I love seeing fire in the eyes of new church consultants, who are anxious to help struggling congregations. They have newfound confidence to tackle the challenges in their own churches as well.
We can show you how to be a consultant. We'll introduce you to some powerful tools, such as the Church Health Survey. Then, utilizing your experience, enthusiasm and desire, it's up to you to make a real difference.
No one else has your specific ministry experiences. There are lessons (some of them hard!) that God has allowed into your life so you can in turn help others.
We don't have the manpower to work with all the troubled churches that ask us for help. However, we can teach you how to turn a declining congregation into a vibrant one.
Of course, you won't succeed every time. The Lord himself will determine each church's path. But you can diligently offer your services and watch God work.
Who are church consultants?
Church consulting is an excellent option to explore as a ministry to build healthier congregations. As a consultant, church pastors and leaders are interested in your experience, leadership and personal qualities. The following are questions you may encounter if you're being considered for consulting:
o Do you have experience with our denomination?
o To what degree do you have experience with churches of our size and life stage?
o What is your specific interest in working with our church?
Church leaders will want to know if you have the maturity and attitude needed to work effectively with them. They'll assess your ability and style in speaking and writing.
They may also want to have a sense of your ethical stance on issues pertaining to churches. No official code of ethics exists for church consultants. However, the following is the code embraced by Church Central's trained and licensed consultants.
The Church Consultant's Code of Ethics
o Be honest and not knowingly misrepresent facts;
o Divulge any potential conflicts of interest as soon as they are known;
o Only accept projects that can be completed in a professional and timely manner;
o Safeguard any confidential information or documents;
o
Not divulge any confidential information without the consent of the church/client;o Abide by all applicable local, county, state and federal laws;
o Report all time worked and expense incurred accurately and honestly; and
o Meet all requirements to maintain my integrity as a certified consultant.
People interested in Level 1 Church Health Consultant training with Church Central typically have the following background:
o
Responsibility as the pastor, minister, priest or worship leader of an individual church.o Denominational leaders with responsibility for mulitiple churches.
o Lay leaders who are experienced and involved in church leadership. Many see church consulting as a potential career change.
Since higher levels of training build on concepts and information conveyed in lower levels, the prerequisite is simple: complete prior levels of training. Persons accepted for Level 3 training must have completed Levels 1 & 2.
You can do as few as one level of training or as many as five. More than 80 percent of those trained as a Level 1 Church Health Consultant are interested in higher levels.
A person who attends Levels 1-4 training and successfully completes Level 5, which includes an actual church health consultation project and exam, becomes a Certified Church Consultant with Church Central Associates.
This certification is a sign to prospective church clients that this consultant has achieved a level of competence in church health consultation by virtue of receiving extensive training and passing a Level 5 'practicum' and final exam.
Invaluable training
One Church Central student said the training he received is invaluable. Don Matthews is a church enrichment consultant for the Midwestern Area Southern Baptist Church of Virginia. He is responsible for strategic planning and church revitalization.
"The training is exactly what I expected, needed and wanted," Matthews said. "This will be an invaluable tool."
Matthews expressed interest in training others in his ministry area as well.
"As we have the rest of our state missionaries trained it will add a great asset to our ministry toolbox," he said.
I pray that God will reveal his will for you and hurting churches you come in contact with. Or, if you have a particular challenge within your own congregation, I pray God will help you discover the answers.
All of us at Church Central wish you the best in your ministry! I hope to meet you at one of our training conferences and hear your story.
Parts reprinted and adapted, with permission, from "Career Crossover" (B&H Publishing) by Tom Harper.
