Church & Ministry Administration | Lecture 11 : BC310-CMA-20260916

Okay, recording is on. Um, let's take a moment to pray and we'll get started. Who has the mic, please? Let's pray. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Father. Thank you for giving this wonderful time, Father God. Lord, we come before you, Father God. Lord uh I just pray father god as we are learning ministration admin administration father god lord give more wisdom to understand father god lord uh help us to apply in our ministries father god as we are uh here learning father god lead us and guide us father god thank you for everything father god in Jesus name I pray. Amen. >> Amen. All right. So yesterday all of you are present. I was absent, but I gave you a little work to do. Um, just to think about um how you would create an organizational chart for a church or ministry that you might be having, right? Uh I don't know what you're going to do uh in the future, whatever God is leading you to do, but just to think into the future that maybe one day you're pastoring a church [snorts] or having an organization what kind of a structure you'd have any and so just get exercise and then [snorts] I try to think about some process you know in the thing any while I hope you did some work on it yesterday. Uh any questions on that? Is that okay? Any doubts? Any problems you run into? Okay. Online is okay. Fine. So today we'll complete our lesson that we had started last week on systems and processes. This is lesson number six. Um, oh yes, I'll just pause this one minute. >> Yes, go ahead, please. >> Yeah, pastor. One of the things that I ran into was there was so many different ministry ideas. >> So then instead of putting it into one when I started, I I divided them into multiple. But then I know at APC you'll have multiple in one organization but it just felt like it would be too big and then within those specific ones to go deeper into it. Uh how would you suggest doing that? Like is it better to separate them? >> Yeah. Um it depends on how you would uh like to overall have this uh so one approach is you have one organization and within the organization you have many what we would call as verticals. The verticals would be these different ministries. >> [snorts] >> Um so it's one organization and then within that for example uh we at APC like okay APC is one organization but within APC we'll have Bible college counseling missions publications media so all these are different verticals inside one organization that's one approach another approach approach is to have a group of organizations. So you'll have a parent organization within the parent organization you'll have other in some way independent organizations but they actually all belong to the same group. So you'll have like a a um overarching organization which it brings all these independent organizations like you can say under one roof like groups them all together. So you'll have example uh if we were to rethink APC u Bible college would be by an independent organization by itself but it'll belong to APC. So APC Bible College would be uh separate independent legal entity but part of APC. Similarly, uh APC India missions, APC books, APC media ministries, these could be um registered as independent organizations all belonging to one uh entity under one group. The advantage of something like this, the second description is uh each one will have its own head, a leader leading it and the finances would be independent. You know what money comes to APC books would be kept under APC books like that. So it's all independent but yet they all belong to one group of institutions. So there is financial independence and within those organizations there's freedom to structure things the way that organization would want. It doesn't have to be the same as other organizations under the same group. Uh so that gives fle but it is a lot more work to manage this right because each one is a separate entity. So the work done the work to run these separate is a lot more because everything is in one way replicated duplicated you know accounting everything is so it's a lot work but gives a thing of independence and so both ways are fine uh as long as somebody's willing to you know uh the the expense of running all these multiple organizations more right so you want to keep everything lean streamlined then one organization have many verticles in it like we call many departments and many ministries and any questions any other questions all fine okay yeah so let's finish up what we started um last week when we talked about um systems and processes um I'll just uh quickly share this PDF. So lesson number six uh we were talking about operations and systems and processes. We kind of went through how you know in an organization you'll actually have many ministry areas. It's very rare that there'll be only one ministry area. There'll be many within each ministry lot of systems processes happening and all these will actually have to interact and work with each other. And uh we gave an example of the accounting department or we talked about the human body has many systems but it's one body and um then uh on page um 23 we talked about you know what are we looking at when we want to design an organization uh with the systems in it. We want to do things better. We want to do things faster, cheaper and differently. Right? So these are things we're looking at. How can we do it differently? Can we do it cheaper? Can we do it faster? Can we do it better? And we had to constantly think of this, right? We can't say, well, five years ago I thought about it. Well, five years ago is a long time. Uh