Ministry training at Hope Chapel

Hope In The World

There’s a board at Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay that lists just some of the churches that have been planted out of that church. How do they do it?

Ralph Moore uses a baseball image to describe the difference between success and failure. Success requires:

1. A willingness to learn from mistakes.
2. Lots of chances to swing the bat.

MiniChurch gives future leaders a chance to swing the bat in a low risk environment.

The MiniChurch pastors training meetings provide both theological and practical training for current and future leadership. Some their current leaders have gone through more than 60 books while training with our pastoral staff. The cadre of MiniChurch pastors and their apprentices is the talent pool they search when hiring paid staff.

Ralph contends that of those who enter traditional theological training, only a small percentage make through graduation and survive more than two years of pastoral ministry.

He believes that theological education is best applied while a person is actively engaged in ministry. Education cannot create a leader. It can only augment and improve one. How do we know if someone is a leader? Watch and see if anyone is following them.

Unfortunately, theological education, in its current form creates barriers to entry into ministry. Hope Chapel combines learning ministry assignments and mentoring to grow hundreds of leaders of whom over 90% have remained in the ministry.

3 Comments

  1. Posted 23 December, 2007 at 1:37 PM | Permalink

    Steve – Thanks for sharing a bit of the story of MiniChurch and leaders. I think that this is a great way to develop leaders and seems like something that is helpful for the life of the congregation and for future congregations. I also agree that theological education as it is now is a bit of a barrier into full time ministry. I like the appeal of this, but also believe that there is good to dedicated hours of study. There is a balance here somewhere, I am sure.

  2. Posted 25 December, 2007 at 3:48 PM | Permalink

    Merry Christmas Steve!

  3. Posted 28 December, 2007 at 12:47 PM | Permalink

    Thanks Tony. Enjoying the Aussie summer break by the beach with family and friends.

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