How to Improve Church Safety and Security

Once upon a time, pastors thought their churches were safe and secure places that even criminals would respect. Unfortuantely, that’s no longer the case (or perhaps, that always was a fairy tale). Regardless, part of your responsibility as a church leader is to take prudent measures to protect your congregation. As we’ve addressed previously, there are many actions you can take to accomplish that goal. However, a key first step is to assess what risks your church could face. From there, you can determine what to do that will improve church safety and security. What is a Risk Assessment? The assessment step is really a deep-dive look at potential risks to your church. It involves asking some uncomfortable questions such as: What event might occur that could take down the church? How would we respond if a tornado siren went off during a service? Have we provided staff and volunteers with training on how to react in an active shooter situation? What would our teams do if the fire alarm went off? Drop any of those questions at the next staff meeting and you’ll feel the tone of the room take a nose-dive. No one likes to talk about the bad things that could happen within or to our churches. Unfortunately, this is an important issue that we must seriously consider. We’ve all heard of the church or ministry damaged by scandal, fraud, natural disaster, or other difficult events. A trusted bookkeeper siphoned funds into his account, a former member files a lawsuit, or someone is hurt while at a church function. These situations really do happen, yet we tend to think that as a church we’re immune from these issues. That’s simply not the case. We have a responsibility to consider the risk events that could harm our congregations and take appropriate actions to improve church safety and security. A risk is simply the chance that something could go wrong. The fallout from that event could be minuscule or catastrophic, depending on the situation. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to prevent a risk from occurring and minimizing the impact if it does occur. The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risk is commonly referred to as a risk management program. I’ve managed that function for a large company and on individual projects. The following is an overview of the process and how to get started. Step #1: Identify the potential risks to church safety and security This step involves gathering your senior leadership team and asking that uncomfortable question, “What event(s) might occur that could take out our church?” Explain that the reason for this discussion is to ensure you’re doing everything needed to prevent these risks. Here are a few additional questions to use that can get the conversation going: Your list of potential risks may include the following: Step #2: Assess the likelihood and potential impact of each risk As you discuss each risk, talk through the scenario and what might happen. Assess each risk for how likely it is to occur and what the impact would be to your church if it did happen. For the risk of natural disasters: Are you in an area prone to tornados? If so, then the likelihood may be rather high. Should a tornado damage your building, that could lead to physical injuries if anyone is present at the time. Additionally, extensive damage to the building could mean you won’t be able to hold services there for several weeks (or more). While you can’t reduce the likelihood of a tornado, you can take steps to reduce the impact. Examples include purchasing insurance, proper building construction, developing and communicating safety procedures, and scouting temporary facilities before they’re needed. Step #4: Determine what processes are already in-place to prevent each risk Do you have policies and processes in-use to prevent the risk? For example: Do you require that at least two people count and sign-off on the offering total for each service? Is each volunteer working with children required to pass a criminal background check and attend training prior to serving? Do you have insurance coverage on your facilities and the contents? Have you documented these policies and do you communicate them to staff on a regular basis? You may want to seek out legal counsel regarding certain risks to confirm that you’re in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These are all steps that can reduce the likelihood and/or impact of various risks. Step #5: Identify gaps and take action to further mitigate risks If you determine that the mitigations in-place aren’t sufficiently reducing a particular risk, then you need to develop a plan to close that gap. This may include getting additional insurance coverage, implementing background checks, or developing a security threat response plan. The key to this step is to document the actions required and assign a single leader responsible for ensuring that the tasks are completed by a certain date. This leader should report back to you on a weekly basis until all tasks are complete. Step #6: Communicate the risks and mitigating actions Just having your senior leadership team aware of the risks isn’t sufficient. Discuss these risks with staff and volunteers who are directly responsible for carrying out the risk mitigation actions or who may be impacted by a risk event (such as an emergency evacuation). Summarize each risk into a sentence or two and review the list with your staff. Get their input on the list and ask if they have any ideas for how to prevent these risks. Discuss any existing policies or procedures that prevent each risk such as background checks or safety rules. Make sure they understand that you’ve put those policies in place for a purpose and what the consequences to the church could be if one is violated and the risk occurs. Communicate applicable risks while training volunteers and discuss which policy or procedure you’ve designed to prevent those risks. When people understand why they’re required to

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3 Practical Tips to Help Introverts Thrive in Church Leadership