things have changed. Maybe you have new tools, maybe there are different ways, maybe the needs of the people have changed, right? So we have to keep on uh thinking of how to improve uh what we do right. Um so process design we gave an example about the book this on page uh 24 just example when book request comes right how the book request has to be addressed you know and so we just went through that so like this we have to think about so many things you know so many processes inside the organization how to make it efficient how things can work well uh within the organization and always keep improving uh the process. So in order to improve the process we have to collect data you know so let me give an example um every Sunday we have visitors who come to church. Now, if you're the pastor and visitors come to your church, what would what are some of the things you want to do for the visitors and with the visitors? What would you if you were pastor? What would you you want to welcome them? Sorry. Talk with them like connect with them, right? What else? So we want them to learn something about us, right? Not like f this is all about something little bit. What is APC? What is this church about? What else? >> Sometimes it could be that uh some visitors are not yet believers. So give them something that will take them one step closer to making a decision for Christ. Uh helping them learn about Jesus. Good. What else? So there are visitors coming on a Sunday. You're having a service. What do you want to do for them? Could there be somebody looking for a church? Yeah. Right. It's possible that some of these visitors actually looking for a church. Maybe they're going church shopping. No, I'm not [laughter] saying they're looking for a church. You know, they may have visited five churches now they've come here. So definitely why not help them make consider we can't force anybody you know we are not forcing anybody but uh could APC become a church for them could be that church for them right so these are all things good things that as a pastor you would want for any visitor right you want to address this, right? You want to welcome them. You want to be able to connect with them. Uh you want to be able to share a little bit about APC for them to get to know us. Uh if they are not believers, give them an opportunity to learn a little bit more about Jesus. If they're looking for a church, maybe help them help them in the process, you know, of making a decision. So that's the objective. So, how is it going to happen? What are some things you should do? So what do we do right we welcome them in church right on Sunday morning thank you for coming you know if you're here first time please stand up see because we don't know right so many people are sitting there so first of all we have to find out who is first visitor so what do we do we welcome them thank you for coming if you don't mind please stand up otherwise we will never know who's visitor who's not a visitor right of course for some people it's a little embarrassing they may have come I just want to worship and pray why you troubling me why you telling me to stand up I just want to come and quietly worship listen to the message and go but at the same time we know that maybe they're looking for a church and the only way we can help them in that process is if we can get their name and number right if we otherwise they'll come and go we won't even know uh they have visited right again we can't force these things but at least we can give an opportunity right so we say okay if you are visiting if you don't mind please stand up but um at the same time we have to give something and get something right to give something meaning some information about us and in that. So we have a welcome packet. In that welcome packet we want to give something where they can get to know about us [snorts] and especially if they are new people something that they can learn about Jesus and the Christian faith. So in the welcome packet we will put like a new testament h at least you know get a new testament in their hands. You never know. uh put some simple books like God is a good God don't lose hope something simple father's love easy to read that a person who's new can uh connect to right so some simple things and um and with that we also give a contact card because at least you should get their name and number then we can call them otherwise and we can't force this but we're just giving them an opportunity. We'll tell them clearly we're not collecting your name and number to give it to the police or something. No, [laughter] collect your name and number so that we can be in touch with you. We can let you know what's happening. Right? And we're not selling this information. This is just for us to get to know you, right? So most people are okay with that, right? So they're happy to receive the welcome packet which has some in some useful things and we say okay please you give us your name and number but some people may not stand up and that happens some people will be there for 10 years we won't know they quietly come and they sit in the back they don't want to be known right and that is okay we can't force it if they want to just come quietly and go that is fine they don't have to stand up right but for those who are looking so we have to have this system in place and the process right so we had to tell users we need your help ushers quickly within very quick you know don't embarrass somebody standing there for 10 minutes is very embarrassing so very quickly you come you give make this happen give them the work packet give them the card pen and then you come back collect it