How do you develop a church staff?

This articles or the points in it applies to developing any staff, whether in a church or office.

How do you develop a church staff?

By Glen Kreun

I’ve been asked this question often throughout my 20 years of ministry at Saddleback.   I’ve talked with countless pastors and church leaders about staffing issues. I sincerely empathize with them as I listen to the horrors they face concerning staff difficulties.
Unfortunately, most of the problems they face, and are now asking for guidance to resolve, are a reflection of a mistake first made when they brought the person on staff.
Staff development begins when you make the decision that there’s a need to hire someone, not when the staff person comes onboard or when you are having difficulties with that person.

As I reflect on the years I’ve been responsible for developing staff, I’ve concluded there are three very important steps in the process.
• First, consider the type of person you want on your staff.
• Second, write a job description or position description.
• Third, have a thorough interview process.

First, consider the type of person you want to hire.  You’ll spend a huge portion of your life around your staff, whether it is large or small.  With that in mind, you need to think about what kind of person you want to interact with on a regular basis.  If you don’t enjoy where you work, why would anyone else want to be there?  Why would you want to spend time working with and developing people you do not enjoy being around?  Why would you not want to be friends - even best friends - with the people on your staff? 
At Saddleback we often say, "We take God very seriously; however, we don’t take ourselves seriously at all."  So one of the criteria we use for seeing if someone is a good fit here is: can he make fun of himself?  Can he handle being the brunt of a joke, or does he take himself too seriously? If a person can’t laugh at himself, he will not be fun to be around.  If a person takes himself too seriously, he is much more likely to place blame on others rather than accept responsibility for himself.  
Do you enjoy being around your staff?  Are you having fun at work?  If not, I would suggest that you rethink and change your hiring practices.  Church staffs that have fun – and stay together - are far more productive and cost the church less money in turnover.

Second, develop the job or position description.  This is your "think time.”  It is when you look at the overall church vision, and then look at how a position will help fulfill that mission.  When you do that, you reduce the chances of making a poor hiring choice. 
The time you spend on developing a position description is time well spent. You can’t think through all the implications and possibilities of any position, but the more "think time” you put into developing a job description, the better chance you’ll find the right person. 
Remember, a person does what he enjoys, not what a job description says, so find the person who enjoys doing the work that you need done.  
Once you know the type of person you want to hire - and have completed the position description – then, and only then, are you ready to begin your job search.

Third, take a look at your interview process. Take time to interview well! Use this time to determine if the person is the ‘fun’ person you want on your staff.   Determine if the candidate has the passion for the job you have. 
Does the candidate have the leadership ability and experience to take your team to where the church will be in five years?  These are some questions you’ll need to answer during the interview. The interview process is where you allow the candidate to share his life and his story. 
Hear everything the candidate has to say about himself, and do not help him tell his story!  Do not interrupt him. Do not coach him. Do not let him know what you are looking for. Allow him to talk and share.
Then, ask about his accomplishments and passion. Have him share conflict resolution stories, and have him share at least a couple of success stories from his ministry.  Measure his success, not on his standards but on your standards.

Once you’ve hired your staff, then what?
The church is a theological institution, so I believe that staff development includes an understanding of biblical theology.   Most churches probably wouldn’t hire a pastor who does not have seminary or Bible school training, but what about other staff? 
Every staff member is part of your ministry leadership team.  Yes, that means custodial staff, receptionists, administrative support, as well as your licensed and ordained pastors. The more theology your staff understands, the better equipped they are to represent Christ and your church in the community. 
We have custodial staff, administrative staff, receptionists, interns, as well as several staff whom God has called into full-time ministry currently taking seminary classes.  I strongly encourage providing seminary and other theological growth opportunities for your staff.  At Saddleback, I have budgeted money to help those staff who want to further their theological education.  Plus, we provide theological training in our staff meetings.

Staff members that play together stay together.  Part of staff development is planning activities both inside and outside the office for your staff.  We have celebrated Boss’s Day and Secretaries Day in very fun ways.  On one Boss’s Day, the office leadership served a dinner to the support staff in the home of one of our church members.  Ministerial staff members wore tuxes as they served and loved on the support staff.  It was a day for the leadership to say "thanks.”  This event made our support staff feel very special. 
On another occasion, we put the support staff on a train for a 15-minute ride to the next town, where the ministerial leadership had prepared breakfast at the beach.  There are countless things you can do to develop your staff into a fun, cohesive team of people. 

