Being responsible for the oversight of a church congregation can be very challenging because of the tender balance between pastoring and pursuing a shared vision.
Church leaders are sometimes challenged with knowing when to operate in one of two roles – pastor or boss.
When asked how to respond to different management issues, I ask leaders the question – Is this a boss issue or a pastor issue? Read the Full Article →
I was recently speaking to someone who was telling me a very sad story about how their church had to let a pastor go. The church was experiencing some financial challenges that resulted in a decision to reduce expenses by terminating a pastor.
My acquaintance shared with me that the pastor was notified of his termination by the staff accountant and had no conversations with the senior pastor (his boss) . Read the Full Article →
Most organizations understand the importance of screening job candidates before deciding to bring them on-board. However, there is so much to learn when someone leaves. Many organizations use exit interviews are a forum to learn.
So why not ask people probing questions when they decide to leave the organization?
Take the time to learn why an employee accepted another position and you can learn how to improve. Read the Full Article →
Anyone who has ever been in a management position, understands the challenges that come with managing employees.
These issues are the same when managing church staff.
Managers have the responsibility of helping employees develop job skills and holding employees accountable for completing job responsibilities.
Being in a management position requires an aptitude for dealing with the many diverse aspects of interacting with employees. Read the Full Article →
Managing church employees can be a very rewarding experience because influencing and participating in an employee’s professional development is just fun!
However, there are those difficult times when an employee just isn’t the right fit and needs to move on.
These are very stressful times that result in lost sleep for the involved manager.
What adds to the difficulty is the sudden realization that the proper documentation of the months of issues is missing. Read the Full Article →
Training people is what churches do. And, churches that strive for excellence, understand the importance of training its members, volunteers and employees. A training evaluation form can help you assess the effectiveness of these important sessions.
Each of these groups have different training needs but all need to learn.
Church congregants may be encouraged to attend a church membership class or participate in spiritual enrichment classes. Read the Full Article →
I recently had a reader ask about a sick leave policy.
This reader had a church employee who was unexpectedly dealing with a serious health issue that would require a lot of time away from work.
Since the church didn’t have an existing policy they were scrambling to write one to cover the sick leave.
Her story was not unlike a lot of churches – policies and procedures are written on the fly when the need for a policy arises. Read the Full Article →
Any organization that provides health care as an employee benefit has felt the sting of rising health care costs.
Depending on the size of the organization, and the census of employees, those annual increases can be very high.
In 2016, the average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance were a staggering $6,435 for single coverage and $18,142 for family coverage.
And, in 2017 it is projected that employer premiums will increase an average of 6% more to insure their employees. Read the Full Article →
I worked on staff at a church for 10 years and what I found interesting is that most people (who don’t work in ministry) 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 that is from the truth.
In fact, I think most church employees would say their responsibilities are even greater because of the limited resources for paid employees and the dependency on volunteer labor.
Read the Full Article →Health care has changed drastically over the last couple of decades. Employee wellness has become a familiar topic.
There was a time when healthcare’s mission was to help people get well after they encountered an illness or injury.
That focus is much different today and has shifted to wellness education and prevention.
I worked in the healthcare industry for years, and as an employee of a large health system, I learned the many benefits of diet and exercise. Read the Full Article →