very quietly you do it right and then we also give them an opportunity because they've come We set up a welcome lounge if you want. Again we can't force anybody because sometimes they may have some plans or after I have to charge I have to go here go there whatever but if they have time if you can please stay back have some people be they can have a conversation so that is where we want to connect with them talk to them right so we have to have this in place right at the same time we know that some people could be visiting from another church right so we have to tell them very clearly like if you are from another church in our city where the God's word is being preached. Stay faith faithful. We're not trying to pull people from other churches, right? There are many good churches in the city. So maybe they're just coming because maybe one of the friends they're having baby dedication or maybe they're coming because there's a special speaker but they belong to another just come to listen to a speaker or something like that. So then we don't want to pull them from their church. So we say if you already belong in church you stay there and we're not forcing you. It's only for those who are new. Maybe they moved into the city. They're looking for a church or maybe they are just interested in knowing about Jesus. So like that those people we want to try to get them in right then. So you got contact information and what must happen then you collected the card. What to do with it? What is the process? It has to go to the church office first safely. It has to go. You collect the card and put in the dash bin. No, [laughter] no use, right? It has to reach the church. So, you have to have a process for that, right? Somebody is responsible. Whatever cards are collected on Sunday safely reach the church office by Monday. Then what else? The information has to be stored somewhere because now it's on a piece of paper. Uh we can't keep giving the paper to everybody. So it has to go into a system somewhere where everybody can access then somebody has to call correct say hello welcome just get to know them you know. So uh so what what happens is the cards are collected from all our locations they come to church office then again we have a process somebody so in this right now it's Samara Samara or I don't know who does it now anyway somebody in the office does it right I'm not sure who does it uh um it's probably member Ky so it'll go to um someone in the member team so they will enter it into system. So we have a software I'll talk about it later it's called church management system they will enter it into the church management system right and u they will also there's also another spreadsheet so we know who week by week who gave so also enter it there so it goes in the spreadsheet so then immediately not immediately but within the first two three days Monday Tuesday Wednesday also depends on how many people are there. Um the plan is within the first few days, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, the it's called FTV followup. That means somebody from the church office has to call them, right? And also we train them how to call. I don't say, "Hey, please make sure you come back." No, no, no. [laughter] You can't force, right? Oh, we're coming to your house for lunch today. [laughter] You can't do that, right? We have to be gentle but Paul find out uh are they were they visiting from another city. Sometimes people they come for the weekend they're going to church and when you call them on Monday they're back in they're you know their own city. Okay. Oh they might say you know I was just visiting Bangalore. I came from Delhi. I was looking for a I came. Oh fine. Thank you very much. You know so that I hope you enjoy. whenever you come back you can come and visit us also you know we have a website we have resources you can always use it so just give them some information leave it like that because you can't force them come from Delhi every [laughter] that will be they think these people are crazy right so depending on who they are uh we have to speak to them if they are from another church then we say oh okay you're visiting from another in in our city right oh thank you so much again We're not going to force them to leave that church. Okay, fine. Maybe they came for some reason. Thank you for coming. You're welcome anytime. But you know, we always tell you to remain fa leave it like that. Only if the other two cases where they're looking for our church. I said, "Please come back." You know, would you like to come back? Uh would you like to join a life group? Because uh when they come on Sunday morning, it's a big crowd. you know, you you kind of feel lost. But in a life group, uh it's a smaller group. So, at least you get to talk to people. Again, we can't force them. We can offer, you know, would you like to join a life group? We have live groups. They they will make an attempt to see if they're interested, something like that, you know. So, basically to connect with them, welcome them. Again, no forcing. We don't want to force anybody. Um so our the way we do it is u make maximum three calls week one um and I forget the exact gap but we have a plan right uh maybe like after a big gap or something again one more call three three times that's it don't trouble them too much right if they say oh I I've decided to go somewhere else all that is fine is everybody has the freedom to choose right we are only trying to make it welcoming make it easy answer any questions like that right so I'm just saying this as this is an example where for just one part it is welcoming a visitor we need to have a