We continue the “Ten Best Ways to Ruin Your Church Staff” to avoid for those pastoral leaders who want to keep and develop quality staff ministry colleagues, (For those pastors who want to get rid of troubling church staff, then this is the way to do it!). Today, no. 10: Do not invest in your staff’s professional development.
10. Do not invest in your staff’s professional development. Developing a good staff does not come about by happenstance. A collegial staff relationship can be one of the most sustaining and gratifying aspects of congregational ministry. The reality is that the pastoral leaders need to be intentional about what kind of staff he or she desires to cultivate and eventually have. That requires investing in the development of a good staff, including:
- Challenge your church to develop a vision for staff (team) development
- Put money in the budget for staff development, and don’t let it be the first thing to cut when there’s a budget crisis
- Invest in your own professional development, it sets the example for both congregation and staff
- Develop a sabbatical leave program or policy. Require of staff professional development plans.
- Read together as a staff.
Which relationships feed and challenge you in your pastoral ministry? Your relationship with your staff should be one.
From, Perspectives on Congregational Leadership: Applying Systems Theory for Effective Leadership, by Israel Galindo. See the new Perspectives for Congregational Leadership blog site.
