Beginning March 31, 2009, IOL will launch the Pastoral Leadership Online Series with Dr. Jim Chambers and other experts in the field of organizational leadership.
These live online webinars will be designed specifically for pastoral leaders and will deal with specific issues related to leading and managing a local church.
Don't miss this opportunity to speak with Dr. Chambers directly about some of the most important organizational issues facing local churches in the US and abroad. He will also be interviewing people from different disciplines and all the interviews will be available on the new IOLGLOBAL.NET channel coming this Summer.
Dimensions of Global Leadership May 11-14, 2009 Curitiba, Brazil
Dr. Chambers will be teaching in Curitiba, Brazil May 11-14, 2009 at SPEI University. The course will be LS602 Global Dimensions of Leadership and is part of a new graduate program partnership between Beulah Heights University (BHU) of Atlanta and SPEI in Curitiba, Brazil. He will also be accompanied by Dr. Doug Chatham, Director of Graduate Studies at BHU.
The course, Dimensions of Global Leadership, will offer a research-based look at leadership in a global society, and introduce learners to historical principles related to both change and leadership, and provides a context for them to integrate their new and existing understanding of these dynamics into the practice of leadership within their own organizations.
Specific attention is given to the transition from theory to practice, with a specific focus on the practical application of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits as it relates to personal leadership development and organizational change management. During this course, learner’s will review and analyze leadership and change management principles from both a historical and modern perspective. The will also be exposed to a formal change management model developed by John Kotter, humanized planned change model development by Dr. Chambers and his collogues at the Institute for Organizational Leadership, and variety of other organizational change resources. Learners will have an opportunity to apply course content to the organization of their choice as part of case study and learning team activities.
If you are considering bank financing for your local church during 2009, some of the rules have changed as we all adjust to the financial crisis. Here is the latest data that banks are looking for before making church loans on buildings, property, or remodeling projects. There are exceptions of course, so you need to talk to a professional to be sure what the banks in your area are doing.
Financial Ratios
Minimum of 100 giving units
Minimum of 10 years for existence for churches with a mainstream affiliation, and 15 -20 years for autonomous churches
Loan amount/gross annual income not to exceed 2.5x
Monthly debt service/giving unit not to exceed $50
Total debt/giving unit not to exceed $2,500
Annual gross income/family unit not to exceed $1,500
Annual budget/giving unit not to exceed $1,500
DSC ratio not less than 1.2x
Annual debt service/annual budget less than 35%
Leverage: Total debt/total annual givings not to exceed 3x
Special thanks to Bill Youngblood and the team at Financial Network Associates. You can email Bill directly with questions if you like at
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.
Bill Youngblood, President Financial Network Associates
Registered Representative of, and securities, advisory services and insurance products are offered through INVEST Financial Corporation (INVEST), member FINRA/SIPC, a registered broker/dealer and a federally registered Investment Advisor, and affiliated insurance agencies. INVEST is not affiliated with Financial Network Associates, Inc.
Ministry-Based Strategic Planning & Organization
What has to happen in the next three years for you to be truely happy with the progress of your local church?
The answer to this question is critical to the long-term success of your local church or Christian ministry. Yet, most of the church leaders that I meet with have never taken the time to write down the answer, which is why we developed the Ministry-Based Strategic Planning & Organizational Model (MBSP). It not only helps you answer the question, it also provides a proven model for creating alignment and consensus around the future vision.
MBSP is a unique, team-driven planning and developmental process has been used successfully by over 5,000 ministry leaders worldwide. It enables you to create a shared vision for the next 3 years without the resistance of traditional strategic planning efforts. Just click on the media player below for a brief overview of it it works:
We Have See it In Action
As you can see, we believe that you can develop a ministry organization that fulfills the vision that God has given you. It requires sound planning, good management, and ongoing leadership development at every level. If you would like to know about how our model works, click on the picture below for a larger view of the work we do, and contact us if you would like to know more about how we work with local churches or Christian ministries. Click on picture to enlarge.
The MBSP Model Involves:
A Planning Facilitator with Team Input
4 to 6 Teams from the Church
6 Month Consulting Agreement
Assessment of External Environment
Audit of Internal Environment
Ministry Model Development
Church-wide Prayer Strategy (3 years)
Strategic Planning Document (3 years)
Budget and Finance (3 years)
Ministry Management Workshop (All Staff and Ministry Leaders)
4 to 5 Onsight Consultations by IOL Staff
Recommendations for Improvement
Ministry Management Model
The planning model also offers a wide range of ministry management tools that enable the church to dramatically improve its organizational effectiveness. IOL works closely with the church leadership and staff to develop ministry operational manuals for every program, ministry, and activity and set up a church wide training program to quickly assimilate new workers into volunteer positions. We also assist with specific training areas related to time management, staff development, pastoral care, capital stewardship campaigns, and many other ministry-critical areas.
Leadership Development
IOL provides its church and ministry clients with a variety of leadership development resources including Coaching for Life executive coaching program, leadership 360 assessments, individual and team personality profiles, professional counseling and crisis intervention.
Beginning March 31, 2009, IOL will launch the Pastoral Leadership Online Series with Dr. Jim Chambers and other experts in the field of organizational leadership. 
