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 →
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 →
Fulfilling a church’s mission requires taking the time to develop a strategy, planning the steps to get it done and management of the process.
Managing the process requires identifying who needs to do what, by when and holding them accountable for what they are responsible for doing.
Churches have a business model that is very different from other organizations. Members fund the operation, volunteers do the labor and employees facilitate the process.
This model creates a unique employee experience which merits focus, attention and care.
People who work for a ministry do so because they feel called. This calling gives them the grace to work through the many challenges that come with being a church employee. Read the Full Article →
Volunteer appreciation is an important aspect of effective volunteer management.
Volunteers give of their time freely and don’t ask for anything in return.
However, keeping volunteers engaged and motivated is what showing them appreciation if all about.
A well managed volunteer program has systems in place to reward and recognize volunteers strategically and deliberately.
Because we all have different social styles, it’s important to keep the various perspectives and likes and dislikes in mind when creating a volunteer appreciation system. Read the Full Article →
Interviewing is an important part of the volunteer application process and is an integral part of volunteer screening.
A personal interview is one of the best ways to get to know an applicant and can help to ensure that the volunteer is matched to the best job for their skill set, interests and personality.
Another advantage of interviewing volunteer candidates is that it helps the organization get to know the volunteer. Read the Full Article →
Running the day-to-day operation of a church can be challenging and making decisions is an every day occurrence
How those decisions are made can impact the experience of congregants, church volunteers, employees, and even church finances!
This is why it is so important to use decision making tools to ensure that all decisions are made with data and objectivity. Flowcharts are one of those tools! Read the Full Article →
Announcing church staff resignations can be a tricky thing, depending on the circumstances that lead to the employee’s departure.
Church members support the church mission, through their tithes and offerings, so naturally like to be aware of things that are going on and have a vested interest in the decisions that a church makes.
When organizations proactively communicate, they are able to control the rumor mill, miscommunication and misinformation.
Read the Full Article →Every church deals with what I call “high maintenance” members. Those people who cause problems and are constantly disrupting an otherwise peaceful environment.
These kinds of people cause stress for church leadership, but more importantly they detract from precious time that would otherwise focus on implementing a church mission strategy.
I have a pastor who is asking for advice dealing with a difficult church member. Read the Full Article →
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 from what employees think and use it as a learning experience for professional and organizational growth. Read the Full Article →