proper system and a process in place and this has to happen every Sunday. Every Sunday it's happening. No, because on a on an average we might have about 20 visitors every Sunday across our locations and then you know during holiday season all the numbers will go up because people are traveling into the city uh more people. every Sunday at least 20 people will be there across locations and then so those calls have to happen you understand right so but this is a system put in place and the process keeps working every week keeps working then if they've given us emails it goes into an email list they'll start receiving our Sunday sermons uh email which goes out on Tuesday so they get an email from church. Oh, this they send me they're getting in. Of course, they can unsubscribe. They can opt out, you know. So, we're not forcing it on them. They have the option to say I don't want uh so like that. But otherwise, every week an email will go with a sermon thing. So, even if they're from another city, if they're interested, they can listen to the sermon or when a new book comes out, if they're interested, they can download. Right? So like this we have to think of every aspect of the church every ministry there has to be system and process we to think through and we to keep improving right so even with the FTV this whole process we have other challenges what do you think are could be a challenge One of course is somebody who comes very quietly. They come and sit and go. We will not know. Sometimes I met some people. Oh, hello. Are you new? I've been coming 5 years. I feel so embarrassed. [laughter] They've been coming to church for 5 years and I'm shaking hands for the first time. Right. It happens. Right? Why? Because they come quietly and go, "We don't know." And uh, of course, on a Sunday, you can't meet everybody. This happens, you know, very often. They'll come quietly and oh, first time. [laughter] So, like, so, so that is one challenge. How what other challenge can you think of? ah okay um like they don't give us the information and um so what happens is they get involved in church so it works two ways one is they get involved in church they start attending a life group they part they attending church they become part of the church but because they didn't fill in the card the first time we don't have their information so they will never get a call from uh and you know we have this member care thing where after they start attending we like to wish people for their so that's the member care part we like to make sure every person in church gets one phone call every month they will they should get a birthday gift for their birthday and if they're married a wedding anniversary gift small thing not some big gift small thing right why just to let them know we care for them okay so that's the expire. So imagine if a person doesn't fill out this card. They are attending the church but we don't have the information. So they won't get into this member care thing. They will never receive a phone call. They won't get the gift. They like how come pastor only likes that person. That person is getting a gift. That person is how come I am not getting what was where was the gap? They didn't fill the card. So we don't have that information and we by by by by now they may have been in church like one year or whatever longer time they they're settling in but they didn't give us the information so we don't have it you know so that is still a gap it is still a gap because unless they attend membership class or they sign up as volunteers we will never get that information because we don't know that they didn't fill up the card and even they may not know that hey because I didn't fill up their car the church doesn't have my information so they can't wish me for my birthday they can't send me you know they also don't know obviously so that gap is still there we're trying to somehow fill that gap how do we get the information of people who started attending church regularly but they haven't given us that information you know so we came up with the idea called connect card so in case you have not say like you not filled up the first time is this card we have a connect card at the back you know when you try to fill that up and but I forget to announce it every Sunday so because we have to announce about two cards now you know welcome card and this [laughter] but we came up with ideas tell people to go fill it up in case they have not filled this up things like But you see there's still a gap you know um where they could become part of the church and we don't have the information. So we we have to look at other ways also. Another gap is after three calls then what we've called them three times then they could be coming to church and going but they are not getting connected. They're just attending. They come and go. Our goal is to get them to be part of the community, enjoy the life of the community. So that's another gap, right? Uh, of course we can't force them to join a life group. We can't force them to volunteer, but at least we can encourage them. Sometimes people need little encouragement. No. Oh, come you can volunteer. Come, you can join a life group. They need that. But um that's another gap we are seeing. We have to try to fill it in. Are you understanding? Right. So we had to think think always keep working how to help the people uh in these things. Yeah. So just um [clears throat] mention some things some uh key points that we went through. uh you know we try to keep looking at what's going on keep improving write documents on how these tasks must happen [snorts] and at the same time give place for the