Humility is Critical to Successful Pastoral Transition
Lee Kricher says that one of the key variables in a successful pastoral transition is humility. It is difficult but essential that both outgoing and…
Browsing: Staffing
Articles
Where Churches Spend Too Much and Where They Spend Too Little
In working with more than 500 churches, The Unstuck Group identified certain expenditure areas where churches commonly invest too little and those where churches tend…
7 Suggestions for Outsourcing Your Church’s Staffing Needs
How can outsourcing fill church staffing needs? Greg Rogers shares seven suggestions for outsourcing staff drawing from Oakmont Baptist Church’s response to unexpected yet urgent…
When the Pastor Is Your Plumber
Lovett H. Weems Jr. writes about the long and rich history of bivocational ministry in the Bible, throughout the generations of American history and around…
10 Dos and Don’ts for Handling Difficult Conversations
No one looks forward to dealing with difficult issues, but confronting problems is an essential part of being an effective leader. Chris Sonksen outlines four…
5 Trends Impacting Church Leadership for 2023
Doug Powe, Ann Michel, and Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff identify five trends church leaders should keep in mind as they develop creative…
Bivocational By Choice: An In-Depth Interview with Ben Connelly
Can bivocational ministry be a strategic choice and not just a reluctant concession to financial constraints? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Ben…
“Bivocational by Choice” featuring Ben Connelly
Podcast Episode 114 Can bivocational ministry be a strategic choice and not just a reluctant concession to financial constraints? Ben Connelly shares how bivocational ministry…
Is Your Church Spending Too Much or Too Little on Personnel?
How does your church spending on personnel compare to other churches? Lovett Weems reports averages of the percentage of total expenditures that congregations spend on…
Churches Continue to Increase Lay Staff
How might staffing trends impact the ministry of your congregation? Lovett Weems reports on the increasing amount of personnel spending on lay staff in United…
A Biblical Model of Leadership Transition
How does the leadership transition from Moses to Joshua provide insights for leaders today? Lee Kricher offers insights on this seamless leadership transition. Succession planning…
Developing New Leaders through Shared Leadership
How can shared leadership develop the next generation of leaders? Lee Kricher explores the importance of shared leadership when developing a pipeline of new leaders.…
How to Be Yourself in the Spotlight of Public Ministry
Sarah Bereza’s new book, Professional Christian, examines the question of what it means to be fully yourself in the spotlight of public ministry. She sets…
Four Incarnational Benefits of Bivocational Ministry
Steven Van Ostran challenges the common perception that bivocational ministers are second class or somehow “less than” those serving full time. He names four specific…
A Simple Approach to Creating a Culture of Accountability for Ministry Leaders
Kelly Brown says that creating a culture of accountability can be simple. SIMPLE is an acronym for remembering these six key principles: setting expectations, inviting…
Positioning Your Church for Growth in a New Season of Ministry
How can your church reach new people in today’s evolving ministry context? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff interviews Tony Morgan, chief strategist for…
“Positioning Your Church for Growth in a New Season of Ministry” featuring Tony Morgan
How can your church reach new people in today’s evolving ministry context? Tony Morgan shares trends, perspectives, and strategies drawn from his work with scores of congregations across the country and abroad.
Managing Congregations in a Virtual Age
Are virtual meetings and work-from-home staff part of the new normal in your church? In this in-depth interview John Wimberly shares best practices for working…
Episode 89: “Managing Congregations in a Virtual Age” featuring John Wimberly Jr.
Are virtual meetings and work-from-home staff part of the new normal in your church? John Wimberly discusses best practices for working with staff and volunteers in a hybrid era.
5 Key Lessons for Managing Congregations in a Virtual Age
Turning toward a hybrid future, churches have focused much attention on digital worship. John Wimberly says it’s just as important to consider how to work…
Keeping Church Staff Accountable to the Overall Mission
Evaluating church staff by measures related to their own individual performance can lead to ministry silos, says John Wimberly. When every staff person’s ultimate goal…
Staffing When You Can’t Afford to Staff
Dan Hotchkiss explains how congregations can build their staffs by “hiring” unpaid volunteers. He explains how this approach can make fuller use of a volunteer’s…
Acknowledging the Toll of the Pandemic on Ministry Leaders
Churches and their members may not fully appreciate the strain the pandemic has placed on their pastors and other ministry leaders. Mike Bonem urges congregations…
What Excuse Do You Have for Not Delegating More?
Mike Bonem says that the simple solution to ministry leaders feeling overloaded and overwhelmed is to delegate more. Our most common excuses for failing to…
Congregations That Thrive without Full-Time Clergy
Jeffrey MacDonald shares the story of a Massachusetts church on the brink of closing that turned itself around by embracing a new ministry model with…
Episode 64: “Churches Thriving with Part-Time Pastors” featuring G. Jeffrey MacDonald
We don’t typically associate a thriving church with having a part-time pastor. Journalist and pastor Jeffrey MacDonald begs to differ as he discusses with us his new and provocative book, Part-time is Plenty: Thriving without Full-time Clergy.
Good Administration is Good Leadership
Bishop Will Willimon says competent, efficient, hands-on administration is just as important as the “big picture” leadership skills of inspiring a vision and nurturing theological…
SPEAKPIPE – Showing Up with Questions: Listening in a New Setting
Strong leadership in a new ministry setting begins not with quick answers, but with intentional listening. Luke Edwards shares the key questions he plans to…
5 Disciplines of Teams that Thrive
Ryan Hartwig and Warren Bird studied leadership teams in more than 2,500 churches to discover the distinctive features of thriving teams. They found that the…
5 Ways to Help Church Staff Succeed
How can your congregation help those in paid staff roles perform most effectively? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff outlines five ways to clarify…