ASPIRE to Excellence in Church Ministry

About the Book

Are you looking for a way to mobilize your church membership to work together towards a common goal? Do you want to find a process that will help your ministry set goals and hold your membership accountable for reaching the goals set? Are you looking for a way to free up the pastor from menial administrative tasks to focus more on the spiritual aspects of the church or ministry? ASPIRE to Excellence in Church Ministry shows you how to implement a process to build the leadership capacity of the laity to reach your goals, using collaborative problem-solving strategies. In secular arenas, the process is called strategic planning. Based upon the scripture, Habakkuk 2:1-3, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” The reader can learn step-by-step how to implement the ASPIRE process in the ministry, focusing on developing a foundation for continuous improvement of the ministry in the following areas: •Importance of servant leadership that is participative, transformational, and situational •Five P’s of church mobilization and growth – prayer, preparation, presence, promotion, and planning •Development of a mission and vision for the church •Steps of the ASPIRE to Excellence process (Analyze the situation; Set priorities; Plan for improvement; Implement the plan; Review, monitor, and adjust the plan; Excellence is achieved and the process begins again.) Filled with practical ideas that you can use immediately, the reader is shown how to mobilize the laity and move your church or ministry toward goal attainment. Although this book includes theories on leadership, most of the book provides practical steps to follow with handouts, surveys, and presentation materials that can be adapted and used from the Handouts section of the book.

About the Author

Kimberly R. Mack is the founder and director of the HOPE Project in Hamilton, Ohio. Mack has spent her life cultivating and training youth. She has been an active member of Christ Temple Church, serving in a variety of capacities over a 25-year period. Mack holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees from Miami University of Ohio and Master of Education from the University of Cincinnati. Currently, she serves as a School Administrator in Cincinnati Public Schools and has been successful in securing more than $200,000 in grant support for a variety of educational programs.