Church Leadership

How to Protect Church Staff from Burnout

As leaders, sometimes we need to protect our team members from themselves. The individuals who regularly stay late to wrap up a few tasks, who take on the toughest assignments, and practically live at the church need your help. While their dedication and work ethic is admirable – ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. Running at a sprinter’s pace will keep team members from being able to stay healthy and strong over the long haul. Thankfully, it doesn’t require significant costs or efforts to protect church staff from burnout. Here are seven tips to protect church staff from burnout: Tip #1: Set clear expectations If not, they’re trying to guess what you want and what success looks like. It’s really hard to hit a target you can’t see. Don’t make them guess. Document a job description and include key measurements or examples of what you expect to see. Tip #2: Check in regularly Conduct a weekly one-on-one meeting with those who report to you. Tip #3: Go home on time Here’s the deal: Your staff members probably feel like they can’t leave the office until you do. He’ll think I’m not willing to put in the hours. She’ll think I’m slacking off if I leave at 5pm. Go home and save your team from feeling like they have to stay late. This also sets an example for them that spending time with family is more important than finishing up another task. They’re watching how you manage your time including how you prioritize your family and your own health. Set a positive example for them to follow. Tip #4: Ask questions When you assign a task or new project to a staff member, ask a few questions before you let them go. Also, if you’re making a last-minute change, please ask about the impact of that change. Some staff members will start working on it without telling you how much additional effort is required because they don’t want to come across as questioning your decision. However, you may not realize that what you just asked him to do will take five hours of rework with an already full schedule before the deadline. If it’s still important enough to make the change, then let him know why it’s important. If that change isn’t worth several hours of rework and staff staying late at the office, then discuss other options to achieve the goal without wreaking havoc on the team. Tip #5: Create a culture where it’s okay to ask for help and raise concerns Make sure your staff members know that it’s safe to say, “I’m drowning over here and need help!” Now, of course, they should manage their time wisely and work hard while at work. Assuming that’s the case, realize they’re taking a risk when asking for help. Will he think I’m not capable? Will this make her question my dedication to the church? Address their concerns and let your team know you’d rather them ask for help before they fall behind schedule or burn out. Tip #6: Don’t send messages after hours I know it’s convenient to send off a quick text message or email at 8pm when you think of a question for your youth pastor. However, that sends a subtle message that you expect a response right away. Do you want your team responding to messages late at night OR spending time with family? Instead, enter a note on your phone or write it down somewhere so you won’t forget the question. You could even draft the email but wait until the next morning to send it out. Also, consider the message this sends to your team. Even though you may have had a quick thought about work before bedtime stories with your kids, they don’t know that. They may think you’re working late on a regular basis. Then they’ll think they should be working those hours as well. Tip #7: Provide training Your team may need training on how to manage their time and energy more effectively. They may need training on certain skills needed for their job. Training can equip someone to be more efficient and produce higher quality results. We all feel inadequate for an assignment on occasion. By offering training and guidance as needed, you’re supporting a team who’s working to support you and the vision of the church. While your staff members are responsible for how they approach their work and manage their time, you can have a significant impact on their longevity in ministry. Use these tips to protect church staff from burnout and help them thrive in ministry for the long haul.

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How Focused Intensity Can Prevent Burnout and Lead to Church Growth