The operational aspects of running a church tend to involve work that attracts introverts. People who prefer to work behind the scenes and often need recovery time after a big church event. While introverts may need more breaks from socializing than others, they love people deeply and want to serve with excellence. The more outgoing social butterflies may get the most attention, however, introverted church leaders can thrive in this extroverted world. An introvert myself, I am re-energized by solitude. I love being around friends and family, yet after an extended interaction, I need some time alone to recharge. That seems to be a common refrain among introverts. Our society tends to place a higher value on extroverted expression and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. So, how do you know if you’re an introvert? Same here!  As a fellow introvert, allow me to reassure you that you’re not weird or antisocial. Solitude and quiet enable us to recharge so we can go back out into this extroverted world with some energy left in our emotional and physical tanks. There’s been a lot of talk about introverts, yet it’s only fitting that most of the “conversation” has been via articles instead of actual dialog. Susan Cain broke the ice with her TED Talk and book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Justin Lathrop discussed how we may tend to isolate introverts in the church. These are just a couple of examples of excellent material about introverts that have been refreshing to see. So, how can introverted church leaders cut through the noise to lead and serve our congregations? #1: Allow for solitude Your extroverted friends may never understand why you need time alone and that’s okay. You may wonder at times why they want to be around so many people all the time! The point is that you have to become okay with occasionally declining invitations to social activities. Give yourself permission to take a break even though you may be misunderstood. I’m very upfront about being an introvert and that’s been quite effective. I’ve helped organize large church events and the other organizers know that I’ll have to go home for a long nap after the event is over. They don’t really “get it”, but at least they don’t think I’m upset with them or that I’m antisocial. #2: Periodically push past your comfort zone God created you with a purpose and that purpose will require interaction with others. Just like intense exercise brings muscle soreness along with increased strength, exercising your “extroverted muscles” may wear you out sometimes. I’ve come to enjoy leading teams, attending events, and doing public speaking because I know these activities provide me an opportunity to serve others. I’ve expanded my capacity for interaction over time and have learned when to take breaks. You don’t have to try and become an extrovert, but go ahead and get out there to offer your unique talents. #3: Speak up for fellow introverts It’s hard to get a word in during a meeting full of extroverts, but please make the effort. When your church is planning an event or special service, the focus tends to be on creating energy in the room. That’s extroverted speak for a fun, engaging experience and we should embrace their efforts. We should also look for ways to help introverts enjoy the event. Recommend including an opportunity for quiet reflection during a worship service or leaving a few open spaces in the room for introverts to retreat to when they need some breathing room. Those spaces will feel “dead” to the extroverts, so you’ll need to explain how that helps some of their guests feel more comfortable. If you’re NOT an introvert, please know: Introverts really do love people. However, introverts appreciate people in smaller groups and with a bit less frequency than extroverts do. A big church event with loud music, lots of people, and constant visual stimulation is fun yet exhausting for an introvert. They’re glad you’re having fun and that this type of event attracts people to church. Just don’t be alarmed if your introverted colleagues disappear for several hours afterward. After all, they need to retreat at home to recharge so they can come back to work refreshed and energized for the tasks at hand. We all have a responsibility to use our unique abilities and personality traits for service. Introverts possess a quiet strength that is just as needed as an extrovert’s ability to energize a room. Offer your gifts, find ways to interact, and recharge when needed. Trust me, the effort involved is worth it and we need your contributions.

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7 Church Metrics You Need to Review Regularly

