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How to Get Started with Church Project Management

From sermon preparation to coordinating volunteers and training small group leaders (and more), there’s a lot that goes into leading a church. One way to keep all these efforts running smoothly is by implementing a project management process for your church. Before we get into church project management, we need to deal with projects. So, what is a project? According to the Project Management Institute, a project is “temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.” In other words… With that in mind, project management involves coordinating all the tasks, team members, and resources needed to make the project a success. How does this apply to ministry? Most churches have more vision and activities planned than they have resources. To have any hope of not working late nights and weekends (beyond Sunday, of course), you have to be organized and efficient with what you do have available. Using a standard process to coordinate and organize the work helps everyone be more efficient and effective. Project management is a term we don’t use much in ministry. It sounds very corporate-y, so it tends to get tossed aside. However, after using project management principles in both corporate and church environments, I can personally attest to its usefulness. Projects such as launching a ministry program, hosting a conference, or starting a new outreach are in addition to the day-to-day responsibilities and can stretch your team to their limit. The key to not wearing everyone out while delivering an excellent result is in planning and project management. Before I go into detail about how to use project management principles, I want to introduce you to the benefits you can reap from a church project management process: Benefit #1: Less rework Planning involves doing work on paper before you do it in real life. When you plan, you can brainstorm and think through various scenarios well ahead of any deadlines. You can make your mistakes on paper (and identify better ways of scheduling tasks or handling various situations) instead of when a deadline is looming in front of you. Benefit #2: Increased excellence It’s hard to go the extra mile when you’re already exhausted. Planning ahead and carefully managing the plan gives you margin. You can use that margin to do the extra things that take your event over the top and deliver for your community. Benefit #3: Ability to deliver on-time and within budget When it’s down to the wire and it just has to get done, you’re more likely to feel justified in spending the extra money to finish. However, if you carefully plan the timeline and budget, you’re much less likely to have last-minute emergencies. Benefit #4: Less risk Part of the planning process involves considering the risks involved in the event or new program. You may need to purchase liability insurance for the event or make contingency plans in case of bad weather. Benefit #5: More creative freedom Using a structured planning process may not sound like it would allow for creativity. However, when you plan ahead and allow for margin within your timeline, you can create room for brainstorming sessions and a few iterations of creative concepts. You can’t let the creatives on your team tweak the graphics or décor forever, but you should give them enough time to come up with their best work. Benefit #6: Less stress and late nights You’ve seen (and experienced) it too. The week before a big deadline is fraught with last-minute changes and many late nights at work. Tempers may flare, communication is spotty at best, and you’re all just ready for it to be over. It doesn’t have to be that way. Planning ahead and then working the plan prevents this last-minute craziness. Benefit #7: Increased buy-in from the team Your team needs to understand the “why” behind this new program or event. Part of the planning process involves defining what success looks like and communicating that to the team. That unifies the group and enables them to communicate more effectively and make better decisions. Then they can all head in the same direction with purpose and enthusiasm. Benefit #8: More volunteers A lack of planning leads to sending out a desperate plea for volunteers a few days before the event. The volunteers who set aside their schedules to help likely receive very little communication or training. In that scenario, your volunteers are frustrated and annoyed. They’re serving because they believe in the ministry of your church – so much that they’ll put up with the chaos this time. However, don’t count on that continuing for long if you repeat this process often. Benefit #9: More effective communication Invest the time upfront to plan how and when you’ll communicate this event or new program. You’ll want to consider service announcements, social media posts, billboards, website updates and registration, emails, signage around the church, etc. When you coordinate this communication, it will be apparent to your congregation and the community what you’re doing, why, and how to get involved. That will increase participation and make the whole launch day run smoother. Benefit #10: Peace of mind Now, I know that God is our source of peace. I’m not taking away from that at all. In addition to trusting Him for wisdom and direction, we need to use the skills He provides and give thought to our ways. The simple act of documenting the tasks required to complete a project brings a measure of peace. You can see what needs to be done, who’s responsible for each item, and that you have a schedule in place to get everything done on time. Yes, you’ll have issues to handle along the way, but the volume is much less when you plan ahead. That brings peace and helps you be a good steward of the resources (time, money, and talent) that God has provided. Hopefully, by now you’re at least intrigued by the benefits of

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What Causes Ministry Burnout?

