If you’ve been visiting BuildingChurchLeaders.com or receiving the BCL newsletter for long, you’ve probably noticed that our downloads come in a variety of formats and under a multitude of names. You may have even noticed more than one download on the same topic. If you’re new to the website, you may wonder what BCL is all about. With the short descriptions below, we hope to explain – to old friends and new – just what you can expect to find here at BuildingChurchLeaders.com.
To summarize, our editorial staff is committed to providing church leaders with practical and useful downloadable resources that can be used in and adapted to virtually any church environment. To do that, we develop nine different kinds of downloads, each with a specific purpose.
This is our staple download: practical, brief, and ready for use in a discussion. These downloads are collections of between seven and nine articles that address a single topic from multiple angles and are designed for quick reading.
Survival Guides are meant to provide a deeper level of education and insight on a topic, using a collection of five to seven articles that run between two and five pages long each. At the end of each article are mini-assessments that help readers further apply the material to their situation.
These downloads consist of a collection of worksheets that help churches and church leaders assess themselves in a variety of ways on topics ranging from organizational-level issues to interpersonal issues (only one topic per download, though).
Each Best Church Practices download is a collection of documents, policies, and practices derived from the best practices of a variety of ministries and churches. Churches can use these resources to shape their own documents or policies (examples: check-in forms for the nursery or a counseling policies), which can be helpful if they are starting from scratch. These downloads can be quite long – up to 40 or 45 pages.
Each Orientation Guide provides an introduction to roles that are common in church life, including Sunday school teachers and greeters/ushers. They offer overviews of a specific role, an interview with a seasoned expert, and in-depth advice for specific aspects of each role.
These downloads are designed to be used for in-depth study, likely on a weekend retreat. They combine assessments, devotionals, practical articles, a Bible study, and a group activity. They can be purchased with or without a PowerPoint presentation and notes for the leader.
Designed to offer church leaders practical, sound advice for speaking into sensitive situations, each Urgent Care download starts with a short article that reviews critical things to do or say (or not do and not say) in a given emergency situation. The remainder of each pack contains the following resources: a single page overview; information to set attitudes and provide a ministry background; practical help for reaching out; a sermon, Bible study, or other resource for large-group ministry.
These materials cover all aspects of church worship. Practical and skills oriented, they can be compared to Practical Ministry Skills downloads on worship-related topics. Training packs are made up of approximately 8 articles organized around one unifying topic. For example, “Training Worship Leaders” walks customers through the responsibilities of a congregational song leader.
This sub-category of Worship Essentials provides customizable service plans adapted from The Pastor’s Service Manual. Each Orders of Worship download contains a plan for a particular kind of church service (such as a wedding) and is formatted and customizable for ease of use by a pastor.
