A video-blog on my doctoral journey thus far.
Leading Through Change - When Staff Members and Church Members Leave
WHEN STAFF MEMBERS AND CHURCH MEMBERS LEAVE
2. HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR EVALUATING STAFF AND KEY VOLUNTEERS
You are giving people significant responsibilities; have a system for evaluating:
- STAFFING IS A KEY DECISION
- 1 Timothy 5: “Do not lay hands on a man suddenly.” Any staff hire is a very important, sobering decision. Be slow to hire.
- You want to hire someone who is focused on the TOWEL, not the TITLE. You are here to SERVE.
2. HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR EVALUATING STAFF AND KEY VOLUNTEERS
You are giving people significant responsibilities; have a system for evaluating:
- Character — Not just about morality. Look at their work ethic, faithfulness, integrity.
- Competency — Are they all hat, no cattle?
- Culture — Do they fit well within your existing culture?
- Chemistry — Likeability Factor. Do you enjoy being around this guy?
- Calling — Look for the fingerprint of God on the hire of that person.
- Capacity for Leadership — Can they grow with the role and the growth of the church? Can they reproduce themself and become a multiplier, not a maintainer?
3. UNDERSTAND + ACCEPT THAT SOME STAFF + CHURCH MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO TRANSITION
- Understanding this will save you a lot of heartache.
- Think of your church like a bus with stops along the way. What happens at a bus stop? Some people get on and some people get off.
- There will be significant transition points as your church grows.
- When this happens, remind yourself that this is just all part of the process of church planting.
- Don’t lose perspective. Your “loss” may actually be a huge win!
- Some folks need to get off the bus.
- Why do people leave your church?
- Sometimes staff will leave you because the responsibilities have grown beyond their capacity to grow with the role.
- They may outgrow the responsibilities. Your job is to always make sure your staff are being challenged.
- They may lack the character / competence / chemistry required to stick with it.
- They may not want to do the spiritual and emotional work in order to grow.
- Unexpected circumstances arise in life. Think seasons. Life happens in seasons.
4. REMEMBER THAT ALL STAFF AND MEMBERS NEED TO BE HELD LOOSELY.
Anything you hold tightly you suffocate.
5. PROMOTIONS TO KEY LEADERSHIP ROLES SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THROUGH PRAYER.
- Faithful in the little before being faithful with much.
- Make sure they have been tested.
- This doesn’t always work: people fool you. Potential staff will lie to you to get a job.
- Be very careful in giving out titles… You can’t take it back.
- It doesn’t feed your ego, it fits your function.
6. CELEBRATE THE STAYS AND POSITIVELY RELEASE THE GO'S.
- For some churches the only time the Staff has a party is when someone leaves. When is the last time you had a party with the people who STAY?
- Sometimes God calls you to go but often God calls you to STAY!
- Sometimes someone goes and it’s a good thing. Sometimes someone goes and it’s painful. Sometimes people go when they shouldn’t and you can see the truck that’s about to hit them, but they won’t listen to you.
7. BE PREPARED FOR + POSITIVELY PROCESS THE EMOTIONS THAT WILL ACCOMPANY THE EXIT OF PEOPLE.
- Loss leads to Grief, which can confuse people. Be prepared for the grief. You love the person, you’ve invested in them for years.
- When you feel grief, don’t beat yourself up about it. Allow yourself to experience and feel.
8. GIVE CLEAR GUIDELINES TO DEPARTING STAFF ON YOUR EXPECTATIONS REGARDING COMMUNICATION.
- Information Void can crank up a church gossip grapevine: “What’s happening behind the scenes?”
- This happens when there is too much of time that passes between their decision and the communication.
- It is foolish to allow departing staff to announce their departure.
- Provide information to fill any potential void. SOMEBODY is going to tell ‘the story.’ You need to protect the health of your church as it continues moving forward.
9. EXPECT EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO ANY STAFF MEMBER’S DEPARTURE.
- Help them process, give them assurance.
10. LEARN LESSONS FROM DEPARTURES THAT CAN MAKE YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION BETTER.
- How can we improve for next time?
- What can I learn from this?
- How can this make me better?
11. AVOID PROLONGED DEPARTURES.
12. BE APPROPRIATELY GENEROUS TOWARD DEPARTING PEOPLE WHO LEAVE WELL.
13. EXPECT A HONEYMOON PERIOD ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE DEPARTING PERSON’S NEW PLACE.
14. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED.
- When someone says they want to leave, let them.
- Don’t drag it out or they will drag people down with them.
- When they say they want to leave, their heart has already left.
- Be generous in their transition.
