Organizing for Ministry and Mission: Options for Church Structure
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
Every congregation needs to determine how it will organize to best proclaim the Gospel, administer the Sacraments, and care for its members. While organizational details are never the main thing, if the mission and ministry of the Church is to advance, leaders need to give attention to organizational matters.
Rev. Dr. David J. Peter, a professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary St. Louis, draws upon more than 20 years in the parish, experiencing the realities of pastoral ministry and insights from students, practicing pastors, and others about the realities of administration and leadership in congregations.
Dr. Peter identifies the theological and practical reasons for organizing staff, lay officers, and congregational volunteers. He presents three dominant models for organizing churches—The Working Board, The Managing Board, and The Governing Board—and carefully examines the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Pastors, professional staff workers, congregational officers, church council members, board members, and students preparing for parish ministry, will gain insights and best practices for more effective leadership of their churches.
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- Presents three dominant models for organizing churches
- Identifies the theological and practical reasons for organizing staff, lay officers, and congregational volunteers
- The Need for Organization in the Church
- Options for Organization in the Church
- Improving Organization in the Church
Dr. Peter has done a marvelous job in Organizing for Ministry and Mission, laying out for congregations important and needed information on organizational life and operations. He lays out clear methods for congregations as they operate and organize themselves. This information is especially helpful for congregational leaders and administrators as they carry out the task of keeping the ministry moving forward. He does a masterful job at maintaining the importance of Word and Sacrament ministry as the heart and soul of any congregational life and organization. This is a must-read for all congregational leaders and pastors
—Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy
We’re saved by grace, not by enduring endless, boring meetings. The Holy Spirit gathers and nurtures us, not constitutions, bylaws, and budgets. Still, earthly practices help make the mission of God incarnate to us and through us to our neighborhoods and communities. From my experience, good governance is often neglected in many—I’m afraid in most—churches. David Peter’s work, solidly theological, offers an opportunity for honest reflection on how effectively we are, or are not, functioning. I suggest my fellow pastors consider reading through this helpful book with their congregational leadership.
—Dale A. Meyer
Frustration. Wasted time. Lack of direction. Too many positions to fill. What kind of structure is best for your congregation? Can things get better organizationally in your congregation? Yes, someone is listening and responding to the real dilemmas that congregations and leaders are facing. David Peter responds to these concerns and more in Organizing for Ministry and Mission. As you read this book, you will gain biblical and theological insights, options for growing an impactful organization, and true hope for a well-run congregation rooted in Christ and ready for His mission. There is no despair in this book, only confidence that Christ is at work, and will continue to be at work. It is filled with practical ideas for you and your congregation to consider, including how to raise up new leaders for service. If you are looking for less frustrating meetings, more rich and clear congregational life, and especially stronger ministry and mission, this is the book for you!
—Rev. Dr. Allan R. Buss