for Inver Grove Heights, Children’s Discipleship Team, Inreach Ministry Team, Caring Ministry Team and other teams as needed for support in Lakeville.Secondary Responsibilities: Leadership Development, Administration, Teaching, Preaching, Counseling, Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms, Confirmation, Conflict Resolution and Community Ministry. (Licensed Local Pastor is appointed by the Bishop and affirmed by local church.)

ASSOCIATE PASTOR: Pastor Stephen BorteyPrimary Responsibilities: Lead the Pentecostal Fellowship worship service and work toward developing an ethnic ministry within the CROSSROADS community.

CHILDREN’S DISCIPLESHIP KID’S OWN WORSHIP DIRECTOR: Pam McDonaldPrimary Responsibilities: Oversee the Children’s Leadership Team that coordinates Sunday Morning Kids Own Worship, and nursery, Vacation Bible school, family events, retreats, and fundraisers.

YOUTH DISCIPLESHIP DIRECTOR: Jeremiah LideenPrimary Responsibilities: Oversee the Youth Leadership Team that coordinates Small groups, Confirmation, fellowship activities, service projects, retreats, mission trips and fundraisers.

OFFICE DIRECTOR/ FINANCE DIRECTOR: Chris KoherPrimary person responsible for database management of the church, including membership, visitors, emails. Oversee office management and assist Pastor Paul with special projects. Primary person responsible for e-newsletter, bulletin, Web calendar and other church communication, and oversee office volunteers.Secondary Responsibilities: Write checks and oversee finance work area.


FACILITIES DIRECTOR: Brett Holland – Lakeville CampusPrimary Responsibilities: Oversees the Trustee Ministry area and building and property maintenance, coordinates building and property use.

FACILITIES DIRECTOR: Jeff Shaw – Inver Grove Heights CampusPrimary Responsibilities: Oversees the Trustee Work Team and is in charge of building maintenance. Coordinates property use in cooperation with Pastor Deb Marzahn.

WORSHIP DIRECTOR / TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR: Shawn VaughanPrimary Responsibilities: Oversees the Worship Leadership Team to plan worship including technology, video and PowerPoint, drama, and special music for Sunday morning 9:00a and 10:30a worship services. Secondary Responsibilities: Oversees the Technology needs of the church and works primarily with the Trustees to coordinate staff needs and ministry team needs.- Technical support for Worship and Discipleship work areas regarding technology needs.

WEDDING DIRECTORS: Donna LaBeau & Bethany LempolaPrimary Responsibilities: Scheduling of weddings, wedding preparation and communication and assistance to Pastors in regards to wedding responsibilities.

INTERNS: Interns receive scholarships to their schools in exchange for ministry experience. Interns can serve in any work area of the church. Interns are supervised by and area director and Pastor Paul. LEADERSHIP & STAFF - MODEL, MENTOR AND MAINSTAY

- All Staff/Leaders are expected to Model and promote the Mission, Vision and Values of the church.

- All Staff/Leader are expected to Mentor and equip other leaders within their work area.- All Staff/Leaders are expected to be a Mainstay to the Pastor and be an extension of his

ministry.- All staff members have a church e-mail. It is the first letter of the first name and their full last name and then @crossroadchurch.org. For example,

[email protected] Signed Leadership Covenant – Leaders will sign a covenant agreeing to be a model,

mentor and mainstay to the pastor. (See Addendum 1 - Leadership Covenant)

LEADERSHIP TEAM - all volunteer leaders work alongside Senior Pastor and staff to support them in their ministry. - Focuses on the Direction and Vision - They answer the “What”, “Why” and “Who” questions, and oversees the budget.

STAFF - Focuses on Managing - Focuses on How and When questions. Day to Day details of ministry. Oversees how the budget is followed and money is spent.



ShariWassell,At LargeMember

Lori Fearnside,Leadership

Team Secretary

GigiSiekkinen,Leadership

Team Chair

ChrisRoe,

AdministrationCoordinator

Phil Emerson, Youth

Director

OPEN,At LargeMember

Paul Marzahn,Sr. Pastor

STAFF

VISIONTEAM

LEADERSHIPTEAM

RuthZeller,

WorshipCoordinator

JeanieAnderson,OutReach

Coordinator

DebMarzahn,InReach

Coordinator

DebVeness,

Children’sCoordinator

RobWassell,Youth

Coordinator

DavidMitchell,

Staff RelationsCoordinator

TyStewart,WorshipDirectorStephanie

Olson,Children’sMusic Intern

GordonDeuel,

FacilitiesDirector

DiAnna Olson/

Teresa Fults,WeddingDirector

“From Him the whole

body, joined and

held together by every

supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each

part does it

work”

Ephesians 4:16

JessicaPeterson,

AdultCoordinator

ShariWassell,At LargeMember

Lori Fearnside,Leadership

Team Secretary

GigiSiekkinen,Leadership

Team Chair

ChrisRoe,

AdministrationCoordinator

Phil Emerson, Youth

Director

OPEN,At LargeMember

Paul Marzahn,Sr. Pastor

STAFF

VISIONTEAM

LEADERSHIPTEAM

RuthZeller,

WorshipCoordinator

JeanieAnderson,OutReach

Coordinator

DebMarzahn,InReach

Coordinator

DebVeness,

Children’sCoordinator

RobWassell,Youth

Coordinator

DavidMitchell,

Staff RelationsCoordinator

TyStewart,WorshipDirectorStephanie

Olson,Children’sMusic Intern

GordonDeuel,

FacilitiesDirector

DiAnna Olson/

Teresa Fults,WeddingDirector

“From Him the whole

body, joined and

held together by every

supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each

part does it

work”

Ephesians 4:16

JessicaPeterson,

AdultCoordinator

Becoming a Biblically functioning community of

believers…Reaching out in love &

acceptance so that all may become fully devoted

followers of Jesus Christ.

Staff Relations Director

(Sr. Pastor)

Adult Discipleship

Director

Children’s Discipleship

Director

Worship Director

Technology Director

OutReach Director

InReachDirector

Facilities Director

Youth Discipleship

Director

Finance Director

Finance

TrusteesMemberAt Large

SPR Secretary

ChairSr. Pastor

MemberAt Large

MemberAt Large






(Sr. Pastor)

Adult Discipleship

Director


Director

Worship Director

Technology Director

OutReach Director

InReachDirector

Facilities Director

Youth Discipleship

Director

Finance Director

Finance


SPR Secretary

ChairSr. Pastor

MemberAt Large

MemberAt Large

-GOD-CROSSROADS Church Leadership Team






(Sr. Pastor)

Adult Discipleship

Director


Director

Worship Director

Technology Director

OutReach Director

InReachDirector

Facilities Director

Youth Discipleship

Director

Finance Director

Finance


SPR Secretary

ChairSr. Pastor

MemberAt Large

MemberAt Large

-GOD-CROSSROADS Church Leadership Team

CHURCH STRUCTURE-GOD-

CROSSROADS Church Leadership Team

Pastor Paul Staff Relations Director

Pastor PaulAdult

Discipleship Director

Jeremiah LideenYouth


Chris Koher

Finance Director

Brett HollandFacilities Director

Pastor Deb

InReachDirector

Pastor Paul

OutReach Director Shawn

Vaughan Technology

Director

Shawn VaughanWorship Director

Pastor Deb Children’s


Pastors- Paul, Deb,

Bruce & Stephen

Chair-

Stephanie

Secretary- ChristalMercier

Trustees- Deb

VenessMember- Alyce Flowers

-

Member- Deb Solomonson

Member- Glenn Pickerin

g

SPR-Colleen LaBeau

Finance- Jeff

Clemon





Kids Own Worship Director

INTERNS- Various Work Areas – Primarily Youth

CROSSROADS CHURCH MISSION/VISION STATEMENT

MISSION STATEMENT: “To reach out in love and acceptance so that all may become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.”

VISION: “To become a Biblically functioning community of believers.”

LOGO:“Where FAITH and LIFE meet.”

CORE VALUES: A SPICE JAR

AUTHENTICITY…Galatians 6:1-10; Ephesians 4:25-32; Philippians 2:1-4; Psalm 51To pursue vulnerability and humility so we have genuine relationships with one another and God.*Authenticity involves truth telling and Biblical conflict resolution

SMALL GROUPS…Acts 2:46-47, 5:42, 16:40, 20:20To acknowledge that life change occurs best in a small group of Christian disciples.*Small groups are the church, not a program of the church.

PROCESS…John 13:34-35; I Thessalonians 2:8To measure our success by the process (the way we do ministry) and not just the product (the Ministry programs).*Biblical process emphasizes loving relationships.

INTERDEPENDENCE…Ephesians 4:11-16; 6:18-19; I Corinthians 12; Romans 12:3-9To acknowledge our dependence upon others and the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish our goals.*Every member is a minister.*Families matter to God and to the Church.

COMPASSION… Matthew 9:35-37; Galatians 5:13-14; James 2:14-26To demonstrate compassion by modeling the servant nature of Jesus Christ.*We expect to participate in mission on a local, state, national and global level.

EXCELLENCE…Leviticus 22:20-22; Numbers 18:29-30; Ephesians 6:5-8; Col. 3:17-24To give God our best through intentionality and creativity.*Excellence honors God and inspires people.*Excellence requires ongoing evaluation.JOY…Galatians 5:22-23; Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; Acts 2:46


To experience joy produced by the Holy Spirit through studying God’s Word individually, in small groups, and in the larger community of faith.*Church should be fun and energizing.*True fulfillment comes from God.

ACCEPTANCE…John 8:1-8; John 4:1-26; II Corinthians 6:2-10; Peter 2:2To accept persons where they are and enable them to grow in their faith journey.*To remove barriers in the church that keep people from a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.*Faithful disciples should expect to sacrifice on behalf of persons seeking a faith relationship.

RELEVANCE…I Corinthians 9:19-23; John 4:24; Ephesians 5:15-20To demonstrate the relevance of Jesus Christ where the intellectual and the emotional come together in a revelation of God.*We expect continuous change in methodology.

OUR WORSHIP TARGET: Believer Driven, Seeker Friendly, with Elements of Healing

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT: Believers who seek to become high commitment, faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

FAITH RELATIONSHIP: Persons who are seeking a first time relationship with Jesus Christ.

SPIRITUAL RECOVERY: Persons who have been hurt emotionally or spiritually and are seeking healing.

SIX STEP PROCESS OF EVANGELISM:1. Building bridges with the unchurched.2. Raising and answering spiritual questions.3. Inviting Persons to a CROSSROADS event.4. Participation in a small group.5. Find a meaningful place of Service.6. Become a TEAM member - Time, Evangelism, Abilities, and Money.

SMALL GROUP PHILOSOPHICAL AND BIBLICAL PRECEPTS


SMALL GROUPS ARE BIBLICAL:

Small groups were an integral part of the early church and vital to its life. A conservative estimate of the size of the Jerusalem church alone was 20,000 to 25,000 people. It could have been much larger and so could some of the other churches that were planted later. The early apostles and elders solved this problem by structuring the churches around both large and small groups. Acts 1:1-12, 2:41-42, 2:46-47, 20:20.

Large group meetings were used primarily for three purposes: Evangelism, Preaching, and Teaching. Acts 4:4, 4:42, 3:11, 5:42, 20:20.

Small groups were used for a variety of purposes including: Provision, Communion and Worship, Evangelism, Prayer, and Encouragement. Acts 2:44-45, 2:32-37, 2:45-47, 5:42, 12:12, 16:40.

There is one major, all encompassing purpose for small groups: that transformation of a person’s life occurs through community. Most people assume that life change takes place as the result of the pastor’s preaching ministry in the church. The problem in many churches, however, is that this is either the primary or the only vehicle for implementing change.

The reality is that life change takes place most often as the result of a significant relationship with either an individual or a small number of individuals in community with one another.

The obvious conclusion is that if churches expect their people to grow spiritually and mature in Christ, then they’ll need to provide a variety of ways to facilitate that growth.

THE ADVANTAGES OF SMALL GROUPS:

SMALL GROUPS AREN’T LIMITED BY FACILITIES, BUT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY EXPANDABLE: We can meet just about anywhere and at a wide variety of times. The ministry of small groups is not limited to a Sunday school format which meets in the building, but can utilize neighboring, coffee shops, businesses, and homes. In fact, geographically expandable small groups also facilitate the planting of branch churches.

SMALL GROUPS PROMOTE VITAL, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: It’s difficult for people who meet in large groups to get to know one another. Large group meetings are not designed to facilitate the development of significant personal relationships. Instead they promote corporate evangelism, worship, and teaching. Yet it is the relational element that many church members - believes and seekers alike - need and want. When a limited number of people (ranging from five to twelve) meet together, something is bound to happen because of the size of the group. There’s no guarantee that good interpersonal relationships will develop because they depend in part on the dynamics of the group(s). But, relationships are not likely to happen outside this context under normal circumstances.

SMALL GROUPS ENCOURAGE LAY MINISTY:


Repeatedly and in various ways, Scripture promotes lay ministry in the local church. One way is through the exercise of spiritual gifts. Another is equipping lay people for ministry. A third way is through the priesthood of all believers, the idea that all believers are ministers to one another. I Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4; I Peter 2:9-10;

SMALL GROUPS AREN’T LIMITED BY FINANCES: The cost for operating most churches ranges from minimal to exorbitant depending on the size of the church and its facilities. The rule is simple: the larger the church, the greater the operating expenses. The cost of conducting a small group ministry is minimal if any. The leader is usually a lay person who isn’t paid. Neither are there any vehicles or facility expenses. In fact, it’s possible to conduct small group ministries without incurring any costs whatsoever. In many cases, small groups charge only for supplies (books, for example) or for coffee and doughnuts, or their members pay for these costs themselves on a voluntary basis.

SMALL GROUPS FACILITATE LEADERSHIP TRAINING: One of the reasons why 80 to 85 percent of the churches in America are at a plateau or in decline is a lack of adequate leadership. One solution to this problem is the small group ministry. Small groups can be used as proving grounds and incubators for training new leadership in the church. The best leadership training occurs in actual life.

SMALL GROUPS ARE THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMPLISH MINISTRY: Some churches form committees to perform ministry tasks for the larger body of Christ. While committees can be successful at building community, they are not intentional at building community. We believe that ministry is best accomplished by a small group of disciples working together toward a common goal. By praying, studying God’s Word and fellowshipping with one another more can be accomplished. Small groups that form ministry teams must remember to still focus on discipleship as one of their goals as they meet.

LASTING FRIENDSHIPS ARE FORMED BEST THROUGH SMALL GROUPS: Small groups can provide a place for deep and lasting relationships. A well-balanced small group allows each person to participate in everything from tears, spiritual discussion, fun and prayer. It is the perfect place to be you and trust one another. A small group should become a healthy family!

CARE IS BEST DONE THROUGH A SMALL GROUP OR SMALL GROUP LEADER: A Pastor and staff cannot take care of everyone. In a small group, people learn to care for one another. By sympathetic listening and prayer, a small group can be a place of pastoral care. No one likes to face the pressures of life’s ups and downs alone. A small group is a wonderful place to find friends to talk to and much-needed support during the difficult times.

ASSIMILATION OR CONNECTING TO THE CHURCH HAPPENS BEST IN A SMALL GROUP: Statistics show that unless a new member makes six friends in their first eight weeks at a new church, they probably will not stick around. Small groups are the perfect way to introduce a new member to new friends.


SPIRITUAL GROWTH HAPPENS BEST IN A SMALL GROUP: Our faith was never meant to happen in a vacuum or anonymity. The accountability, confrontation, encouragement and love from other group members bring our spiritual growth into the real world. Jesus can reveal his love and grace in a group of people who accept and inspire one another to grow. For seekers or new Christians, a small group is the perfect place to ask questions and study the basics. Finally, a place where it is O.K. to be spiritual!

EVANGELISM IS A NATURAL BY-PRODUCT OF A HEALTHY SMALL GROUP: Small groups can bring people into the church in a way no other program can. It is easy to invite a friend over to meet other friends and expose them to real people in a real setting. Certain small groups can meet deep-seated needs that the un-churched are experiencing. Many churches have experienced profound numerical growth by using small groups.

RESPONSIVENESS TO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES CAN HAPPEN BEST THROUGH SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION AND SERVICE: Since small groups are so flexible and adaptable, they can respond quickly to the needs of your church. If a need arises, a small group can be developed to respond quickly to that situation. A crisis in a community like a natural disaster can be responded to quickly by assigning small groups certain tasks to accomplish. Ministry needs within the church can also be responded to quickly in the event of a crisis when a small group takes over a ministry task. For example, communion stewards are not recruited but small groups step in and serve last minute.


PRINCIPLES OF SMALL GROUPDISCIPLESHIP AT CROSSROADS CHURCH

There are a relatively small percentage of people who have the gifts to develop their own path to a goal. Many people know what their goals are but need help to establish a path to reach them. This means they need a clear statement of “What is the next step for me?” and a way to keep track of their progress along the way.

Many churches do not understand this and have found that while people might listen to the sermons, they have difficulty applying the truths of the sermon to their lives. At CROSSROADS, Time, Evangelism, Abilities (or place of service), and Money are the foundational values of T.E.A.M. membership. Additionally, personal involvement, discipleship, and community building may be clearly preached, but without a pathway for implementation, these values may not be translated into actions. The lack of action results in a stagnated church.

One of the significant characteristics of CROSSROADS CHURCH is our small group core value. We are firmly convinced that life-change occurs within the context of relationships and that a small group provides the optimal environment for life-change to occur. The small group structure is a decentralized system that releases members to minister with, for and to each other. It provides a strategy through which everyone is cared for, and no one person cares for more than ten people. Small groups are the church in its smallest unit and the vehicle through which ministry is delivered. Without this connection, people can at best attend meetings, but they aren’t truly participating in church.

PRINCIPLES: At CROSSROADS CHURCH, we have established the following basic principles for the mechanics of small group life:

Small groups are made up of 3 – 14 persons.

Small groups meet together at least once a month.

Small groups may meet whenever and wherever the group decides.

Small groups are on-going groups, which incorporate scheduled breaks as needed.

Small groups are open groups-with an “open chair” mentality. They are intended to “grow” people and add unconnected people. An open chair at every meeting fosters this welcome. It symbolizes God’s presence at the meeting and reminds us that part of every group’s purpose is evangelism.

The goal of CROSSROADS’ small group structure is that all groups expand and multiply themselves. Leaders can be “grown” in each small group. When the original group is too large, the new leader can break away and start a new group.

When a small group grows too large it is often difficult to meet the needs of its members. When this happens the group will need to “birth” a second small group. Success in leadership of small groups is ultimately seen in the viability of its offspring. The goal is not


just to start a new group, but that the new group is healthy and creates life-change. The new group is only considered “viable” if it can “birth” additional groups. In this model, a “Senior Leader” is one who has birthed at least three groups, which in turn have birthed new groups - in other words, a Senior Leader is a grandparent.

An identified Apprentice Leader is required before any new group is chartered or an existing group is “birthed” or reproduced.

Future coaches, leaders and apprentice leaders are found primarily within the existing small groups.

Small group leaders are managed, trained and supported by their coach, who in turn is trained and supported by a staff member. As this model is duplicated and expanded, we will continue to follow the small group model, which is diagrammed on pages 32-34 of this handbook.

Small group coaches meet regularly with their leaders, and their leader’s small group.

Small group leaders participate in submitting monthly written feedback and reports. These notes are based on the notes taken by the group’s recorder and are taken to the group’s coach or the staff person who is the resource for the small group.

Small Group facilitators and leaders are challenged with the task of actively recruiting people to attend their own group.

Sufficient windows of exit are made available to both the group leader and group members. The leader and the group members are free to leave the group. Ways of handling this are discussed on page 24 of this manual.

Small groups will follow the C.H.O.R.D.S. process if they are ministry group that focuses on tasks. You will find a description of the C.H.O.R.D.S. process on page 26 of this manual.

Every Small group is responsible for their own childcare needs.

Components of Small Group


There are four components of a small group: know, grow, care, and share. The type of small group is identified by its focus and the amount of time a small group spends in each of these areas:

1. KNOW (fellowship and support) – This is the time spent learning about your small group members. Some groups have a social time after their Bible study and include snacks. Other groups have planned social events at different times throughout the year, for example, a Christmas party or a movie night. Other ways to share fellowship is to share highs and lows during group time. If this is the main focus of your group, you might have dinner together or play games.

2. GROW (Bible study, worship, and prayer) – Through reading the Bible and prayer we learn more about ourselves, each other, and God’s will for our lives. This is an important aspect of a group. How will your group grow?

3. CARE (ministry, spiritual gifts) – How will your group members reach out to each other and others for Jesus Christ by using their spiritual gifts? For example, someone with the gift of hospitality might make a meal for someone who is ill.

4. SHARE (mission and evangelism) – A natural outcome of faith in Jesus Christ is to serve others. How will your group share the love of Christ with the community or others in the body?

Every small group or ministry team should include elements of each of these 4 components. While a small group may focus on one of the four areas more than the other three it is the CROSSROADS expectation that all groups will be holistic in nature. In other words, Bible Study small groups should still participate in acts of service. Ministry teams should still have prayer and Bible study. Fellowship groups should still open their Bibles and service groups should do their outreach in a context of discipleship. Each group when they form should reflect on the percentages of each of the four components. For example, the Early Morning Men’s addition group is a GROW group. They would be 20% Know/Fellowship, 5% Share/Service, 10% Care/Ministry and 65% Grow/Discipleship.

TYPES OF SMALL GROUPS


KNOW GROUP – FELLOWSHIP GROUP: This group focuses on fellowship or community building activities. They may meet to be a part of softball league or gather to do social dancing. Their main purpose is build relationships but still are encouraged to do discipleship and service.

GROW GROUP - STUDY GROUP: This group involves a variety of ingredients, but emphasizes Bible Study. It is good for those with a deeper desire to study God’s Word.

GROW GROUP – ACCOUNTABLE DISCIPLESHIP GROUP: This group is generally more structured with more specific accountability and spiritual growth goals. It can be designed to meet the specific needs of new Christians or emerging leaders.

GROW GROUP - TOPICAL: This group meets for a specific period of time to meet a specific need or interest such as marriage, family or career.

CARE - MINISTRY OR TASK GROUP: The focus of this group is ministry, but members continue to support and encourage one another. They perform ministry tasks for the church but continue to grow in discipleship, fellowship and service. Examples include the Finance Team, Trustees team, Staff-Relations team, Children, Youth and Adult Discipleship teams, In Reach, Outreach, Technology and other various teams.

SHARE GROUP - SUPPORT GROUP: This group has a high emphasis on individual support, prayer, encouragement, and accountability. Recovery groups like the 12-step groups meet a variety of substance abuse and emotional recovery needs. They are effective for community outreach.

SHARE GROUP – SERVICE GROUP: This group focuses on service as their major purpose of the group. They may gather to adopt a garden at the church or volunteer at “Feed My Starving Children”.

Children’s Ministry Care

Why People Join Small Groups


Here we are, deep within the North American continent, stalking the mysterious small group member. What does this creature look like? How does it behave? What does it enjoy? How do you keep one healthy and alive?

Here are 12 priceless facts that will help you identify this species. This list is adapted from Neal McBride’s How to Lead Small Groups (pp. 57-58). These are only generalizations, but they might help you understand your groups better.

