LDJ Teaching Churches

What is a teaching church?

An LDJ Teaching Church is a local church that has been recommended by its district superintendent as a pastor and congregation that has developed and is demonstrating ministry that is proving to be effective; has transferable principles and methodologies others can learn; and is willing to assist other congregations in increasing the effectiveness of their ministries.

Teaching Churches, as a means of developing church leadership, is one of the strategic methodologies of the Leadership Development Journey. While LDJ is comprehensive in its approach to leadership development, it seeks to focus specifically on the implementation of peer mentoring groups, peer coaching, consulting, and teaching churches.

The value of Teaching Churches in our Leadership Development Journey may include—

Wesleyan Churches are sharing the best of what they have learned about ministry to other Wesleyan Churches. Learning within compatible theological, ecclesiological, and sociological contexts can be valuable.
A relationship between churches can be established to coach a learning church through the challenges of growth and change. Partnering with someone who has been through particular challenges can provide invaluable encouragement and consultation.
Leaders can have access to other leaders in specific areas of ministry in order to sharpen skills and solve problems. Learning is enhanced when leaders in children's ministry can partner with other children's ministry leaders; youth ministers with youth ministers; etc.
Accountability relationships are established that encourage the establishment of goals and implementation of strategies. A missing element in many ministry assignments is the intentional setting of goals and identifying strategies for meeting them. Partnering with other leaders who understand the dynamics of a particular ministry can help to set a course and ensure the continuation of doing the things that bring good results.
Healthy churches and effective leadership is modeled. It is good to associate with leaders and churches that are doing right things right. Unrecognized needs can surface and new direction discovered
Learning is moved from studying theory to watching ministry being practiced and transferring concepts into your setting. Formal learning experiences can be good, practice and reflection with those who are experienced in the same area of ministry can dramatically enhance learning.

How does the Teaching Church model work?

There is great flexibility in the implementation of the Teaching Church model. In its simplest form, the DS can arrange for an effective pastor and congregation to help another pastor and congregation work through program development or specific ministry issues. This is not complicated. It is just one church helping another—one congregation and its leaders learning from the successes and failures of another congregation and its leaders. In a more extensive and perhaps formal expression, a Teaching Church may plan a conference built around its most effective ministry and invite interested pastors and church leaders to come and learn.

Between these two models can be any variety of leaders from one church helping leaders from another church. This may involve program leaders meeting together periodically; joint seminars/workshops; or coaching specific ministry leaders.

A Teaching Church may enter into a relationship with another congregation to help in the transfer of principles and the implementation of strategies, serving as that congregation's mentor/coach/consultant. Ministry leaders in the Teaching Church may relate with counterparts in the learning church over an agreed upon time to enhance particular ministries

The Teaching Church model consists of moving coaching from a one—to—one relationship to a congregation—to—congregation level. It consists of those who have ministry expertise walking alongside those who want to develop ministry expertise in their setting so they can reach their full Kingdom potential

How does a church become a Teaching Church

Teaching Churches are recognized by others as demonstrating effective ministry that may have principles, methodologies, and programmatic elements that are transferable. The district superintendent should be involved in recognizing the potential and approving the plan for a church to become a Teaching Church. LDJ will work with pastors, district superintendents, and General Church Departments to identify and equip a network of teaching churches.

Teaching Churches have leaders who feel that their church has learned something about effective ministry that should be shared with others. The desire to be a Teaching Church is born out of a conviction that they need to help others, so while a Teaching Church may experience benefits from sharing what they have learned, its motivation is to benefit others, not themselves. A Teaching Church has a passion for seeing other churches become more effective in their ministry.

Churches who are interested in becoming a Teaching Church should begin by sharing their interest with their district superintendent. They may also contact LDJ, making themselves available for consideration, knowing that LDJ will discuss their potential with their district superintendent.

How does a church become a Learning Church

Becoming a learning church begins with a desire on the part of pastor and local church leaders to improve their capacity for effective ministry. Little improvement will occur without being convicted by the Holy Spirit that to remain as is can no longer be acceptable. This desire to improve may be reflected in the overall ministries of the church, from which may develop an agreement to partner with a Teaching Church in order to further develop all aspects of the learning church's approach to ministry. This desire may come from a specific ministry or department of the church and lead to a learning relationship with the corresponding ministry of a Teaching Church.

How can Teaching Churches be accessed?

Accessing a Teaching Church may be as easy as connecting with a thriving church nearby from which a congregation can learn ways to improve its ministry. If a congregation is interested in being a learning church, they should talk with their district superintendent. He may have a church in the district that would be a good match for meeting the need, or he may be aware of Teaching Churches in other parts of the country

The Wesleyan Church has a great number of thriving churches that are willing to help others. LDJ surveyed our larger churches who indicated areas of ministry they felt they were effective in and would be willing to assist others in those same areas.

Are ther any existing Teaching Churches

General Church Departments whose assignments relate directly to particular areas of ministry often use effective churches and their staff for regional conferences or workshops. Some of our larger churches have annual conferences during which they target particular areas of ministry. These include:

Moncton Wesleyan Church—Moncton, NB. Dr. Laurel Buckingham, pastor.
Daybreak Community Church—Hudsonville, MI. Rev. Wes Dupin, pastor. (www.daybreak.tv)

Other conference sites will be communicated to DSs when they become known.

A few Teaching Church models have been established, such as TCN (Teaching Church Network) founded by Leith Anderson and directed by Paul Borden. Periodically, TCN holds conferences that are designed to expose others to the resources of their network and to equip churches to assist others as Teaching Churches (www.leadnet.org/Resources_Events.asp).

Intended Outcome of Teaching Churches

Implementing Teaching Churches has the potential of stimulating church revitalization and increasing the effectiveness of ministries that speak to the needs of contemporary culture and bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ. This will be one more tool to help every church become healthier and every leader be more effective. Implementation of Teaching Churches will further emphasize and utilize our developing culture of interdependence.

LDJ and Teaching Churches

LDJ is primarily a facilitator for making expertise that already exists in congregations and their leaders available to others. Its responsibility is, in partnership with district superintendents and General Church Departments, to identify Teaching Churches; provide necessary equipping of Teaching Church leaders; and assist in promoting the availability of Teaching Churches to those churches ready to learn from them.

Phone: 317-774-3896

Email: heerk@wesleyan.org

Mailing: P.O. Box 50434, Indianapolis, IN 46250