The GLC Leadership Connection

Fifty-one people from seventeen GLC churches gathered on September 23^rd at Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, MI for a day of practical workshops in four areas of ministry that are foundational to healthy, missional local church ministry.

Jeffrey Kahl, the pastor at Stoneridge Covenant Church in Allison Park, PA said “The Leadership Connection was well-worth the time investment!  The break-out sessions I attended provided the right mix of professional encouragement and practical wisdom for doing Gospel ministry faithfully.  And of course, it was a great opportunity for connecting with colleagues and friends.”

• The 4 Discipleship Workshops featured training in LifeChurch Canton’s Discipleship Pathway that enables participants to pursue steady growth from pre-Christian to a mature believer using a cohort model; Faith Covenant (Farmington Hills) Church’s growth group model that fosters spiritual formation and missional engagement while growing in relationship with Christ and other believers; equipping leaders for conflict transformation using resources recently produced by the Evangelical Covenant Church; and use of the S.H.A.P.E. resource for helping congregants identify their spiritual gifts, passions, and skills to help the local church fulfill her mission.
• The 4 Sunday Morning Ministry Workshops equipped participants to structure Sunday morning worship services to maximize the formation of disciples; to plan well for engaging both long-time members and first time visitors in the transition from the parking lot to the church building so that distractions are minimized and worship can be life-changing; to plan sermon series that connect with peoples’ deepest needs; and to prepare and deliver weekly sermons that enable people to encounter God’s word in fresh and meaningful ways.
• The Connections Workshop explored ways churches can help newcomers (both on-line and in-person) make initial connections with your church… and then develop a deeper sense of belonging over time.
• The Volunteer Workshop focused on how to effectively recruit and retain volunteers for the ministries that are crucial to advancing the Gospel through the local church.
• The Financial and Real Estate Training workshop trained Treasurers, Financial Secretaries and Finance Officers in best practices for managing church finances so that ministry can move forward, fraud can be prevented, ministerial compensation and tax payment can be done appropriately, and buildings/property managed well to help the church fulfill her mission.

The GLC was blessed to have the following people leading our workshops: John Grandy from LifeChurch Canton, Peg Cichon from The GLC, James Bryde from Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, Alan Tumpkin from The GLC, Jody Eidness from the GLC, Mike Rice from Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, Alex Rahill from the ECC,  Alex Rahill II from LifeChurch Livonia, Bridgett Reynolds from LifeChurch Canton, Rob Hall and Peter Hedstrom from National Covenant Properties (NCP), and Stan Reiff of Capin Crouse Accounting. Thanks to all for their help in making this a success.

The next day of training for GLC pastors and lay people will be Friday, April 19, 2024 at Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, MI. Please check out our website after the new year for the GLC Annual Celebration brochure with more information.