Church & Ministry Leader, we created this page for you!
Kingdom leadership is a tremendous call and can be a joy instead of a burden when we:
⭐️ Walk intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and
⭐️ Follow God's desire, God's design, and God's direction for the unique call He has on each of us AND the call He has on the organizations we lead.
The organization you lead won't surpass you...
... unless you step to the side and become a catalyst to launch your ministry to make an immediate AND eternal impact.
The ministry you lead was designed to do far more...
As big as your vision is, God intends to do far more than you can ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:19-20).
He wants it to to create Kingdom ripple effects such that you're just a small part of a major movement (see 1 Corinthians 3:4-6,21-23).
It can. And it will.
You can do it without having to learn more information and implement yet another program (in fact, you may even be able to streamline a few things).
You can do it without having to sacrifice your family or your personal life-- or over-extending yourself in unhealthy ways.
You can do it without chasing the latest trends (the Biblical framework "works" in any culture).
We want to help.
We want to walk with you as you discern God's design and implement His specific direction for your personal and professional and fulfill the amazing, out-of-this-world call God has upon your life.
How It Works
Happy Leader
In just one day, you'll receive a clear and concise overview of BOTH the Healthy Church training and the Healthy Systems training. You'll also interact with like-minded leaders in your area.
Healthy Minstry
You'll walk away with an actionable plan you can implement immediately. The day will spark creativity, inspiration, and more. You'll see your ministry's "health quotient" rise.
Holistic Impact
Reap the "healthy fruits" of healthy roots. With ongoing encouragement and interaction, extending beyond the workshop,
(We can make progress in all three areas at the same time!)
Where LifeLift Ministries came from
A brief overview of how we got here...
Edwin Jenkins has been in ministry for over 50 years. He's served as a youth pastor, a senior pastor, a senior adult pastor, a transitional pastor, and more...
He loves the church, because Christ loves the church and the people who comprise it.
(Not only is the church God's primary means of reaching the world, the church will exist throughout eternity!)
In 1997 he went to work for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, where he launched the newly-formed Office of Leadership and Church Growth.
A few years into the endeavor, the editor of The Alabama Baptist weekly newspaper invited him to write a series of articles on church health. Those articles were later packaged into a small 50-page booklet, The Biblical Design of a Healthy Church, which was well received across the state. It ran through multiple printings (the red book here is one of the originals).
The book provided Edwin with the opportunity to share gleanings from Scripture and his experience with leaders throughout the State.
The short book was repurposed into workshops, training seminars, certifications, and more. The goal was to help church leaders pursue "church health" and kingdom impact moreso than just "church growth."
During this chapter of life, Edwin is seeking to pull together his "core" messages and essential topics-- to leave them as a legacy.
The conversation arose once again about growing healthy churches.
"What would it look like to update the information, leverage some of the online tools and other resources that weren't available 25 years ago, and make the content available for a new generation?"
That conversation led to the birth of LifeLift Ministries as a formally organized entity. The team agreed that one of the first projects needed to be Healthy Church.
That's where Andrew, Edwin's son, comes in.
With 25+ books to his name, as well as a background in online courses, church & ministry consulting, and more, the father-son duo merged their skill sets to make a bigger impact.
It soon became clear that churches & ministries ALSO need healthy systems.
That is, they need to pursue the Presence (and become healthy) but they also need processes to implement and reach greater levels of effectiveness.
In early 2025, Edwin and Andrew tag-teamed to repurpose the previously released Biblical Design of a Healthy Church book AND add Healthy Systems for Healthy Churches, based on some of the content Andrew developed to consult churches and ministries over the past decade.
And, with plans to train church and ministry leaders around the globe (yes, actual plans are in place for 2025 and beyond), they're starting the movement at home.
That means Healthy Church and Healthy Systems are available for you...
... as well as other resources.
During that same season, they decided to formally incorporate LifeLift as a 501c3.
Edwin rallied several close friends and local ministry leaders together to form the first board of directors and held the first official meeting in his house. (The IRS application process that generally takes 6-9 months only took 2 weeks!)
We believe we're better together, and we can do more as a team than any of us can achieve alone.
A few things we decided...
- We sell our books, courses, and other resources-- so they can fund the operations of the ministry.
- We let people, businesses, ministries, and other organizations know about the ministry opportunities ahead-- so they can invest in those pursuits with the knowledge that 100% of their investment goes directly to advance Kingdom work.
We're grateful for you, and we're thankful you're here.
The framework we teach
Lead by design, not default
Shepherding a healthy ministry requires intention and effort, as well as ongoing evaluation as to how we’re doing.
The Great Commandment & the Great Commission are your two foundations
Healthy churches, ministries, and leaders are built on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, the second flowing naturally from the first.
Seek God's desire, God's design, and God's direction for strategies you implement
Knowing God’s desire, understanding God’s design, and seeking God’s direction equips us with practical wisdom for any circumstance— especially leading intentionally (rather than incidentally or accidentally).
Grow your ministry in four focused ways-- not just one
Rather than obsessing over numerical growth, healthy leaders focus on developing healthy disciples. As disciples move into ministry and mission, the Kingdom grows and God right-sizes each church, ministry, and organization to thrive at a level we can sustain and multiply.
Leverage the five "healthy systems," so you can focus more on people and less on processes
Ministries need good systems to thrive. However, these five processes facilitate the functions of the ministry rather than existing in and of themselves. And, they enable the leaders to serve people at a higher capacity.
Prioritize the six functions of a Biblically-driven ministry
A healthy ministry structures itself around the six functions of the church. Programs, plans, policies, procedures and every other aspect of organizing a church should facilitate these functions.
Resolve conflict quickly, walk in true unity instead of artificial harmony
Anywhere you find people, you encounter conflict— even in a church. Healthy ministries handle conflict in unique ways, using it to grow closer to each other and to enhance the achievement of God’s purposes in the present.
Reap an abundance of healthy fruit as a by-product
The fruits reveal the root. We don’t “force” the fruit, but the fruit shows us where we need to assess and then address root changes.
You can do it.
We want to help!
Ways we can help
⭐️ Pulpit supply
⭐️ Speaking to your group or leadership team
⭐️ Implementing a regular workshop or seminar (i.e., Heaven Bound, LifeLift, etc.)
⭐️ Serving as your interim (re: "transitional") pastor
⭐️ Helping you discern God's direction for your ministry
⭐️ Aligning your staff & leadership team(s) around a core vision with common language
⭐️ 1:1 consulting
Best Ways to Begin
📗📘 Pre-release copy of both paperback books shipped to you-- Healthy Church and Healthy Systems
📳 Complete, unabridged audiobook of both resources
⭐️ Bonus instant access to the full-color eBooks of both books
📗📘 Pre-release copy of both books-- Healthy Church and Healthy Systems-- and instant access to the eBooks
📳 Complete, unabridged audiobook of both resources
📺 On-demand, unlimited, "forever" access to the video of each resource
⚜️ Work with us 1:1 through the Healthy Church framework via curated content we send + regular Zoom meetings
⚙️ We'll help you implement the Healthy Systems processes as we do
🎯 A seventh month journey to realign, strengthen, and step into the next season, with the option to continue
⭐️ Option for on-site visits and working with your staff, leadership team, and church
💥 Great step for leaders who want to impact other leaders and become part of a movement
⚜️ Work with us 1:1 through the Healthy Church and Healthy Systems framework
🛠️ Learn the templates and tools we use to train others-- so you can replicate the content and refine it into your own communication style
✅ Get featured / promoted on the LifeLines podcast, on the LifeLift website AND/OR branch out to coach / consult others on your own