One frequent cause of ministry burnout involves taking a scattershot approach. That is when you are doing too much with minimal results. This leads to spreading staff and volunteers too thin and burning them out over time. Instead, we need to prevent burnout by focusing on programs or events that consistently reach people with the Gospel and bear good fruit. This focused intensity can grow the church without burning out staff and volunteers. It’s easy to see how a scattershot, or “try everything to see what works”, approach can happen. After all, we want to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel. We want to see lives changed and families restored, so we try many different methods to reach people: None of these efforts are bad or necessarily wrong. However, it’s important to consider whether it makes sense to pursue several of these all at once. In his book, How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, Jim Collins lays out five stages of decline in organizations. One of the stages is the “Undisciplined Pursuit of More.” He writes, “Companies in Stage 2 stray from the disciplined creativity that led them to greatness in the first place, making undisciplined leaps into areas where they cannot be great or growing faster than they can achieve with excellence, or both.” How does this help prevent burnout in the church world? Let’s say your church is running along well with two Sunday services, weekly small groups, and about one significant special event/program every couple of months. If you suddenly decide to add services on Saturday and Sunday nights, plus 1-2 special events each month, who will organize and make those additions successful? You’ll need to ask more from your staff, you’ll need additional volunteers, and will likely incur additional costs. Instead of suddenly adding five new things, what if you added one or two? You’re still moving forward and opening up the possibility to reach more people. At the same time, you’re gradually adding to your volunteer teams and as the growth supports it, more staff members. This method of slow, steady growth isn’t as cool or exciting as explosive growth. However, with this approach, your team will feel the energy that comes from new initiatives and growth without the overwhelm that comes from too much too fast. You’ll be better able to monitor progress and see what’s working, so you can put more energy and focus on what services or programs are truly reaching people with the Gospel and making disciples. You’re less likely to burn out your team and yourself with slower, more steady progress. What is Your Current Approach? Consider asking yourself these questions to evaluate your current approach: We’re afraid to cut an event or not launch a new campus because we think we’ll miss out on reaching people. That’s a real risk. However, what is the cost of trying to do it all? How long can staff members maintain that frantic pace? How many late nights and missed family meals are spouses going to manage before they feel like they’ve lost their loved one to the church? The temptation is that busyness feels like energy and doing good for God. The reality is that busyness without focus and clear purpose wears out your team and your congregation. What Should Church Leaders Do to Prevent Burnout? #1 – Consider the events and services you currently offer #2 – Determine what to offer next Ask God for His direction, seek out wise counsel, and then move forward. God wants to work through your church to reach people with the Good News more than you do. Trust Him to lead your team and help you know how to grow His church and prevent burnout.

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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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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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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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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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How to Improve Communication Between Departments

Have you ever been frustrated with another department at your church? Wondered why they just don’t “get it”? It’s possible they feel the same way about you. If you’ve ever heard of “departmental silos,” you know this refers to departments that seem to operate independently and don’t share information readily with others. This creates inefficiencies, duplicate work, and a decline in morale. It’s important to improve communication between departments so you can work as a cohesive team. As an organization grows and you add team members, it’s easy for departmental silos to develop. One group doesn’t understand what another group is doing (or why) and when that crosses their path, conflict ensues. Another issue arises when departmental leaders don’t communicate and then present conflicting information to their teams or even the congregation. Here are several ways to get rid of those silos and improve communication between departments: #1 – Educate A lot of the frustration is caused because the team in Dept A doesn’t understand what the team in Dept B really does or why they should care. Start dealing with this issue by having a leader from each department give a 3-5 minute update in an all-staff meeting. The updates should include an overview of that department’s goals, what they’re currently working on, any challenges they’re facing and how the other departments can help. It’s also great for each leader to mention how another department has helped them succeed on a specific goal or at an event. #2 – Point Out Interdependencies Accounting can’t provide accurate financial reports to senior leadership without the right documentation from each department. The Media team can’t create an awesome announcement video without details on the latest Kids’ event from that department. The point is that we need each other to succeed and to serve the church with excellence. We intuitively know this, but sometimes we need a reminder. #3 – Cross-Train We’ve all had situations where we needed “all hands on deck” to pull off an event or handle an emergency. It’s also not uncommon for a staff member to change roles and move into a different department. Prepare for those eventualities by cross-training staff members on each other’s jobs. Have each staff member perform one of their key tasks with another team member shadowing. As they job shadow, have them document the task. This helps them learn the process and ensures you have up-to-date documentation. You’re probably wondering when anyone would have time for this effort. If necessary, cancel one staff meeting a month (or cut it short) to give everyone a chance to shadow someone from a different department. #4 – Ask Questions When you start planning a new event, announcement, or service, ask yourself this question: “Who will this impact and which department(s) should I involve?” For example: If you’re in the Children’s Ministry and are planning a fun summer party complete with inflatables, you might ask this question and realize you need to talk with the Facilities team. They can help you figure out where to put the inflatables, what to ask the vendor about how they’re secured to the ground, etc. #5 – Lead by Example This goes for everyone, really, but especially if you lead a department – never speak poorly of another department in front of your team. If there’s an issue, go directly to the leader of that department immediately to address the concern. #6 – Focus on Serving As followers of Christ, we need to follow His example and serve. Even if another department is driving you nuts, pause and consider the larger goal before “speaking your mind.” You’re all trying to achieve the same thing – reaching people for Christ and making disciples. Keep that in the forefront as you deal with the administrative details that go into working at a church. #7 – Share a Meal It’s harder to assume the worst about someone after talking about your favorite sports teams or your kids’ latest antics over a meal. Head out to lunch with a few members of other departments and get to know each other. You can “talk shop” a bit, but focus mostly on developing great friendships. Departmental silos and the resulting miscommunications, frustration, and tension can hinder your team’s ability to serve with excellence. Break down these walls and open up a path to greater teamwork and collaboration. Making the effort to improve communication between departments isn’t a simple undertaking, but it’s always worth the effort.

