Staff Infection
Blog post by, Executive Pastor, Paul Allen
Finding the right staff for your church is quite the challenge.
You’re looking for folks who understand your organization, believe in the vision, partner with current staff and lay leaders, and understand their roles in the team. If you play cards, sometimes you feel like you’re playing with the hand you were dealt, other times you want to see who you can bluff, and more often than not, you’re hoping for a reshuffle of the deck.
Now that I’ve been in ministry for more years than I want to admit, I hope I’ve learned a few things that might help you as you look for staff members. Again, as in the aforementioned card game…it’s always a gamble…but I think if you consider some of these things you’ll find folks to partner with you on your journey.
1. Pray for that person. Wow, bet you didn’t expect that one. J Really, it’s important to pray—specifically—for who and what you’re looking for. Pray that God will give you wisdom, pray for the right person, and pray for God’s timing. Pray for a person who has the qualifications of a servant leader. Even before you know the person or identified him, pray for him, his family, and the people whose lives are going to be affected by him. Basically just pray.
2. Identify your needs. Don’t hire out of emotion or impulse. Sometimes a lay person or current staff member is doing a great job and you think, “This person would be great in this position or make a great staff member.” Fight the impulse…be intentional on what you’re looking for and don’t sway from it. On a side note, hire towards the future. Don’t find someone who can “do the job” alone. Find someone who can take you into the future.
3. Create a job description. Create a profile…job description if you will…of what you need. Make sure you identify the qualifications and responsibilities that you’re looking for regarding that position. Identify how this person will interact with other staff members—who does she report to? Who reports to him? Who is she going to interact with? What kind of influence will he have?
4. Know when to hire from inside or outside. Over the years, I’ve seen people who validate both situations. When possible, find people from within your ministry who express servant leadership qualities. Other times, especially as you consider future hires; look for someone who has been in a ministry larger than yours. Start building relationships now with other folks you’re interested in for the future.
5. Look for “Whoa” people. What’s a “whoa” person? A person who keeps dreaming, moving ahead, coming up with God ideas, challenging the status quo so much you have to say “whoa” sometimes. On the other hand, if you find yourself constantly giving him ideas…key word “constantly”…then you’ll soon find yourself doing his job and finding other people to do his job as well…and then it becomes a stewardship and enabling issue.
6. Create a temporary contract. I know this doesn’t sound spiritual, but even after you’ve found the person, prayed about her joining your team, identified her servant’s heart, and seen that she’s a “whoa” person, I still encourage you to cover your bases. At Southbrook, we have any person we hire or we offer a change in position sign a 90-day agreement. This agreement gives both parties 90 days to see if they fit the position. Accompanying this agreement are any goals we’ve agreed on. Ninety days provide plenty of time for both parties to see if this is going to be a good fit.
And now, back to the title of this little piece….Staff Infection. A little play on words perhaps? A little….
One of the things I’ve noticed with any staff is the ethos of the staff is very infectious. If you have a staff that consists of “whoa” people….you’ll find any new staff members or current staff members will be infected with becoming “whoa” folks. If you have staff members who complain about things….again…infection sets in. If you have someone who feels entitled, soon everyone will be infected with entitlement. What kind of infection has set in with your staff? Oh, and by the way, it’s easy for your staff to be infected by your attitudes and feelings as well.
Oh yeah, did I say pray?
Happy staffing.