12. BE APPROPRIATELY GENEROUS TOWARD DEPARTING PEOPLE WHO LEAVE WELL.
- Err on the side of grace, not pettiness.
- Oftentimes people who leave will talk badly about you behind your back. Be gracious.
13. EXPECT A HONEYMOON PERIOD ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE DEPARTING PERSON’S NEW PLACE.
- “This new place is amazing!” Which means your place wasn’t.
- At some point real life will kick in and they’ll stop.
- Weather their honeymoon. You don’t need it in your spirit.
- If it’s getting to you, delete the app.
- Social media can feed a failure mentality.
14. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED.
- Don’t Think You’re the Only Person This Happens To.
- This is the secret: don’t get discouraged. Fight it.
- People WILL leave your church.
- Staff members WILL betray you.
- Don’t give air to fear.
- Pruning leads to better fruit and a better future.
- Get up and keep going by faith.
- Sometimes you have to wait 11 years to see someone who left in a bad way come back in repentance.
WISDOM FOR DEPARTING STAFF
- If you’re leaving a church, get planted somewhere. Don’t wander.
- When you get planted somewhere, be a son or daughter of that House.
- Be an honorable, loyal, ethical, trusting Christian. Integrity matters. Honor your former pastor. Don’t go bush-league.
- If you’re leaving a church, do not play the “God told me” game.
- Don’t run from your issues! Your next church won’t change things. Geography doesn’t fix your problems.
- Remember whose spiritual platform you have been using and you have been benefiting from. You were LOANED a platform. Never take the power and trust.
- Never steal sheep.
- Never steal staff. That is unethical behavior.
- Fulfill your commitments. Don’t cut and run. That only hurts God’s people.
- Leave your assigned area of responsibility stronger, not weaker.
- Encourage commitment and faithfulness to the House that you’re leaving.
- Watch your words, non-verbals and your actions on the way out… …because God is.
2 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOUR CHURCH FEELS STUCK
Churches get stuck all the time.
Too often we can find ourselves doing ministry out of memory.
For what it's worth, here are 2 Important Questions for Fearless Leaders to ask...
1) HAVE WE LOST OUR LOVE FOR LOST PEOPLE?
400 years ago Protestants fled England and came to the New World to set up churches... for themselves. If your church is insider-focused, it's because of our Pilgrim heritage!
Ignite your passion for what ignites God's heart -- Remind your church that EVERY person matters!
If your church is reaching the lost, you WILL be a target from RELIGIOUS people!
Religious people were ALWAYS walking away and rejecting Jesus throughout His ministry. If you are not receiving the same rejection as Jesus, then you may not be preaching the same gospel that Jesus preached!
Ask yourself: Am I a fisher of men or a keeper of an aquarium?
2) AM I LEADING WITH A RISING LEVEL OF HOPE?
Nothing great ever happens THROUGH YOU until it happens TO YOU!
Look at every great hero in the Scriptures:
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Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before ascending into leadership
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David was living in a cave down by the river for a decade
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Peter beat himself up after rejecting Jesus three times
God LOVES using BROKEN people to minister to BROKEN people!
The key is to not wallow in your brokenness. Minister from the OVERFLOW of what the Lord is doing in your life and in your heart! You cannot lead people to a place that you are not already at.
The most important thing I do as a leader: Making sure that I stay encouraged!
Ask yourself: 'What things CHARGE MY BATTERIES?'
If your internal batteries aren't charged up, you will fall into weariness.
DISCOURAGEMENT precedes DESTRUCTION:
The Enemy RUINS your FUTURE by first RUINING your DAY so that you will run toward destructive habits and choices!
Want more?
Check out the new Church Growth Network!
Leadership & Ministry Resources for Prevailing Churches
Revealing the secrets of popular comedians, my passion is to provide you with a fresh approach to life + leadership:
- Unleash contagious enthusiasm
- Equip leaders to leverage laughter and passion
- Create sustainable momentum in your life and leadership
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How to Quickly Reach People Far From God
I’m not concerned about being criticized for taking risks to reach people far from God. I’m concerned about not being criticized.
Recently I was invited to teach a breakout session at a conference in Chicago based on my book, Holy Shift. The topic was so popular among church leaders that we ran out of seats!
I had fun sharing my journey in comedy and ministry, the unique story God is writing atLife Church Michigan, and equipping church leaders in my jam-packed breakout with comedy tools that will help them reach more people far from God.
Because I love church leaders and I want to see you go further, faster, here is the full video as a free resource to your team!
What It Takes to Build Something Great
Are you ready to climb the mountain again?
Maybe you've set goals for yourself or your business. Maybe you've decided to take a risk.
