Resources e-letter 26:2 - May 2026
This issue of Resources e-letter gives details of two new sets of Training Notes which have just been uploaded to the site. These are TN160, Serving behind the scenes, and TN161, Developing ownership. There is also information about the Health-checks offered on the website.
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NEW: Serving behind the scenes
These notes seek to champion the workers who may not be noticed but who play a vital role in God’s kingdom.
This resource does this by taking the Old Testament story of the unnamed slave girl who introduced Naaman to Elisha, and the New Testament story of how an unremarkable disciple, Ananias, was used to welcome Saul to the Christian community when he was converted on the Damascus Road.
The notes then make the point that no one is a nobody in God’s work. This is followed by five principles drawn from the two case studies.
- Any Christian can be used for God’s special purposes
- The humblest of support roles still matters to God
- Our ranking of people by status is mistaken
- When the call comes we must be ready to obey
- The impact does not have to be as dramatic as in our two stories
There is then a list of discussion questions.
Training Notes TN160, Serving behind the scenes, are now available without charge on the Training Notes index page of this website.
NEW: Developing ownership
There are times in any church’s life when regular events, church groups, structures/systems or any activity can become somewhat tired or stale. For regular events or groups you need to refresh the profile and build ownership. But also for new events or groups, you need to sell the new idea and build ownership.
Suggested principles for refreshing a tired activity are:
- Pray
- Ask whether the event should stop or the group close down
- Find a wise enthusiast with passion for what you want to refresh
- Rethink the foundations including purpose and vision
- Question and rethink every current means to reach vision
- Get the key decisions ratified by the appropriate decision-making group
- Put this over to the congregation
There is a similar list for a new activity. These are followed by two case studies to show how all this might work in practice.
Training Notes TN161, Developing ownership, are now available without charge on the Training Notes index page of this website.
Are you aware of the Health-check items on the website?
The health-checks are detailed tools for assessing the health of churches, mission agencies and Church Administrators.
HC4 and HC5 make up the Church Health Review with a detailed questionnaire for local churches.
HC6 and HC7 make up the Christian Effectiveness Model with a detailed questionnaire for mission agencies or local church businesses.
HC8 and HC9 make up a Gift Assessment for Administrators with a detailed questionnaire for all who want to test if they have this spiritual gift.
Go to the Health-checks index page to see these and some short summaries of these tools.
Please ensure all these materials are widely promoted in your church. Thank you for your interest in my website.