Have you ever noticed a warning indicator light up on your car dashboard? Whether it’s the indicator for tire pressure or to check the engine, you know that means it’s time to give your vehicle some attention. Those warning indicators are metrics to tell us when something isn’t quite right with our vehicles. It may not be urgent, but there’s still a good reason to have it checked out. Similarly, metrics are indicators for your church. As you review various church metrics, you’ll see trends (whether positive or negative); signs that something is working, or an area that needs some extra attention. If we have a solid set of metrics with reliable data, we can use that information to help us make better decisions, correct course if needed, and see how we’re progressing. Here are seven standard church metrics that can help you gauge the health of your church: Church Metric #1: Financials No, it’s not all about the money. However, it takes money to pay the mortgage, hire (and keep) staff, pay the electric bill, and much more. You need to know the church’s financial health on at least a monthly (if not weekly) basis. This report should include an Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Budget vs. Actuals, and trend analysis for tithes and expenses (how are we doing this month vs. the same month last year)? Church Metric #2: People in Service This will fluctuate from week to week and during certain times of the year. However, it’s still helpful to see if the number of people in each service is increasing and which service people are gravitating towards. Also, don’t just keep track of the number of adults in the main service. You’ll also want to know how many children and teens are in their respective services. That data will also help you determine if you need to start recruiting more volunteers for the nursery or other children’s areas. Church Metric #3: People in Small Groups If your church has small groups, then you’ll want some data points on this as well. Church Metric #4: Event Participation If your church hosts various events throughout the year, keep track of key data points from those events. Track how many people signed up for and attended each event. If this is an event you host each year, compare the current numbers to prior years to see if there’s a trend up or down. Also, if you send out post-event surveys, use the information gleaned from the responses as you plan upcoming events. Church Metric #5: Conversions We all want to see more people come to Christ and begin their journey as His followers. When people make that commitment at your church, you’ll want to help them grow in their faith. Part of that effort involves documenting their decision and guiding them into discipleship classes, a small group, or another growth opportunity. Find out if your church is attracting non-believers and whether they are deciding to follow Christ by keeping track of these numbers. You may also want to include how many baptisms occur each year. Church Metric #6: Membership Who attends your church? How many people are in each age range? How many men, women, singles, married couples, couples with children, single parents, etc.? Part of communicating effectively involves knowing your audience. We aren’t defined by our demographics, but we are certainly impacted by what season of life we’re in and what we’ve experienced. Knowing the demographics of your attendees could help you decide which events to host, what sermon series to do next, etc. Church Metric #7: Volunteers Volunteers are a vital aspect of any church, so you’ll want to monitor the health of your volunteer program. How many volunteers do you have in each area (greeters, ushers, parking lot, coffee bar, bookstore, nursery)? What percentage of your membership serves? How many volunteers are added each month vs. how many “quit” or leave each month. This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of potential church metrics, but I hope it gets you thinking about what “indicator lights” you may need to add or enhance. As you gather this information and review the story the data reveals, I’m confident you’ll be able to make even better decisions and avoid potential issues down the road. What metrics do you use? How have those helped your leadership team?

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How to Fire a Volunteer

One question I frequently receive when talking about recruiting and retaining church volunteers is what to do about a volunteer who isn’t working out. In other words, how do I “fire” a volunteer?  This is obviously a delicate situation that you need to handle carefully. This individual is donating his time and efforts; he’s part of your congregation and a brother in Christ. You don’t want to offend him or damage the relationship but his performance in the volunteer role is hurting the team. So, what to do? First off, deal with any issues that involve breaking the law, overt sin, or safety concerns immediately. However, assuming that this is a matter of the volunteer not meeting expectations, having a poor attitude, or isn’t doing the work as needed, then here are a few options for you to consider. #1: Is this person in the wrong role? Someone in the wrong role doesn’t mean you need to fire a volunteer. It may indicate that person needs a different role. How do you assign new volunteers? Do you simply match up a warm body with a spot you need to fill? Do you let new volunteers choose whatever role they want regardless of skill-set or personality factors? That might be the real issue. Your poor-performing, hard-to-get-along-with volunteer may be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. In this situation, establish a process for all volunteers (current and new) to guide them into a role that will align with their skills, interests, and personality. Part of this process should include a spiritual gifting and personality test (i.e., DiSC, Myers-Briggs). Also, develop job descriptions for each volunteer role and include which spiritual gifting and personality types would be best for each. Once your volunteers complete these tests, see if each person’s results line up with their current role. If not, talk with those volunteers about what role(s) might be a better fit and suggest they try a different one. #2: Does this person know what you expect? Have you provided this volunteer with documented instructions, a training session, and periodic reminders of what you need him to do? If not, do that before you decide he has to go. You can’t reasonably expect a volunteer to perform with excellence without knowing what a win looks like. Set your team up for success. #3: Discuss the issues before deciding to fire a volunteer Before you fire a volunteer, you need to give him a chance to change. Does this volunteer have a dreadful attitude and is consistently gossiping about church leaders? If so, you need to clearly yet kindly confront him about his behavior. It’s probably best to not do this alone, so have one other leader present for the discussion. A few pointers for this discussion: Try something along these lines for the first confrontation. If you’re still noticing issues, then a more direct approach may be necessary. So, what if you’ve tried all of the above and things still aren’t working out? The first step is to pray and seek God’s direction. You may not realize that there’s a difficult family drama or other issue going on in this person’s life right now. Perhaps he’s had a bad experience at another church and that’s impacting his response, etc. Pray for him and ask God to give you the right words. Next, set up a time to talk with the volunteer (do this with another leader at least around if not directly involved).   Never do this via email or over the phone. This is too personal of a discussion and you need to do everything you can to make sure the volunteer’s relationship with God and with the church remains intact. Start off the conversation on a positive note by honestly complimenting and stating how much you appreciate him serving at the church. Ask how he’s feeling about his volunteer role. Mention that you like to check-in with volunteers on occasion to see if they’re happy where they’re at, if they want to take a break from serving, or if they’d like to be reassigned to a different role. See where that takes the conversation. Perhaps he’s uncomfortable in that role but didn’t know how to approach the issue. Give him an easy, face-saving way out. If that’s not working, then remind him of prior discussions you’ve had to correct his behavior and/or offer a change in roles. State that you haven’t noticed any changes and that you need him to take some time off from serving. Reiterate that you value him as a brother in Christ and as a member of the church. Ask for his thoughts and if he has any questions. Close out the meeting in prayer and follow up with him within the next week to see how he’s doing. There are three key priorities in this situation: Ministry is messy and this is a perfect example of the mess church leaders must be willing to dive into with volunteers. However, when these moments are handled well the outcomes can be pretty amazing.   Hang in there, pray for wisdom, and seek Godly counsel. God placed you in this leadership role for a reason and He will equip you for these moments. Trust that He’ll lead you to do what’s best for your volunteer and for the congregation as a whole.

