Many church and ministry leaders are not as well equipped as they would like to be to provide the development and oversight necessary to identify, design, develop, and maintain ministry that is effective and complete in the transforming of lives. There are many graduates of seminary and other institutions that are not adequately prepared for all of the responsibilities and requirements of leading ministry in the 21st Century. Sure, they get great equipping in hermeneutics, theology, Greek, and how to effectively preach a sermon. But they are oftentimes inadequately supplied with the necessary intricacies of how to do church in many ways, such as from the administrative side. Do they know how to create and read spreadsheets? What about how to manage a multistaffed megachurch with multiple locations?

This component of Hartwood Ministries has been developed to provide leaders in churches, ministries, associations, denominations, alliances, and educational institutions with material and content that provide a basis from which leaders may develop ministries in a simple, but comprehensive manner that reaches the most individuals for the Gospel of Christ. There is no way that the materials provided through Ministry By Design can be a complete offering of everything the local church needs; there is enough information provided, however, that with a little work and diligence, the local church or ministry can better serve more individuals than without these tools.


Tools of Ministry By Design

The main tool provided through Ministry By Design is a series of books devoted to a number of ministry areas in which most churches operate. Ministry By Design: The Series consists of a number of volumes detailing subjects near and dear to every ministry leader. The subjects covered include the following:

            Church Growth
            Church Ministry
            Church Staffing
            Marriage Ministry
            Mentoring
            Position Descriptions
            Purposes of the Church
            Spiritual Authority
            Spiritual Disciplines
            Spiritual Gifts        

The first volume in the series, Church Ministry By Design, is currently in production and is available for purchase. In addition to the normal paperback edition, you may also order an eBook edition for your chosen media. For more information on this release, see the listing below.

The second volume, Position Descriptions By Design, will be published early in the first quarter of 2012. This volume provides the necessities in putting together effective positions descriptions for both paid and volunteer church positions. Access to descriptions for more than 950 church positions will also be available.

The third volume, Marriage Ministry By Design, is currently being completed. It provides comprehensive information about planning, developing, maintaining, and changing effective ministries to marriages in the church and community.

Subsequent volumes will be published over the next several years.  Your church or organization will want to take a serious look at these offerings when they are published. Much work has been invested in each of the publications with the understanding that your church or organization needs to have the most bang for your buck when you look at this much information. That's why there will be a number of different options for your organization to acquire these volumes. They will not only be available at local, national, and online bookstores, but also through a web site dedicated to providing access to the publications in various formats.

Listed below are a few of the components of the different volumes that are currently in development or production. As additional components are developed and/or moving into production, they will also be listed here.

Church Ministry By Design

This volume provides some of the basic information needed by church leaders in helping them put together a plan for meeting the needs of their congregation, community, and their own team, and brings it together into a somewhat concise, but comprehensive, volume that addresses many ministry issues. Components of the study include the following:

            Goals of the church
            Purposes of the church
            Functions of the church
            Organizing the church
            Growing the church
            Structuring church associations and denominations
            Beginning church ministries

The volume is capped by overview chapters of more than 80 ministries that may be offered by the church. Brief summaries are provided for what the ministry is about, a suggested leadership structure and organizational placement for the ministry, and a synopsis of the various entry points for individuals wishing to become involved. Expanded versions of these ministry chapters may be available for purchase and download from this site in the future (let us know if you may be interested in a specific ministry, and we will work with you toward providing a more personalized volume for your needs).

For more information on this exciting new volume and how to order it, check the websites of Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Position Descriptions By Design

Many churches are unaware of the importance of having effective and up-to-date position descriptions for their leadership teams. It is of utmost importance that the church, just like any successful business, be aware of the responsibilities, skills, abilities, and gifts required for every position on their staff. Development of this volume began years ago, and has culminated in complete position descriptions for most positions at most churches and other ministry organizations. More than 800 position descriptions are included in this Volume. They may be used as a basis for adapting the information for use in your organization. There are also guidelines provided for your leaders in developing, writing, and maintaining position descriptions that will allow your organization to maintain effective staff and be prepared for the future when there are transitions in that ministry staff.

Position Descriptions By Design will be published in early 2012. This volume will be available for purchase from this web site, as well as others. Individual descriptions will also be made available for purchase and download. The pricing schedule has yet to be established.
 
Areas of ministry emphasis for the descriptions include, but are not limited to:

        Administration
        Adult Ministry
        Assimilation
        Audio/Video
        Bereavement/Grief
        Bookstore
        Children's Ministry
        Christian Education/Discipleship
        Church Board
        College Ministry
        Communications/Web 
        Counseling
        Evangelism/Missions/Outreach
        Executive Staff
        Facilities Management
        Family
        Fellowship
        Fine Arts
        Guest Services
        Marriage Ministries
        Men
        Music/Worship
        Senior Adult Ministries
        Single Adult Ministries
        Small Groups
        Support Groups
        Women
        Youth