I led a session on equipping laity for the clergy of the Alexandria and Arlington Districts
Here is the PowerPoint:
2021 Webinar: Tips for Cultivating Fruitfulness in Ministry
Blake Bradford: Tips for Cultivating Fruitfulness in Ministry
The enormous challenges of today’s world require clergy leaders to encourage new seeds of creativity and innovation, prune back ministries that are no longer effective, and cultivate ministry fruitfulness in a post-COVID world that feels shockingly different than it was just a few months ago.
In this webinar, United Methodist District Superintendent and co-author of Mission Possible: A Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness and Impact: Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry, will share tips on pastoral leadership in this strange new era.
ClergyEducation.com is a resource for clergy and church leaders, offering CEUs accepted by most United Methodist annual conferences. ClergyEducation.com is a division of Market Square Publishing LLC.
2021 DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES WEBINAR: “A SIMPLE STRUCTURE FOR MISSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS”
2 SESSION DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES WEBINAR:
“A SIMPLE STRUCTURE FOR MISSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS”
Church leaders want to equip more people for ministry. They long for a simpler decision-making process focused on discipleship, not endless meetings. But simply having fewer meetings won’t inspire more people to live into their calling. What will? Creating a clear and focused accountability structure that places the church’s disciple-making mission front and center.
This two-session 2021 webinar series with leadership coach Kay Kotan and District Superintendent Blake Bradford looks at how simplified, accountable leadership structure (often called the “one-board” model) can empower, equip, and set laity and clergy free to focus on the mission of making disciples of Jesus who change the world.
WEBINAR ONE (08/12/21):
What is a Simplified, Accountable Structure (SAS)?
Participants will discover:
What simplified, accountable structure is
Why churches should consider this model
How accountability plays a significant role in simplification
Watch the video archive of this webinar:
WEBINAR TWO (08/19/21):
How to Implement a Simplified Structure in Your Church
An overview of:
The three distinct phases of simplified, accountable structure
What players are involved in each phase
The elements of each phase and what the timeline looks like
Watch the video archive of this webinar:
Small Church Big Impact
In this Leading Ideas Article for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Blake Bradford shares how smaller congregations can use their unique giftedness to fulfill their mission. He says smaller churches can enhance their vitality by clarifying their purpose, engaging their community, leveraging relational intimacy to reach people and build disciples, and rightsizing their leadership and governance structures.
2020 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE AT THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION
Small Church/Big Impact Breakout Session
Most congregations in the nation have a weekly worship attendance under 150. This workshop will assist you in adapting the BIG experience of the Church of the Resurrection and the Leadership Institute to your smaller context. In this Breakout Session, author and mission strategist Dr. Blake Bradford will join leaders of smaller churches in rethinking and right-sizing their ministry to make a God-sized impact in their communities. He will share models and practical steps for smaller congregations to simplify their decision-making, rethink community engagement, be intentional about discipleship formation, empower laity, and strategically utilize pastoral leadership.
Breakout Session and materials are available through ShareChurch
Navigate Conference: Susquehanna Conference UMC, August 22-24, 2019
Navigate 2019 is an equipping event offered by the Susquehanna Conference (UMC in Central Pennsylvania) and the congregational developers of the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the UMC to help current and future leaders impact their congregations and communities for Jesus Christ. I taught 4 workshops.
Busting Through Growth Barriers: Hitting an attendance and participation ceiling? Bust through the barrier by creating adaptive ministries and leadership. Learn how to right-size your congregation’s structures and its expectations for the role of pastor.
Church Size Chart B/W (11x17 PDF)
Church Size Chart in Color (11x17 PDF)
2016 blog post from Taylor Burton Edwards, “Three P’s and Church Size in Worship” from Discipleship Ministries
Second Chair Leadership: Calling all second chair leaders: Associate Pastors, Ministry Directors, Executive Pastors, and Administrators (and senior pastors working with associates for the first time)! Strong second chair leadership can bring fruitfulness and missional impact into a ministry or congregation, and effective second chair leadership requires enormous skill and acumen.
Reclaiming the Role of Lay Leadership: While the early church and the Methodist movement were primarily lay-led, our modern church leadership models have emphasized the role of clergy and have devalued the ministry of the laity. This workshop offers practical and proven plans to help clergy and laity partner together again to spread the Gospel in a new day and age! Learn how intentionality in relationships, discipleship, missions, and leadership formation will enable your congregation to make a God-sized IMPACT in your community mission field!
Aligning Leadership for Growth: Staffing… Governance… Strategic Leadership… Leading in today’s church requires clarity of purpose and alignment of people, plans, and processes. Alignment is stewardship!
Link to Roger Schwarz’s Harvard Business Review Article on designing question-based team agendas
ADAPTING COR LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES FOR THE SMALL CHURCH
2017 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE AT THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017
Blake facilitated a gathering to assist leaders of smaller churches (Average Worship Attendance under 100) in adapting what they experienced at COR for their local church context.
The Center for Vitality also holds follow-up Team Action Planning sessions for attendees to the Leadership Institute. Download the Fall Team Planning Workbook at this link.