Fact #1: People join groups to satisfy an individual need. Their primary motivation is usually self-centered.Fact #2: A person will join or remain in a home group if he or she finds the group’s goals and activities attractive and rewarding.Fact #3: People prefer to participate in a group where other members are similar in age, attractiveness, attitudes, personality, economic status, perceived ability, and needs. Homogenous groups like this are easier to form, but groups with diverse members (age, lifestyle, gender, race) perform more effectively.Fact #4: Total overall participation in a small group decreases with increasing group size. The larger the group, the less its individual members participate.Fact #5: Group members usually evaluate smaller groups more positively than larger ones.Fact #6: The smaller the group, the greater the feasibility of shared leadership. Increasing group size increases the probability of a focused leader rather than shared leadership.Fact #7: The physical setting where the group meets affects the members’ attitudes and actions, which, in turn, affects the group process. The meeting place will positively or negatively influence members’ participation in the group.Fact #8: An individual group member’s level of social and psychological adjustment directly affects the group process.Fact #9: How long a group member has been a Christian does not affect the success of the group process.Fact #10: Members are more highly motivated and perform more efficiently when the group possesses clear goals and an understanding of what must be done to accomplish the goals. Knowing why and how the group exists stimulates higher levels of participation.Fact #11: Shared ownership of specific goals builds positive interaction in the group.Fact #12: Group performance is enhanced when the group can openly discuss their feelings of satisfaction with the group’s progress toward their goals.

Can you think of any other facts about potential small group members at your church?


HOW DO I START A GROUP?

“You only get one beginning, so you better make it a good one.” This saying is especially true for small groups. As a small group leader, you need to know how to start a small group.

Getting Ready to Start a Small Group:You will not be expected to start a group until you are ready. Here is a list of steps each group leader needs to complete before they actually start a group.

FIRST - Pray, pray, pray. Each small group leader needs to pray intently about leading a group, knowing that God cares very much about their desire to serve Him.

SECOND - Each small group leader should review any unfamiliar material from their training sessions. It is important that each group leader has a working knowledge of the training material.

THIRD - Plan a meeting with the small group coordinator. This meeting will address several issues. How do you feel about leading a group right now? When is a good time for you to begin leading a group? What kind to group would you like to lead? Which day/time would you be able to lead your group?

FOURTH - Each small group leader needs an assistant or apprentice leader. This will give the new leader more confidence, and will prepare someone to lead the group when it’s time to multiply. The new leader will also need a host home. Hopefully, one of the group members will offer their home for the group meeting.

FIFTH - The group leader and apprentice leader need to begin putting together a prospect list. Potential group members might be friends, acquaintances, persons from church, neighbors or co-workers. Where prospective group members come from depends greatly on the type of group which is being offered. This list of potential members might be supplemented by the small group director (with names gathered from needs assessment surveys, for example).

SIXTH - Group leaders should begin contacting potential group members. Usually an informal telephone call is sufficient. This will help the leader know a little bit about each person which is helpful when introducing new group members to one another. A reminder card sent to potential group members is a good idea. Also, some churches do not publicize the location of certain groups, in order to protect the anonymity of group members. In this case, potential group members need to be told where the group will meet.

SEVENTH - The group leader will need recommendations for the material to use in their meetings.


GROUP COVENANTS (SAMPLE)

LIGHT A CANDLE: We light a candle to remind group members that we are a Christian group and the light of Christ is present with us.

EMPTY CHAIR: We provide and empty chair in the group to remind us that the group is always open to new persons joining. The chair can also remind us when someone is missing in the group to pray for that person.

REGULAR ATTENDANCE: We agree to attend every meeting, unless there is a genuine emergency. We will contact another member to explain why we cannot attend. We will share our high and low with the group leader when we cannot attend so others can pray for me.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Nothing that is said or done in this group is ever discussed outside it, without the permission of those involved.

SELF-FOCUS: We are here to work on ourselves, not on others. We share our own experience, insights and feelings. We will not judge, advise, analyze or “fix” others. Each of us is free to find our own answers.

LET GOD WORK: We do not preach at members of this group.

LIMIT SHARING: We are considerate of the need for all to share and limit our own sharing time.

ALLOW FEELINGS: We do not touch, hug, or pass tissues without being asked or asking permission. We avoid minimizing hurts. We don’t explain them away or ignore them.

NO GRAPHIC DETAILS: We do not give unnecessary details about our struggles. These might act as “triggers” for others.

LISTEN: We avoid cross-talk and give each person who shares our undivided attention.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: When uncomfortable with anything in this group, we deal with it ourselves, instead of expecting others to rescue us.

STAY ON THE SUBJECT: We avoid discussions and debates about controversial topics and outside issues.

CONSIDER OTHERS: We guard against offending one another; if someone offends us, we work it out directly with him/her.

RESOLVE PROBLEMS: If we want to leave the group prematurely, we discuss reasons with the rest of the group. We follow the church Mathew 18 process of resolving conflicts.


BEFORE YOUR FIRST MEETING

Being ready for your first meeting is important, but not difficult. The following steps should be completed before your first meeting:

Make sure you have an accurate list of who will be attending your first meeting. As people call, remember the pertinent information about them. This way you will know how many people will show up and what their names are.

The leader should show up early and go over the details with the host and/or hostess of the group. Discuss the Host/Hostess job description. (This is available from your small group director.) Make sure the meeting area is set up properly and the leader can make eye contact with each group member. If the leader plans on using foursomes during the meeting, this space should be identified. The leader also needs to make sure the meeting area is free from distractions. Refreshments are a good idea for the first meeting.

There must be enough booklets. It is usually a good idea for the group members to buy their own materials. This way they are less likely to lose them and they have made a small investment in the group. Have a few extra Bibles available. Pencils might also be a good idea. Also, nametags would be helpful during the first few meetings.

The leader needs to be prepared to lead the meeting. Does the leader have a meeting agenda? Has the leader familiarized themselves with the get-to- know one another activity, the Bible study, Prayer, and Highs and Lows? If the group is going to discuss the group covenant, does everyone have a copy? Each leader needs to know that their new group members will feel most comfortable if the first few meetings are well planned.

The leader needs to be prepared to greet everyone and introduce everyone in their group. In addition to the Ice-Breaker in the material they are using, the leader may wish to go around and ask everyone to say his or her name, occupation, and family information.

The leader also needs to make sure childcare arrangements have been made and everyone is aware of these arrangements.

After the meeting , the leaders should contact each person and tell him/her that they were glad he/she attended the meeting.

The leader needs to explain why there is an empty chair sitting in the circle. Reminding the group that there are other people who need what the group has to offer. Pull an empty chair in the group and in closing prayer time, consciously pray that God will fill the chair with the person that he wants to come to the next meeting. The empty chair will be a constant reminder that your group is “open” to others.

Every group should have a lit candle to remind them of the presence of Christ.


WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS

When someone new joins a group, it is important that they feel as comfortable with the group as the rest of the members. This is especially true if the rest of the group has already been meeting together. Simply being aware of how a new person might feel is the first step toward making them feel at home. The group should strive together to make the person feel welcome. Here are some suggestions that will facilitate this process:

FIRST - As the “organizer” of a small group, the leader would be the contact person for new group members. Therefore, the leader can do a great deal to introduce new persons to the group. This can best be done by the leader informally “interviewing” the new person in the presence of the group or telling the group basic information about the new person, such as their name and how they found out about the group.

Some small group programs ask potential members to fill out an information sheet. These questionnaires avoid overly intrusive questions. They are designed to help a group leader learn basic information about a potential member. With this information in hand, the leader knows who is coming and how to introduce them properly.

SECOND - The new member will need to be told about the Group Covenant. This will help the new person get “up to speed” with the direction the group is headed.

THIRD - The new member will probably need to be given about ten minutes when the entire group is together to tell his/her story. This can be done in a variety of ways, but care must be taken not to put the new person “on the spot” or make them feel too uncomfortable. It might be a good idea to first let everyone else in the group tell a little bit about themselves. Don’t forget that it will take a new group member some time to settle into the familiarity and intimacy that the rest of the group has already developed.

FOURTH - The group might consider waiting to bring new members into the group when they are renegotiating their covenant. This depends how far along the group is in their covenant period when news of a new member is shared.

FIFTH - The group should be reminded that the newcomer does not have to join the group, even after they have visited the group. If the person does not decide to join the group, the other members should not be overly concerned; it was probably not a good match.


WHEN GROUPS END

It’s a sad scene. It is raining in the cemetery. A group of people wearing black is standing around a large hole in the ground. A minister drones on somberly. Finally a few people throw some dirt in the grave and slowly walk away. After everyone has left you walk toward the tombstone. You read the engraving and don’t know whether to laugh or cry:

“Here lies a small group that died and didn’t know it.”

WHY DO GROUPS END?

Consider this list explaining why groups end. (This is adapted from Neal McBride’s How to Lead Small Groups.)

THE STATED LENGTH OF TIME EXPIRES - This is an ideal reason for a group disbanding, especially those groups that began with a clearly defined time span included in the group covenant.

THE TASK IS ACCOMPLISHED - Rarely is the “task” completed in Relationship Groups or Need-based Groups. The ending of content- or task-oriented groups, on the other hand, makes sense when the task is done.

THE GROUP EXPLODES IN CONFLICT - When this happens, it is bad news. If conflict does occur, it happens fairly early in the life of the group.

A COVENANT HAS NOT BEEN SECURED - Lacking group norms, the attendance and behavior of the group members disintegrates to the point where all agree that continuing is fruitless.

A CONSCIOUS DECISION IS MADE TO TERMINATE - This is a logical choice on the part of the group members. Schedule conflicts, members moving out of town, the desire to try something new, or reformation of the group are all examples of reasons why groups might choose to terminate.

GROUP LEADERSHIP IS NOT SUFFICIENT OR PROPERLY MATCHED TO THE AGENDA OF THE GROUP -This is hard on us as leaders. Yet, at times, we may be in over our heads. Task-, need-, and content-oriented groups are susceptible to leadership failure. Process-oriented groups are as well, but because of their very nature, they tend to be more forgiving of improperly designated leaders.


WHEN A MEMBER(S) LEAVES THE GROUP

There may come a time when a member(s) will leave a small group. This can happen for many reasons. Some of these reasons include: the group no longer meets their needs, a change in interests, a move to another town or state, or a conflict within the group that could not be resolved. Whatever the reason, it is important that the group leader do everything possible to allow the member(s) to leave on positive terms. Some small groups write into their covenant that they will have a party whenever someone leaves to celebrate and affirm them. It allows all members to address the transition. Some celebration ideas include:

*Having a social gathering with special treats.

*Having members write notes to the person(s) leaving ahead of time to be given to them at the celebration.

*Verbally sharing affirmations with the person(s) at the celebration.

*Putting a piece of paper on the person’s back and writing notes or affirmations to take with them.

*Writing on or decorating a T-shirt for the person(s) leaving.

* Give them a gift letting they know that s/he we appreciated.

* Encourage them to find another small group to stay connected.


LEADERSHIP GUIDELINES FOR MINISTRY SMALL GROUPS

SETTING MEETING TIMES: It is up to the leader or coach to set the first meeting of the group. At the first meeting, reach a consensus on an acceptable time and meeting place for all the members of the group. Please notify the Office Director with your time and location or contact the Discipleship Coordinator to ensure the information is correctly entered onto the church calendar. Meet only as often as necessary to accomplish the job, when there is work that a group can do better than an individual. Do not just meet because it is Tuesday.

ORIENTATION OF NEW MEMBERS: Please spend some time at your meetings to help new members become familiar with the group and its function. If you do not want to spend meeting time for orientation, be sure to invite new members 15 minutes early, so you can do it then.

