Book #4- Administration in the Small Membership Church

Tyson, John H. Administration in the Small Membership Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

I actually took eight and a half pages of notes on this book. As a young, first-time pastor, I've struggled with how to manage my time so that I am being effective and efficient in what God has called me to do.

This book is short and extremely practical. It gets into the nitty gritty of a primary calendar, a daily planning time, prioritized to-do lists, project files, suspending files, a correspondence file, and a record of pastoral visitation. All of these are great ideas and they're all contained in chapter two, which is worth the price of the book (most likely, I'm not sure since I got the book from the library).

The daily planning time and prioritized t0-do lists alone have transformed my pastoral ministry because I write down what I do, put it into the order that it needs to be done by importance, and then, I do it. It is a very simple idea, but it has absolutely transformed my ministry.

Here are the notes I took on the chapters outside of chapter two:

Although ministry originates in the heart, it is not merely an inner feeling of holy love for others; ministry is the appropriate expression and delivery of holy love. The emotion of holy love is a profound virtue. But if the emotion of holy love does not administratively follow through to the delivery of care, it isn't ministry. (3)

Good administration is inseparable from good leadership. (7)

Before we can be truly effective in leading our people to live into God's preferred future, we have to help them discern and articulate God's vision for their future as a congregation. When we all understand clearly where we are headed, then we can give leadership to a process of mapping out a long-range plan to lead the congregation toward that destination. Once the destination and the road map are clear, we can give more effective leadership to the paid and volunteer leaders in the congregation who are fulfilling their various roles as we make the journey. The task for us, as pastors, is to give leadership to the process of mapping out our local church's journey. (40)

If there really were a quick and efficient solution to a problem--if it were really that easy to solve--it might have been solved before we arrived...It is a good idea to keep everything going as it was before you arrived, until you are sure that the leaders are sure that you have heard the leaders tell you why things are as they are, and what they view as potential alternatives. (41)

Decisions that the pastor makes unilaterally--or that the pastor imposes upon a committee--almost always create far more difficulties than they solve for the pastor...Try hard to say little and listen much in meetings. Talk with people one on one and let them negotiate the changes in the adminstrative meetings. Realize that when your people shy away from making certain decisions in meetings, it is because they see obstacles that may be invisible to you. Heed them carefully. There are exceptional times when the pastor must take a bold and prophetic stand, but these occasions are probably less frequent than we think; pain and hindsight are good tutors for discerning the difference. (42)

Whether you have been in a parish for five minutes or five years, it is always attractive when the pastor wants to listen. This is one of the few things a pastor can do that might meet with pleasure and approval from everyone. There is seldom any backlash; only positive energy is created. Listening is a guaranteed win. (44)

Inviting, or recruiting, laypersons to exercise leadership should involve four components: vision for ministry, job description, giftedness, and significance. The first and most important factor is our Church's vision for ministry. (51)

Writing one note each day may be the most powerful ten minutes of the pastor's day. (63)

Not only is it helpful to use different leadership styles with different ministry teams, it is helpful to coordinate our leadership style with the individual leader we are dealing with. (65)

It is unwise for the pastor to remark on a person's physical appearance in any way...The wise pastor seldom initiates hugs. (80) I'm not so sure how I feel about this particular statement from Tyson.

The pastor is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in the church. There should be nothing he or she does not know, is not abreast of. (81)

Observing due diligence with church finances is not difficult or complicated, but it is vital. (91)

This really was a great book that has transformed the way that I do ministry. If you would like to know more about a primary calendar, a daily planning time, prioritized to-do lists, project files, suspending files, a corresponding files, and a record of pastoral visitation, leave a comment, and I'd be more than happy to share the info with you.