Consultant Training

The Ministry Audit:

Consultant Training I and II with Bill Easum.
Resource: The Church Growth Handbook and The Complete Ministry Audit available from EBA or Abingdon Press.

These seminars equip church leaders to apply The Complete Ministry Audit to any congregation. Consultant Training I and II are two of our most productive equipping models. Both courses are facilitated around the case study method. Course I is a 3 1/2 day course. Course II is three days, by invitation only, and requires the participant to have personally completed a Ministry Audit with a congregation. Both seminars are limited to eight people.

Level I
Bill Easum walks participants through the Ministry Audit, plus tools to interview the pastor and laity. He demonstrates how to analyze demographics. Each day each participant is given a Ministry Audit and demographics of a church in which Bill has done a consultation. That night the participant has to analyze the material and work up the presentation. Over the next two days each participant makes a forty-five minute presentation on the church and the area around it and makes recommendations. Bill guides a general critique of each presentation. The fourth day, Bill concludes the seminar by answering questions and coaching how to do a consultation.

Level II
This course is by invitation only. The invitations are based on how the participant did in Course I. Bill discusses with the group what he has learned the past year about consulting with congregations and discipling people. Each participant presents one case study based on his or her church (or a church of their choice). This presentation is for two and one-half hours. There are three presentations a day. A complete copy of the Audit and demographics is sent to each participant a month ahead of time.

The Congregational Mission Assessment:

Consultant training I and II with Tom Bandy based on the "Kicking Habits" trilogy.
Resources: Vision Discernment, and Facing Reality: The Congregational Mission Assessment available from EBA or Abingdon Press (digital and hard copy versions available). "Vision Discernment" is found in the book Moving Off the Map. "Congregational Mission Assessment" is published as Facing Reality. Optional helpful reading includes: Kicking Habits and Coming Clean: A Study Guide to Kicking Habits (available as a trilogy from Abingdon Press and through the EBA webstore).

These seminars equip church leaders to customize an effective vision discernment process, and discern strengths, weaknesses, and hidden corporate addictions for long range planning. Each seminar is two days long, with a minimum registration of 5 and a maximum registration of 15. The seminars are scheduled back-to-back, and people may register for both in the same year.

Level I
Tom Bandy explains the significance of "genetic code" (embedded consensus around core values, beliefs, vision, and mission) for rapidly deployed and adaptive ministries in a servant empowering organization. Participants explore each phase of the process, mentoring one another to customize it for their unique context. Tom coaches participants to anticipate obstacles in the process, and build wide ownership among core and fringe participants of the church.

Level II
This course assumes that participants have experience and/or clear understanding of the importance of "genetic code" in congregational life. Tom walks participants through the 110 questions of the CMA (10 questions in each of 11 foundational, functional, and formal sub-systems of congregational life). Tom coaches participants to use and interpret demographic and psychographic research (US and Canada), apply the "Church Addiction Test" and apply the intuitive measurement for relative addiction/health based on the model of "Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Lively Virtues".

Other popular seminars may be scheduled in Port Aransas or Ontario, but may also be held in your own region. Travel and accommodation costs for Bill or Tom will be less than the total travel cost of participants coming to Texas or Toronto ... and some seminars are more effective when held in the cultural context of the participants.

Apprentice Training

Tom Bandy invites a limited number of apprentices to "shadow" and "participate" in actual consultations based on the Ministry Audit and Congregational Mission Assessment. Apprentices meet with Tom one day prior to the consultation for basic training and review of the data; and one day following the consultation to de-brief and answer questions.

Refer to Tom's calendar or contact our EBA office for the upcoming schedule of consultations. Registration is very limited as this is a small group mentoring experience. Apprentices are responsible for all costs for travel, accomodation, and food, plus the registration fee.

Book your event early to insure getting the dates you desire. Contact the EBA office for contract and cost information (361-749-5364 or easum(at)easumbandy.com).