NOTEBOOKS/FOLDERS FOR MEMBERS: Establish early on a way to keep notes for your group. Try to have a folder or notebook available to new members for their first meeting. The contents of the folders are as individual as the group’s purpose, but they should give a group member a sense of the history of the group, purpose and goals for the future.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS: The description is meant to help the group or shared ministry team to make possible the specific recruitment of individuals based upon his or her gifts and passions. Job descriptions help define the purpose of your group. They give the volunteer a true sense of what will be expected of him or her. And it leaves a record for the next group leader - so s/he does not need to “reinvent the wheel”. The job of the shared ministry coordinator is to find volunteers that will fit your job description!

RECORDS OF YOUR MEETING: Please take the time to take notes at your meetings and to give a copy to the church office. Use the CHORDS model and minute taking will not become burdensome. Create our Church’s history as we work through it.

CREATING CHECKLISTS: Some small groups will find it helpful to create a checklist for a project or goal that needs to be completed. The checklist includes what needs to be done and when, and provides a way to track what other volunteers are doing to help the group reach the overall goal. If someone is having trouble meeting a part of the checklist, it will be apparent sooner - so assistance can be given before frustration sets in and we loose sight of what we want to accomplish.

MINISTRY SMALL GROUPS


ROLE OF A TEAM LEADER - Not every small group will have a staff member that can come to its meetings. However, you should have a staff member assigned to your group who can act as a liaison, provide encouragement and support, and interpret the church’s ministry and needs.

RESOURCES: Your staff member can help you with resources in your area of interest.

LEADERSHIP MAIL: There are mail slots located in the church office box for each staff person and ministry area. If you require one for your group, please contact the office and one will be assigned. The mail slots should be checked at least once a week. E-mail is the primary form of communication when possible.

LOCATION OF FORMS: The various forms you will need are located in the church office mail slots and can also be requested by e-mail.

COORDINATED E-MAILINGS: Our Annual Conference sends us information 10 times each year. The information will be given to the ministry area or small group that is indicated.

DEDICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM LEADERS: We hope your service as a leader at CROSSROADS CHURCH will be a part of your spiritual journey. At the beginning of each year we plan to dedicate our leaders and coaches during the Sunday worship service.

UNDERSTAND THE SMALL GROUP’S PURPOSE: If the purpose of the group is not clear or convincing, ask. It may in fact, need revising.

PLAN THE AGENDA enough in advance to allow it to allow it to be mailed to group members before the meeting when an agenda is required. Encourage members to be prepared; their time is better spent this way.

DURING THE MEETING allow sufficient time to discuss important issues. Outline alternatives and implications. Members want to participate.

ABSENTEEISM: If you miss a meeting, take the initiative to select and orient a replacement. Poorly led meetings discourage members and seldom accomplish much.

YOU MANAGE PROCESS AS A FACILITATOR, LISTENER: Encourage participation of all members, drawing out quiet ones and tactfully limiting participation of those who tend to dominate. Hold your opinion until others have expressed theirs. Learn and practice these skills; they are difficult, but possible.

FOSTER FUN: Work is more effective when produced by people happily collaborating. Keep the energy high and positive.


CHORDS METHOD FOR MEETINGS CROSSROADS CHURCH has adopted the CORDS method for meetings and other small group activities. These six elements can help meetings to be truly healthy experiences in the Body of Christ. This method is used primarily for ministry teams but can also be used for business portions of a discipleship small group.

C-THE CONVENER is in charge of the meeting. That’s right, in charge - responsible for the conduct of the meeting. This entails such things as getting started and ending on time, keeping folks from fighting dirty with each other, and insisting that folks stay on the subject and not dominate the conversation. The convener is also responsible for setting the stage for clear decision making, assigning persons to definitive tasks and setting dates for task accomplishment. This is generally the leader or coach of the small group.

H- HUMOR - Each meeting a person is assigned to provide an appropriate humorous joke, story or video. Our Core Value of joy reminds to celebrate God’s joy in our groups.

O-THE OBSERVER reflects on what happens during the meeting. A person is assigned prior to or at the start of each meeting to be attentive to what is going on in the group during the meeting. At the close, the Observer has a couple of minutes to tell their view of what was going on in the group - s/he evaluates the process of the meeting. This helps a group to become more aware of the dynamics of their life together. Also, the Observer has a new appreciation of helping meetings to be useful.Where did I see God at work in this meeting? Where did we affirm one another in this meeting?

R - THE RECORDER keeps written minutes of the meeting. There is a special need to have a record of decisions and “who” is going to get “what” done. The ongoing impact of any meeting rests in the hands of the Recorder. This is not a task for a reluctant person - being a Recorder is an important and honored position. Feel free to rotate this and all positions, among group members, so it does not become burdensome for one person. Minutes need to be saved to the church server immediately following meetings.

D - THE DEVOTER sets the spiritual tone for the meeting. In the church every meeting is a spiritual meeting. Try to use scripture every time because scripture reminds everyone present that this meeting is part of a much greater cause - God’s work in the world through the Gospel of Jesus.

S - THE STEWARD comes early and makes sure the space is set up. This may mean turning on lights, setting up chairs, and bringing snacks. At the end of the meeting, the Steward will make sure the room is left in better condition as well as turning out the lights and locking the doors. Some small groups may choose to have the steward bring snacks.

FTGOTO – FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER – Each meeting ends with everyone having an opportunity to share information with the group that will be beneficial to know.

SMALL GROUP MEMBERSHIPCROSSROADS CHURCH 2011 26

All small group members should be invited to a small group through personal invitation or by recommendation of a staff member. The Staff work hard to utilize the gifts and talents of the CROSSROADS membership in a way that fosters spiritual growth for all our small group members.

1. The Adult Discipleship Director or Senior Pastor will assign a coach to your small group. The list of coaches will be available to you each quarter. Throughout the year please feel free to contact this person whenever there are any concerns or changes. We welcome ideas or suggestions that would help us better serve the needs of your small group.

2. Invariably throughout the year changes need to be made in small groups. Whenever individuals are confirmed by the Shared Ministry Team, you will be notified to add him or her to your list of members in your small group. It is essential that you or someone in your group call the new member and give him or her a personal invitation to your next meeting and help them feel a welcome part of your small group.

3. If there are persons you would like in your ministry small group, please notify the Shared Ministry Coach. If appropriate, shared ministry will send them a letter of call to be part of your team.

4. We hope that members of your small group will be active participants. Please contact members of your group either by phone or mail if they are not attending meetings. Determine their willingness to remain in the group. Perhaps the meeting time is not good for them or they have decided that their gifts for ministry might be more useful in another small group. If either is the case please inform your Shared Ministry Coach of the conversation. A form to take attendance in your small group is attached.

5. Whenever there are any resignations, withdrawals, or any other changes in your ministry small group, please contact your Shared Ministries Coach. If there are any changes in your discipleship small group, please contact the Adult Discipleship Coordinator.


GUIDELINES FOR WRITING GOALS ANDOBJECTIVES FOR MINISTRY TEAMS

Goals and objectives can be of great value, provided you follow a few simple guidelines for the proper writing and use of them. The following is offered to help you in writing effective goals or objectives for your small group. Please note that not all small groups need to have elaborate written goals, but task-oriented groups benefit most by them.

Goals tell us where we want to be at the end of a project. They are the target we set our sights on. Objectives are the pieces that get us to the goal. Goals are the “ends.” Objectives are the “means.”

To establish a goal, make it “SMART.”

S - SPECIFIC: Your goal must be specific. It can’t be fuzzy or out of focus. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you ever know if you get there? “We need new classrooms” is not a specific goal - “We need three new classrooms in the next two years” is a specific goal.

M - MEASURABLE: Your goal must be measurable. It must be finite enough to be measured. Quality measurements tend to be vague for trying to quantify. Instead of, “we need better attendance” use “we want to improve attendance to 85% at small group meetings.”

A - AGREEABLE: There must be agreement about the goal. Usually this is done between the writer of the goal and the small group who will use the goal. Agreement should be reached through consensus where ever possible.

R - REALISTIC: Goals must be achievable. Too many times people build failure into their goals by creating goals they have no control over achieving. Factor into the goal the amount of control you have over the actions required to achieve it. Instead of, “we will multiply our small group five times by November,” you could say “We will have ten persons in our small group by November.”

T - TIME FRAMED OR TRACKABLE: It’s important that any goal be trackable, that is, that you are able to determine how well you are doing time-wise and dollar-wise. Many goals are written on an annual or fiscal basis and the framework for measurement is implied. The recommendation is for writing it down even if implied; then there is no question.

Consider the following when setting goals:

1. Be sure to write goals for key performance areas. Instead of 15 goals, boil them down to only the key ones - four or five. The measurement and tracking of 15 goals will take up too much time and effort.

2. Keep goal areas in balance. Your goals may have an affect on someone else’s. It is important that you consider how the goals interact.


3. Involve other stakeholders in the development of goals that affect them. Don’t force goals down anyone’s throat, especially if those people are required to accomplish the results. It’s a matter of “ownership” in the outcome. Remember: “people don’t wash rental cars.”

4. Follow-up. Once the goals are set pay attention to the progress. You can’t wait until the end of the journey to find out how far you missed the target. Can you imagine an airline pilot only checking his/her compass at the end of the three-hour flight? Who knows where they would be?

DECISION MAKING BY CONCENSUS

Most of the decisions made by small groups at CROSSROADS CHURCH can be made through consensus. Consensus is a decision process that makes full use of available resources and resolves conflicts creatively. Consensus is sometimes difficult to reach; so not every group decision can be made this way. Complete unanimity is not the goal - it is rarely achieved. But each individual should be able to accept the group’s decision on the basis of logic and feasibility. When all group members feel this way a consensus has been reached and the judgment may be entered as the group’s decision. The following are some guidelines to achieve consensus:

1. Avoid arguing for your position. Present your position as lucidly and logically as possible, but listen to the other members’ reactions and consider them carefully.

2. Do not assume that someone must win and someone must lose when discussions reach a stalemate. Instead, look for the next most acceptable alternative for all parties.

3. Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict. When agreement seems to come too quickly and easily, be suspicious. Explore the reasons and be sure everyone accepts the solution for basically similar or complimentary reasons. Yield only to positions that have objective and logically sound foundations.

4. Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as voting, averaging, and bargaining. When a dissenting member finally agrees, don’t feel you must reward them by allowing them to “win” on some later point.

5. Differences of opinion are natural and expected. Seek them out and try to involve everyone in the decision process. Disagreements can help the group’s decision because with a wide range of information and opinions, there is a greater chance that the group will hit upon a more adequate solution.

CHURCH RECORDS: MINISTRY TEAM MEETINGS


1. A copy of each meeting’s minutes should be saved by the recorder in the office or e-mail them to the church office ([email protected]) so they can be filed. These are important historical documents. Persons are welcome to browse through the past files. Virtual Private Network or VPN can also be used offsite. You may request to have VPN access through the Technology Director.

2. You are encouraged to file other historical information in the church files rather than keeping material in your home files.

3. An event planning form is attached at the end of this manual. For larger events please an event summary form to assist in planning future events. The forms are also available online.

4. If you are planning an event or project, you can check in the files for information about a similar event done previously.

A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF A SMALL GROUP LEADER

A small group leader serves and encourages a growing group of people who enjoy being together, so that the leader and the entire group may become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. A leader walks with God and takes responsibility to love and influence people so they may continue each of their spiritual journeys.

A small group leader facilitates healthy small groups by using the following essential ingredients:

TEACHING = learning and applying God’s word FELLOWSHIP = building supportive and mutually accountable relationships WORSHIP = praising God for who He is and what He has done PRAYER = listening to and sharing intimately with God; interceding for others and God’s

work in the world POWER = experiencing the filling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit MINISTRY = using spiritual gifts and loving each other in practical ways to meet needs EVANGELISM = impacting our society and sharing the Good News so that people become

fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ Provides pastoral care to all members of your group and their family as appropriate Prays for all the people in the small group each week Listens to the Holy Spirit on how He wants to work in and through the people in your group.