Jake Douglas

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

Jake Douglas

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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Busting Church Administrator Myths

Jake Douglas

One way to thrive over the long-haul in ministry is to do more of what God gifted you to do and less of everything else. Many times, that means bringing people onto the team who can handle certain responsibilities for you. For example: If you’re passionate about preaching and counseling but freeze up anytime someone mentions developing a plan or a budget, a church administrator could be the perfect fit. However, church administrators tend to be misunderstood members of the church team, so I think it’s time for some myth-busting. Perhaps I’m a bit biased since I once worked in a ministry’s Finance department, but I think church administration folks are awesome! They keep many wheels turning in the background that support what happens on stage and at the altar each week. If you’re a pastor without someone (or a team of people) filling the church administration role, you’re likely feeling the strain from trying to do something you neither enjoy or are gifted to do. Here are a few myths about church administrators: Myth #1: All they care about are policies and procedures Yes, your church administrator is probably a stickler for certain processes (purchase requests come to mind!). However, it’s not because he thinks policies are the best thing ever…he’s simply trying to keep things running smoothly. If you don’t have a documented process for spending church dollars or for adding new members to the church database, you’ll see the downstream impacts. Too much spending one month could lead to not being able to make payroll the next (trust me…you won’t like that one!). If new members aren’t added correctly to the database, you’ll end up with multiple versions of them in the database or with each staff member who’s contacted them for volunteering or small group membership with their number on their cell phone. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s much more efficient to update information in one place instead of ten. What your church administrator really cares about is the same thing you do…people! They want ministry to happen for people to come to Christ, to become part of the community of believers, and to grow in their faith. They’re using their God-given talents to achieve that goal…it just looks different from yours. Myth #2: They relish the chance to squash your latest ministry idea If you’ve been turned down for renting a massive bouncy house plus paintball guns for a new youth event, yeah…you should’ve seen that one coming. Your church administrator doesn’t want a kid to be mid-bounce when the whole thing deflates from an errant paintball hit. She’s a bit safety conscious and is actually looking out for you (and your future employment). She doesn’t want to kill your idea; she just wants you to adjust it so everyone goes home in one piece. That’s actually pretty sweet of her, isn’t it? Myth #3: Church administrators are all about the Benjamin’s They’re the money-counters and record keepers; so sure, it looks like that’s all they focus on. However, that’s not even close to the truth. What they care about is making sure the church is being a good steward of the money God (and the congregation) entrusted to it. It’s actually a good thing they’re meticulous about the security and accountability involved in recording the offering each week along with how money is spent. Myth #4: They’re antisocial Okay, so it might be true that the church administration role attracts introverts. However, introverts aren’t antisocial…they just prefer interacting with small groups instead of big crowds. Invite your church administrator out for lunch with you and maybe 1-2 others. Do that a few times and once he’s warmed up to you, you might not be able to get him to stop talking. What’ll really be fun is when you hear his passion for ministry (see myth #1). Myth #5: They love Excel, charts, graphs, and details Hmmm…okay, so maybe this one isn’t a myth after all. But hey, it’s not that they LOVE these things, it’s that they know how these tools can support ministry. So the next time your church administrator geeks out about a new Excel formula, encourage her. “Hey, that’s awesome you got that formula to work and can calculate cash flow for the next 8 weeks in under ten seconds!” “Wow, you created a project plan with how many tasks for the couples’ retreat?! That’ll make putting it all together so much easier.” Even if you have no idea what she’s talking about, support her as she uses the gift of administration to make your job a bit easier. Church administration involves details, numbers, planning, coordinating, and lots of lists. It may not be your cup of tea, but it truly does support and make ministry possible. So while you may never fully understand what your church administrators do, be thankful that they are on the team. Their efforts may just save you from burnout as they plan and coordinate with you. Church Administrators – What other myths or misperceptions have you seen regarding your role in ministry?

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