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What Causes Ministry Burnout?

We tend to think ministry life will consist of serving God faithfully, seeing people come to Christ, and stewarding a growing church. Unfortunately, serving on staff at a church can often become stressful, overwhelming, and all-consuming. For many people, this leads to ministry burnout. If you’ve wondered how much longer you can last in ministry, you’re not the only one. A quick search on “ministry burnout” turns up over 3.5 million results. From Carey Nieuwhof to Ed Stetzer and others, more church leaders are openly discussing the issue of burnout (many with their own experiences). Most of the resources I’ve found focus on the burnout of pastors. As the senior pastor is the key leader in a given church, if he burns out there’s a significant impact on the entire staff and congregation. Pastors also have the burden of “the buck stops here,” which contributes to their potential for burnout. However, there’s also the danger for church staff and even volunteers to burnout. While there are unique challenges that only the senior pastor faces, there are several common issues that can lead to burnout for anyone working in ministry. Factors that contribute to ministry burnout: #1 – Working for God…not always with God #2 – Unrealistic expectations #3 – Isolation #4 – Lack of Vision Clarity How to Prevent Ministry Burnout Tip #1: Delegate Delegate to whom? Great question. Even if you don’t have any staff reporting to you, you still have delegation options. You may have individuals within your congregation who could help a few hours a week with administrative tasks. Delegate the easier stuff first – tasks that take up your time but don’t require much training to pass on to someone else. Another option could be a virtual assistant. You can contract out specific tasks and pay for the hours you need. Another option is to find online tools or resources that offer shortcuts to the information or processes you need to implement. The Church Operations Toolkit includes templates, how-to guides, and expert interviews that can save you time and money. Tip #2: Prioritize Review your calendar for the last few weeks. What does that tell you about what’s most important? After all, what we schedule tends to be what gets done and therefore shows what’s most important to us. Does your calendar align with what you say is most important to you? While it may feel like it, not everything is urgent and important. End each day by creating a to-do list for the next day. You close out that day’s work and set yourself up for a solid start the next. Recognize upfront that you’ll never really get to the end of your to-do list. This isn’t accepting defeat; it’s facing reality. Prioritize your list and work on the highest impact, most valuable tasks first. Tip #3: Leave Work and Disconnect How many evenings did you work late last month? Your relationship with your family plus your physical health will take a hit if you’re working late too often. There will be busy seasons, but those should be seasons, not every day. This is much easier to say than do, but it’s important to say “no” to work (even church work), so you can say “yes” to your family. I like how Eric Geiger puts it in his post, Four Reasons Burnout Is More Prevalent in Ministry Leadership: “In most roles, overwork feels sinful and neglectful. In ministry, overwork can wrongly feel holy. After all, you are “doing all these things for the Lord and for people.” Some leaders struggle to say no because doing so would feel like denying ministry to people. Leaders can justify all the hours in their minds, the neglect of their own souls, and the neglect of their families. Ministry can attract workaholics and give them a reason to justify their addiction.” Turn off your cell phone and stop checking email after a particular time each day. You need a few hours each evening to decompress, spend time with your family and friends, and recharge. Let your colleagues know what you’re doing and who they can call in case of an emergency. By the way, you probably need to define “emergency” as “the church is on fire” or “someone passed away.” Tip #4: Invest in Your Relationship with God We all need time with God for the sole purpose of listening, learning, and enjoying His presence. It’s easy to try and justify not having personal time with God if you’ve already spent several hours preparing for a message. While I’m sure you benefitted personally from that time, it can’t fully replace time invested in focusing on your relationship with God. Take one day a week to do absolutely nothing related to your job. Play with your kids, take your spouse out on a date, go for a jog, sleep in, etc. Rest and invest in activities that restore your mind, body, and soul. You’ll be more effective and productive later as a result. Tip #5: Reward What You Value What do you praise or reward with your team? Working long hours or productivity that comes from planning ahead, making long hours unnecessary? Work with your team to plan, hold each other accountable to deadlines, and streamline processes. Tip #6: Leave Breathing Room Do you have any time scheduled (as in a meeting on your calendar) with yourself to think, plan, or dream? If not, start carving out time for this activity. This is time for you to consider the projects and tasks ahead in the light of the vision/mission of your church and considering whether you’re working on the right things that will help you achieve that vision. It’s time to think about your staff and volunteers…to consider how you’re leading them and what to encourage or correct. This time looks like the opposite of productivity, but this is where the magic happens. It’s where you realize you’re running in the wrong lane and need to make a course