Regular staff meetings are important as well. The larger your staff becomes the more isolated and self-focused they often become.  We use our staff meeting times for teams to share what is happening in their area of ministry. Each week we honor a "hero” during the meeting.  This is someone we can praise for a job well done.  Another feature - because our staff is large - is a segment I call “Up Close and Personal.” We give a staff member 15 to 20 minutes to share their life story.  Getting to know others on staff will bring your staff closer together. 

Your staff is the most important group of people in your church.  They are the people who lead, support and guide your ministry volunteers.  If your staff is chosen properly, trained and motivated, your church will accomplish great things for God’s Kingdom here on earth.
-Pastors.com-

THREE TYPES OF FAITH

"THE FACTS OF THE MATTER"

"A weekly letter of encouragement to business and professional men and women"

September 15, 2010

Good Morning!

THREE TYPES OF FAITH

The familiar narrative of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead reveals three types of faith in the people surrounding that story.  And guess what?  They are us!  Jesus was in Jerusalem when word came that his friend Lazarus in Bethany was ill.  ”So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.’  …When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” (Jn. 11:3-6)  In the mean time Lazarus dies.  As the story unfolds, three types of faith are revealed.  Which one is you?

1)  A manipulative faith is the kind of faith that believes God exists primarily to serve my needs.  This being true, I have little, if any concept that God may be operating on a larger stage than mine, or that I am an integral part of his grand design. Mary and Martha demonstrate this type of myopic faith in expecting Jesus to meet their needs, on their terms, and on their time table.  Said they to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, 32)

QUESTION:  When God appears not to meet your immediate needs, do you grouse about it, or choose to rest in the fact that he is working his will behind the scenes for a greater good, and for his glory?

2)  A detached faith is faith that intellectually knows the facts about Jesus to be true, but refuses to allow that truth to penetrate to the core of my being that matriculates into a commitment to faith in his lordship.  This story illustrates “detached faith” in two ways:

·         Some Jews, the Pharisees, and the chief priest knew, stone cold, that Jesus performed miracles, and that his miracles validated his claim to be the Son of man, the Messiah. Yet the Pharisees and chief priest’s fear of loosing power and control was so over-powering that they were willing to commit murder to stop Jesus rather than repent and surrender to him:

“Some [Jews] who saw [Jesus raise Lazarus], went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?’ they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’" (Jn. 11:46 - 48)

·         Caiaphas, the high priest “spoke up (in the Sanhedrin), ‘You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.’ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.” (Jn. 11:49b-53)

Here is this amazing prophesy by Caiaphas, concerning Jesus.   Yet there is no evidence that he personally confessed Christ as Lord.  As part of the powerful established leadership, he apparently remained in league with these future killers.

QUESTION:  Could it be that you know Christ is exactly whom he claims to be, but are unwilling to surrender to his Lordship?

3)  A genuine conversion-based faith is childlike in its embrace of Jesus as Lord and Savior:  “…Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.”  (Jn. 11:45)  (See Matt. 18:2-6)

QUESTION:  Have you chosen to put your faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering to his lordship not only for salvation but for daily living?

This week may you experience His grace, peace and protection!

R. Dwight Hill

Why need to learn doctrine

By Tom Holladay

 

This article is adapted from Foundations, a comprehensive tool for teaching the essential truths of Christian faith, by Tom Holladay and Kay Warren.

Doctrine is what God says about the most important aspects of our lives such as:

• How do I determine right from wrong?
• What happens to me when I die?
• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• Why do people act the way they do?
• Where do I find the life that I long for?

Here are nine ways to clearly explain to your church members why they need to learn doctrine.

1. Because knowing the truth about God helps me KNOW GOD BETTER.
“Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding. Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God.” (Prov. 2:2-5, NCV)
J. I. Packer once said, “We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place ... for those who do not know about God.”
Living in this world without knowing God is like driving a car with the windows blacked out. It doesn’t matter how hard you step on the accelerator or what direction you steer, you keep running into things and you never get anywhere. If you’re going to get to know God, you have to know the truth about him. You cannot develop a relationship with God based on your guesses or wishes about what he is like. Relationships are built on the truth. You can’t know someone if you believe a lie about them.

