How Staff Values Can Impact Church Culture

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If you’ve been in ministry for a while, you may have noticed how easy it is for a church to stray from its original purpose. Mission drift happens subtly and over time, but if it’s not addressed it can lead your church down a well-worn path towards irrelevance. This can lead to churches getting really good at things that don’t really matter.

One way to fight against this trend is to establish church values. Creating clear values will help clarify direction, determine resource allocation and determine priorities. They are a foundational component of any church culture.

The same is true for creating values for your ministry staff. As with a congregation, a church staff can forget the reason they do what they do. So, establishing staff values reminds everyone in the room what your staff is really all about. They are great, written reminders of the “rules” by which your staff agrees to operate. Here are six staff values to consider implementing with your church staff.

Love people
Loving people is really the bottom line of ministry. Jesus said love God, love others. That’s it. Ministry should always focus on loving people with the love of Christ. When your staff makes decisions that affect your church, always ask, Is this about loving people? The answer will determine your next steps. Continue reading →

The Key to Improving Boss / Employee Relations

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Have you ever been in a work environment where you’ve had issues with your supervisor? Ever had disagreements with your boss? If you’re like most people, you probably have. Many factors can contribute to an uneasy work environment, but the most common is the employee / boss relationship.

In his book, The Truth About Employee Engagement, author and consultant Patrick Lencioni says there are three signs of a miserable job. 1. Anonymity – People cannot be fulfilled in their work if they are not known. 2. Irrelevance – Everyone needs to know that their job matters. 3. Immeasurement – Employees need to be able to gauge their progress and their level of contribution to the organization.

These three factors all relate to the employee / boss relationship. If your boss doesn’t really know you, if he doesn’t let you know you matter, if she doesn’t give you goals and guidelines by which to measure your work, you’ll most likely end up miserable.

Striving for a good relationship with your boss is vital if you’re going to be successful at work. And maintaining that relationship is directly related to how long you will stay employed.

Having worked for lots of bosses in my ministry career, I’ve found the key to keeping a great relationship with your boss. It’s just one word. “Distance.”

Physical Distance
The key question is, how close is your office to your bosses? I have a friend whose boss works in a different state, 400 miles away. Needless to say, this causes issues. I’ve worked in a large, church facility that had four different office locations in four different parts of the building. Again, this led to issues. If you’re in a multisite environment, your boss may be in a different building in a different part of town. While some of these issues can be worked through, suffice it to say the less physical distance between your office and your bosses, the better. Continue reading →

Three Simple Tips to Improve Workplace Efficiency

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When Jesus sent out his disciples to minister, he told them to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). To put it another way, he told them to be smart, efficient and quick to learn, but also to be gentle and humble in their approach.

Working with wisdom, integrity and passion are always worth striving for, regardless of one’s work environment. These qualities are especially true in a church or a kingdom focused business or ministry. From working in the local church for 30+ years, I’ve come across some smart working practices that improve office productivity. Here are three simple tips to improve workplace efficiency.

Synchronize Communication Systems
I once worked in an environment where people used all kinds of different systems to organize email, calendars and tasks. Some used Outlook, others preferred Goggle. Some used Franklin planners while others used nothing at all. None of these systems worked together and our office lacked efficiency because we spent too much time trying to communicate with each other.

My suggestion is to get everyone on the same system. Regardless of which one you choose, synchronizing your communication systems will save time, lower frustration and increase productivity.  

Use Email R-Codes
I borrowed this idea from author and consultant Juliet Funt, but adapted it to make it my own. Ever send an email expecting to get a response, but don’t get it? Or you get the response a month later when the issue is already resolved? It’s frustrating. Continue reading →

Small Group Axioms

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In the 1970’s and 80’s small groups began becoming popular in churches. Today, it’s hard to find a church without some sort of small group ministry. In some cases, small groups have replaced Sunday School as the main approach to Christian education and fellowship. In other cases, small groups compliment Sunday School by offering a different environment for teaching and connection.

