Among the things you didn’t learn in seminary—including what to do when your church is dying, how to shepherd your wife, and when you know it’s time to take a call elsewhere—was how to manage a staff.
Unless you run a megachurch, you probably don’t have hundreds of full-time and part-time employees. But even if you have a church of fewer than 100—which is far more likely—you probably have a part-time secretary or musician.
You already know that being a good preacher isn’t the same thing as being a good leader of the congregation, which is different again from being a good boss.
“I have had the joy to work alongside pastors who see support staff and those working behind the scenes in the local church as valuable partners in ministry,” said Grace Sullivan, who worked for seven years as support staff for a church in the Chicago suburbs. “I have also experienced working with pastors who cared well for people in the congregation but who didn’t see those coming day after day as worth their time.”
The Gospel Coalition asked Sullivan and a handful of other church staff about the best practices of their boss-pastors.
1. Pray daily.
“Daily staff prayer not only reminds us of our need for and dependency upon the Lord for everything we do, but it also gives us a daily opportunity to gather as a staff, an understanding of the challenges and joys we are experiencing, and unity in our efforts. The timing is 9:15–9:45 every day, and we learn to prioritize that time. I would say it’s the most unifying, edifying, encouraging, and important thing we do together.” – Andy Winn, associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina
I would say daily prayer is the most unifying, edifying, encouraging, and important thing we do together.
2. Pray for your staff by name.
“This is powerful! [Lead pastor] Brad Wetherell—and other pastors at our church—don’t only see the value of the sheep in the congregation but also view the staff as members of the same body.” – Grace Sullivan, former director of campus ministries at The Orchard in Arlington Heights, Illinois
3. Sing.
“The best part of our staff meeting is that we start by singing two worship songs, hearing a devotional from one of the staff members, and praying together. This reminds us not to be too task-oriented but instead to focus first on Jesus and to support one another.” – Allison Van Egmond, women’s ministry coordinator at New Life Presbyterian Church in Escondido, California
4. Be intentional about your time together.
“Set meetings that are worthwhile; cancel meetings that have stopped being effective or necessary. Some pastors are hesitant to reevaluate the weekly schedule of a church staff. Reevaluate! Reset the timings of meetings if they’re growing mundane. We’ve often changed the spacing of meetings when weekly becomes too much, switching it to every other week or even monthly.” – Grace Sullivan
Set meetings that are worthwhile; cancel meetings that have stopped being effective or necessary.
5. Be present, both physically and mentally.
“Brad is always present in the meetings he attends! I have been with him in very different types of meetings from one to the next, and he always makes the current hour the most important. Wherever he is gets his full attention! He isn’t on his phone texting; he isn’t checking other emails; he isn’t getting up to leave because someone else may walk by. If the meeting is on the calendar, then it’s worthwhile, and he proves that with his attention.” – Grace Sullivan
6. Eat together.
“We eat lunch together as a staff every Tuesday. After lunch, while we’re still sitting around the table, we have a staff meeting where we talk through all kinds of things—both related to our church and to the church at large. These can be praises, prayer concerns, or matters of daily operation at OPCRC. These meetings ensure we’re all on the same page for current church happenings.” – Dori Summers, discipleship and outreach coordinator at Orland Park Christian Reformed Church in Orland Park, Illinois
7. Pay attention to the small things.
“Know the names of our spouses and our children! And say ‘hello’ when you see us! (Yes—I’ve had to give this advice to pastors before!) In one-on-one meetings with administrative or support staff, take five minutes to ask how he or she is doing personally. A person cared for is often encouraged and fueled to work more effectively and joyfully. And as you discuss so many details and work that needs to get done, end the meeting by praying for your staff member. Staff often don’t hear prayers for themselves; encourage them this way!” – Grace Sullivan
Know the names of our spouses, and our children! And say ‘hello’ when you see us!
