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Home » Church Leadership, Featured

Our Church Has a Management Problem – Part 2

Submitted by James Higginbotham on October 23, 2008 – 5:51 am2 Comments

Yesterday, I discussed the idea of the church having a management problem. Church staff are too busy managing to lead, leaving tired staff and volunteers with lots of tasks and little direction. I want to elaborate a little more on this thought and to clarify some things.

First, I don’t want to sound like I’m picking on church staff. They work hard, most with little pay, and sacrifice a lot of time. Second, I don’t see the church failing because of this issue. However, I do see some potential problems coming and that is what I want to focus on today.

You can’t turn on a news station without hearing about the economic downturn.
Much of the economic impact is focused toward those investing in the stock market, those retiring within 5 years that have lost some of their 401k, and those impacted by the housing downturn.

While some of us are escaping the direct impact today, we may (or may not) experience the side effects of this as companies tighten their spending and reduce their workforce. What happens if this economic downturn continues? Churches will most likely see a decrease in giving due to the uncertainty. This may lead to eventual staff layoffs.

If we lose some of our staff that are busy managing the church, what kind of impact could that generate? Churches will most likely choose between two options: they will 1) rally around the ministries with the most impact and drop the rest, or 2) try to keep everything going with fewer people (think lots of spinning plates). The first option will allow churches to maintain their current pattern in a smaller capacity, while the second will burn out staff and volunteers alike.

The great thing is that there is a third option: move the management of volunteers to other, qualified volunteers. Free up the staff to be leaders and ministers to the local body, rather than managers. If you have fewer staff, then let those staff be the ones to lead the big picture vision of the church. With a staff focused on vision and leading rather than jobs and tasks, they are in a better position to listen and help emerging volunteer leaders. It will require a shift in the way staff and volunteers work together, but I really believe that this is a healthier solution overall.

Agree? Disagree? What are your thoughts on how the church staff is utilized today and how it may change in the near future?

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