One of the challenges ministries are facing today is the rapid pace in which the culture of ministry is changing. We’ve noticed that lots of things are changing – some driven by the economy and some driven by a greater desire for stewardship. One area that I see the ministry equation changing is in the area of staffing. In the past, we worked with this equation:

Current Expectations + Added Staff = Greater Output

Churches often believed that new staff had to be added to achieve greater output. But today, churches are facing budget crunches that are forcing new thoughts that affect staffing. The equation today looks more like this:

Increased Expectations = Greater Volunteer Involvement + Possible Staff Hires

In our ministry context, we committed not to hire any new staff members in 2011, but to develop the staff that we have into greater leaders. As we look at hiring in the future, we will likely evaluate the level of volunteer involvement and how an added staff position will increase ministry expectations – instead of just adding staff believing that expectations and output will increase.

What are other equations in ministry that you see changing in the 21st Century?

• Make sure you want someone else making decisions. If you are going to hire an XP and continue to make all of the decisions or override all of the decisions they make, then you do not need an XP. You need an administrative assistant to support you so that you can preach and oversee all of the admin functions of your ministry.

• Hire someone you TRUST. DON’T hire someone you just KNOW. I worked at Faith Promise for 2 years before I became the XP and had opportunities to earn my pastor’s trust. We had a developing, thriving relationship before we ever started. If you have any doubts that you can trust the person you are looking at, pass on them.

• Don’t expect them to do everything the way you would do it. The gift mixes between senior pastor’s and executive pastor’s are different. Let the XP lead the way that they are gifted, not they way that you are gifted. Let your differences give you balance and the “best of both worlds.”

• Look for someone who has high capacity. If you want someone to lead your church to new places, you need someone who has a high capacity for leadership and the leadership of just getting things done. XP’s must be able to do a wide variety of jobs…well (or at least pretty good).

• Know that changes will not happen overnight. If you have spent 5 years driving the church into the ground with no structure, an XP will not fix it in 6 months. Expect changes to really begin to happen in years 2-5. After my first year as an XP, Faith Promise’s average attendance declined. However, in year 2, we began to see amazing synergy around the structure and strategy.

If you’re thinking about hiring an XP, first talk to a Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor team that you respect. You will save yourself and that person a lot of headaches and heartaches.

So, here are some thoughts on how you can know if you have a great team.

• No one calls or emails you while you are away. Everyone is clear of their role on the team, and they do not need your input on every decision they are making. Are your team roles clear or is the team dependent on you?

• Greater things happen when are gone. Last weekend (Mother’s Day), we baptized 110 adults, more than any other weekend in Faith Promise’s history. Do greater things happen when you are away, or does everything hinge on you being there?

• Your office keeps running. My assistant, Marti, never misses a beat when I am out. She follows up with anything that comes in and makes the needed decisions or passes things on to others for decisions to be made. Does your assistant work while you are away, or wait for you to return for instruction?

• Big decisions are made or furthered. While I was away, major progress was made on our Blount County Campus. Our Campus Pastor, Wayne Burress was moving it forward each day. He gave me an update today. Can your staff make decisions or further them while you are out of the office?

• You’re not worried & rest while you are away. Honestly, I never worry while I am away. We have the best people in the right places able to make great decisions.

Seriously consider this: Are you building a great team, or are you building a team dependent upon you? That will make you feel very important and needed, but it will hinder all that God can do through you for His Kingdom in the future.

Do you have a great team?

• Engaged
• Partially Engaged
• Unengaged

If you are like me, your first thought is to be okay with the first 2 groups. We all want to keep the engaged people (and hire more of them) and if you are partially engaged, at least you are not unengaged. However, my friend led me through a process where I arrived at this thought:

I do not want anyone sitting idle and partially engaged. I either want them moving to the engaged status or moving to the unengaged status. If we can help people see that they are unengaged, then we can help the find a new place that will help them meet their dreams.

The most dangerous place for people to be in your organization is “partially engaged.” They have not bought in and they have not decided to leave. They are just existing in your organization trying to decide if they will engage or leave.

Instead of getting frustrated, help them. That will help the organization as well.

What do you think?

A few months ago I had the chance to talk to Gina McClain. Honestly, I called to get the inside scoop on the best childrens ministry leaders in America. At the end of an awesome conversation, it was time to take a risk. I really did not plan on it when we began the conversation. My question:

Would you consider coming on staff at Faith Promise?

We agreed to take the next steps, pray, and after a few months, it is my privilege to say that Gina will be coming on staff as our Director of Children’s Ministries. From her blog:

Gina is a speaker, teacher and writer.  Her marriage to Kyle McClain keeps her marginally sane while their 3 kids (Keegan , Josie and Connor) keep her from taking herself too seriously.  Her driving motivator is to lead Christ-followers to embrace and foster ministry in their home.

Gina and Kyle, we can’t wait to get you guys to Knoxville! It has been a joy getting to know you. (You can read Gina’s thoughts on the move to Knoxville here.)

Chuck, thanks for leading the search and developing an incredible Family Ministries team.

Bob, thanks for the introduction to Gina.

It is my pleasure to announce that Michael Wallace will be joining the Faith Promise family as Pastor of High School Ministry. Michael has served the past four years on the staff of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas in the role of 9th and 10th grade Pastor. Michael, Holly and their 20 month-old son Colt anticipate arriving in Knoxville this weekend.

It’s exciting to have the chance to share life with such amazing people! Michael, Holly and Colt, welcome to Faith Promise! I cannot wait to see how God uses you to reach more people for Christ and to make our team better!

a problem caused by some disparity

That disparity may be from a lack of communication, a lack of performance, or a lack of credibility or integrity. But the gap begins to get wider and wider over time, especially if you do not confront the issues in a healthy way.

For two days, our staff team is working on trust. The initial analysis says that we have a very strong team, but even great teams need to be reminded of the issues that can cause them to stumble. Today, I realized through the exercises that we were filling or eliminating gaps that have formed over time. People were communicating with each other on a different level. We were speaking truth and life into each others lives. We were closing the gaps.

It makes the relationships feel fresh and new, and it gives us the chance to keep gaps from developing again. At some point we will get lazy and some will return. However, my goal is to make sure we have a culture that eliminates gaps in relationships.

Are you holding back from someone because of some disparity? Take time to close the gap – you’ll be glad that you did!

Hiring is difficult, it takes preparation, and I really think you need other people to consult in the process. Even considering those things, hiring will be one of the most difficult parts of your job. So, what have I learned?

• Don’t hire because of need. I’ve made hiring decisions because we “needed” someone in the position. Learn from me: if you hire based upon need alone, the person will be short-lived in the position. Do the role yourself before you relocate the wrong person – no matter how much you hate that thought!

• Don’t allow the person to trump the position. If the person you are interviewing cannot meet the minimum requirements of the position, then they will never accomplish the maximum impact you need in ministry. Don’t change the position to get a person. Know what you are hiring for and stick to it.

• Don’t compromise your personal values. Figure out what you value and do not compromise that – you will never be satisfied with that person if you do. For instance, I value promptness. If you are interviewing a person and they never show up on time, rest assured that it will likely be a problem in the future (and you will always think back to those interviews).

The list could go on for days, but I’ll instead point you to a great resource. Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan’s Simply Strategic Stuff will help you in hiring (and firing). What are some other resources that have helped you?