Small Is The New Big

This workshop series is done between the Office of Congregational Development and the Office of Clergy Excellence. The aim of the evening is to provide specific training for churches of under 100 by using other leaders from within the Louisiana Annual Conference. The series hopes to build a collection of workshops and leaders to offer training events throughout the Louisiana Conference.

Our first two events are scheduled for April 17th at FUMC Many and May 22 at FUMC Gonzales. The event begins with dinner and a presentation on a few basic principles of growth for the sub-100 church and afterwards has 2 different opportunities for one of the three workshops listed below.

Monday, April 17th in Many, LA

Monday, May 22nd in Gonzales, LA

Discipleship Pathways with Rev. Fernie Rivera

Through this workshop participants will learn the basics of developing a discipleship pathway and will gain the tools necessary to develop one for their own context with their own congregation. The class will also give an understanding of how to measure the effectiveness of the discipleship pathway so that effective discipleship can take place and leaders can emerge.

Financial Health and Sustainability with Rev. Ali Young

Church budgets can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and even demoralizing. In this brief class, we will look at how we can make budgets more reflective of the work the church is doing; look for places to minimize overhead expenses; and ways to reduce debt. We will look at the resources offered to churches through the Methodist Foundation of Louisiana, and through our Conference.

Creating an Invitational Culture with Rev. Chad Brooks

The biggest change agent in the local church is when a congregation begins inviting others to worship. He will share how exponential invitation can change things, as well as the basic systems needed to accommodate growth. We will also talk about how to understand your unique mission field and how missional saturation can give your congregation specific goals.