2. Because knowledge is an ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION.
“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction [doctrine] about washings [baptism] and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” (Heb. 6:1-2, NAS)
We all build our lives on a foundation that guides the decisions we make and the direction we take.
But the only foundation that is strong enough to build on is knowledge of God. Just as you have to know your ABCs before you can read and write, you have to know the truth about G-O-D before you can live right.
The old phrase “ignorance is bliss” is not true! Ignorance can put us at risk. And ignorance of God’s truth is incredibly dangerous. Our joy is at stake. Our families are at risk. Our place in eternity is at risk.

3. Because doctrine feeds my soul.
“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” (1 Tim. 4:6, NAS)
Have you ever gone on one of those liquid diets? What happens? In just a few days you would sell your firstborn child for a carrot, anything with some crunch to it. You hunger for solid food. That’s a sign of maturity; you need solid food to sustain you. Doctrine is solid food for our soul.
This nourishment of our soul is not automatic! We have to choose to eat this solid food. We have to chew for a while on some of the truths in the Bible in order to understand them. In Hebrews (5:12-14) we are warned very clearly that if we don’t decide to dig into God’s Word, we’ll remain baby Christians. Baby Christians are believers who always seem to have so many needs that they can never meet the needs of others.
You need solid food not only to keep growing in faith but also to sustain the spiritual life you already have. If you stop feeding on God’s Word, don’t think you’ll stay where you are. Without God’s Word, your spiritual life will weaken.

4. Because knowing the truth enables me to serve others.
“If you give these instructions to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, as you feed yourself spiritually on the words of faith and of the true teaching which you have followed.” (1 Timothy 4:6, TEV)
Notice the order of the passage in 1 Timothy. First, you feed yourself, then you serve others by sharing with them what you have learned.
Would you like to encourage others? Look at Titus 1:9: “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9, NIV)
One of the keys to real encouragement is knowing the truth of God. Without God’s truth, your encouragement is just words - and that’s pretty weak encouragement.
Suppose a friend shows up on your doorstep one evening filled with discouragement over a tough situation at work - or maybe your friend is out of work. How are you going to provide comfort and encouragement? Invite your friend in to watch a video of Rocky? Make a banana split? Pat your friend on the back and say, “It’ll be okay?”
To which your friend probably would say, “How do you know it’ll be okay?” And that question pinpoints the difference between our saying that things will be okay and what God promises. It’s entirely different to remind a friend that God says he will never fail us or forsake us - that’s encouragement your friend can bank on. Then you can make the banana split!

5. Because knowing the truth protects against error.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:6–8, NIV)
Once you get rooted in God’s Word, it will be difficult for anyone to throw you off with a false doctrine.
Take cars, for example. In order to drive a car, you don’t have to know anything about an internal combustion engine. You just push the gas pedal and the car goes. Likewise, you don’t have to know all of the truths in the Bible to become a Christian. All you have to know and believe is that Jesus loves you, that he died for your sins and that he was resurrected to give you new life.
But let’s get back in your car. Let’s say you’re driving down the street and the car starts to make a horrible sound. You think the sound is coming from the engine but you’re not sure. Spotting an auto repair shop, you pull in and ask a mechanic what might be wrong. The mechanic tells you, “You need to fill your gas tank with water. That will fix everything.” Obviously, at that point, even a little bit of knowledge about cars would be of great help to you.
The best way to protect yourself against errors of any kind is to know the truth. Agents at the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing are taught to recognize a counterfeit bill not by looking at counterfeits but by staring at new money eight hours a day, looking for flaws. Once you know the truth, you can spot a counterfeit every time.

6. Because how I think determines HOW I ACT.
“For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (Prov. 23:7, NAS)
Beliefs determine behavior. Thoughts result in actions.
If you were sitting in front of me right now and I were to tell you that I had taped a hundred-dollar bill under your chair, you would almost certainly check the bottom of your chair. At least, if you believed me you would.
Let me stretch this illustration a little. We live in a world that tells us, “Here’s where to find the hundred-dollar bills.” So we spend our lives struggling to find fulfillment in our job or satisfaction in our vacations, and all we come up with is old bubble gum! The amazing thing is we often keep going back to the bottom of that chair again and again. You’d think we’d have learned the first time, but our beliefs keep determining our actions.
You cannot change the way you act without changing the way you believe. God’s truth changes the way we act. It will change the way you parent. It will change the way you work, the way you handle your business. It will change the way you think about the future and the past. It will change you!

