Does the staff influence the church more or does the church influence the staff more? Obviously, they both happen to some degree, but this question has been on my mind. In this post, I will focus on the ways church staff and leaders can help shape the church: 1. Through Prayer – It’s the obligation of … Read more
There’s not only a mandate for the church to grow, there is a natural desire for most churches and church leaders to want to grow. There are some people who run around saying, “it’s not about numbers”, and in one sense it’s true. In another sense, everyone is about numbers – because it indicates people, … Read more
Our staff took a retreat last week. The purpose of the retreat was for some vision casting and a little planning, but mostly for group connection and time apart. Due to constraints of some part-time staff and other schedules, we scheduled a one day event. The payoff was immediate and big. More community, stronger commitment, … Read more
In his book, The Three Signs Of A Miserable Job (A Fable for Managers and Employees), Patrick Lencioni offers three reasons why many people don’t experience joy in their jobs. In the story, Brian Bailey, a recently retired CEO who becomes the weekend manager of a small pizza place, develops a theory – three reasons … Read more
The church staff is a unique team, called upon to wear many hats, be available and to ultimately be a coach – helping the church be the church. Here are ten characteristics of church staff ministers: 1. FLEXIBLE – Church staff members needs to be flexible – filling in where needed, setting aside personal agendas … Read more
Culture is really the strongest force in any environment. How do create a solid successful culture in your organization? – To create a good culture, identify the things you love and reinforce them. – Ask yourself: if we were starting over, what would be our core values? – Everyone has to be part of the … Read more
Leaders are developed most naturally through these three means: Relationship – Leadership quality people have almost always had a solid relationship with someone who mentored and showed them the way. Whether it was a family member, a parent or other significant person, a relationship is at the core of a leader’s effectiveness. If you love … Read more
Worship leaders, more than most other church staff roles, seem to come from within. Not in all churches, but with a higher than pastors, youth pastors, etc; many worship leaders seem to have attended their church before serving on staff. There are probably many factors for this: Culture of the worship style, budget / salary … Read more
The church office can be structured in a million different ways. I have been in churches where the office staff is numerous, but the hallways are very solemn and quiet. I have been in church offices with very few staff and there is bustle and energy. I have experienced church office staff when there is … Read more
The culture should support the overall mission of the organization. A purposeful mission matched with a negative culture will never get off the ground. The culture – the attitudes and actions of individual players and their shared beliefs with others in the organization – is what really drives the effectiveness of the mission. Changing a … Read more