2024 Leadership Institute at the UM Church of the Resurrection

Pre-Institute Workshop:

Keeping it Simple in the Small Church: 8 Keys for Ministry Planning

Planning ministries in a small congregation can be daunting – there is always more ministry opportunity than resources and more heart than hands! In this Pre-Institute session, Dr. Blake Bradford, co-author of Mission Possible for the Small Church and IMPACT!, will offer eight keys to plan ministries that will fit the capacity of the small congregation. These keys provide a sustainable way forward for churches that make a God-sized impact in their communities and neighborhoods.

Downloads:

Handout PDF

Presentation Slides (PDF)

 

Featured Session:

Small Church/Big Impact: Simplifying Leadership, Structure, and Ministries in the Small Congregation

Since most congregations in the nation have a weekly worship attendance under 75, this featured session will assist you in taking home the BIG experience of the Church of the Resurrection and the Leadership Institute and helping it fit into your smaller context. Dr. Blake Bradford, co-author of Mission Possible for the Small Church and IMPACT!, will offer tips for rethinking and right-sizing your small church ministry to make a God-sized impact in your communities. He will share models and practical steps for smaller congregations to rethink community engagement, simplify their decision-making and governance, empower laity, and strategically plan ministries that are the right fit for small churches.

Downloads:

Handout PDF

Presentation Slides (PDF)

2024 My Job Workshops for the NW District

2024 “MY JOB” Workshops

The Northwest District and Arkansas Conference are providing resources to equip you in your ministry. All disciples are called to serve and you have demonstrated your willingness to use the spiritual gifts and talents God has given you to lead your congregation in its disciple-making and world-transforming mission.

As we start a new year, you may be wondering exactly what is expected of you if you’ve agreed to serve in a leadership role that is new to you, while others may desire a current refresher of the Disciplinary expectations for your committee. One of the responsibilities of a district superintendent is to train and equip members of the Book of Discipline governing committees. This year, DS Blake Bradford will be leading a series of online ZOOM sessions to share the “why” and “how” of the different committees and answer some of your questions.

Downloadable PDF Workshop Slides:

January 2024 VIDEO Recordings:

Church Council, Finance, and Trustees “My Job” Video

Workshop Links:

Pastor/Staff Parish Relations Committee “My Job” Video

Workshop Links:



Simplified Accountable Structure (Single Board) “My Job” Video

Workshop Links:


Arkansas UMC: Refresher Workshop for Board Leaders

Held at Asbury UMC in Little Rock, Blake led a refresher workshop designed to update leaders on the latest learnings and best practices in simplified accountable structure.

Downloads from Class:

Powerpoint Handout (PDF)

Rules of the Road Board Covenant and Guiding Principles Examples


ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Watch a SAS Board Meeting (Recommended Video). SAS Leadership Boards often struggle with implementing accountability when moving to a simplified structure. Since it is often not used, understood, or modeled, Kay and Blake have provided a 40 minute training video to demonstrate accountable leadership at the Leadership Board level.

For further Board Training: Blake and Kay led a 2-part video webinar for UMC’s Discipleship Ministries: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/new-webinar-series-a-simple-structure-for-missional-effectiveness

Structure and Nominations for Simplified Accountable Structure - "HOW TO" CONVERSATION

A Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS) is utilized as an alternative model for local church governance and is sometimes referred to as the "one board" model. A single Leadership Board serves in the capacity of multiple Disciplinary administrative committees. As we begin our Charge Conference nominations work we invite you to join Dr. Blake Bradford, Northwest District Superintendent, as he walks you through SAS nominations process in this webinar.

Download the slides from the workshop presentation

DOWNLOADS:

How to complete Charge Conference Forms 2022

ARKANSAS CONFERENCE CHARGE CONFERENCE AND COMPENSATION FORM "HOW TO" CONVERSATION

"How To" webinar about the 2022 Charge Conference Forms led by Rev. Blake Bradford, and Becky Neighbors, District Administrator. Including:

  • Membership Report

  • Trustees, Finance, Safe Gatherings

  • Culture of Call and 200K More Reasons

There will be a special emphasis on the CLERGY COMPENSATION FORMS to include the following:

  • Conference Compensation Date

  • Minimum Compensation Requirements

  • Housing Allowance

  • Accountable Reimbursements

LINKS:

https://arumc.org/our-resources/forms-and-documents/

Charge Conference Forms

Individual Forms

District Officers: Training for District Leadership Boards and DBCLB

District Officers: Training for District Leadership Boards and DBCLB

As Dean of the Appointive Cabinet in the Arkansas Conference, I created quick 30-minute training videos for the simplified structure District Leadership Board and the District Board of Church Location and Building. In addition to each video, I have a PDF of the slides I used and some helpful resources.

District Leadership Board

District Board of Church Location and Building (DBCLB)