The small group leader needs to ask, “How does the Holy Spirit want to release the unique gifts of people in this group?”

Trains an apprentice leader who will branch off to begin his or her own small group Is faithfully involved in the Monthly Servant Community Gathering.


A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF A SMALL GROUP COACH

A Small Group Coach is responsible for five to seven small group leaders, their apprentice leaders and their ministry area. This includes effective maintenance of the small group, pastoral care of their members, group growth and reproduction as well as the leader’s personal spiritual lives.

A Small Group Coach facilitates small group effectiveness by: Helping care-group leaders formulate goals and plans; monitoring the implementation

process and encouraging and affirming small group effectiveness and growth. Attending each small group every third to sixth meeting and personally reviewing the

meeting with the leader. Helping leaders discern group and individual needs. Asking probing questions to enable the

leaders to identify priorities and determine the next steps to be taken. Guiding leaders to facilitate the use of spiritual gifts. Building T.E.A.M. spirit through Leadership/Servant Community meetings and prayer times

together.

A Small Group Coach shepherds small group leaders by: Praying consistently for each leader. Spending extended time in prayer to determine

Leadership/Servant Community Huddle agenda. Building personal relationships with every small group leader the coach supervises. Making

regular contacts outside the Leadership/Servant Community setting. Offering personal encouragement and/or guidance to each leader.

Planning periodic planning times with the coach’s small group leaders at least quarterly. Following up with small group leaders who miss Leadership/Servant Community meetings,

so they receive the training and complete their assignments on time.

A Small Group Coach cultivates apprentice leaders by: Helping small group leaders identify and invest in potential leaders. Meeting with potential small group leaders and giving vision for future ministry possibilities. Inviting them to small group leader’s orientation meetings. Identifying with the small groups those with gifts and/or burdens for target - group

ministries. Multiplying ones self by developing others who can serve as leaders.


GROWING THE SEEDS FROM YOUR SMALL GROUP

MOTIVATING NEW LEADERS: You can motivate people to become future leaders, apprentice leaders now, or “feed” current leaders by doing the following: lead by example, reaffirm core values, picture the future, communicate confidence in their abilities, and give consistent encouragement.

FINDING NEW LEADERS: You can find new leaders by looking for people who have a searching mind, a humble heart, an evident spiritual gift, are faithful, and by contacting a staff member by phone or e-mail.

RECRUITING NEW LEADERS: You can recruit new leaders by telling them about the benefits of the small group, giving vision for their potential, sharing your commitment to their development, providing a special assignment, letting them pray about the opportunity, orienting new recruits and involving them.

MENTORING NEW LEADERS: You can mentor new leaders by: Demonstrating your commitment to their development. Set up a specific time to meet regularly to discuss growth goals. Encouraging risk-taking by giving leaders the freedom to fail. Celebrating small “wins”. Regularly observing your leaders in action. Providing special care and attention at crisis points. Helping leaders plan effectively. Finding out how they are doing personally. Determining the progress on current projects. Giving encouragement for positive achievement. Discovering current needs and/or priorities. Asking appropriate questions to clarify next steps. Agreeing upon and writing down specific assignments. Praying with and for your leaders.

Remember people learn: by seeing an effective model; when they sense a need to learn; and through personal involvement. People build character as they grow. Check out - 1 Timothy 3; Galatians 5; Matthew 5 (Beatitudes). People develop skills by meditating on God’s Word, coaching leaders, building redemptive relationships, managing time and money, listening and communicating, and by effective prayer.


FOSTERING MEMBERSHIP AT CROSSROADS CHURCH THROUGH SMALL GROUP PARTICIPATION

As small group leaders, new people attending CROSSROADS will look to you to learn more about membership at CROSSROADS. In a way, you will become their sponsor or sojourner on their journey. Since few people are able to develop their own “road-map” to becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, CROSSROADS has adopted T.E.A.M. Membership as a pathway. T.E.A.M stands for:

T = TIMEE = EVANGELISMA = ABILITY (SERVICE)M = MONEY, TITHING

As a small group leader you will need to understand the component parts of T.E.A.M. membership and be able to explain them in a manner that includes people and does not put up artificial barriers to membership. Part of your small group LEADERSHIP TRAINING includes a comprehensive discussion of this topic. Becoming a T.E.A.M. member includes a celebration of that person’s commitment to God. It is a point at which we honor an individual’s milestone on his or her spiritual journey and acknowledge that person’s ability to model and lead others to Christ.


COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

BULLETIN SUBMISSION:Any upcoming events or general notices must be submitted to the Office Director by Wednesday a.m. to be included in the Sunday bulletin. If a bulletin insert is required, a rough draft of the insert including detailed information and images should be submitted to the Office Director at least two weeks prior to the date needed. The Office Director/Staff must approve all bulletin inserts. Please understand that requests are included in the bulletin as space allows. The Office Director will oversee printing of inserts.When writing CROSSROAD CHURCH, use all capital letters and Times New Roman Font.

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION:At CROSSROADS, the Newsletter is used as an Outreach Ministry tool. When submitting articles for this publication, review its content for the following information:

WHO? (person or group making the news) WHAT? (meeting, event, action taken) WHEN? (date and time) WHERE? (event or meeting location) WHY? (reason for the meeting, goal or action) HOW? (method used to accomplish goal) HOW MUCH? (costs involved)

Newsletter articles are due by the 1st Monday of the month prior to quarterly publication. Typical publication months are September (Fall Kick Off), December (Advent/Christmas), March/April (Easter – Depending on when Easter falls). The preferred form for all submissions is via e-mail/e-mail attachment. The church e-mail address is [email protected], or email directly to the Office Director. If e-mail is not available make arrangements with the Office Director to use an office computer to write article and submit to the Office Director. Items submitted may be edited to fit the space available. All items are also on a first received, first published basis as space allows. When writing CROSSROAD CHURCH, use all capital letters and Times New Roman Font. (Use the Event Planning Guide as a template)

BROCHURES AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS:The Office Director will assist in layout and printing of brochures related to church events and activities. Please notify this person at least three weeks before the brochure is to be distributed. The ministry area or small group requesting the brochure will need to provide volunteers to help draft, “publish”, print, fold and handle the document. The small group generating the brochure will be responsible for the cost of the paper, printing and mailing. Please follow guidelines listed under newsletters as to information to include in your publication. All brochures and publications are subject to staff approval.

OFFICE USE AND PROCEDURES: If you would like to use office space or make copies for your group, please request it by contacting the office. The Office Director will check the calendar and let you know what is available. Typically copiers are not available on Thursdays due to bulletin printing. Copies may be made on the Konica Minolta 350, (copier on left side of workroom). Each person must leave the office in the condition it was found.

FACILITY AND PROPERTY USE:CROSSROADS CHURCH does allow the use of equipment and space. Please contact the Facilities Director at the church office to make a request. Some equipment may require training before use and other property may not be allowed to leave CROSSROADS. If approved the Facilities Director will place the request on the calendar and notify the inquiring group. CROSSROADS reserves the right to refuse use of space and equipment to any group. For a more detailed explanation please see the Facility and Property Use Policy. See Addendum 2 – Facility Use Request Form


WEEKLY E-DEVOTIONAL – Each week Pastor Paul sends out an e-devotion. If you would like information regarding and upcoming event added to the e-devo you must submit detailed request (please refer to newsletter submissions guidelines as to what to include) to the Office Director by Tuesday of the week prior. The Office Director will take your request to staff meeting and upon staff approval it will be sent to our Web Master, Shari Wassell to include in the E-Devo. All requests may be edited by staff.

WEEKLY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY- CROSSROADS CHURCH emails out weekly Connecting through Service Opportunities. If your ministry area has a need that may benefit from this form of communication discuss with staff overseeing ministry area. If agreed upon submit your detailed request to the Office Director by Monday of the week needed to be sent out. Please follow guidelines listed under newsletters as to information to include in your publication. Staff will review the request, and upon staff approval it will be sent out on Thursday. Keep in mind that we only send out one request per week, so staff will decide what Service Opportunity will take top priority.

VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS – If your group has an event or information that seems appropriate to display as a video announcement during Sunday worship, please contact the staff member overseeing technology no later than 2 weeks in advance to when you would like to see the announcement displayed. Groups are responsible for developing any creative concepts prior to filming and the desired length of any video announcement is 30 seconds to 1 minute. Filming is typically done on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights and any premade video clips or DVD’s that support the announcement should be given to the tech team before filming. Once filmed it is then up to staff discretion whether your announcement will be played during Sunday worship on a weekly basis. On average there will be no more than 3 video announcements per Sunday.

BULLETIN BOARDS – Each ministry team has a bulletin board in either the north or south hallway. E-mail detailed information to staff member overseeing ministry area to approve, edit, print and add to the board.

VIDEO TESTIMONIES – If someone in your small group would like to share their faith story through video for display as a sermon illustration during a CROSSROADS worship service or as a declaration of faith before baptism, please contact the staff member overseeing technology no later than 2 weeks in advance to when you would like to see the video testimony displayed. Persons should be prepared to clearly state their story and having a prepared outline or script can be very helpful. If you have any media such as pictures to be displayed during your story, please bring the digital files with you to filming or email them to the tech team prior to filming. The desired length of a typical video testimony is 3.5 to 5 minutes and the tech team reserves the right to edit for time and content. Once filmed it is up to the speaker and worship team whether the video testimony is then to by played.

SPECIAL OFFERING VIDEOS – If your group is part of coordinating one of our monthly special offerings contact Shawn Vaughan our Worship Director to schedule a time to play the video. If it is a prepared video by a group such as Minnesota Teen Challenge or Operation Christmas Child then 2 weeks is sufficient. One month advanced notice needed to produce an “in-house” announcement.

LOBBY MONITOR SLIDES – The rotating slides in the lobby are changed weekly. Submit to the office your request for a lobby slide and it will be discussed at the weekly staff meeting.

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT – Volunteers are needed in every work area. We want to be respectful that we do not recruit inappropriately by “over-asking” in the church. Some persons can receive multiple invitations to serve and this can be problematic. If your work area has a need please contact the staff member assigned to your work team. They can help come up with a job description and a letter of invitation to send to a potential team recruit. They can assist with sign up sheets, weekly service opportunity and other ways to recruit leaders.


FACEBOOK – If your ministry area has an activity that may benefit from this form of communication discuss with staff overseeing ministry area. If agreed upon submit your detailed request to the Office Director by Monday of the week you would like it posted to Facebook. Please follow guidelines listed under newsletters as to information to include in your request. Staff will review the request, and upon staff approval it will be posted on Facebook.

CANCELLATION OF EVENTS – We do our best at CROSSROADS to not cancel events. If your small group is cancelled please contact group members directly. Also notify the church office so the website and other communication can be updated. If the event is a large group program or event then the staff member in charge of the activity will make a determination with other key leaders whether the program can still be accomplished.

FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENT - No expenditures will be reimbursed without prior consent of the staff person overseeing Ministry Team in whose area the expense was made. A disbursement form is required, complete with attached receipts and a signature from the appropriate staff person. Disbursement forms are available at the church office. Ultimately, each staff person is responsible for his or her area’s budget. Please refer to the Finance Policy and Procedure portion of this manual for instructions for requesting reimbursement.

CHECKS ARE ISSUED – The Check writer pays bills once per week typically on Wednesdays. Checks are signed by the Treasurer on Thursday and mailed out.

STATEMENTS ARE ISSUED – CROSSROADS CHURCH mails out quarterly giving statements that reflect your general fund, building fund and special offering contributions.

DEPOSITS OF MONEY– Two members of the finance team typically count money weekly. If you have money to deposit simply count the money, put in an offering envelope with the account name and number and place in the safe.