8. Pay attention to the big things too.
“Most of the pastoral staff will meet with [lead pastor] Andy Davis at least twice a month (with a couple that meet weekly). These meetings aren’t long (an hour or less), but they are consistent. Those meetings focus less on the daily and weekly responsibilities and more on the person’s own family or spiritual growth. A staff member can certainly bring up a ministry challenge or logistic, but generally the time is reserved for growing as a father, husband, or pastor or simply in his love for the Word of God.” – Andy Winn
9. Be available.
“Both our pastors, Derek [Buikema] and Dan [Roeda], have what I call an open-door policy when it comes to the staff. When we have something to discuss—a concern that has to do with our work, or even something personal—their doors are always open. I think that with some pastors, there can be a sense of ‘I shouldn’t bother him.’ But I’ve never felt that I can’t approach either of them, which is key to creating trust in our relationship.” – Denise Vander Plaats, communications coordinator at Orland Park Christian Reformed Church in Orland Park, Illinois
10. Hang out.
“I really appreciate that Pastor Derek comes out to our desks every so often during the day just to shoot the breeze. He sits down at one of the open chairs in our working area and we just talk. Sometimes it’s about an issue that’s weighing heavily on him, which he shares with us and invites our input. Sometimes it’s just a little trash-talking about our OPCRC staff Fantasy Football league. He’s not above hanging out with us and he treats us as equals, which creates a sense of trust. And every Friday morning, we all put in our Dunkin’ orders on our apps, we go pick it up, and then we sit together and talk and enjoy our coffee and goodies together. It’s one of my favorite times of the week.” – Denise Vander Plaats
Every Friday morning, we all put in our Dunkin order on our apps, we go pick it up, and then we sit together and talk and enjoy our coffee and goodies together. It’s one of my favorite times of the week.
11. Loosen the reins.
“One thing that I see as a real benefit to the work environment is autonomy. I believe Pastor Darryl [Williamson] does a fantastic job at allowing us employees to fulfill tasks without heavy demands but also at granting time for those items to develop and blossom over time. That creates opportunities to build trust within the workplace and strengthens the idea that responsibility is not driven out of pressure or mere duty but out of individual character.” – Fenol Dera, next gen ministry leader at Living Faith Bible Fellowship in Tampa, Florida
12. Give some room for flourishing and failure.
“Very seldom will Andy [Davis] tell another pastoral staff how to do something or to do something differently. There is room to flourish in the areas of giftedness or interest that an individual staff desires to explore. In fact, as long as the daily ministry needs are covered, how staff members use their time, gifts, or ministries is largely determined by their interests. With that said, there are times when ideas and initiatives fail. When that happens, we may discuss what led to a less-than-stellar result, but rarely is it done in such a way as to discourage creative ministry endeavors in the future. The ‘freedom to fail’ has been key to the joy and creativity of the staff to flourish in their ministries.” – Andy Winn
13. Jump into the work, even if it’s not technically your job.
“People are often motivated by the task of the ministry initiative rather than the task of the job description. When staff members see Andy’s willingness to serve, it motivates them to do the same. We all try to avoid the ‘that’s not my job’ mentality and replace that with an attitude of ‘how can I serve?’ The benefit over time is that everyone feels he or she has an active role in the ministry here.” – Andy Winn
The ‘freedom to fail’ has been a key to the joy and creativity of the staff to flourish in their ministry.
14. Open communication between the staff and the leadership.
“Each month our ministry staff fill out a report that gets sent to the elders, and each year the staff attend one elders’ meeting. Bridging the gap between the staff and elders is so important. As a staff member, it’s encouraging to know the elders are aware of what I’m doing and what’s going on with the ministry.” – Allison Van Egmond
15. Make sure they rest.
“Early in his ministry, Andy [Davis] established family as a priority, which is most often displayed by the understanding that Fridays are reserved for family time. In fact, there have been times that Andy will ask another staff member, ‘Now, why were you here last Friday?’ Over time, this has had a significant effect on the families of the pastoral staff. Though this may go unsaid, there are funerals, weddings, and emergencies that will take precedence, but the pattern is to prioritize ministry to church while in the office and ministry to family while away.” – Andy Winn
The Gospel Coalition