When I was young, I remember church being a place where the door was always open and visitors were welcome anytime of the day or night.
It was a safe refuge for those who just needed some time in prayer and reflection. Church security was unheard of.
Over the course of the last couple of decades that trend has changed and most churches have scheduled times when their doors are open and the building is available for public prayer. 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 →The most important function of communication within an organization is to inform, persuade and motivate.
Successful organizations communicate intentionally because they recognize that when leadership fails to communicate effectively, issues arise, conflict presents itself and organizational momentum slows.
We all have different preferences for how we receive information, yet we all crave communication. It is what engages us in our relationships, our employment, and our church. Read the Full Article →
Church leaders are required to make decisions every day. And, making good decisions is what great leaders do!
There are many approaches to decision making and successful organizations have systems in place to ensure consistency in how decisions are made.
There are countless decisions that need to be made every day. A structured process for making decisions helps to ensure that all are made in a consistent, unbiased and principled manner. Read the Full Article →
Church volunteers are the labor engine of a church and without them most churches would not be able to support the services they provide.
Volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to sustain the functions of the church and need to be managed well to ensure continued loyalty.
Volunteer oversight requires flexibility, patience and creativity in planning and scheduling.
Managing church volunteers can be challenging because they are volunteers – free labor! Read the Full Article →
Churches often struggle with the term “customer” and sometimes question if churches have customers.
However more and more churches have become aware of the need to identify who their customers are and strategically take steps to create a positive experience for them.
In the church, customers can be defined as visitors, members, volunteers and employees.
Creating a positive experience for these key customer groups is important because members fund the church, volunteers are the labor engine of the church and employees facilitate the process. Read the Full Article →
One of the most difficult aspects of managing church employees is the inevitable reality that there will come a time when an employee needs to be terminated.
As Christians, we should be even more sensitive to how losing a job can impact an employee and their family.
This is coupled with the political fallout if the employee and their extended family happen to be church members.
Read the Full Article →Attracting visitors to your church is the first step in achieving church growth.
Understanding the visitor experience can provide valuable information that can be used to create a first time experience that makes the visitor want to come back – and hopefully join the church.
When I visit a church there are several things I pay attention to. I like going someplace that is welcoming, comfortable and consistent with my belief system. Read the Full Article →
It is hard to comprehend that another year has come and gone. As we close out this year, hopefully your church has been preparing, planning and writing church goals for the year to come.
One goal that many churches focus on is growth. Churches want to reach more people and reaching more people is an outcome of growth.
Growing a church requires a vision, thought and strategy.
Read the Full Article →God blesses churches with tithing members to provide the resources to do the work of the ministry.
Being Good stewards of those resources is a significant responsibility – that should not be taken lightly.
Churches use operating budgets to plan and control spending.
Consequently, creating a budgeting process can help to ensure that dollars are allocated to those things that help fulfill the church mission and vision. Read the Full Article →
