Let’s face it, planning something as big as a school of supernatural ministry can be daunting. When the Lord puts a dream in your heart, He doesn’t always give you a plan to execute it right away. One of the Lord’s core values is freedom, and He wants us to creatively express ourselves in every dream He puts in our hearts.
At School Planting, we know how big of a task starting a school is. We have walked hundreds of teams and individuals through the process, and we are here for you, too!
Start with Your Team
A few months ago we had a chat with one of our former third year students, Jim McIntyre and his wife, Katherine (you’ll recognize Jim from blog posts such as Restoring Tenderness and Dealing with Pain, Pastoring People with Unique Spiritual Giftings, and Leading with Discernment). Jim and Katherine talked about how, despite not starting their school until February of 2020, they are already working on their team. They assign homework to their team, read books together, and meet frequently with each person. They are building culture on their team, knowing that students will receive most from what their team carries.
Your team is one of the most important aspects of your school. Who your students see leading the school is who they will aspire to be. Make sure to build a team of powerful presence chasers! If you don’t have those types of people available to you, take the time to invest in people who would be worth having on your team. BSSM 2nd Year Senior Overseer Gabe Valenzuela says that when he hires someone to be on his team, he doesn’t expect them to be where he wants them to be for at least three years; and this is a super-charged, four-days-a-week, intense environment. If it takes Gabe at least three years to grow his people, how long might it take you?
Recently in first year Bill Johnson said, “Deal with your insecurities. If you are insecure, you will be intimidated by making people powerful. You will empower people who will be better than you at what they do.” Don’t be afraid to have people on your team who are more powerful than you are and who will outgrow your environment. All good parents want their children to grow, leave the home, and do better than they themselves did. It should be no different with you and your team! Encourage your staff to go after their dreams, take risks, and cheer them on if they win or lose.
Below are some ways you can start putting your plan together to start and grow your school of supernatural ministry.
Use the Roadmap
On our blog, we have a series of posts we call the School Planting Roadmap. These ten blog posts guide you through the basic things you need to consider when starting a school of supernatural ministry, such as “Discover Your School’s Unique Vision,” “Tap Into the Value of Core Values,” “Build a Powerful Leadership Team,” “Draw from the Gift of a Pastor,” and more! As you read through these ten posts, take notes on what you are strong in, what needs developing, and who you can bring alongside you to develop each aspect of school.
Go to CONVERGE School Leaders Training
CONVERGE School Leaders Training has become one of the most valuable times for school leaders around the world. During this week-long intensive, school leaders are introduced to various leaders at Bethel and BSSM, gain in-depth training on how to run a school, and forge bonds with other school leaders that feed them for years to come.
We are not just promoting an event we put on. We truly believe that CONVERGE is the best place to learn how to start and grow your school of supernatural ministry, as well as be refreshed and poured into. For more information about CONVERGE School Leaders Training and to sign up for our next one (February 2020), visit our website at bssm.net/schoolplanting/events.
Sign Up for BSSM Equip
Did you know that you don’t need to have a running school to sign up for BSSM Equip? BSSM Equip is packed full of resources for school leaders. All four years of CONVERGE School Leaders Training are available on BSSM Equip, as well as a toolkit full of resources including sample school applications, brochures, inner healing resources, resources about building internships, activation ideas and much more!
On BSSM Equip, your students can gain access to BSSM First Year, BSSM Second Year, as well as special sessions not found anywhere else. We are in the process of filming special trainings and Advanced Ministry Courses to expand the growth, knowledge, and understanding in your students. As you know, being able to assign your students sessions to watch outside of class can open up classroom time for connection, activations, worship and much more!
Schedule a Meeting with School Planting
We would love to meet with you as you begin planning your school, or even if you’ve been running a school for a while. Our team is always available to connect with you either on the phone, via email, or through online video chats. You can connect with our various team members who are experts in administration, marketing, curriculum, pastoring students, and just about anything else you can think of. You can always schedule a phone call with us or set up an in-person meeting by emailing us at schoolplanting@bethel.com!
We get it, starting and running a school of supernatural ministry is tough. We’ve developed this resource, “How to Eat an Elephant,” to help you get started. Remember, the easiest way is to take one bite at a time. We are cheering and praying for you, and fully believe you have what it takes to bring the kingdom to earth!
Is there any CONVERGE School Leaders Training events scheduled in Redding this year?
Hi Randy, We recently had our CONVERGE School Leaders Training in February. Our next CONVERGE will be in February 2020. Please email us at schoolplanting@bethel.com to get signed up for our newsletters and we’ll send you information when we have next year’s dates! Blessings!