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6 Tips to Build a Strong Team

Leading a team can be extremely rewarding or frustrating (sometimes a bit of both). From personality conflicts, communication misfires, and different (and often very strong) opinions, getting a group of people to head in the same direction on a consistent basis isn’t easy…even in a church context. When I first got into project management, I made my fair share of mistakes leading teams. I was so focused on tasks and due dates that I initially alienated certain team members who felt my approach was a bit harsh (spoiler alert: they were right). Thankfully, my leadership skills improved and I’ve learned a bit about how to build a strong team. Use these tips to build a strong team: #1 – Get to know each team member Each individual on the team has their own personality, skillset, working style, communication style, family dynamics, and other unique characteristics. You could approach two people with the exact same request, body language, and speaking style. One may respond with enthusiasm while the other wonders why you were so abrupt. If you’ll take the time to understand each person, you’ll be better equipped to communicate with and get the best work from each. When your team members know you care about them as much more than just worker bees, they’ll respect you more. They’ll also be more willing to go the extra mile when needed. You’ll cultivate a family, we’re-in-this-together, environment when you know each person as more than just by title or talents. #2 – Admit you’re not an expert in everything Value the talents of those on your team – especially talents you don’t possess. If you don’t have an eye for website design or aren’t well-versed in childhood development, express how much you value those on the team who have those skills. You don’t have to be an expert in everything. However, if you try to pretend you are, your team will see right through that and you’ll lose credibility. #3 – Establish an “open debate in private, support in public” culture Since you don’t know everything and hopefully hired people who are good at stuff you aren’t, listen to them! Ask for input, run ideas by your team, and get their honest reaction. Don’t berate or punish someone if they tell you they don’t think your idea is a good one and why. Yes, it’ll sting a bit but it’s better to hear that from your team than from the entire congregation if the idea flops. Obviously, each person should participate in debate and feedback with respect and kindness. Don’t be afraid of disagreement behind closed doors within the team. Talk through the pros and cons, various options, and decision-making criteria. Then, once you’ve made a decision, expect each team member to support it as soon as they leave the room. #4 – Be humble I hate to break it to you, but you’re going to make mistakes. I’ve made plenty and have had to eat my share of humble pie. When I’ve messed up, what’s kept me from losing all credibility has been my actions afterward. As soon as I realize (or am told about) my mistake, I apologize…profusely. I ask for clarification and listen intently so I can understand where I went wrong. Then I make whatever immediate changes are necessary and thank those involved for being gracious with me. As a leader, you need to model humility. If you don’t own up to your mistakes, you can hardly expect your team to when they mess up. Show them how to handle those moments and set the standard for your team. #5 – Address problems quickly When you have a team member who’s being belligerent, rude, or disrespectful (to you or other team members), you need to deal with that immediately. It’s best to not confront the individual in front of the team, but make a point to talk with him or her ASAP. Start by asking questions such as, “How’re you doing today? Is everything okay?” or “I got the impression you were a bit frustrated in this morning’s meeting. What’s bothering you?”. The reason I recommend starting off with neutral questions as those are less likely to put someone on the defensive. The next key is to listen carefully to the response. Find out what’s really going on and then continue the conversation. You’ll still need to address the issue of being rude or disrespectful and set expectations for future behavior. However, knowing the context of why a team member reacted a certain way can be helpful. The rest of the team doesn’t have to know if you confront the issue or not, but they’ll catch on quickly if this person continues to get away with poor behavior. It’s demoralizing to the team when they have to deal with this person plus it sets a bad example. Confrontation isn’t fun but it’s a vital responsibility that leaders must take seriously if they want a strong team. #6 – Have fun together Every church has intense seasons where it’s all hands on deck usually with extra hours at the office. You’re also coming into contact with people at very difficult moments in their lives: This all takes a physical, emotional, and spiritual toll on church staff. That’s why it’s important to carve out time to relax and have some lighter moments together. Go out to lunch, take your team and their families out to a movie and dessert, or give everyone an extra day off after a big event. Your team members want to be known, understood, appreciated, trusted, and valued. They’re looking for your approval. Get to know each member of the team, respect the talents God gave them, be honest about your struggles, and encourage honest debate. Whether you lead a team of 2 or 20, these tips can help you develop a strong team, prevent or reduce conflict within the team, and accomplish more together.