I’ve spent many years as a Small Groups Pastor. The value of community in the context of a small group is one of my highest priorities. And over years of leading small group ministries, I’ve come across some helpful axioms that help define the purpose of small groups and remind us what small groups are really all about.

Axioms are basically a memorable saying that contain truth. Much like a proverb. Here are three axioms for small groups. Continue reading →

The DNA Difference: Church Plant vs Multisite

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A lot has been said in recent years about two specific strategies to reach more people for Christ. Church planting and, for lack of a better word, multi-siting. Both have been used successfully to expand the kingdom of God, reach people for Christ and disciple new believers. Both are good approaches. But there is a fundamental difference between a church plant and a multisite. The difference is in the DNA.

What is DNA?
Simply put, DNA is the carrier of genetic information used in the growth and development of living organisms. In humans, DNA contains the molecular building blocks that make us who we are. In churches, also living organisms, DNA is the foundational information that makes the church what it is. It’s the beliefs, values, purpose, mission and unwritten rules that govern how a church operates. DNA is important. It makes humans who we are. It defines churches and determines who they are.

Cloning
Not long ago I watched an interesting documentary on the cloning of Argentinian polo horses. Apparently, it’s a common practice. The league’s premier jockey, Adolfo Cambiaso, became famous not just for his skills as a champion polo player, but also for his successful business of cloning horses. His best horse, Cuartetera, has been cloned many times and in December, 2016, those clones helped him and his team win the country’s most prestigious polo match at Palermo. Continue reading →

What Hedgehogs Teach Us About Ministry

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In Jim Collin’s classic book, Good to Great, he introduces readers to the idea of a Hedgehog Concept. Collins says the idea came from a famous essay by Isaiah Berlin called “The Hedgehog and the Fox.” It’s based on the ancient Greek parable: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” The fox uses multiple ideas and numerous strategies in its battles with the hedgehog. But, says Collins, the hedgehog always wins by using one simple, surefire approach – curling up into a ball. When the hedgehog employs this defensive position, it exposes his sharp spikes to deter attacks from predators. Despite the many and varied tactics the fox uses, the hedgehog always emerges victorious by using his one, focused strategy.

Collins goes on to say that the idea of a Hedgehog Concept has helped successful companies define who they are, focus their energies and become more successful. They do this by answering three critical questions. 1. What are you best at? 2. What are you most passionate about? 3. What drives your economic engine?

Developing a Hedgehog Concept for churches can be extremely valuable. As churches grow, they naturally drift towards complexity. So the need to define and embrace a Hedgehog Concept will help define vision and mission, give a framework around resource allocation and give clarity to critical decision making.

I was part of a church that used the Hedgehog Concept. The senior leaders asked the three questions. After much time, thought and prayer, their answers were incorporated into the culture of the church and helped the church in a major season of growth.

As church leaders who want to bring increased levels of organizational health to your churches, encourage your leaders to wrestle with these three questions.   Continue reading →

Book Review: Embracing Followership

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Allen Hamlin Jr’s book Embracing Followership – How to Thrive in a Leader-Centric Culture is a fascinating look at the unique nature of followership, its relation to leadership, and the critical way it builds the kingdom and enhances the body of Christ. This work dives into the topics of influence and authority, formal and informal power structures, and is reminiscent of John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership, Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson’s Leading From The Second Chair, and Clay Scroggin’s How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge. However, Hamlin’s approach is unique in that it focuses specifically on the follower. Here are three areas that stood out to me.

High Calling
Hamlin does a masterful job at conveying the idea that followership is a noble calling, worthy of much esteem and great respect. Being a good follower is a good thing! It is an important, vital and noble role. Followers, Hamlin suggests, are courageous, add value and are worthy of admiration.

