Staff Development

If you are on the staff of a church, you are an example to someone. You may just think of yourself as a secretary, or office worker, but in reality you are more than that. Just being “on staff” makes you an example and a leader. You need to accept it, and allow it to affect what you do and how you behave.

It has been said, “Leaders know the way, go the way, and show the way.”

While I agree with that statement, I have discovered that it only takes place if it happens intentionally. In other words, leaders don’t automatically know, go, and show the way—especially all at once and in a systematic way.

How then can leaders intentionally invest in their teams? Below are five ways, which I’m specifically applying to the ways a senior pastor can regularly develop his staff. But these could certainly be applied in a variety of settings.

As a pastor, when God begins to stir the heart of a staff member to another place of ministry, my heart is always to help them clearly discern God’s will, support them in following it, and guide our church family through any transition that may be involved.

One of the blessings of teamwork in local church ministry is the opportunity to invest in those who serve.

One of the things I look forward to when hiring staff is the opportunity to invest into their lives. Between praying for and pastoring their family, weekly staff meetings, and other times of training, I want to do all I can to help build them up in service and as spiritual leaders.

In Matthew 18, we are introduced to a shepherd that has lost one sheep and leaves his flock to go find it.

I am grateful for the tremendous team the Lord has assembled here at Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College, and it is my joy to co-labor with them in the work of the Lord. I pray for our staff and their families daily and thank the Lord for how they help me serve our church family and college students.

As we gain momentum, Satan works to ruin it. And we can easily aid in that process if we don’t guard our hearts, serve as team players, and remain committed to serve. Here are some of the common ways a pastor or staff member can unintentionally ruin momentum on a church staff team:

Near the end of each summer, our staff pulls away from daily responsibilities for two days of training—usually at an off campus location. I greatly look forward to this time and spend many hours preparing for it. Although we have staff meeting each week, this annual staff orientation is a time when we pause, evaluate, adjust, and move forward as a team with renewed focus and momentum.

Jesus Christ is our great example. As laborers together with God, we are on the same team and understand that if the team wins, we win.

Recently, I began thinking of the intangible gifts that staff members give to me on a regular basis, and I came up with a list of ten. (I’m sure there are many times more.)

One of the great blessings of my life is serving with a team of servant-hearted co-laborers in ministry. In a previous post, I wrote on principles for hiring quality staff. But to develop a quality team, it takes wise hiring and continued investment.

When Terrie and I first came to Lancaster, we could do all of the administrative work in the church. That was back when the work consisted of mowing the parking lot (over the terribly cracked cement), cleaning the building, and preparing the weekly bulletin.

Teach yourself to constantly ask, “How would Pastor want this done?” The answer is not, “hap-hazard,” or “mediocre.” Certainly the answer is, “with excellence.” Don’t allow yourself to accept “good enough.”

We often use the expression, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” And it does. Teamwork in ministry is essential—especially between the pastor and his staff. Most pastors and churches that are a little larger have the privilege of having staff who help in the ministry and serve alongside them.

In this article, we will see tools that can help your office be more organized and run smoothly when they are implemented into your daily workflow. What systems can help your office be more organized?

If you serve on the support staff of your church, you play a critical role in the daily success of the ministry! Don’t forget as you are daily mired in details, questions, problems, lists and the needs of people, that you are helping your pastor do the work of the ministry.

If you lead any sort of ministry team—whether as a senior pastor with a staff or a Sunday school teacher with one helper—investing in those who serve with you is not just smart for the furtherance of the ministry, it is a way to show gratitude to those on your team.

As I look at my responsibilities right now, aside from preaching, my biggest emphasis is placed on encouraging the growth of new leaders. I often tell our staff and deacons, who are core leaders in the church, there are three main things to remember as the focal points in our church.

Perhaps you’ve heard the suggested praise/correction ratio of 10/1. And perhaps, like me, you’ve found it easy to forget to be regular on the praise side of the ratio. Last summer at our annual staff training, my friend, Ken McCoy, was reminding our staff leaders to regularly praise team members. He shared a simple idea with us that he used when his children were small.