spirit and also coordination between ministries you know so uh this is on the next page which is page 25 planning and coordination between ministries so think about this. We have worship team. They're going to come and sing lead in worship. Let's say they they practice five or six songs. So worship team practices five or six songs. Maybe on a Thursday, Friday, they'll practice. They're going to lead on Sunday. But what do the what does the congregation need to sing with the worship teams? But who's doing the lyrics? Media team. How will the media team know what the worship team is going to sing? Ah, some of you are already volunteering. So you know, you know what happens. worship team has to inform. Yet this is the song. Uh this is the in this order. They have to give the order also. These are the lyrics. Then we also have uh the production team cameras. How will the camera know whom to focus [clears throat] if if the song leader starting a song and the camera is focusing on the drummer? you're focusing on the wrong person. The camera has to focus on the uh the leader at that time, that particular time when they're starting the song. Or if the keyboardist is playing a very important part and that time they're focusing on someone else, you've missed the missed that important. So even the production team needs to get the song list and they call it a cushi. That means on that sheet they're the worship team is saying this is the person you have to focus on. That's called Q sheet. So this is coordination between the whole team, worship team, media team, production team, right? So worship team has to send the song list to media team. These are the songs with the lyrics in this order. [snorts] They should also share the Q sheet with the production team so they know camera who to focus what and the sound person know if he turns off the mic of the singer [laughter] when they going to singer can sing full no [laughter] sound the audio don't so confusion correct so everybody has to gone it right. The audio person needs to know whose mic has to be on. [laughter] Uh so all this has to coordinate audio team, production team, PowerPoint team, everything has to coordinate. So this that means planning has to happen uh before right by Monday Tuesday uh song worship leader has to decide on the songs he can't say we'll all go by the spirit finished cameras won't know where to focus uh you know uh media team won't know which song is coming next and audio team won't know whose mic to turn on and off finish. It'll be full, you know. So, there has to be some planning, right? So, better listen to the Holy Spirit before you plan, [laughter] right? So, you listen and plan [laughter] and have your song list. Now of course we are open that means sometimes and this happens right worship leader has selected five songs but suddenly after three songs he may feel like he has to go into a different song that that happens then what do everybody has to be quick media team has to quickly search the song what song is he okay feels he has to sing a different song he goes in different immediately worship team Right. Cameras hold steady [laughter] if you don't know where you know because now it's a new song then they don't there's no Q sheet now same thing audio hey okay flow uh so we don't do this all the time like you know at least do the planning you can so that everything is coordinated but there is room for spontaneity when and if The worship lead is going off in a uh song. Okay, do the best. Do the best, right? PowerPoint, try to get it. [snorts] Production team, you know, focus where you can. Audio team, do the best you can, right? [snorts] So there is planning, there is coordination, but also room for spontaneity, right? Same thing will happen like during ministry song. they will come prepared but sometimes we may feel like singing a different song or we may give alter call or we may do something that we don't plan right we can't plan we don't know what is going to happen at that moment uh so then we have to just flow spont everybody has to just flow right but to the best we can we plan yeah so [clears throat] in many many things that happen in church and I just gave that as an example example there's lot of uh planning coordination across ministries has to happen you know and like this um you know whether it's these services uh they could be Sunday they could be weekend they could be seminars and all of that uh again a lot of planning is done uh uh for for the event u facilities venue assets logistics has to be planned So uh let me just explain how we do this right. So uh just to sum you know summarize these these points that I've put by the September of each year we prepare the calendar for the next year. So right now we already have prepared the calendar for 2027. Every date uh every everything for 20 is already in the calendar. Uh and now what is happening is right now we are finalizing the venue and also the ministry leaders for all the events have to finalize the topics and speakers. So example in 2027 [snorts] we'll have men's conference. So now we have to fix the speakers for the men's conference, women's conference, um marriage [clears throat] and family conference, uh whatever you know, arts conference, whatever's whatever is going to happen in 2027, the venue, the speakers, the topics have to be finalized now, right? So we already have the calendar ready for 2027. All these other details are being worked on and 3 months before any event all the details must be finalized including the budget. So for example the first big event that happens in is in January the Christian leaders conference. Okay. So I think