Adult Ministries Department : Ministry Description—Seminar Coordinator

God asks the church to be a community of people sharing a common purpose and fellowship, continually growing in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. Paul describes the church as "his body, the fullness of him who filleth every thing in every way." (Eph. 1:22)

God supplies each person in the church with the resources for ministry-scripture, spiritual power, God's character, and spiritual gifts. A seminar coordinator is equipped for his or her ministry by the gifts received from the Holy Spirit. These spiritual gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit to make their ministry effective and build up the body of Christ.

Duties of the Seminar Coordinator

The ministry of the seminar coordinator includes the following duties:

1. Planning. You will work with the Church Ministries Council or the personal ministries committee to develop an overall plan for seminars over the next year or two. This plan must be based on the identified needs in the congregation and the community, and a sequence of seminars moving from health education, to family life to Bible evangelism.
2. Teamwork. Involve a group of people with you in the planning stage. As you begin to think about the needs of your church and community, identify those church members who will be most productive in your seminar team. Rely on practical thinkers, good workers, people with ideas and imagination, and people who are good motivators and organizers. In the group you will need some who have excellent relational skills and can work one-on-one with the non-members who attend the seminars, develop friendships and invite them to church or into Bible studies.
3. Program Management. Many details must be cared for by the seminar team such as arrangements for a location, obtaining materials and supplies, handling registration, obtaining and setting up equipment and the audio-visuals, and providing for greeters and other amenities at the seminar itself. Registration is a key part of the program because how it is handled and the materials handed out will give first impressions as to the value and warmth of the program. Child care is an important service if you wish to invite young married couples or single parents. It is vital that this all be smooth and friendly.
4. Publicity. A marketing approach must be developed for each seminar based on what audience group is targeted and their needs. You must arrange for advertising to be prepared and distributed well in advance, so that people can plan on attending and pre-register by phone. Advertising can be purchased through television and radio stations and newspapers. Posters, bus cards, and other forms of outdoor advertising may also be available. Direct mail is the most cost effective type of advertising. It will be your duty to obtain from the church interest coordinator (or prospect care coordinator) the prospect list, or help get the list started. This will be the key to advertising success. Mass mailings can also be arranged. And you are responsible for obtaining as much free publicity as possible through the news media and by encouraging church members to use word-of-mouth and distribute handbills among their friends, neighbors, relative and work associates.
5. Prayer Support. You will want to organize a network of "prayer warriors" to support the seminar through their intercessory prayer and especially to pray for those non-members in attendance. This may be done in groups or individually.
6. Friendship Evangelism. A major purpose of seminar outreach is to establish friendships with non-members who attend. Small group discussion needs to be built into the program and church members used as the group leaders to give opportunity for acquaintances to be made. Feedback sheets used throughout the seminar build communication with individuals, and allow you to ask for specific decisions such as "Would you like for one of our staff to visit with you personally about the issues raised in the seminar?" As soon as the seminar is over, the prospect list must be updated and subscriptions to appropriate missionary magazines arranged for all who attended.

Resource Materials

• Padded Pews or Open Doors by Mark Finley (1988, Pacific Press) is the best "how-to" book available for seminar coordinators. It carefully presents every aspect of seminar ministry.
• Church Advertising by Steve Dunkin (1982, Abingdon) is a practical book on how to prepare direct mail and other publicity.
• Information about additional resources and answers to your questions can be obtained through the denomination's "help desk" by calling (800) SDA-PLUS. A number of helpful fact sheets can also be obtained on the Adventist Forum on CompuServe or through the Fax Plus automated fax-back system. Dial (800) 474-4SDA.