CHURCH OFFICE PROCEDURES

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: Church office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday - Thursday. Office is closed on Friday - Staff day off.

CONTACTING STAFF: The best way to contact to contact church staff is by calling the church office or by emailing the staff person directly at their CROSSROADS CHURCH email address. For detailed guidelines refer to: Addendum 3 Contacting the Church and Staff.

CHURCH CALENDAR: The church calendar is available on the CROSSROADS website at www.crossroadschurch.org. From the home page, click the calendar icon at the top of the page to view the current calendar. Ministry Team Leader is responsible for sending any new meetings, meeting changes, special events etc. to the Office Director to update the calendar. Please follow guidelines listed under newsletters as to information to include in your request.

E-MAIL REMINDER OF MEETINGS: To ensure good communication, the group leader, or the person the group designates, should send an e-mail 5-7 days before a meeting occurs noting the time and location of the meeting. It is also helpful to email any minutes or agendas to the group ahead of time to help them prepare for the meeting.

MEETING NOTICES AND MINUTES: Providing and completing meeting notices and minutes is the responsibility of your small group. The group should type up their minutes and mail out any special notices ahead of time. Please request postage, envelopes, etc. at least one week in advance to insure we have the proper supplies available. CROSSROADS CHURCH 2011 36

ORDERING SUPPLIES: The Office Director is responsible for ordering office supplies. Items are reordered prior to the opening of the last package. If you use the end of a package, please leave a note so that item can be reordered. Advanced notice of needs is preferable.

INVOICES: Prior to payment of any invoice, a disbursement form is required. Disbursement forms are found in the “Disbursement Request Form” mail slot in the church office. Place completed form and place in the staff mailbox of appropriate ministry area, to be approved and signed off on. The staff member will then pass the request on to have a check written. Checks are written weekly.

FINANCIAL SECRETARY – The Financial is responsible for the accurate recording of meeting minutes of all finance meetings and saving them immediately to the server.

HEAD TELLER: The Head Teller is responsible for recording member contributions data under the supervision of the Finance Team.

CHURCH WINDOWS: This program tracks all member and visitor information, offering, baptisms, weddings, births, deaths, membership transfers, birthdays, church finances and much more. The system is used to prepare weekly, monthly, and yearly contribution reports, summaries and statements, as well as members’ quarterly and yearly giving statements.

DYNACAL LOG-IN – All staff has access to our calendaring program – Dynacal. If you have an activity or event you would like calendared contact the staff person overseeing the ministry area. Other requests may be made through the Facilities Director or Office Director. You will need to provide detailed information as stated under Communication guidelines and Procedures: Quarterly Newsletter Submissions.

DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE: (Please give your volunteer a title) No. of Persons Needed:

RESPONSIBILITIES:When writing responsibilities for your volunteer, please include what their work will require them to do. Remember this “job” is intended to be used as a means for the volunteer to grow closer to God…so include the Spiritual components that will help that person along their journey. Descriptions are at best an overview of general requirements, and are meant to evolve as the role evolves. If a person takes on a job, but finds the description of responsibilities restrictive or incomplete, encourage him or her to rewrite the description. People who write the requirements of a job and the person who is doing the work should be sure to evaluate and rewrite these descriptions as a position is filled and changes.

PASSION(S): Passions are those things you like best to do…like a favorite hobby, or a need to comfort others in trouble. A passion can be focused on helping a group of people, or on the use of tools to create or invent. Often a passion manifests itself through the patterns or themes of a person’s life.

SPIRITUAL GIFT(S): Please refer to the listing which appears in the Sharing Our Gifts booklet. If you are writing a description of a member of a team, be sure to include gifts that are not obvious but will enhance the life to the group (i.e. the ability to be compassionate may not be a requirement to plant trees, but that ability may be a tremendous asset to the small group when


one of its members is hurting and needs help). The goal is to use a person’s gifts as a pathway on their spiritual journeys.

PERSONAL STYLE: A person may be task oriented, or people oriented; structured or unstructured. But, if these descriptions are inadequate, feel free to describe the person in other ways.

NEEDED LEVEL OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY: When filling out a job description, please specify the level of spiritual maturity needed for the job. M1=seeker; M2=has recently affirmed Christ as his or her savior; M3=stable or mature in his or her growing relationship with Christ; M4=a leader, or one who guides other to Christ. Note: use the minimum description of the person’s spiritual maturity to fill the position – others with greater maturity should not be excluded! Anything above the level you describe is automatically included.

SPECIAL TALENTS/SKILLS/ABILITIES: This area should describe the tools or skills needed to perform a volunteer job (i.e. a secretary would need to know how to use a computer or copier).

AVAILABILITY: This should include the number of hours per week, month or project, the time of day(s) the work needs to be done, and which days of the week the work needs to be done.

MEETINGS/REGULAR COMMITMENTS FOR THE JOB: This should include methods that create accountability such as small group meetings, weekly touch ins with a person’s group leader or coach, phone contacts needed, and or other events

LOCATION OF VOLUNTEER WORK: Is it in the home, the office, a small group meeting location, etc.?

LENGTH OF COMMITMENT: For leadership positions, their commitment should be at least one year, preferably two…for group members the commitment may vary by project length, quarterly, annually, etc.

STAFF OVERSEER: All groups should be part of one of the seven major ministry areas. The staff member who oversees this area should be listed here.

TRAINING DONE BY: (Trainer may not be the small group leader) Trainer’s phone:

TEAM/GROUP LEADER: (Who leads your group?) Leader’s phone:

BENEFITS OF THE JOB/ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Add any additional information that didn’t fit above, such as what a leader will learn from leading or how they will grow as an individual. Also, you might want to include information on the vision for this position on a long- range-basis.


Volunteer Job Description

Position Title: ________________________________ No. of Persons Needed: _________

Responsibilities: 1. __________________________________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________________________________4. __________________________________________________________________________

Passion(s):1. __________________________________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________________________________4. __________________________________________________________________________

Spiritual Gifts:1. __________________________________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________________________________4. __________________________________________________________________________

Personal Style: _______________________________________________________________

Needed Level of Spiritual Maturity:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Talents/Skills/Abilities:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Availability: _________________________________________________________________

Meetings/Regular Commitments for the Job:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Location of Volunteer Work: ___________________________________________________

Length of commitment: ________________________________________________________

Staff Training done by: __________________________Trainer’s phone: ________________

Team/Group Leader: ____________________________ Leader’s phone: ________________


GENERAL POLICIES FOR USE OF CHURCH EQUIPMENT

The person in charge of the meeting may make the request, or take care of getting and returning all equipment needs by themselves. Equipment loans are scheduled through the Office Director or Facilities Director and approval is required by staff and leadership of that specific work area. Some equipment may require training before use and other equipment may not be allowed to leave the property. See the Facility and Property Use Policy for more details.

OFFICE MACHINES:

1. COMPUTERS: The computers in the office have installed software that includes general word processing, accounting, and publishing abilities. All the computers share printers. The use of the computers is mainly for church staff and Leadership; however, volunteers are welcome to use them by request. If you have a need to use the computer, please arrange training with a staff person.

2. COPY MACHINE: The copier has the ability to copy letter, legal and ledger sized paper. If you need assistance, ask a staff member to help you during office hours. The church charge for personal use of the copier is $.05, or color $.15. This is payable to CROSSROADS CHURCH.

3. FAX MACHINE: If you need assistance in using this machine, please ask. The church charge for personal use of the fax machine is $.30 per page. This is payable to the CROSSROADS CHURCH.The fax number is 952/431-9960.

4. PROJECTORS: Some rooms in the church are equipped with projectors. These can be reserved for use with proper training. The church also has portable projectors that can be reserved. Once again, proper training is required prior to use.

5. SOUND EQUIPMENT – PORTABLE:

6. SOUND SYSTEM: Training is required in order to use the sound system. Training and approval for its use must be obtained through Worship Ministry.

CHILDREN’S DISCIPLESHIP EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES:

If you would like to use any equipment or supplies from the children’s work area, please contact the Children’s Director ahead of time.

KEYS:

Any member of CROSSROADS CHURCH, 16 years or older, in good standing is eligible for a key to the facilities. A key request must be approved by the Senior Pastor and the Chair of the Trustees. The request will be passed on to the Facilities Director who will then issue a keycard for the person. ($5 is required for all keys.)


CHURCH CALENDAR POLICY

Our goal for managing the calendar at CROSSROADS is threefold. 1. To maximize our programming by not having conflicts in scheduling; 2. To ensure that all church events published in the newsletter and bulletin and website are as accurate as possible; and 3. To assist staff in assigning space when necessary.

REQUESTS FOR SCHEDULING, CHANGING OR CANCELING A MEETING OR EVENT

SCHEDULING A MEETING OR EVENT:Generally, scheduling will be on a first come, first serve basis through the Facilities Director or Office Director. Small group events will not be scheduled at the church during All Church events and during wedding use. If a conflict cannot be resolved, staff will make the final determination.

CHANGING OR CANCELING A MEETING OR EVENT:1. If a regularly scheduled activity is postponed or cancelled, please notify the Office Director as soon

as possible to update the calendar. The small group leader in charge of the meeting or event will be responsible for notifying people of the cancellation.

FINANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURES

POLICIES:The finance team has established a policy prohibiting the Treasurer from paying any bills that will carry a budgeting unit over its established budget without advance consent from the finance team. The Operating Budget is valid up to 6/31 annually. Funds unspent to that date are no longer authorized for expenditures without approval in the new budget for the following year.Checks are written on a weekly basis.To be reimbursed for expenses please follow the steps listed below.

PROCEDURES:

DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS:

1. All expenditures relating to budget accounts must have a completed Disbursement Request & Approval form attached to them. Please see sample form on the next page. These forms are used when purchases have to be charged to the church through an established account and when a purchase is made for which reimbursement is requested. Please attach a receipt to the request or they will not be approved. Reimbursements must be approved by the leader of a work area and the Treasurer.

2. Disbursement Request forms are located in the office mailboxes labeled: Disbursement Request Forms.

3. Fill out Name, Address, Description of Expenditure, Amount and sign and date Requested by: See the highlighted portions to the sample form on next page.

4. If a form does not have all the needed information, it will be returned without payment.

5. Completed forms with receipt attached should be placed in the mailbox of appropriate staff person overseeing ministry.

6. Staff person will verify expense, sign off request and pass on to the Check writer.


7. The check writer pays bills weekly, typically on Wednesdays.

8. The treasurer signs checks on Thursdays and the checks are then mailed out.

9. A line transfer is any expense that can be paid without using a check. These transactions are between accounts covered by the same checking account. A line transfer can be made using the above mentioned form and indication which account is expensed and which account is reimbursed.

.

RECEIPT OF FUNDS:

1. Any money for deposit should be placed in a sealed envelope clearly marked with what it is for, amount enclosed, the account number where it should be credited to. Refer to the Account # List located in the folder with disbursement request forms. Place into the safe in the office or give to the Office Director to put in the safe.

2. A minimum of two tellers will count and deposit weekly.a) Two persons shall sign deposit slips and a person other than financial secretary will make the deposits.

Please attach Invoicesand/or Receipts here-or-Check here if receipts to follow

Disbursement Request & ApprovalCROSSROADS CHURCH

17671 Glacier WayLakeville, MN 55044

Check stub attached here

Payable To: Address – Street City, State, Zip Pay By Date:

Mail to Payee Return to Area Staff Credit Card Purchase Contribution – Account # 4.

Account # Account Title Description of Expenditure Amount5.5.

5.