it's January 13 14 15 somewhere there. So they're working on it. The venue know we we had to we got a little delayed about the venue because we were trying to find a bigger space and all that but we finally went back to our old venue. Um anyway so venue is finalized. Now [clears throat] the budget how much are we going to spend because depending on how many people are coming [snorts] all that has to be finalized. So by the end of this month budget will be done. So everything will be done. promotions, registrations will start you know so that everything can be ready right so for that Christian leaders conference because uh we have to have accommodation people are coming from outstation Christian pastor others pastors are coming accommodation has to be fixed all the details picking them up from the train station bringing them to the venue food for them for 5 days all these things the plan for you know the day everything has to be all planned out right cuz last minute we can't say go buy rice go buy dal go ch we can't do all that everything has to be ready so things will go smoothly right coordination has to happen right so all this uh for every event [clears throat] 3 months before the event all the details has to be planned planning has to be finished then information also has to be given to all the media team everything because they have to do their promotions they have to prepare graphics they have to include it in the announcements they have to send out the registration link all those things have to be done right [clears throat] so everybody's working ahead of schedule so things can happen right now sometimes there are problems because if they find difficulty in getting the speaker who is going to speak there could be some delays but we trying to make it better right >> okay let's finalize the speakers. So then there is no stress for everybody. Last minute working you know. So that's how everything is planned because media team should know only then they can prepare the graphic who is coming to speak website registration all those things uh planned ahead of time at least 3 years uh 3 months before uh everything will be finalized right. So and we keep try to keep improving you know that's how the coordination happens between all the events the venue the logistics all that the budgets are approved know we do an estimate right so that's a quick summary a lot of detail goes in um so every ministry leader is responsible for their ministries they have to plan they have to get all these things done. Okay. Any questions? Oh, okay. Oh, yeah. So, V Shanti. So, Shanti enters the all the the cards that come in. Uh, she enters that. Any questions? >> Yes, please go ahead. >> So, how do you practically plan for things a whole year ahead? And I know you do things way ahead of time, even years before. Um, from like a prayerful perspective, how do you do it practically? Cuz we know we seek God for all of the decisions. >> So what does that look like in your life? >> Yeah. So how do we plan, you know? So um, for example, uh, the pulpit plan, right? So for many years now the way we do it is by December we plan all the sermons for the next year meaning the titles I'm not saying full sermon that is that happens week to week but by December for the next year we plan what we're going to minister and if you look at it there are only 52 Sundays so sometimes feel 52 2 is not enough. There's so much you want to share only only 52 Sundays. That means you have to come up uh you have to seek God. Lord what uh so example we have 52 Sundays out of that some Sundays are gone like there is like there will be um you know uh Easter Sunday there may be Christmas, new year some Sundays are like that you know the special Sundays. So okay let's keep there 52 Sundays. So if you do uh series a series and if a sermon series on on a modest thing just say it takes one sermon series you do for um four Sundays example but generally it'll go more than four we may go to six but let's say for four Sundays that means you can only do 12 topics suddenly It's come down only 12 topics. That means whole year you're only going to cover 12 because if you're doing one topic for four Sundays like one then we only have you know 12 months every month four weeks. So generally you're down to only 12 topics and then mostly most sermons like for example you're doing sermon on King David it's for two months like eight Sundays are going to be on that. So it actually reduces down. You you'll see like oh in this whole year I can probably only do 10 themes or 10 sermon series in the whole year, right? And then so what do you do? Say okay God. So I pray towards the end of the year. Uh so right now I'm already starting to listen to God like what what should we focus on in 2020 s I'm already starting to listen to God what do you want us to do keeping my heart open to God you know I'm not like saying God you know send Gabriel and tell Gabriel to tell me I'm not like that just my heart open because God speaks all the time God where is the church I mean ABC where are we where should we go in 2020 27. So basically I'm looking to God for God give me six or seven main topics to focus on for 2027. So it's very easy actually you know because six or seven topics will be more than enough for 52 Sundays in between you're having some you know special days and all that. So basically all you're saying what are the six or seven main things to focus on in 2027 that's it you listen to God you know and that will come into your heart you put it down [clears throat] then uh I we use a spreadsheet so even when we are planning like I said the previous plan to 2026 calendar is