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How to Initiate a Practical Risk Management Strategy for Your Church

We’ve all heard about or read the news stories of congregations who’ve dealt with the aftermath of a risk that came to pass. These incidents, whether natural or man-made disasters, can significantly damage those involved along with the church as a whole. The church’s reputation within the community, its witness for Christ, harm caused to individuals, plus potential financial costs can last for a long time. Thankfully, a simple risk management strategy can help you reduce the likelihood that these risks will occur. Here are a handful of examples of what could happen: While the specific circumstances change throughout the decades, risks aren’t new to those serving God and seeking to help His children. Back in Old Testament times, Nehemiah found himself in the middle of his own dangerous scenario when the Jews had returned from exile. Upon hearing the reports of Jerusalem’s destruction, Nehemiah immediately felt compelled to lead his countrymen in rebuilding. He traveled to Jerusalem and rallied the people to rebuild the wall. “Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.” – Nehemiah 4:17-18 Not everyone in the surrounding area was pleased with this development, so they threatened to attack the workers. Nehemiah heard of these threats and stationed guards to protect the workers and their families. He also ordered the workers to carry a weapon in one hand and build with the other. Although I doubt he called it such, Nehemiah had put into place a risk management strategy. He identified the potential risk (threats against his team of builders) and then mitigated that risk (assigned guards and armed the workers). Nehemiah had a vision of the walls rebuilt and the Jewish remnant returning to their homeland. He was determined to make that vision a reality and worked diligently to make it happen – despite many obstacles. Church leaders today face a variety of risks and challenges as you seek to propel the ministry vision of your church. From running background checks on volunteers, to enforcing safety procedures, and more, you’re working to prevent bad things from happening to those in your care. It’s not an easy task and the stakes are high. The whole concept of risk management can become overwhelming. Do we need a policy for this?  How can we possibly monitor all that with the few staff and volunteers available?   While you can’t prevent every possible bad scenario (no one can), there are simple and practical steps you can take to protect your congregation. I’ve created a concise, free resource to help with your risk management efforts. It includes ten top risks to churches along with a few tips on how to prevent each. You can read it in less than 15 minutes and start taking action right away to protect your church. Get your free copy of “10 Risks Church Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore” by filling out the form below.

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Quick Tips for Avoiding a Social Media PR Crisis

Not all publicity is good publicity – contrary to the popular saying. If something your church does, or something a church leader says or posts becomes newsworthy, you could have a serious reputation and trust issue on your hands. With social media playing an ever-increasing role in the news cycle, bad news can travel faster than ever. TV news reporters could show up at your front door with cameras rolling, reporters calling your front desk where your receptionist is caught off-guard and ill-prepared, your very own hashtag on Twitter (this time trending wouldn’t be a good thing), and thousands of comments on your Facebook page or emails to your church – all within a matter of a few hours. You may have to go into damage control mode fast. Even if the church didn’t do anything wrong, you’ll be tried in the court of public opinion quickly and must have a rational, calm, professional, and God-honoring response ready right away. How to reduce the chances of a social media PR crisis: #1 – Protect Church Social Media Accounts Designate 2-3 carefully selected and trained people to have the login information to post from the church’s social media accounts. You need mature believers who are social-media savvy to handle this responsibility. In some churches, this role falls under a Media or Communications department. Coordinate communications efforts to keep messaging and tone consistent (as appropriate for each social media channel). #2 – Establish a Clear Policy Develop and document your church’s policy regarding what types of posts you want them to write and what’s not acceptable. Make sure they understand they’re speaking on behalf of the senior pastor, elders, board, and congregation whenever they post as your church. They need to feel the gravity of that responsibility yet still feel confident in using social media to share news about your church’s activities. This policy should also include whether you’ll delete abusive or negative comments on your social media accounts from other people. Sometimes it makes sense to respond; other times it’s best to either ignore or delete. Do you want foul language or inappropriate pictures and comments deleted? Probably so. #3 – Assign Media Contacts Designate 1-2 people on staff to talk with the media on behalf of the church. You shouldn’t have an intern or new staff member giving an interview to the local news station. Since they are less experienced in their role, and most likely without any media training, it would be much easier for them to state something in a way that could be misinterpreted. We have to be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves” in these situations. #4 – Develop Relationships with Local Media Be proactive and develop relationships with your local news media. This isn’t about angling for favorable coverage; this is about being genuinely interested in serving your community and talking with local media about what they’re seeing and how your congregation could help. As local reporters get to know you, they’re more likely to come to you directly about anything they hear before running a story. How to Handle a Public Relations Crisis #1 – Develop a Plan Now Don’t wait for a social media post that goes awry or an unflattering viral news story about the church (whether it’s accurate or not). Work with your church leadership team to develop a plan for how to respond to potential public relations issues. Consider the following as you develop a plan: Social media can be an excellent ministry tool but it does require some expertise and finesse to use well. Planning how to use social media and how to respond should things go awry will help your team leverage this tool to reach your community. By the way…this is an adapted excerpt from my book entitled, Protect the Vision: A Practical Guide to Church Risk Management. You can purchase the book here OR get a digital copy with your membership to The Church Operations Toolkit.

