Vision Threats

Casting a vision that produces an effective culture is one of the most important things a pastor can do because culture trumps everything. An unhealthy culture results in an unhealthy church. So I want to think a moment about the threats that keep vision from creating a healthy culture.

Lets start with the current reality. […]

Team Model for Hiring

A Team Concept for Hiring
One of the most crucial responsibilities of a senior pastor of a church with one hundred and fifty people or more in worship is the discovery, recruitment, coaching, and empowerment of a diverse, talented staff who are all pursuing the same goal. As a church grows larger, this responsibility becomes more […]

How and When to Give Raises

Churches that give across the board raises are shooting themselves in the foot. Why do I say this? Here are three reasons:

No one deserves a raise just because they put in the time during the year. Raises must be earned and deserved, not expected and taken for granted. Raises should be given only when […]

Why You Shouldn’t Show Individual Staff Salaries

I’m often asked if the church budget should show individual staff salaries and without hesitation I always say, “NO, not on your life!” Here’s why.

First showing all the salaries encourages mediocrity. Why? Because the same mindset that publishes individual salaries also wants to give across the board raises, which is always a horrible thing […]

Spending Time Mentoring Staff

Spending time mentoring staff is one of the most important things a pastor can do. When I suggest to a person I’m coaching that he needs to spend more time mentoring or training his staff, he usually asks, “What does that look like?” Here’s my response.

First, you should see yourself as the head coach of a ball […]

How to Effectively Lead a Staff

This article is a follow up to the previous article on staff management.

Learning how to lead a staff is one of the most important aspects of a pastor’s life if that pastor wants to be an effective leader. Every study shows that the vast majority of churches grow based on their leader and how […]

One of the Best Books of the Last Five Years

A book every pastor with a staff, or one who is going to have a staff, should read is Fairness Is Overrated, by Tim Stevens. Over the past two years I’ve waded through dozens of books, and only a handful have pushed my buttons as much as this one. This book is cool to the […]

How to Interview an Executive Pastor Candidate

A growing trend among mid-size to large churches is the role of executive pastor. We’ve found that many pastors who have a flair for creativity often lack organizational, administrative, and oversight skills. They like to spark ideas and ministries, motivate people to action, and then move on to something else – thus the emergence of the […]

Leading a Church Staff Effectively

I was on a coaching call the other day talking with a pastor of a church of around 500 people in worship. This was the largest church he had ever led and he was frustrated with what he considered to be an ineffective staff. So I asked him to describe the problem. Here’s what […]