Total

Name: Signature: Date:Requested by:Area Director Approval:Leadership Team Approval:or check here if budgeted:Processed by:

Check Signed by:

Check Delivered by:

MULTIMEDIA GUIDELINES FOR WORSHIP


Music, video, drama and personal testimonies can be very important in the worship and life of the church. They enhance and offer multiple opportunities for people to connect with the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s activity in our lives can be expressed in diverse ways through multi-media resources. We recommend that the following guidelines be followed for those who are selecting, writing or creating music, videos, dramas and personal testimonies to be presented in worship.

1. Music, video, drama and testimonies for worship should direct attention to God, reflect the church’s ministry, mission and core values, build Christian community and affirm persons. Care should be taken to insure that music selected is suitable. Secular pieces may be included if they enhance a particular message in the service and have been affirmed for inclusion by the pastoral staff.

The biblical message for worship on a particular day should be considered carefully as media is selected or created. The questions to be answered with regard to appropriateness of selections are: “Does this selection edify the message and/or does it raise questions regarding the theme which can be answered by the sermon?”

2. The Cardinal Rule of lyrics, dramas, videos, and testimonies: DO NOT PREACH. It is appropriate for media to tell stories, share journeys, and/or raise questions. Preaching is the job of the pastor during the sermon.

3. Mutual respect and understanding should be the cornerstone of our worship ministries. The Worship Development Team will select or make suggestions for selection of media as a team. All other personnel in the Worship Area may have a voice in the media selection. Final decisions will be made by the Worship Development Team. Decisions will be made according to the theme, appropriateness of the media selections, greatest impact, evangelism, style, flow, inclusiveness, imagery, diversity, respect, compassion, etc.

4. Traditional images and words for God, persons and families are meaningful for many. They may be used and will be respected.

5. Many today desire to speak of God, persons and families in more inclusive language and different images than are traditional. We urge the Worship Development Team to be sensitive to diverse images of God and families. These images need to be consistent with the church’s understanding of Biblical truths.

6. Copyrights must be respected. The church must maintain copyright licenses through CCLI and the Motion Picture Licensing Co. (for videos and movies). Other copyright questions should be referred to the Worship Director.

.

Steps to Follow for


Problem/Conflict Resolution

CROSSROADS CHURCHStatement of Purpose: One function of the Staff Relations Team is to help individuals and groups resolve conflict in a Biblical manner that is loving, fosters forgiveness, and creates unity in the congregation.

Matthew 5:9 – Blessed are the peacemakers; for they will be called sons of God.

Matthew 18: 15-20 – If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector.

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, I tell you that if two of you an earth

agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

John 13: 34, 35 – “A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples

If you love one another.”

John 17: 20-21a – “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.”

At CROSSROADS CHURCH, we realize that as we are authentic with one another and form close relationships to others, conflict is bound to arise. In the event that any conflicts should arise in your small group, here is the model of Conflict Resolution that we follow at CROSSROADS Church.

STEPS TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION


A. ONE ON ONE MEETING

1. The first step always takes place between the two individuals involved. It is important that the conflict not spread to others not directly involved in the problem or conflict.

2. During the meeting, follow these steps:

a. The two parties should set a time and place for the discussion.b. Come to an agreement as to what is the problem or issue of disagreement.c. Discuss how each of you contributes to the problem or conflict.

(Each person should be given a chance to speak. After the speaking party is finished, the listening party should repeat back what they have heard)

d. Identify past attempts to resolve the problem or conflict that did not work.e. Brainstorm. List all possible solutions. (All participants should attempt to contribute

possible solutions for the conflict issues.)f. Discuss and evaluate these possible solutions.g. Agree on one solution to try.h. Stipulate what each person will do as he/she attempts to implement the solution.i. Before you end the discussion, set up another meeting time and place. The purpose

will be to discuss your progress.j. If there has been significant progress, reward or thank each other for what he/she has

done to implement the solution.k. If the attempted solution did not work as well as you would like, come to an

agreement as to how you can modify the solution. Follow steps (e) through (j) above.l. Staff Relations member will follow up after one on one meeting and report to Staff

Relations Team.

B. MEDIATED MEETING

1. If the one on one meeting did not produce sufficient progress, involve one or two others to serve as mediators.

2. The involved parties should mutually agree upon these mediators.3. The involved parties tell the mediators the results of their one on one attempts to

resolve the problem or conflict.4. The mediators then follow the same eleven steps outlined in A. 2a-k.

C. STAFF RELATIONS MEETING

1. If the one on one and mediated meetings do not resolve the problem or conflict, the involved parties should ask Staff Relations for assistance.

2. Staff Relations will invite all parties involved in the problem or conflict to meet at the same time with Staff Relations.

a. Staff Relations will be flexible about the time and place of such meetings.b. Staff Relations will send out a maximum of three invitations over two months.

3. All conversations with Staff Relations will be held in confidence.4. Staff Relations will be told the results of the one on one and mediated meetings.


5. All parties involved in the problem or conflict will be asked in advance if they will abide by the decision of the Staff Relations team.

6. After listening to both parties and discussing possible solutions, and after agreeing on a plan of action and accountability, Staff Relations will offer its recommended course of action.

a. Double check if both parties agree to live by the decision of the Staff Relations team.

b. Discuss with and inform the parties how they will be held accountable to the decision of Staff Relations.

7. During and after this process, a letter of confirmation will follow up all conversations and meetings held between Staff Relations members and involved parties. These letters will outline the results and agreements of such conversations and meetings. These letters will be held on file for future reference.

SPECIAL CASES OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION

A. A PARTY UNWILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

1. Staff Relations will discuss ways to keep the conflict within the accepted procedures of the church.

2. Some of the options that will be considered are:

a. Sending a letter to the congregation from Staff Relationsb. Having a representative of Staff Relations address the congregationc. Invite a consultant to mediate the conflict and report to the churchd. Notify the District Superintendente. Remove the individual from church membership, using procedures in the Book of

Discipline.

B. AN ANTAGONIST HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED

1. According to the book Antagonists in the Church, by Kenneth C. Haugk, “Antagonists are individuals who, on the basis of non-substantiated evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person of performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity.”

2. Conduct an interview with the antagonist, using guidelines from Chapter 16 of the above book.

a. Setting up the meeting begins at the point an antagonist contacts you and ends when he or she arrives to talk.

b. Meet at a neutral location or at the church.c. Meet in a private location (i.e. not in a restaurant)d. Forgo offering food or drink. Be as businesslike as possible.e. Let the antagonist speak first.f. Don’t talk too much.


g. Be an attentive listener.h. Take notes at the meeting. (Do not tape the meeting)i. Have a witness at the meeting if possible.

3. Follow the steps for the mediated and/or Staff Relations meeting.4. If that does not bring resolution, some of the options that will be considered are:

a. Sending a letter to the congregation from Staff Relationsb. Having a representative of Staff Relations address the congregationc. Invite a consultant to mediate the conflict and report to the churchd. Notify the District Superintendente. Remove the individual from church membership, using procedures in the Book of

Discipline

I. A. THE STAFF RELATIONS TEAM WILL ALWAYS APPROACH RELATIONSHIPS WITH AN ASSERTIVE POSITION.

Assertive behavior is an integral and essential part of the Christian lifestyle. It is the Biblical model of speaking the truth in love. Assertive behavior honors the self while honoring others. Assertive people authentically care for others and engage in God-pleasing self-care at the same time. It is the constructive way of living and relating to others. It reflects concern about being honest, direct, open and natural in relations with others. Assertive behavior will be non-defensive and open the way to clear-thinking, good listening, good expressions of thoughts and feelings. Then assertive behavior will consider options and try to negotiate a mutually satisfying solution to the problem.

B. THE FOLLOWING AREAS MAY BE PROBLEMS THAT WE NEED TO WATCH FOR:Passive Behavior is behavior that moves against self. The word passive means, “not resisting” or “not acting”. Passive problem-solving behaviors are procrastination, escape, passive-aggressive sneak attacks or denial a problem exists.Aggressive behavior is behavior that moves against others. The aggressive person has few internal restraints and recognizes few external limits. The worst type of aggression is passive aggression. This is a subtle and underhanded way of moving against another person or manipulation of other people to get one’s own way. Aggressive problem-solving behavior usually escalates a conflict by the use of name-calling, blaming, insults, labels or physical aggression.

COMMUNICATING CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND BOUNDARIES

The Staff Relations Team will help communicate with the congregation and among small groups the important boundaries that have already been established; as well as help establish new or clearer boundaries, amongst the church.

II. DECIDING IF, WHEN, AND WHERE TO BE ASSERTIVE


A. Is this an inconvenience, a problem or conflict (and how do I know?)Is it actually a problem or is it just an inconvenience or something that is not to my liking? Many times you can decide if you have more than just a mild annoyance by paying attention to your feelings about the situation. If you are really honest with yourself, you can usually determine how satisfied you are with the way things are going, especially in a situation that happens repeatedly.

1. According to the book Win-Win Relationships;a. A problem is defined as “differences of opinions” about the ways, the means,

or the ends of dealing with real-life issues.b. A conflict is defined as “desperate” feelings of threats to one’s self-esteem

that can lead to drastic acts of self-defense.

B. Is this the time and place?

If you have decided that the situation you are facing is indeed a problem or conflict to you, the second question to ask is whether this is the best time and the best place to address the problem. Some problems need to be addressed immediately and publicly while other problems are best approached with careful timing and great sensitivity.

C. What are my chances of at least a small measure of success initially?

Most important problems or conflicts are not solved quickly, easily, or completely. As part of the assessment process, you can mentally measure how close your first assertive step might bring you to your overall goal for the problem situation.

EVENT OR PROGRAM PLANNING


Event or program planning is critical the life blood of a growing church. In order to raise up fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, we need to provide activities and events to grow people in their faith. Similar to our Small Group philosophy these events will be focused on either fellowship, discipleship, ministry and service. Some events or programs will also have a combination of ways to draw persons closer to each other and closer to God. At CROSSROADS we want to plan for events/programs with excellence so we have developed a template that a ministry leader or team can follow to communicate well the goals of an event. It also helps the team think through the details of an event so that running the event it is simply a manner of executing the plan. Ongoing ministries such as weekly worship planning, or Kids Own Worship have a specialized ministry focus that is well defined and does not need an event planning guide. But special events such as the yearly block party, or a fundraiser like the “peach sales” rely heavily on a guide such as this for accurate communication and participation. Mission trips and retreats are other activities that benefit greatly with a well thought out plan. Once the plan is constructed, implementing the plan is also critically important. As leaders in the church we have found the “Event Planning Guide” is a helpful tool. It is one way to at least ask some of the critical questions for planning purposes. We have also discovered that after planning the event that it takes more than information.

INFORMATION – Develop a well thought out plan that includes when, where, how, etc…. By filling out event planning form or another spread sheet that includes critical information it is more easily shared.COMMUNICATION - Follow the communication procedures outlined in the Small Group Leaders guidelines. Be sure to think about the video options now available

INVITATION - CRITICAL – Hand parents the forms, network with kids about what a great time this will be, help kids get other kids coming. Personal invitation to a group or event for either adults or youth is the key to a successful event.

REGISTRATION - Forms should available online and the appropriate bulletin board. A clear process for collecting money should also be well described.

CONFIRMATION - Confirm the registrations –Use a follow up letter or phone call to confirm they are attending. Double check all forms and make money is collected.

PARTICIPATION - Make sure kids, youth or adults have an awesome experience, take photos or videos to share with parents & congregation.