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team productivity

8 Ways to Increase Team Productivity

One of the challenges in ministry is that there’s always more work to do – and it’s unlikely that you can hire a small army anytime soon.  So, to assist you in dealing with that challenge, here are a few practical tips to help increase team productivity with the staff you already have in place: #1: Move electronic files onto a shared space Is your team constantly emailing files back and forth? Do they keep all electronic files on their hard drives?  Both are a waste of time and somewhat risky.  For example: What happens if a computer crashes and several files are lost?  Yeah, that’s a bad day.  Instead, create an internal network with shared folders for your staff to save important files.  Other options include using online storage services such as Google Docs or Dropbox. #2: Use church management software to maintain records in a single location Software such as Church Community Builder, Fellowship One, and others enable you to store information about attendees in a central location. You can add notes regarding where each volunteer serves, set reminders to follow-up with visitors, etc. #3: Avoid interrupting each other for impromptu meetings I’ve seen staff members interrupt a meeting in progress to ask about an upcoming event or service.  To be blunt, that’s rude and unprofessional.  Unless the building is on fire (or another dire emergency), send the person you need to speak with an email.  Stop reducing their productivity due to a lack of planning on your part. #4: Start and stop meetings on time Speaking of meetings, these things are notorious for wasting time.  Implement these habits to make meetings actually useful: Send out an agenda beforehand Make sure you’ve invited the right people Start on time (even if not everyone is there) Keep the group on-topic End on time Click here for more meeting productivity tips. #5: Reiterate the vision constantly It’s easy to be so focused on the day-to-day tasks that you forget why you’re in ministry in the first place.  Remind your staff of the mission and vision for your church.  Make sure each staff member knows exactly what the win looks like for his/her role.  This keeps them from doing work that doesn’t advance the vision and therefore wasting time. #6: Bust department silos One department is frustrated with the accounting team because they rejected a purchase request.  Another doesn’t understand why the facilities department won’t let them use a certain room without advanced notice.  This leads to poor communication and strained relationships between staff members.  Educate your team on what each department does and how each group is vital to the team achieving the vision. #7: Don’t tolerate mediocrity If you have a staff member who isn’t performing at the level required, you need to deal with that issue immediately.  Find out if he understands your expectations.  Set specific goals and put accountability into place.  If he continues to be unable to handle the job, then it’s probably time to help him transition out.  Yes, that’s a tough call.  However, the rest of your staff has to pick up the slack for this person and everyone will be relieved when he either starts performing or leaves.  The vision is too important to accept less than excellence (not perfection, but excellence).  Also, the tithes of your congregation pay for this person’s salary.  Would they appreciate paying for someone to not do their job? #8: Prevent burnout If your staff regularly works late hours or on their days off, you have a problem.  Either they aren’t productive or they’re overloaded.  They will burn out and their families will resent the church if you don’t take action.  Set boundaries. Discuss workload concerns with your team.  Yes, there will be moments when you need to work late.  However, those should be rare.  Ask more volunteers to serve, reduce the number of events or programs you provide, or start hiring qualified staff members to help.  Just because your team is willing to work constantly now doesn’t mean that’s healthy or sustainable for very long. #9: Provide training & equipment Give team members the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills that will help them be more productive in their job. This might mean training new staff members on how to run reports to quickly get information from the church management software. It could involve paying for a webinar or training series (or membership such as The Church Operations Toolkit). Also, talk with your team about training and equipment needs. While you might not be able to buy their full wishlist, if you can start getting a few items that can go a long way towards increasing productivity (and improving morale). A high-performing, productive team won’t happen by accident.  Lead the way by providing your team with tools and information to help them increase their effectiveness.  It requires a bit of an upfront investment to change old habits or implement new tools, but that investment will pay off.  Your team will be able to serve more people without wearing themselves out.  That’s a win I’d love to have happen for your team.