just a simple excel sheet every month every day is listed similarly uh for sermon plan every Sunday in 2027. I'll put it in an Excel sheet. It was the same thing. We've been doing this for years and okay, I feel these are the six things or six or seven sermon topics to focus on that God wants us to focus on for the church. Basically, we're looking at how to build the church, you know, spiritually in the Christian life, Christian ministry and so on. And now break this across 52 Sunday. So let's say I pick a topic and this this is the theme we focus on to cover this topic I will need at least six Sundays. So that immediately six Sundays goes in that another topic or to cover this topic I may need eight Sundays or eight Sundays will go in that. So like that the whole 52 Sundays done just the topics right then uh end of in December I will email it out to the media team IT team just to keep everybody informed right at the same time we know that this is subject to change that means if we need to change things while we're going along we will change it but this is general idea because sometimes uh maybe some Sunday or while we're going along suddenly there's in a uh in your heart saying you know we need to address this so you may take two Sundays to do something different it's okay then the dates will just get changed with the others so there is flexibility but the pulpit plan is just a guidance saying hey this is what we're going to focus on and this is how we've distributed it across the year everybody kind of knows [clears throat] the media team can start thinking about what graphics they want to use and those kinds of things the worship team can start thinking about you know how what songs would you know go so that's the overall plan but then the actual plan is h happens monthto month so end of the month we will send the pulpit plan for the coming month most often it'll be aligned to the annual plan most often but there will be some changes if not so monthto month so end month I send the pulpit plan for the coming year the pulpit plan will have who's going to be preaching which Sunday which location so that happens month to month so that which topic or that thing then sermon is actually worked upon during the week and usually by Friday I'll send the sermon outline you got it yeah so you know sometimes people say okay How could know why should you plan like this and all? Well, if Bible says God knows the end from the beginning. If he knows the end from the beginning, at least he can show you one year at a time. It's nothing problem, not a problem, right? So, you can listen to God for one year, you can listen to God for 10 years. It's your choice. But he knows everything. He knows the end from the beginning and he will show it to us. We have to pray, try to listen and then try to follow that. Always remain uh open to the Holy Spirit. Any questions? All right. Rajes said, "I'm from a rural area. I've seen many pastors prepare their sermons two or three days before the preaching and then deliver them two days later. So my question is, is this method correct? And what should I do next?" So um this is fine, right? I mean I'm not saying you know like if a pastor prepares one or two days before the uh uh service and goes and preaches it is fine it is working right and God will speak God can speak and sometimes I've gone to the pulpit without preparing but nowadays I can't do because powerpoint all this too much problem but in the early days when we didn't have all this too many things uh there are times I just go without preparing and just that's fine but uh Going back to your question Rajes, it is fine. It's not wrong that you know somebody prepares one or two days before and preaches. God works that way also. But and that may be fine in a in a small context where you know there's the media team is not dependent worship team everything is loosely held. So they're not very dependent on it. But if there is a need meaning so even in a rural setting if you want to be a little bit more coordinated and organized where uh the worship team can come prepared with songs that will help the preaching and uh you know others who are serving if they need to know then yeah if you can plan ahead that will help right but if there is no need for that you know where um uh the media team alters the need then it's okay but from a pastoral perspective I think it's good for the pastor to listen to God ahead of time because then you know where you're taking the church you know you're not leading the church week by week you're leading the church more with a a long range vision and a direction from God so from a pastoral perspective. I would definitely, you know, encourage pastors, whether it's a rural setting or a urban setting, doesn't matter to listen to God for the whole year. God, where would you like me to take these people this coming year? I mean, we are on a journey, right? And usually when we make a journey, we think about the destination, right? We don't just say, I'll sit on the train, wherever you take, I'll go, you know? No, we say, okay, I want to go here. And therefore, you know, we make the journey. So from a pastoral perspective where do you want to take the congregation and that's where we listen to God. So I would definitely say end of the year listen to God for the coming year and have a plan for across the months uh so that you know very clearly where you are taking uh the people God is entrusted to you. Right. Yeah. Okay. We'll stop here. We'll get into uh our next lesson. lesson what's the number I for is on human resources right how do we take care of people we'll do that next week thank you thank