7. Because I am commanded to study the Truth.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NAS)
Knowing the truth enables you to better use the truth. Second Timothy 2:15 isn’t just for pastors; everyone is to learn how to accurately handle God’s Word. The Bible doesn’t tell us that all of us are to be teachers; that’s a gift some have and others do not. But the Bible does tell us that we are all responsible to know the truth for ourselves. We’re not to rely on just what others tell us. We are to study the truth for ourselves.

8. Because I am commanded to live the truth.
“I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.” (Titus 1:1, NLT)
There are two important facts in Titus 1:1. First, to live the truth, you have to know the truth. Second, to know the truth, you must first learn the truth. You wouldn’t expect to pick up a trumpet and know how to play; you’d have to learn. It’s the same with God’s truth. You and I can’t keep God’s command to live the truth unless we take the time to learn the truth.
If we don’t give our hearts to learning the truth, we become like Sheila. Interviewed about her faith, she revealed the self-centered attitude that many struggle with. She said, “I believe in God, but I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheila-ism. Just my own little voice.” 
That so-called faith might carry her a long way, but she has no idea what direction it will carry her! Depending on your spiritual instincts is not enough, not if you’ve never taken the time to learn the truth.

9. Because I am commanded to DEFEND THE TRUTH.
“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15, NAS)
The Bible demands that every one of us be ready and able to defend the truth of God’s Word. The Bible even tells us what attitude to have as we defend the truth.
A lot of people “DEFEND THE TRUTH!” in loud capital letters, with an overbearing and even angry attitude. The Bible tells us to be reverent toward God and to be gentle toward others as we defend the truth. You’ll discover that people who are confident about the truth, who have built a good foundation, are able to defend the truth with gentleness and a quiet reverence. It’s those who are unsure who have to yell the loudest.

TO WHOM AM I REALLY LOOKING TO MEET MY NEEDS?

"THE FACTS OF THE MATTER"

"A weekly letter of encouragement to business and professional men and women"

September 08, 2010

Good Morning!

TO WHOM AM I REALLY LOOKING TO MEET MY NEEDS?

While working my way through Psalm 16 the other morning, I jotted down a number of questions – kind of a self-evaluation based on the content of this marvelous Psalm.  Join with me in asking a few pertinent questions:

 

Who really is my master?  My emotions?  My circumstances?  My lusts?  My fears?  What others think of me? 

Or God? “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Master…”  (Vs. 2)  “Lord, at this moment I surrender up to you the incessant noise and confusion of the world that would crowd in upon my inner sanctum.  Today, I choose to make  you the Supreme Master of my every thought and desire. Amen.”  (See Psa. 31:14; 91:2; Isa 26:3, 4; 2 Cor. 10:5)

Whom do I view as my provider?  My frenetic efforts?  My genius?

 

Or God?  “All the good things I have are from you.”  (Vs. 2)  “Lord, forgive me for believing that I am the source of my family’s provision.  Help me to grasp the truth that you alone are the source of all that is good.  “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (Jms. 1:17a) (See Psa. 84:11; Dan. 2:21; Matt. 7:11)

Who are my true heroes?   The powerful?  The rich?  The accomplished? 

 

Or the godly whom God holds in high esteem? “The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!...This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”  (Vs. 3; Isa. 66:2b) (See Psa. 51:17; 138:6; Matt. 5:3; Lk. 18:13, 14; 1 Cor. 1:26-31))

To whom do I look for my fulfillment?  The people who tell me how wonderful I am?  The folks a rung or two up the ladder, whose nod of approval is of paramount importance to me?

Or to God? ”LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing…The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!” “[God] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. (Vs. 16:5, 6 – NLT; Psa. 62:6)

Who is it that guides and instructs me?  The power brokers in my business or professional world?  The media?  Pop culture with much of it’s inane, mindless values? 

Or the voice of God, through the Spirit and word of God?  “I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me…For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”  (Vs. 16:7; Rom. 8:14; Psa. 119:105 – NLT)   (See Psa. 73:23, 24)

Wherein does my security lie?  My bank account?  My job?  My family?  My status in the community? 

Or in God alone?  “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me...Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Vs.16: 8; 73:25, 26 – NLT)

Where is my primary focus?  On the temporal, as evidenced by being anxiously ensnared in the daily cares of life; operating in survival mode; slamming an jamming to get and stay ahead of the rat pack. 

Or on the eternal:  Living joyfully and  expectantly for the day when I will be released into his eternal presence? “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (Vs. 16:11)  (See Act. 2:28; 1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Jn. 3:2)

This week may you experience His grace, peace and protection!

R. Dwight Hill