Director of Individual Member Development (DIDM)©

LM2DM Project - Lee Clowning Ministry



Directory

DIMD Position Description
DIMD Position Responsibilities
Considerations For Selecting The Person For The DIMD Position
Comments About The DIMD
Permission To Print and Alter Content & Make Comments
First Published, October 9, 2002 - Last Update, 11-05-2006


Go to the LM2DM Home Page

Go To Directory of Articles Page

DIMD POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Director of Individual Member Development (DIMD) is a volunteer position that works with individual church members to identify what can be done by them to learn additional skills and desired knowledge. The DIMD will work with an individual to help him achieve God’s unique Will for him. An individual that works with the DIMD is called a learner.

The DIMD will report to the Pastor, Minister of Education, or Church Council.

Go To Directory


DIMD POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Identify the desired skills and knowledge that are desired by the learner to receive training.

Work with a learner to determine how he will use resources to educate himselves and achieve the desired results.

Identify, locate, and/or help secure resources that can be use by a learner to improve the desired skills and knowledge.

Plan the logistics and budget associated with the learner’s training.

Identify the church position or activities through which the learner can apply the new skills and knowledge.

Provide the learner with a mentor/coach who will help the learner apply the acquired skills and knowledge.

Provide a method for a learner to receive on going evaluations about how he is applying his new skills.

Go To Directory


CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING THE PERSON FOR THE DIMD POSITION

The DIMD needs to have a desire to help a learner increase his ability to better serve God by increasing his skills and knowledge.

The DIMD will need to be a self-starter.

It would be good for the DIMD to have work experience as a teacher or trainer.

It would be good for the DIMD to have served in several volunteer positions in the church so he can have insights into the needs of a variety of positions filled by church volunteers.

The DIMD does not have to personally know how to perform every position in the church, but he must be willing to accept the challenge to helping people identify how they can improve the manner in which they perform their church duties.

It will be good for the DIMD to understand how the church administratively operates and how its organizations operate and relate to each other.


Go To Directory


COMMENTS ABOUT THE DIMD

The (DIMD) will serve the church’s membership by helping a learner grow by acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to better fulfill the duties of the position(s) he has accepted and achieved God’s unique Will for them. The DIMD is a part of the church’s long range plans to become more effective in reaching out to its community by empowering its members to be more effective in being a Christian.

The DIMD will serve as a catalyst in the process of a learner increasing his abilities. The DIMD will help provide the learner with opportunities, resources, encouragement, etc. that will help him to learn. The end result of the efforts of the DIMD is the increased effectiveness of the church members.

The DIMD is not part of the traditional Sunday School program. The training sponsored by the DIMD could be conducted during the Sunday School time period and at time periods acceptable to the learner that will be participating.

The DIMD will identify resources or provide data to the learner so he can secure the resources. If there is not a church budget item for securing the resources, the DIMD will identify how the learners will provide the finances too secure the resources. Resources can be books, people, audio and video tapes, etc.

Not all of the church’s members will be interested in investing the time and effort to become better at serving God through their volunteer positions at the church. The DIMD will work with a learner that has the desire to improve his abilities. The responsibility for the success of the effort of a learner rests directly on the shoulders of the learner.

It is possible for two or three small churches to unite to work with one person that will serve as the DIMD. This will be an unusual type of cooperation for the small churches. This type of association of the churches can enable a church to have access to a qualified DIMD. After a person has received additional training, a way for him to apply his training is to participate in an internship position at another church for a specific time period.

The ideal situation will be to have a DIMD operating at an associational, diocese, conference, etc. level. This position can cross individual church boundaries in helping a local church’s DIMD identify resources and opportunities for a learner to apply his new acquired skills and knowledge.

Larger churches may have a need for an Assistant DIMD. The assistant will work at the direction of the DIMD. The need for an Assistant DIMD will be determined by the number of learners that want to improve their abilities to serve God.

After a learner acquires new skills/knowledge, the DIMD will help the learner find an opportunity to apply his new abilities. This may be in a current church position the learner has or a new position that may be a permanent position or a temporary position. The DIMD will work with the church’s pastor and leaders to identify how the learner will apply his new skills/knowledge.

When possible, the DIMD will secure the commitment of a person that will serve as a mentor or coach to the learner as he applies his new skill/knowledge. How the mentor/coach and the learner will work together will be determined by themselves. Training of the mentor/coach, if needed, will be determined by the DIMD and the mentor/coach. It is possible that a mentor/coach could be a member of a church that is different from the learner’s church.

The DIMD will provide a process through which the learner will be evaluated as he applies the new skills/knowledge. The DIMD will be a part of the evaluation process. From the church’s normal church’s leadership structure, he will include the appropriate people needed in the evaluation process. The evaluation process is to help the learner grow by helping him understand his strengths and weaknesses.

The creative skill of the DIMD may be as important to him fulfilling his duties as any skill he may possess.

Go To Directory


PERMISSION TO PRINT AND ALTER CONTENT & MAKE COMMENTS

Permission is granted to print this page’s content if the printed material is used in the process of evaluating the DIMD position or implementing the DIMD position.

Permission is granted to alter this page’s content as part of the implementation of the DIMD’s position at your church.

It is requested that Dale Lee be notified if your church considers implementing the DIMD position or implements the DIMD position. He would appreciate any comments you have about the DIMD position.

Go To Directory