By
Bill Easum

The following works well in a traditional church.

STEP ONE: Train all staff to identify, recruit, equip, and lead laity into ministry rather than simply doing the ministry for them.

STEP TWO: Require all staff to develop a list of 25 new potential leaders during the year that they will recommend to the Nominating Committee.

STEP THREE: Nominating Committee will need to be trained to realize that nine people can not know a congregation beyond 200 in worship and that the tendency is to nominate only people they know and are like them, thus the church remains small and the volunteers burn out.

STEP FOUR: Instead of having the Nominating Committee to meet over and over to fill the positions and ministries for the coming year, plan a nominating dessert party at one of the largest homes in your church.

STEP FIVE: Have the Nominating Committee and/or staff and/or Executive Committee develop Mission Statements for all of the positions or ministry to which you wish to nominate people for the coming year. This statements should be strategic and should build up the entire Body of Christ. Make them very specific so that who ever signs up for them will know exactly what they are expected to do. How they do it is up to them. Put dates and time duration.

STEP SIX: Staff are asked to fill any position they work closely with and give these names to the Nominating Committee.

STEP SEVEN: Gather the 25 names from staff, nominating committee and any other official group you desire. Look over the list to assure that the people being invited are quality people, either leaders or potential leaders.

STEP EIGHT: Invite the people on the lists to a nominating dessert party. Tell them it will last only one hour and that they have been chosen as one who has tremendous leadership potential.

STEP NINE: When they arrive at the party, in 30 minutes explain the purpose i.e. to sign up for any ministry that they choose. Have the mission statements in sets of five or ten spread throughout the home. Introduce the nominating committee and tell the guests where each of the various ministries are located. Tell them that (1) either a nominating committee member or a staff person will be available at each section to explain any questions; (2) they are signing up to be the leader of the various ministries and that they will be responsible for getting their own team to work with them; (3) just because they sign up for a ministry, does not mean that they will get it because there may be more than one person wanting the same position. You will be in touch with them in next two weeks.

STEP TEN: Then dismiss the group to eat dessert and either to stay and sign up or leave. It is their choice at this point.

STEP ELEVEN: The nominating committee meets to clean up the process and to see what holes still remain.

P.S. this model works well in churches over 200 in worship and where some staff member really trains the nominating committee. The beauty of it is that no one signs up for anything unless they like the ministry, new people are found each year, and volunteers do not burn out as easily