Church Personnel Management

Managing a church staff requires an understanding of what it takes to manage, motivate, develop and reward employees. Performance management is how objectives are met and investing in the professional development of employees ensures attracting and retaining the best and brightest. This section offers articles on the human resource aspect of church management including job descriptions, performance appraisals and tips for managing church employees.

6 Benefits of a Clergy Sabbatical Leave Program

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It is common for churches to offer sabbaticals for clergy to provide a time for refreshing, recharging and continuing education.  Church leaders have great responsibilities and the many challenges that come with working in the ministry can take its toll on clergy.  Many churches have discovered that providing a time to retreat from the day-to-day [...]

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Preparing to Interview a Job Candidate

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Managing the human resource function of a church is every bit as challenging as managing people in any other business setting.  A church is only as strong as the people it employs, and weak employees can affect the ability of the church to flourish and meet objectives.  As Jim Collins states in Good to Great: [...]

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Church Communication Management

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  Good communication management is critical to the success of any organization but specifically to non-profits that are built on the trust and donations of their members.  People involved in a ministry have a vested interest in what the organization is doing and how they are performing.  Church communication management is about sharing information in [...]

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Church Employee Dress Code

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  As a grade-schooler I learned the discipline of dress code because I went to a private school that required uniforms.  The positive aspect of wearing a uniform is that it takes the thinking out of what to wear in the morning, the downside is uniforms are usually boring and get old really quick.  The [...]

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Example Benefits for Church Employees

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Benefits for church employees are part of a strategy that is used to attract and retain key employees. Benefits vary greatly by organization and can be as simple as health insurance for church employees to as complex as flexible work schedules or on-campus day care. Benefit packages come in many shapes and sizes, depending on [...]

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Do Church Employees Get Unemployment Benefits?

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I was asked if church employees get unemployment benefits.  It is an interesting question because a lot of people don’t realize the church exemption for this benefit. Let’s start by explaining what unemployment benefits are and who is eligible for them.  Unemployment benefits are available to workers who lose their job involuntarily because of reasons [...]

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4 Tips on How to Handle Church Staff Problems

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The funny thing about working on a church staff is most people have the perception that you sit around all day reading the bible and listening to praise and worship music.  Anyone who has ever worked for a church knows how far from the truth that is.  In fact I think most church employees would [...]

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Performance Appraisal Rater Errors

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Since we are all human, it is common for us to make “errors” when assessing employee behavior and writing performance appraisal documents.  These errors are reflective of our unconscious biases toward the employee.  These biases can give an employee an unfair advantage or disadvantage over others in their peer group. The book, Human Resource Strategy by [...]

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Example Performance Appraisal

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Churches use the performance appraisal process to help manage employee performance and achievement of ministry goals. It is important to have well trained church managers and a structured process to document church employee performance and give performance appraisals. A well done performance appraisal process can be a positive experience and help the employee see how [...]

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Employee Self Appraisal

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  Employee self appraisals can serve as a very powerful tool for managers.  If done correctly, this tool can reveal employee perceptions of the workplace, how it is managed and things that could be done to improve the worker experience. As managers, it is important to solicit this kind of feedback and be open to learn [...]

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