Ministry Consultation Weekend
Douglass & Associates will gladly conduct a
Ministry Consultation Weekend for your church. This
weekend is designed to assist the congregation with viewing
its ministries and its community with "church health
eyes." Like a regular visit to the family physician,
it is a check-up which looks at key vital signs of
congregational life and ministry.
How it works
A weekend event, beginning with a fellowship time on Friday evening, includes interviews on Saturday with members of the church, visits with the pastor, the board or Session, and other leadership groups. The consultant(s) attend Sunday morning worship and activities as a "visitor."
A few weeks after the event, the consultant(s) submit a detailed report to the board or Session (including sufficient copies for all leadership involved), offering analyses and suggestions for program planning as appropriate.
Advance preparation
Materials will be provided by Douglass & Associates for advance preparation, and will include completion of extensive research, compiled by a local task force. The task force can be the board or Session, or an ad hoc committee appointed by the board for this purpose. This group will need access to the church's membership records, attendance records, and financial reports for up to eleven years. Those who serve on the task force should be thoroughly familiar with the church's programs.
Using methods prescribed by the consultant(s), the task force will also complete a Sunday attendance check. All advance materials and results will be provided to Douglass & Associates before the weekend event, according to a timeline provided in by the consultant(s).
Douglass & Associates will also prepare a demographic study for the ministry area, including a professionally prepared "Segmentation Analysis" (provided by the Claritas Prizm Lifestyle Segmentation System) and our own analysis. Copies of this study will be provided as a part of the final report.
Optional services
In addition to the consultation, demographic analysis, and comprehensive report, Douglass & Associates is also pleased to offer these optional services in conjunction with the Ministry Consultation Weekend (not available apart from the weekend event):
• Promotional video: an 8-12 minute video spotlighting your church and its ministries. A polished, professional production to display for vistors.
• Brochure mailing: production of full-color brochures presenting the churches ministries to optimal target groups for your church. Includes procurement of a mailing list based on the Prizm Segmentation Analysis as well as the actual mailing.
Limitations
Currently, we are limited in the geographic area that we are able to conduct a Ministry Consultation Weekend. We are pleased to offer them for any church within a one-hour trip from St. Louis, Missouri. While we hope to eventually offer our full services anywhere in the United States, as of now our ability outside of this region is limited to telephone and online assistance. If you are interested in a Ministry Consultation Weekend and are outside of this geographic area, please contact us; we will do our best to refer you to a consultant who is able to help.
More Information
Feel free to contact us for more information, or see our Fee Schedule for details on costs for a Ministry Consultation Weekend.