Introduction: Below is a list of potential discussion topics for the 1-on-1 Mentoring Sessions. The Mentoring Pastor may not feel adequate in discussing a particular topic, at which point another Mentoring Pastor could be recruited to discuss topic.

 

A. Discussion Topics - The Art of Preaching:

- Understanding the Worship Service - Role of the speaker

- Understanding Worship Service- Role of the Audience

- Understanding Worship Service - Impacts of the environment to the worship service & participants

- Protection & Usage of the Voice - deferring environment & differing voice, basic vocal cord care

- Difference between preaching and teaching - Effective use of both is necessary in the ministry

- Effective use of Sermon Outlines & Necessity of managing your preaching time

- Researching methods for Sermons Topics & ideas

 

B. Discussion Topics - Various Services: Use of ministry manuals to build & prepare for ...

- Child Dedications Service

- Church Building and/or Home Dedication Events

- Baptism & Lord's Supper Service

- Conducting Weddings & Wedding counseling for couples

- Funerals & Ministry to the Family - especially in the unexpected loss of a family member

- Procedures for seeking a pastor & Ordination Service

 

C. Discussion Topics - Church Administration:

- Church (Bible, The people) vs Church (Law, Building & Business)

- Church Elders (Bible) vs Church Officers (law) - Role Deacons, secretary

- Basics of financial reports - Necessity of them, How to read one, How to manage church finances, not the same as personal finances.

- Basics of a church business meeting

- Robert's rules of order & basics

 

D. Discussion Topics - Church Legalities:

- Financial Risks to Pastorate & Risks of Accusation of Embezzlement

- Church Insurance & risk of at-fault for members & nonmembers to injuries

- Pastoral risks of accusation from young children and vulnerable women – Ministry practices to protect yourself

- Church as a Nonprofit – pros & cons

- Social Media – pros & cons

 

E. Discussion Topics - Ministering to the Minister:

- Qualification of the Pastorate & Risks/Actions for Disqualification

- Pastor's Family & Crisis events that impacts on the Ministry

- Pastoring and raising teenagers - Balance of Pastoral time during adolescence & teen years

- Managing loneliness and Pastoral feelings - Depression, failure, fatigue, betrayal

- Understanding Ministry Burnout, Pastoring is a marathon, not a sprint

- Pastor’s Confidant for dealing with problems & sins, use of a Pastoral Counselor/Mentor

- Pastors who are introverts and extroverts- meeting your needs, healthy pastoral habits

 

F. Discussion Topics - Ministering to the Minister's Family: (Consider discussing these topics with the Apprentice Preacher and his wife.)

- Ministering to the Pastor's wives & children

- Understanding the Pastors family's feelings of jealousy issues with time and attention

- Understanding confidential news - some things can't be shared with your wife for their spiritual health

- Role of Pastor wives in Ministry

- Sacrifice of Pastor wives to give time for the pastoral study & Ministry

- Pastor wives support of the Pastor in a host of ministry conflicts

 

G. Discussion Topics - Ministerial Conflicts:

- Pastoral Relations – Pastor to Pastor and Resolving conflicts between Pastors & churches

- Pastoral Relations - Pastor to Members and Resolving conflicts inside the church membership

- Managing Church Member relations with children and conflicts between parents & parenting styles

- Managing Church relations during a building project or remodel project

- Church Associations - pros & cons. A Pastor maybe called to pastor a church that does or doesn’t participate in an Association.

- Establishing healthy Ministry habits to maintain spiritual health while working a secular job

 

H. Discussion Topics - Pastoral Counseling:

- Role of professional Christian Counseling -vs- Pastoral Counseling:

- Marital Counseling - pre & post wedding

- Parental Counseling - spouse to spouse, parents to children, loss of child

- Divorce Counseling - Impacts membership, Ministry to each of the separated spouses

- Military Members Counseling - wrestling with service to country & concept of murder, dealing with post-traumatic experiences in the church body, Ministry to service members during military deployment

- Convicts Counseling- wrestling with guilt of their crime, post-traumatic stress disorder from the prison experience, impacts, and integration into the church body

- Ministry of the Mentally ill & former Drug Addiction - ministering to the person, facilitating church ministry to a person

- Ministry of the Elderly – wrestling with the mental decline impacts on family/church and ministering to families dealing with elderly parents and elderly care