Do you struggle to manage the business and administrative duties required for running a ministry effectively? Despite your training in biblical knowledge, theology, and pastoral care, the “business of ministry” was most likely overlooked in your traditional ministry education. To be a successful ministry leader, however, it’s essential to have a working knowledge of finances, team management, facilities, planning, board relationships, and systems. The Business of Ministry Certificate is designed to enhance your leadership skills in these areas. Join Mike Bonem—business leader, consultant, author of The Art of Leading Change—and gain the necessary skills and tools to serve your congregation and community better.
 

What’s included:

6 Courses:

The Big Debate: Is the Church a Business?
Setting Direction: The Role of Planning in Your Church
It Takes Money: Understanding Your Church’s Finances
More Than a Building: Using Facilities and Systems to Support Ministry
It Takes a Team: Managing Staff and Volunteers
The Other Team: Tapping into the Potential of Boards and Committees
Final Project

6 Graded Assessments

1 Final Project Validated by Fuller Experts

1 Professional Certificate
 

Who should consider this certificate: 

• Solo pastors and new senior pastors who have little or no experience or training in the business of ministry 
• Associate pastors with operational responsibilities
• Pastors-in-training
• Leaders of parachurch ministries
   

Hear from Fellow Ministry Leaders!

“A phenomenal certificate to give pastors, staff, and lay leaders involved in administrative leadership of the church. This certificate is easily accessible to any student while at the same time giving you an in-depth understanding of church corporations. It also does this while laying a theological foundation appropriately understanding the ways in which church is and is not a business.”

~Reverend Doctor Dana Allin, ECO Synod Executive
 

“The Business of Ministry certificate addresses one of the highest priority real-world questions in ministry today: beyond the theological nature of pastoring a church, what does the day-to-day leading of a congregation entail? In today's context, pastors and other ministry leaders must be tactical leaders in addition to theological shepherds. The Business of Ministry certificate will help pastors and ministers steward all of the church's assets toward a cohesive disciple-making strategy, which necessarily includes knowledge of finances, supervision, facilities, planning, and systems.”

~Josh Ellis, Executive Director of the Union Baptist Association
 

“None of us came to ministry because we wanted to run a business, but in leading a church, we are managing a complex financial organization with valuable resources and staffing. Yet, how much of our seminary training prepared us for these important responsibilities? This [certificate] complements the ministry in which you are engaged by drawing on the wisdom from the disciplines of business and organizational development. This course is easy to follow, engagingly written, and full of content that will help you build skills and strategies that are readily usable in our ministry to be a faithful steward of our staff, organizational structures, and financial resources.”

~Rev. Susanne Meabon Bendoraitis, Executive Associate Pastor, John Knox Presbyterian Church

Created in partnership with the Church Leadership Institute, a part of the De Pree Center, and FULLER Equip.