Posts in Pastoring 101
Letting Church Staff Go

One of the most painful aspects of the post-pandemic church has been its numerical contraction. Attendance is down across the board. And with that, giving is down across the board.

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8 Elements of an Effective Staff Meeting

Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t love staff meetings. They are often boring, too long, and sometimes even irrelevant. And yet, we all know that staff meetings are a must if our teams are going to have any chance of staying on the same page.

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What I Wish I Would Have Known as a Young Pastor

Thirty-eight years ago this month I was installed as senior pastor at Fellowship Missionary Church. The church was a small plant and met in a YMCA. And I was as green as grass!

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5 Top Tips for Hiring

One of the surprising things that I’m hearing from pastors these days is that they are sensing the need to hire more staff to meet the new needs that have surfaced in this season. And by shifting around their church budgets, some dollars have been freed up to do so.

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From Associate to Lead Pastor

Most of the young leaders that I’m coaching began their ministry as an associate pastor. Many were youth pastors. Others were small group pastors. Then, the opportunity arose for them to move into the left seat of the cockpit and become the lead pilot for the ministry plane.

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Keys for Working with a Church Board

I have worked with scores of board members during my 30+ years of pastoral leadership.  In the early years, they were deacons who represented a particular area of ministry (missions, facility, finance, etc.). Later on, when we added staff to oversee those ministries, we moved to an elder board.

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5 Tips for a Quality Welcome Center

The old adage is still true: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.  I’ve seen this in spades recently. As part of my new role, I am visiting more churches than I ever have before. I am experiencing first-hand what it’s like to be a first-time attender. I’m also discovering the insecurity and confusion that goes with that

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5 Relational Keys for Senior Pastors and Worship Leaders

We’ve all heard of “worship wars” in the church.  They’re usually about musical styles – those who want contemporary music vs. those that prefer the traditional. They can be contentious and divisive. But perhaps even more costly to the life of a church are the “worship wars” that often take place between the senior pastor and the worship leader. 

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Reflections on 40 Years of Preaching

In reflecting back on nearly forty years in the pulpit, I am painfully aware that there were many things I got wrong.  Everything from preaching what was trendy to pleasing special interest groups. Or the occasions when I allowed my desire to be seen as “deep” overtake the need to be heard as “practical.” But I got a few things right.  Here are some that come to mind:

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Budget Issues

In a recent coaching group I asked the participants what topics they’d like to discuss.  While there was much interest in addressing major themes such as casting a compelling vision and leading cultural change, there were also requests for the more mundane yet essential subjects.  Things like hiring/firing, staff reviews, working with a board, and budgeting.

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5 Filters for Hiring Staff

In my three-and-a half decades of pastoral leadership, I was blessed to witness a church grow from 50 to 2300.  While in the early days I was able to lead the church with a staff of one (me!), it wasn’t long before I discovered that the demands and responsibilities of a growing church had moved beyond my capacity. That meant hiring staff. 

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Six Keys to Boost Staff Morale

Your church staff has a culture whether you know it or not. You can have a positive culture where there’s a corporate sense of “us” that lends itself to mutual celebration or you can have a negative culture where there is a siloed sense of “me” that lends itself to selfish pride.

If the culture is healthy, amazing things happen.  People love being there. Great leaders come and stay.

If the culture is unhealthy, destructive things happen.  People endure being there.  Great leaders look for ways to leave.

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What Your Job Is Not...And What It Is

Okay, you are a pastor.  That’s your title.  But what is your job? 

My guess is that you were given an official job description when you were hired.  It details what the expectations are of you and to whom you are responsible. But, at the end of the day…in a sentence…what are you supposed to be doing?  What you are you to be about? 

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