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Planning for Christmas

How to Start Planning for Christmas: A Complete Guide

The Christmas season is many things: joyous, hopeful, magical, peaceful, and full of charitable giving. It’s also an extremely busy time for churches. As holiday events typically ramp up in the weeks before Dec. 25th, it’s a good idea to get a clear vision of your Christmas event schedule well in advance. And with most church event planning, the earlier the better is a good motto to adopt. To get you prepared for your busy season, we’ve gathered all things Christmas into one complete guide to help you plan a memorable, Christ-filled celebration at your church — whether it’s one event or many. Here’s our take on how to start planning for Christmas.  Step 1: Plan Staff Availability We all know that Christmas is a time when people who typically don’t come to church will make the effort to attend a service. This provides a great opportunity to minister to people you don’t normally get to reach. However, in order to plan and execute Christmas services well, you need the help of your church staff members. The challenge with this time of year is that many people, including church staff, want to visit their families for the holiday. To find the balance with your staff, consider these tips:  Start the vacation planning process ASAP Set a deadline for your staff to submit vacation requests for the holidays. Require that they include a plan to ensure their responsibilities are covered in their absence. This could include a list of key volunteer leaders who could step in for them at a service or another staff member who will be in town and is capable of taking over. Plan ahead without filling up the calendar December is full of Christmas parties, holiday outreaches, and family celebrations.  For the sake of your staff and volunteers, don’t bog them down with too many events. Schedule holiday outreaches and Christmas celebrations well in advance so people can plan accordingly. You don’t have to host a Christmas Eve service  You can celebrate Christmas the Sunday before and leave the week open for families to celebrate together. There’s no right answer on this one, figure out what works best for your church. However, don’t just do what you’ve always done without giving thought to what’s best for your congregation, volunteers, and church staff. Step 2: Begin Planning for Christmas Events Because coordinating extra Christmas activities requires extra planning, now is a great time to start preparing. Here are three tips to get you started: Coordinate with local nonprofits Do you have a few nonprofit agencies that you work with on a regular basis? If so, reach out to them to see how you could help them this year. Compile a list of these potential outreaches, decide what you’re going to do this year, then put those events on your church calendar to reserve the dates. Appoint volunteer team leaders Ask a few volunteers to see if they’d be willing to organize an outreach as its event planner. Introduce them to your contact at each nonprofit and have your volunteer be the main contact for that outreach. This volunteer leader should work with you to recruit and coordinate volunteers, organize donations, and lead the church event. Be available as a backup and gather updates from them, but let your volunteers take the lead as event coordinator as much as possible. As these volunteers prove themselves, they can make planning for Christmas (and other big events) much easier for everyone. Plan details of your Christmas services Decide if you’ll have a Christmas Eve service and/or a service on Christmas Day. Take into consideration when you and your staff will be able to take time off to spend the holidays with family (see Step 1). You’ll want to also to gather volunteers, which we’ll discuss in Step 3 below.  Step 3: Create a Volunteer Checklist Whether you decide to put on a huge Christmas pageant or a traditional candlelight service, you’ll need volunteers to make each service special for your congregation. This checklist will help you stay organized as you delegate to volunteers.  Determine how many volunteers, in what roles, you’ll need for each Christmas service. Recruit Early Ask your volunteers to start signing up now for specific service(s). Bonus tip: VolunteerSpot is a free and easy-to-use online tool for signing up volunteers. Attention to Detail  Document the order of your service, along with any special instructions you have for the volunteers. Prepare and Review Email the service order and instructions to your volunteers 1-2 weeks before the Christmas services. Review the information at volunteer pre-service meetings the Sunday before Christmas. Friendly Reminders Send a confirmation email to volunteers the day before they are scheduled to serve as a reminder of details and arrival time.  Always Have Backup For Christmas plays or more complicated services, train a handful of volunteer leaders. Make sure they know everything you know about the service so they can answer questions and provide direction when you’re not available. Express your gratitude Make sure you have thank you cards on-hand to send to volunteers within a week (or two) after Christmas. Step 4: Manage Preparation Stress Like a Pro! Stage design, volunteers, service planning, special programs, and more are all part of the hustle and bustle of the season. So, how do you manage all this activity and still feel some semblance of peace on earth and goodwill towards men? Here are a few tips to help: Tip #1: Pause…and Write If you’re running around trying to fix last-minute issues, fill those last few volunteer spots, and figure out why in the world your carefully designed stage décor keeps falling over, it’s easy to get into crazy mode. When that happens, you can’t think straight and will likely forget something important or miss the easiest, most obvious solution to a problem: Pause. Take a few deep breaths, pray for wisdom, and think. Write down all the stuff floating around in your head – whether it’s directly