Whatever it may be, I know this much to be true: with a little hard work and consistency, anyone has the ability to build something good.
But what does it take to build something GREAT?
1. A PACE THAT WILL LAST A LONG TIME
I recently heard this quote about money that has stuck with me: “Money is like water, without boundaries, it will go anywhere.” This is true about your finances but also your TIME!
- Can you keep up with the current pace you're living?
- BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT requires telling your time where to go.
2. AN OBSESSION WITH IMPROVEMENT
If you are only obsessed with perfection, you are always going to be frustrated and short with people. If you are obsessed with improvement, you will make small improvements that lead to big change.
- Wanting to improve is a sign of wisdom.
- If you correct a fool, they will get defensive. If you correct someone wise, it will be met with gratitude.
- BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT includes welcoming correction that allows us to improve.
3. A COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED
A team that is dysfunctional will avoid conflict at all costs.
- Great teams address things! It is impossible to be great without honesty.
- This doesn't mean you need to go out and look for conflict --- but you have to have the backbone and emotional maturity to deal with conflict in a productive way.
- BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT demands having difficult conversations.
4. A SACRIFICE TODAY FOR WHAT YOU WANT TOMORROW
This means doing things I don’t WANT to now, so that I can do what I want LATER.
- Greatness will require more from you than others.
- Greatness is on the other side of your decision to sacrifice today.
- BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT means making calculated sacrifices with the end goal in mind.
5. A PROTECTION OF WHAT AND WHO YOU VALUE
Protection of your calling and your relationships requires both great discretion and stewardship.
- Loyalty is not proven in your presence, but your absence.
- BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT means protecting the important things.
6. A LOVE FOR THE JOURNEY
I enjoy what I do because PEOPLE are what excite me!! It's not about stats or reports (although those are necessary) it's about peoples journey. You can't quantify that. What excites you? What fuels you to be great?
- The journey gets fun when you LOVE what you do.
- BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT includes enjoying the process
YOU are called to be GREAT. The greatest day to start is today.
Keeping It R.E.A.L.
KEEPING IT R.E.A.L.
I recently learned this acronym from a leader I’ve looked up to for as long as I can remember. He says that everything he does, he does through the lens of R.E.A.L. It stands for Relationship, Equipping, Attitude, and Leadership. Let’s explore how to lead and live life through this lens.
R - Relationship
VALUE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
All of life flows from relationships. You can’t do life RIGHT if you do people WRONG. Protect your relationships, treat everyone with kindness, and make it easy for others to be your friend.
E - Equipping
LIVE A LIFE OF EQUIPPING OTHERS
Your values must be aligned with your behavior. You can say equipping people is your value, but how are you showing it? Remember, you are equipped to resource people!
A - Attitude
SURRENDER YOUR ATTITUDE TO JESUS
We’ve heard it before, but it’s so true - your attitude determines your altitude. Ask yourself today: am I known for having a great attitude?
L - Leadership
BE A LEADER THAT EMPOWERS OTHERS
Everything rises and falls on leadership. Work to build leaders, not followers. Leaders are built when they are empowered and given authority. Successful leadership says more about the leader when they are gone than when they are present.
Ask yourself: how am I doing in these 4 areas?
I know I have work to do in each one, but I’m making the choice to lead from the lens of R.E.A.L.!
Improvise Adapt Overcome
Marines get stuff done.
They face impossible missions yet always prevail.
2 Timothy 2:1-6 tells leaders to think like a Marine.
During a recent Leadership Coaching Session, I shared 8 Leadership Lessons from the Marine Corp: Common Sense Principles for Success.
I hope these 8 Leadership Lessons encourage you and your team to fearlessly lead your church to grow!
4 Things We Owe Our Team
We often think about what our team owes us -- what we expect from them.
But there are four things we owe them, as well:
1) GRACE: Not expecting them to be perfect.
2) HONESTY: Shooting straight and being transparent.
3) PROPER PLACEMENT: A place where they can thrive.
4) PRAYER: This opens our hearts to them and provides wisdom and insight to love them.
3 Ways to Become an Inspirational Leader
Are you an inspirational leader?
There are three steps you can take right now to become more inspirational:
#1 = Lead with the why
People need to know the purpose behind the work. Particularly over the past few years, team members have determined that they want to give their lives to something that matters.
#2 = Celebrate progress
Look back. Make sure everyone on the team knows that you see what they’ve done well.
It’s easy to point out flaws (and, for certain, we should coach our team and help make everyone better at what they do), but true leadership entails so much more.
#3 = Encourage the team
That is, breathe life into them. Be the wind in their sails.
Remind them that you are for them— both personally and professionally.
