Tag «Administration & Finance»

The Future of Work in Church: Ten Realities You Might Not Know

AI. Robotics. Work-from-anywhere. The disappearing middle manager. The stress of blue-collar and service workers. Gigs and side gigs. The headlines state the obvious. Work is changing. The pandemic accelerated the change. Workers are adjusting. Companies are adjusting. The marketplace is adjusting. I am concerned, however, that most churches are not adjusting. The most common question…

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Five Essential Accountability Standards for Pastors and Paid Church Staff

Accountability is the acceptance of responsibility for your actions. But what does this acceptance look like with paid church staff? It’s more than theology. For example, a church leader may believe in the biblical nature of accountability but not follow through, like a person who believes exercise is good for the body but never goes…

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Shifting Your Church Out of Survival Mode and into Hopeful Optimism

Many churches are barely hanging on, but there is hope. Churches are simultaneously both fragile and resilient. They hang on by their fingernails, but those fingernails are surprisingly strong. Every Sunday seems to have the potential to be the last one. Yet the same church survives year after year, decade after decade. Struggling churches tend…

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Nine Microstresses of a Pastor

December 15, 1967 was a major moment in American history. I bet few of you know what happened on that day. I sure didn’t until I began studying the world of microstresses. Let me explain. On that fateful day in 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed, and 46 people died. The bridge connected Point Pleasant, West…

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The Top Three Ways Lead Pastors Can Serve the Second Chair

The second chair position is paradoxical for two reasons. First, a second chair involves the tension of submitting as a subordinate to the first chair while at the same time leading with a high level of influence. Second chairs maintain a dependence on the first chair while at the same time managing the significant amounts…

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Predicting Your Worship Attendance for the Next Year

Can you really predict your church’s worship attendance for the next year? Our answer is “maybe.” I know such certainty gives you a lot of comfort! Here’s the reality: the answer is in God’s hands. His Spirit can move as He pleases. So why would we even attempt to project worship attendance? It’s a fair…

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This One Meeting Revolutionized How I Listen to My Church Staff

“You’re missing an opportunity to listen,” the consultant told me. He was kind but blunt. I knew he was right. “Start meeting with each team member one-on-one, at least once a month.” I followed his advice and have not looked back. These one-on-ones have helped me lead the church staff unlike anything else. Setting up…

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The Right Way to Seek Pastors and Church Staff for Your Church

Almost every week we at Church Answers hear from search committees (or their equivalent). They are frustrated because they can’t find quality candidates for pastor or church staff positions. The process has taken much longer than they anticipated. Members of the church are getting restless and, sometimes, critical. Likewise, we hear from pastors and church…

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How Sensible Pastors React to Harsh Public Criticism

One pastor had a group of people circulate a petition to get him fired. They tried to get signatures in the foyer as members walked into church for Sunday services. Another pastor experienced the creation of a Facebook page dedicated to criticizing every aspect of his preaching and leadership. In a small town, a pastor…

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Why Work from Home Won’t Work for the Church

A philosophical tug-of-war is occurring in the work world. To what degree should people work from home, and how much time should they spend in the office? Some CEOs are mandating a permanent return to the office on all workdays. Others allow their workers to be remote, even working in other states. Many are splitting…

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