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How to Best Serve Someone Who is Mad at the Church

If you’ve ever received a call or email from someone who is mad at the church, you know how challenging those conversations can be for both sides. Since people tend to be quite sensitive about money issues, working in the Finance department of a ministry gave me several opportunities to handle those situations. As I fielded inquiries from people who were upset at the organization, I had the chance to serve them and try to correct any issues. As a leader in your church, you’ve probably run into similar situations. While these moments can be uncomfortable, they provide opportunities to serve someone who is mad at the church (and hopefully change that situation). One instance I encountered stands out in my memory. I spoke with a mom who was understandably upset with us. We’d made a data entry error that led us to believe her daughter’s account wasn’t paid in full for a trip she’d signed up to attend. In addition, another department had lost an important document she needed for the trip. Ouch.  “How can I trust you with my daughter when you can’t get these smaller issues right?” Yep, I had an unhappy momma on my hands. Now, I couldn’t blame her one bit for being upset. After all, we’d made the mistakes – and they weren’t insignificant ones either. Based on this, and other similar situations, I developed an approach to serve and correct issues that came up. 5 Steps to Serve Someone Who is Mad at the Church: #1 – Listen The mom I spoke with was upset and needed to vent. More importantly, she deserved to be heard. So, while trying not to take things personally, I listened as she took out her frustrations on me. Likewise, give the individual you’re talking with the chance to vent. Listen to honor this person and be empathetic. If this individual feels hurt by the church or is upset at how church leadership handled a situation, you need to understand why to be able to serve him (or her). Once you sense this part of the conversation is winding down, it’s time to move to the next step. #2 – Apologize In my situation, that went something like this: “Mrs. Smith, I am so sorry. We messed up and you shouldn’t have to be dealing with this at all. I completely understand why you’re frustrated with this situation.” You might not be the staff member who made the mistake or the decision this individual feels hurt by. However, you represent the church to this person (or were the first staff member he could find). Offering a heartfelt and sincere apology breaks down a few walls. It tends to make the other person feel valued, understood, and heard. That’s a big deal and will go a long way towards fixing the situation. #3 – Make it right In my example, I told the mom: “I’ve had our team research the check you sent and we’ve found it in our database. It was credited to the wrong account, but I have Susan fixing that right now. I’ll send you the updated report within the hour. Also, I’ve had our team looking for the document, and since we haven’t located it yet, here’s what we can do to get an alternate ready so your daughter can proceed on the trip.” You might not have an immediate answer or resolution in every scenario. That’s okay. However, you do need to tell the person who brought a concern to you that you’re going to do something about it. #4 – Own the situation “I will personally see this through to make sure we fix these issues. Here’s my direct number and email address if you have any questions. I’ll call you as soon as I have the updated report and the document replaced.” Whether it’s an upset parent calling about an issue with the upcoming youth trip, a volunteer frustrated by a lack of communication, or a fellow staff member whose purchase request got lost in the shuffle, you’re likely to deal with the occasional irate individual. You may not have been the person who made the mistake that led to the phone call. You may not be able to fix it by yourself. However, the person who called doesn’t know (or even care) about those details. Maybe he should, but he doesn’t so be prepared to take the hit and still respond in love. #5 – Release your tension The final step to this process is to find a way to release the tension these conversations create. I’ve had busy seasons with several similar situations to handle and the emotions built up. That lead to me being stressed, exhausted, and upset that I had to deal with the aftermath of mistakes I hadn’t even made. You need to figure out what works for you, but taking a walk or venting to a confidant (keeping names out of it, of course) helps me. Hopefully, you don’t have to use these steps often. However, this will help you best serve those who are mad at the church. When you listen, apologize, and commit to fixing the issue, people will appreciate and respect your commitment to them. That goes a long way towards developing stronger relationships, leading people to Christ, and making disciples.

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