When a staff member has difficulty assimilating into a new church culture, we often reference the dissonance as a “fit” issue. And, increasingly we see more emphasis being placed on “fit” during the hiring process. I have found it helpful though to further differentiate into “fit” and “fit in” factors. For purposes of this discussion, “fit” related factors are more... Continue Reading
The breadth of responsibilities for the typical Executive Pastor makes it difficult to briefly describe the position’s job duties. The pithiest description I’ve heard is “the Executive Pastor does everything the Pastor can’t do, won’t do, and shouldn’t do, and if did do, we’d be in big do.” Aside from witty maxims, analogies can be most helpful. The analogy of... Continue Reading
Following World War II, English historian, C. Northcote Parkinson wrote a well-known book, Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress, where he ridiculed the excesses of government bureaucracy. Parkinson cited as an example the 5,000 employees supporting 5,000 English Navy vessels during the war and the same number of employees supporting only 500 vessels following the war. Parkinson’s “Laws,” though satirical,... Continue Reading
The staffing structures of many Southern Baptist Churches has been influenced by the philosophy of W.A. Criswell, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas (1944-1991). Dr. Criswell was known to employee numerous Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary students and graduates to oversee very narrow and specific age demographics. Criswell was said to have set recruitment goals for church staff based upon... Continue Reading
Much is being written about the evidence that leaner church staffs result in increased numbers of volunteers. For some it appears the verdict is in and they are prepared to declare unequivocally that too many staff negatively impacts volunteerism. My problem with this assumption, besides my own experience to the contrary, is summed up in the “post hoc, ergo propter... Continue Reading
In last week’s post, Where Are You On The Leader Engagement Continuum?, we looked at the symptoms of too much, too little, too early, and too late leader engagement with subordinates. This week we examine the causes of ineffective leader engagement and the behaviors that lead to appropriate and timely leader engagement with those they supervise and lead. Causes of... Continue Reading
One of a church leader’s continual challenges is knowing when and how much to engage with their employees, volunteers, or teams. Leader engagement is the face to face or transmitted interactions and involvement with those they lead, and falls on a continuum from low to high, and from too early to too late. Much like the concept of situational leadership,... Continue Reading
The generalist nature of the responsibilities of the Executive Pastor results in a myriad of items that demand attention. With the broad range of actions and initiatives that you could be doing, how do you determine those that you should be doing? For most of us “less is more.” Focusing on no more than three roles and their corresponding responsibilities... Continue Reading
I’ll never forget my first Budget Planning Meeting following my transition to Executive Pastor. As a newcomer to the process I mostly observed, listened and tried to learn “how things are done here.” My first surprise came when it was time to determine the new staff positions that would be funded in the coming year. What transpired was a lobbying... Continue Reading
Trust is the most significant predictor of individuals’ satisfaction with their organizations—Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner If you desire to be successful as a church leader, trust is an integral component. Your influence will be determined by the level of trust you can attain, and is foundational to church health. Therefore, trust development should be one of your primary goals.... Continue Reading
I have found that by trusting people until they prove themselves unworthy of that trust, a lot more good things happen–Jim Burke, Former Chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson When it comes to trust of church leaders, I have observed there are two types of people I have served with. Those who expect you to earn their trust before... Continue Reading
From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders…..all these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 1 Chronicles 12:32 NLT There is a new generation on the scene making up 25% of the US population that represents nothing less than a seismic cultural shift. Born between 1993 and 2012, Generation... Continue Reading
Jim is a Church Organizational Leadership and Management Coach, Consultant and Trainer. Throughout his career Jim has demonstrated a passion for showing Pastors and Ministers how to use organizational tools for church and personal growth and health.
More About Jim“For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:5