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How to Support a Growing Church

Jesus admonished us to listen carefully to His words and obey His teaching to withstand life’s storms. We typically think of storms as situations such as an illness, financial difficulties, strained relationships, etc. However, storms can come with something wonderful such as a rapidly growing church. “We’re struggling to build any momentum at all and you’re warning us about a ‘storm’ of church growth?” Yes, and here’s why: Let’s say you have a church of 500 people and within a couple of months, that number goes up to 600. Six months later, you’re at 800…then 930…then 1,000. That’s great…right?! Of course, that’s an amazing growth spurt for any church and should be celebrated. As you rejoice, you’ll need to determine how to effectively support a larger congregation. Areas to Review for a Growing Church: #1 – Child Care How many more children need care in the nursery and how many more volunteers does that require? Do you have enough cribs, changing tables, toys, and space available? #2 – Ministry Programs & Groups More people typically means a more diverse set of expectations and needs. If you didn’t have a divorce care program before, you may have several people with the need for that assistance now. Consider starting or adding small groups to serve new members. #3 – Data Management Do you have a church database (ChMS) to record contact information, small group assignments, volunteer roles, etc.? #4 – Facility Capacity Does your current parking area have the capacity for additional cars? Also, is your sanctuary large enough to handle more attendees or should you add a service? #5 – Accounting More people also means (hopefully) more tithes and (definitely) more expenses. Is your accounting team equipped to handle these changes? #6 – Volunteers You’ll likely need more volunteers to serve a larger congregation. Do you already have a clear process in place for new people to become members, discover their gifts, and start serving? As you can see, there are many changes that result from a growing church. Seeing more people commit their lives to Christ or simply start attending church consistently again is a wonderful thing. Prepare for this influx ahead of time by thinking through the above items (and that’s certainly not an exhaustive list). As the church grows, you want to be well-equipped to serve a larger congregation with excellence and get them engaged in ministry. It’s not about seeing more people in the seats each week, it’s about providing an environment where they can grow in their relationship with God and be equipped for ministry. That requires preparation on the part of church staff and key volunteers. It can be detailed, hard work but it most certainly is worth the effort to build a solid foundation for a growing church. In the Church Operations Toolkit, members follow a Church Operations Growth Path that includes a list of tasks to complete at each level of a church’s operational journey. Members can also access resources to help them complete these tasks. Join us in the Church Operations Toolkit and use these resources to make supporting a growing church easier to manage.

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