Church leadership can bring a variety of challenges. From managing personnel to developing outreach strategies to navigating facility issues, those entrusted with church leadership face daily challenges that defy simple solutions.
In the New Testament, church leaders faced challenges as well. Paul reminded Titus to “set right what was left undone” (Titus 1:5, HCSB). Paul also wrote to Timothy to explain “how people ought to act in God’s household.”
(1 Timothy 3:15, HCSB).
SBC of Virginia church leaders don’t have to navigate these complexities alone.
Next Level Consulting, a new SBC of Virginia (SBCV) initiative, offers church leaders a trusted voice as they navigate important decisions. Dave Velloney, who helps lead Next Level Consulting, explains, “It’s a privilege to come alongside pastors and church leaders to help them evaluate their ministries and discover the unique ways God wants to use them to make disciples and further His kingdom. My heart is to help churches find clarity in how best to use their strengths, resources, organizational structure, and strategic planning for God’s glory.”
Almost a year of monthly meetings helped Kingsland Baptist Church in Richmond see how aligning mission, values, and strategy with resources and organizational structure led to a renewed vision for the future. Pastor Pat Fiordelise shares, “We are a 120-year-old church that needed help determining how best to move forward to reach our community with the Gospel. Dave [Velloney] did not tell us what to do or attempt to modify our church to fit his ideas about what a church should do (or look like); rather, he helped our pastors and key leaders examine ourselves and prayerfully seek God’s wisdom on how to take tangible, practical steps in the right direction.”
In addition to ongoing meetings, Next Level Consulting offers shorter consultations. Pastor Michael Howard of Seaford Baptist Church in Seaford found help in a one-time consultation with Next Level Consulting. Dave Velloney met with Seaford Baptist Church’s leadership team to explore several leadership components. He led the church through an exercise to uncover what is working, what’s not working, what’s missing, and what’s confusing. He also helped the church discuss Sunday School class names, signage, and how to communicate identity, mission, and values. Pastor Michael shares, “We feel like we are a church that is thriving in so many ways, but we often feel like we hit a glass ceiling created by our lack of knowledge in certain areas. Next Level Consulting helped us gain the insight we needed to take the next steps as a church that is looking to reach our community with greater effectiveness.” Dave also helped the church think through the importance of social media versus the role of a website.
Many churches will either spend thousands of dollars on a consultation or never ask for help because they can’t afford it. Next Level Consulting offers an affordable partner as your church moves forward. Velloney shares, “We have a 6-hour (one day) and a 6-month version of the Next Level program, but it all starts with an email. Pastors simply need to let me know that they’re interested, and I’ll follow up with a phone call and a visit. Reaching the next level starts with taking your next step!”
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To request more information from the team, visit sbcv.org/nextlevel.