He clearly contrasts the real character qualities of good followers with the stereotypical ideas about followers – that they are introverted, second-class, unconfident, lemming-like, life sucking, wanna-be leaders. But nothing could be further from the truth. Followers are just as important as leaders. Continue reading →

How To Fail Forward

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For years I’ve pondered an interesting question. If I wrote a book called How to Fail, and it became a best-seller, would that be a good thing?

In today’s world, there seems to be a subconscious, relentless drive toward being successful. There are countless conferences, books and podcasts on the topic of attaining success in our work, family and social life. But there aren’t a lot of resources on failure. Who wants to be a failure, right?

No one wants to be a failure. But failure is a reality that most people will face at one point in their lives. The truth is, even though I strive for success in all I do, I’ve met just as much failure, if not more. I’ve struggled with the “f” word (failure) in my work, ministry, and relationships. And since labeling oneself a failure can have damaging emotional effects, I want to give some hope and shed some light on the topic. Below are three thoughts to keep in mind about failure.

Failure is an event, not a person

When failure happens, it’s easy to take the blame. I was raised to own up to my responsibilities and take ownership regardless of the results. But when we do that, we can often label ourselves as a failure. We need to remember that failure is an event, not a person.

Being firmly rooted in your identity in Christ is crucial as you work through failure. Your mind can easily tell you, “You’re a loser. You don’t deserve to succeed. You’re a failure.” But contrast those thoughts with the truth of scripture that says you are chosen by God. You are dearly loved. You’re a redeemed child of God (1 Peter 2:9, Colossians 3:12, Ephesians 2:1-5). Continue reading →

Three Unanswerable Questions to Ponder When You’re Being Fired

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Fired. Separation. Forced resignation. Regardless of how you say it, it means the same thing. You once worked at a church. Now, suddenly, you don’t.

If you find yourself in your supervisor’s office and the HR director unexpectedly joins you, your heart will start to pound, you’ll feel flushed, and you’ll soon realize your time at the church has come to an end.

Typically, reasons are given. You’ll probably disagree with most of them. Other times the much more ambiguous “no longer a good fit” explanation is offered. That’s just confusing.

Being let go from a church is probably one of the most traumatic and painful things a Pastor can go through. If you find yourself in this situation, you’ll undoubtedly wrestle with the financial strain of losing your job. You’ll physically feel the added stress on your marriage. You’ll undoubtedly question your role as a Pastor and your call to ministry.

These things probably will happen. I’ve wrestled with them all. More than I want to admit. Countless hours of therapy and seasons of self-reflection have helped, but by no means are a quick answer. It’s a long process. Real long. And it’s painful. Real painful.

Typically, there are no easy answers. I hope you never have to go through it, but if you do, here are three questions you may need to contemplate, but will not likely find answers for. Continue reading →

21 Unforgettable Quotes from the 2017 Leadership Summit

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Every year, the two days I spend attending the Willow Creek Association’s Global Leadership Summit with my fellow staff members is the highlight of my year. The Summit is two amazing days filled with refreshment, recharging, learning and inspiration from top-notch leaders from the realms of business, church, activism, media and government.

I hear so many brilliant and inspiring thoughts each year, I try to tweet them all. But, because I can’t keep up, last year I wrote a blog on the 21 most unforgettable quotes from the Summit. This year is no different. Here are 21 unforgettable quotes from the 2017 Leadership Summit.

“Your organization’s culture will only be as healthy as the top leader wants it to be.” – Bill Hybels

“Leadership development is both the individual and organization’s responsibility.” – Sheryl Sandberg       

“Listen to outsiders. Outsiders aren’t bound by our assumptions.” – Andy Stanley

“Talent x effort = skill. Skill x effort = human achievement. Talent counts, but effort counts twice.” – Angela Duckworth

 “Leadership begins with a dream. Fear silences dreams.” – Gary Haugen

“Sometimes, where you are used to being is not where you belong.” – Sam Adeyemi Continue reading →