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:

• Church Council Presentation

• Finance Committee Presentation

• Board of Trustees Presentation

• SPRC Presentation

• Simplified Accountable Structure - Single Board

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January 2024 VIDEO Recordings:

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

Workshop Links:

• UMC Minimum Insurance Requirements (GCFA website)

• 15 Passenger Van Policy Sample (GCFA website)

• Trust Clause Q&A (GCFA website)

• Insurance Considerations for Leasing and Renting Church or Ministry Property (GCFA website)

• 3rd Party Leases of Church Property (GCFA website)

• GCFA Forms and Resources

• ARUMC Administrative Services Resources (includes sample internal financial controls

Pastor/Staff Parish Relations Committee “My Job” Video

Workshop Links:

• Pastors in Transition Website (includes Annual Timeline for Monthly SPRC Meetings)

• “When Moses Met Aaron: Staffing and Supervision in Large Congregations” by Susan Beaumont - recommended book for staffing systems

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

Workshop Links:

• Blake’s Simplified Structure Webpage

• Sample Leadership Covenant (PDF) from “Mission Possible for the Small Church” but applicable for all size churches

• Sample Guiding Principles (PDF) from “Mission Possible for the Small Church” but applicable for all size churches

• Amazon Author Page and Links to Cokesbury and Market Square

• For Churches exploring the concept of Simplified Accountable Structure, here are the videos I filmed for the UMC’s Discipleship Ministries that shares the “why” and path for transition to the model

• SAS Overview and FAQs

• SAS Sample Agenda

Arkansas UMC: Small Church Leadership, Structure, Planning

By Bradford, Blake, Kotan, Kay

Buy on Amazon

Blake Bradford and Amy Ezell led a Small Church Workshop at the Lusk Training Center at the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas on October 28, 2023.

DOWNLOADS:

SLIDE SHOW (PDF)

Rules of the Road Board Covenant and Guiding Principles Examples

Arkansas UMC: Refresher Workshop for Board Leaders

Mission Possible 3+: A Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness

By Kotan, Kay, Bradford, Blake

Buy on Amazon

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

Special Invitational SAS in Cabot Arkansas

Basic Equipping for Simplified Accountable Structure

Downloads:

Slides Handout for August 12 Event

Rules of the Road handout

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:

• Slides from workshop presentation

• Simplified Structure FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions (appendix R-2) This short list of FAQs answers common questions that United Methodist leaders have about the simplified or “single board” administrative structure.

• Sample Resolution for Transition (PDF) - This template resolution to change the congregational organizational plan to simplified accountable governance structure is designed for the Nominations Committee to bring to the Charge Conference or Church Conference. Include in your initial charge conference documentation

• Blake’s Simplified Structure Webpage - download more resources, view more videos and links for more resources and books are included

• Link to two SAS training videos produced by Discipleship Ministries featuring Blake Bradford and Kay Kotan

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

• Presentation Slides

• District Leadership Board Sample Agenda
  
  

District Board of Church Location and Building (DBCLB)

• Presentation Slides

• The Trust Clause: Questions and Answers for United Methodists

• What to Consider Before Allowing a Third Party to Use Real Property

2021 Webinar: Blake Bradford & Kay Kotan: Understanding the Simplified, Accountable Structure

We’ve all heard about SAS, the Simplified, Accountable Structure. But what is it? During this session, SAS experts Kay Kotan and Blake Bradford will discuss:

• Understanding What SAS Is

• The Three Phases

• Important Shifts in the Model to Know

• Most Common Mistakes in its Practice to Avoid

During this one-hour session, Kay and Blake will focus on ministry while making meetings fewer in number but larger in meaning. In this session, aimed at clergy and congregational leaders, particularly United Methodists, the authors provide practical, tested steps to simplify your church structure and unleash more people into ministry.

Too often churches try to simplify their structures by just having fewer people at the meeting table. But real simplification and accountable leadership means that meetings – and leaders – are transformed. Kay and Blake walk you through both the technical and adaptive changes to simplify your structure for missional effectiveness.

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: