We have had a difficult two months, with Catherine being hospitalized for most of December, then rehospitalized within a week after she was discharged. She's at home now and beginning the long road to recovery. Most weeks we've had doctor or medical stuff nearly every day, though with the progress she's making that's beginning to decrease, I characterize it as a difficult stretch of road on a long journey. Still, like any stretch of unpaved road there are things that are beautiful along the way, even while you know your car is going to need a realignment after you get back to civilization.

One of the beautiful things on this stretch was being able to teach a course on Practical Management of Ministry recently. I had a great time being in the class room and using my business experience to help men and women in ministry with tools for managing the ministry. My friend Hugh came in one afternoon and spoke about running a capital campaign. It was a terrific job from someone who's experienced at running them.

Last fall when the opportunity opened up I "recruited" a team of unofficial advisers to help design the modules for the course, asking them three simple questions:
     1) Given the name and description of the course, what would you expect to learn from it?
     2) What was the most surprising (practical) thing you learned in ministry for which you wish you had some seminary training? If you're not a pastor, what things do you WISH your pastor had learned?
     3) Suggest a book, article or seminar that helped you (or your pastor) get up to speed on any of the subjects mentioned in (1) and (2)

My thanks to these friends who took the time to respond. They come from a wide range of churches geographically and denominationally, but all have in common the desire to help others succeed in ministry. In responding, they helped others succeed in ministry.
     Donna Boerma, Michigan church member
     Bud Brown, Connections Pastor at The Heights Churchin Prescott, AZ
     Lawrance Glenn - Episcopal priest, former Army chaplain
     John Lane, pastor of Wesley Free Methodist Church
     Jerry Mann, ABWE missionary appointee to South Africa
     David Mays, Director of Learning Initiatives and Church Relation for the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies (EFMA) David was absolutely invaluable in preparing the module on Managing Missions
     Brian Norman, pastor of Adirondack Baptist Church

If you're interested in the bibliography with their comments annotated, you can e-mail me at pastordude49@hotmail.com