It also set a precedent, which was my purpose for seeking the evaluation in the first place. Recognizing the value of such an exercise, the board requested that this evaluation be extended to include each of them. No pastor need copy the precise strategies of any other. Equipping board members for service requires flexible, but intentionally planned strategies. Gib Martin, long-time pastor of Seattle's Trinity Church, fasts and prays one day each year for the specific purpose of determining relevant projects for each board member.
Many pastors take one or more board members along to conferences and seminars they attend.
A few look for men with a I special burden for evangelism, and take I them along on visitation opportunities. Still others teach workshops on Bible study methods, classroom teaching methods, and so forth as a means of better preparing key men for ministries of their own. Whatever form it takes, your investment in board members reaps dividends long after they leave their elected position. For you will have equipped them for an ongoing ministry, not just for the fulfillment of a slot in the church's organizational chart. A healthy board produces a healthy body.