Building a healthy and engaged church staff culture is a never ending process that requires a consistent and ongoing intentionality. And, because there are so many factors that influence staff culture it helps to come at it from a variety of different angles and approaches. Below are some of the tools, surveys, assessments, and questions I have successfully used as... Continue Reading
One question that nags all church leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic is whether or not church staff working from home can be trusted to be as productive as they are when onsite. Despite wanting to give your staff the benefit of the doubt, as a pastor or supervisor you are likely still having trust issues. It is quite natural and... Continue Reading
Effective church staff interviewers and hirers aren’t successful just because they are a “good judge of character.” They know how to conduct an interview that asks the right questions and how to identify attributes essential for success in a given position. By following the suggestions in these free resources, your comfort and skill as an interviewer and hirer of church staff will... Continue Reading
With change permeating the church, evolving work environments, and the needs of next generation employees, maximizing the performance of church staff through effective supervision is more important than ever – for both employee satisfaction and church effectiveness. Unfortunately, Gallup Surveys indicate just one in five employees strongly agree their performance is managed by their supervisor in a way that motivates... Continue Reading
I gained a new understanding of “feedback” when I considered the two words that comprise the word. It is appropriate the word begins with “feed,” as in “feed me.” Appropriate because feedback is a fuel we all need to grow. Management guru, Ken Blanchard, put it best when he said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” The second half of... Continue Reading
Church staff restructuring is a decision that every church faces, some more frequently than others. Staff restructuring can be simple or it can be complex, but typically there are a number of factors that should be considered. So, how do you determine when a restructuring should take place and exactly what the new structure should look like? Below are 10... Continue Reading
With change permeating the church, evolving work environments, and the needs of next generation employees, maximizing the performance of staff is more important than ever – for both employee satisfaction and church effectiveness. Unfortunately, Gallup Surveys indicate just one in five employees strongly agree their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to perform outstanding work. Further, millennial... 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
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
When making hiring decisions most churches involve a Personnel or a Search Committee to drive or advise the search process. Anyone who has chaired or led such a committee knows the challenge of facilitating agreement once two or more candidates have been identified for consideration. The following four surveys are helpful tools in leading a committee or team to clarity... Continue Reading
Over the years as an Executive Pastor I would marvel at the ability of a supervisor to excel in one area of supervision and wince at their inability to execute in another area. Their direct reports inevitably became frustrated, relationships suffered and plans were derailed because they were unaware of all the critical buckets of effective supervision. Each “bucket” below... 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