EVALUATION – Evaluate after the event to determine if we will do experience again. What can we improve or do better next year? See Addendum 4 – Worship Evaluation Form

CROSSROADS CHURCHEvent/Project Summary Form


Name of event/project:__________________________________________________________________________________

Date of event/project:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ministry Team responsible for planning:____________________________________________________________________

Staff Member/s Overseeing event:________________________________________________________________________

Involvement of other ministry teams:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Location:_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose of event/project:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Expected Attendance:___________________________________________________________________________________

Costs/Anticipated Costs:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paid through: Budget (Line item _______) Tickets Free will offering Other________________________________

Timeline/Procedures:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important contacts with phone numbers:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CROSSROADS CHURCHEvent/Project Summary Form – Page 2


Ways this event/project was promoted/publicity (attach examples):________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did we include persons outside of the church?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How are persons invited to the event? How do they register or sign up for the event?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Was your goal met? Why or why not?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Highlights/what worked:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Challenges/Specific suggestions for improvement:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List of persons working on the event/project:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This form completed by: _____________________________________________ Date: __________

Date submitted to ministry team: ______________ Date submitted to church office: _______________

Saved in ministry work area/s _________________________


Addendum 1 – Leadership Covenant

LEADERSHIP COVENANT

As a leader at CROSSROADS CHURCH I promise to support the church in the following ways:

TIME – I promise to spend time with God daily, in a small group and to participate regularly in worship at least twice a month. When I am not able to physically attend worship I will do my best to listen online, watch the DVD when possible or attend another church service. (Bring church bulletin to Pastor Paul or Pastor Deb)

EVANGELISM – I promise to share my faith with others. I know my faith story and will share it openly with others. I promise to invite at least one person to our church this year.

ABILITIES – I promise to use my abilities or Spiritual gifts to serve Christ. I will join a ministry team or serve in some other way to support the ministries of CROSSROADS CHURCH.

MONEY – I promise to tithe or work towards a tithe in my financial giving. As a leader in the church I will model good Biblical stewardship of my resources.

MODEL – I promise to model the Core Values, Mission, Vision and Six Step Process of Evangelism. I know the Core Values by heart and agree with each of the Biblical precepts that accompany them.

MAINSTAY – I promise to be a mainstay to Pastor Paul and Pastor Deb Marzahn. I will support them as leaders of the church and work to encourage them on a regular basis. If I have an issue with either of them I will handle the conflict in using the Mathew 18 model.

MENTOR – I promise to not only lead but to follow the Biblical principle of serving alongside others. I will mentor others to help learn and grow in their faith as I grow in mine.

Name:_____________________________________________ Date: _____________

ADDENDUM 2 – FACILITY USE REQUEST FORMCROSSROADS CHURCH 2011 52

CROSSROADS CHURCHSpace Reservation Request

Proposed Date and Time of Event ________________________________

(Beginning and ending time, including setup and cleanup)Dates can be confirmed no more than one year in advance for members and 4 months for non-members.

Group/Organization ___________________________________

Description of the Event ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person ______________________Phone # __________ 2nd Phone # _______

Email Address_________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________

City ______________________________State/Zip __________

Space Requested __________________________ # of People Expected_______

Resources Needed: Chair- Great Room Blue CRC Green Room CRC Prayer RoomCRC Community Room CRC Green Tech Room CRC Red RoomCRC Flat Bed Blue Truck CRC Kitchen CRC Red Tech RoomCROSSROADS Church Building CRC Lobby Room DividersCRC Big White Truck CRC Music Room Round TableDiscipleship Laptop CRC Nursery CRC Toddler RoomCRC Education Room 1 CRC Office Video Projector

CRC Education Room 2 CRC Office Workroom CRC Office Workstation 1

Folding Chair with Pads Overhead Projector CRC Office Workstation 2

Folding Table CRC Parking Lot CRC Office Workstation 3

CRC Great Room CRC Pastor's Office CRC Office Workstation 4

Use Fee $___________________ Security Deposit $________


https://admin.dynacal.com/crossroadschurch/ResourceMaint.asp?CurrentId=7163&ParentId=&Mode=Edit





































I have read and fully understand the CROSSROADS CHURCH Building Use Policy, as well as any detailed policies relating to the specific space or equipment requested, and agree to abide by these policies. All information provided by me is true.

Signature___________________________________ Date ____

CROSSROADS Staff Signature__________________________________A decision will be made and you will be notified within two weeks.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Office Use__Deposit received __Confirmation/denial given__Kitchen Policy __Wedding Fees__Nursery Policy __Other Fees

End of Current DocumentNeed Attachments of:1. DynaCal Request Form2. Wedding Handbook3. Nursery Policy 4. Truck Policy (Needs to be written) 5. Funeral Policy (Needs to be written)6. Kitchen Use Policy (Needs to be submitted)7. Staff/Leadership Contact Information Sheet8. Decoration Policy9. Map of Grounds10. General Safety Map that Locates all Fire Extinguishers and First Aid kits.


ADDENDUM 3 - CONTACTING THE CHURCH AND STAFF

In this world of high-tech and communication overload, CROSSROADS CHURCH like everyone else is trying to find the balance in this new climate of instant messaging, texting and e-mail. CROSSROADS staff members want to serve your needs and want to respond in a timely manner. We would like to remind the congregation that other than Pastor Paul the rest of the staff is part-time and does their best to respond in a timely manner. Pastor Paul as a full time pastor is often in meetings, counseling sessions and is visiting persons in the hospital. His phone may be turned off at these times but he will do his best to get back with you as soon as he is able.Please be patient and remember the staff is doing their best to respond to a variety of concerns. If for some reason you do not get a response please call back. Occasionally, our phone system does not work properly and a message is unintentionally deleted or not properly forwarded. Also, though it is never our intention to be careless, as humans we are all capable of making mistakes. The person who answers your call may accidentally misplace a written message or forget to communicate something important. Please assume that our staff wants to help you, and that a miscommunication or mistake has occurred if you do not get an expected response.

FACEBOOK, MYSPACE AND PERSONAL WEB SITES: Each of the staff have a variety of social network sites. These vary from staff to staff but these are not to be used as a primary point of contact for church members. Staff does not check these on a regular basis and like all church members have friendships outside the church. Staff would prefer that these social sites not be used by church members to conduct church business. We have had some church members post personal problems on “walls” of public sites and were not aware they were read by others. Please do not use this as a method to communicate personal information with staff or to set up appointments.

TEXTING: Some staff have cell phone plans with unlimited texting and others do not. If you prefer texting make sure the staff person you are contacting is OK with this method of communication. Also be sure when you text to ask for a response. Again, a message that is texted may be sent but may have not been received.

BEST WAY TO CONTACT CHURCH: Monday-Thursday 9:00a - 3:00pPhone – 952-469-PRAY (7729) E-mail –[email protected]

Persons may log onto the church website at www.crossroadschurch.org and on the front page is a direct link to each staff member and their e-mail account. E-mails are seldom checked on weekends since the staff only works M-Th. If it is a timely concern, call the church office or Pastor Paul’s Cell to be sure your prayer concern is responded to immediately. Please do your best to make contact during office hours. If you need to reach Pastor Paul at another time other than office hours please contact Chris Koher in the office to set up a time that is convenient for both schedules. Pastor Paul has set aside time on Tuesday evenings, and Saturdays for meetings and counseling appointments. Pastor Paul currently has church meetings every Sunday Night, Monday night and every Wednesday night and is sometimes available to meet before or after these regularly scheduled meetings. Pastor Paul can be reached on his cell phone at 612-799-7729 after hours for


mailto:[email protected]

emergencies or crisis counseling. Pastor Paul takes Fridays off as his Sabbath to worship, rest and spend time with family. Calls on his day off are screened by his wife Deb.

Remember the staff is praying for you – Pastor Paul and the staff think of you often and pray for you frequently. If there is any way the staff can be praying for you do not hesitate to call or e-mail. If you are sick, having a baby or just need to talk remember the staff is there for you to help you during difficult times.

If you have any feedback concerning staff communication contact Staff Relations chair – Colleen Labeau at 952-292-7235 or Pastor Paul.


ADDENDUM 4 - WORSHIP EVALUATION FORM

Thanks for taking the time to fill out to a worship evaluation form. Your responses will help us know if today’s worship service allowed the space for the Holy Spirit to enter in.

DATE__________ SERMON TITLE: ___________________________________________NAME OF EVALUATOR: ________________________________________________________Circle Time of Service 8:30 or 10:00

Below, please rate the effectiveness of each topic by circling one of the five numbers to the right of the questions. #1 is most effective; #5 is least effective.

A. GATHERING As you entered into the building, did you feel welcomed? 1 2 3 4 5 Did the music playing before the start of worship seem welcoming to you? 1 2 3 4 5 Other ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. BULLETIN / ORDER OF WORSHIP Do you like the “flow” of service? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the bulletin informative enough for today’s service? 1 2 3 4 5 Other ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. INVITATION TO WORSHIP Does the invitation to worship involve you in today’s worship? 1 2 3 4 5 Is it led well and easy to follow? 1 2 3 4 5 Other __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

D. ANNOUNCEMENTS Does the announcer make you feel connected to the church? 1 2 3 4 5 Does this segment seem just the right length of time? 1 2 3 4 5 Do the announcements seem important to know about? 1 2 3 4 5 Other __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

E. CHILDREN’S MESSAGE: If you have a child, …. Does the message give you a clear understanding of what is going to be shared in the main message? 1 2 3 4 5 Does it seem clear when he/she goes to children’s church? 1 2 3 4 5 Other __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

F. MUSIC / WORSHIP LEADING Does the music seem to relate to today’s topic? 1 2 3 4 5 Too many new songs vs. too much of the old music? 1 2 3 4 5 Do the worship leaders appear to be focused on God? 1 2 3 4 5 In general, does the music draw you into worship? 1 2 3 4 5 Special music/Offering Music 1 2 3 4 5 Other __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

G. TRANSITIONS Does the service flow easily from one part to the next? 1 2 3 4 5 Are times of silence well utilized as a part of worship? 1 2 3 4 5 Overall, did you sense God’s presence in worship? 1 2 3 4 5 Other __________________________________________________________________


H. TECHNICAL Is the sound free of crackles, feedback, and other noises? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the volume “easy on the ears”? 1 2 3 4 5 Does the music/singing sound the right “blend” for you? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the video projection accurate during the songs you sing? 1 2 3 4 5 Other____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. DRAMA: If there was a drama today, …. Does the drama seem to relate to the topic of the day? 1 2 3 4 5 Does it draw you deeper into the worship experience? 1 2 3 4 5 Are the actors easy to understand? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the acting good enough so as not to distract you from

the main point? 1 2 3 4 5Other _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

J. VIDEO PRESENTATION: If there was a video presentation today, …. Does the video seem to relate to the topic of the day? 1 2 3 4 5 Does it draw you deeper into the worship experience? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the sound quality audible and clear enough? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the film quality good enough so as not to distract you from

the main point? 1 2 3 4 5Other _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

K. TESTIMONY / INTERVIEW: If there was a testimony or interview today, …. Does the testimony seem to relate to the topic of the day? 1 2 3 4 5 Does it draw you deeper into the worship experience? 1 2 3 4 5 Is / Are the speaker / speakers easy to understand? 1 2 3 4 5Other _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

L. PRAYER RITUAL: If there was a special time of prayer today, …. Does the prayer seem to relate to the topic of the day? 1 2 3 4 5 Does it draw you deeper into the worship experience? 1 2 3 4 5 Is the process of the prayer easy to do and participate in? 1 2 3 4 5Other ____________________________________________________________________

M. THE MESSAGE Does the topic seem relevant to your life? 1 2 3 4 5 Does the opening of the message capture your attention? 1 2 3 4 5 Does the main point challenge you in your spiritual journey? 1 2 3 4 5 Do you feel encouraged by this message? 1 2 3 4 5 Was the presenter comfortable with the material? 1 2 3 4 5 Was the presenter visually engaging? 1 2 3 4 5

What Core Value was emphasized in today’s message? ___________________________Other ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Again, thank you for your time and your responses. This information will be shared at the Monthly Worship Planning meetings by the Worship Director and Pastor Paul. Please place in offering plate or give to Pastor Paul.)


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