10 Suggestions for Church Staff Members

Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Will Browning, Lead Pastor of a Journey Church, a multi-site church ministering in the Charleston, SC, area. Dr. Browning is husband to Tarah, father to Piper, Ethan, and Jedidiah, a coach to church planters, and an avid South Carolina Gamecock fan. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University, Southern Seminary, and Southeastern Seminary. To learn more about Will’s ministry, go to www.willbrowning.com and/or www.journeychurchsc.org.

1. Continue growing in your relationship with God daily.  Church leaders have fallen for a number of reasons, but a common systemic issue in each case is a failing walk with God. A myriad of problems can be avoided when team members are walking closely with Jesus.
2. Don’t be late; be early.  When you are late to a meeting, it suggests the person you are meeting with is not as important as whatever you were doing before. If you must be late for some significant matter, at least notify the meeting leader.
3. Don’t use email, text messaging, or voicemail to deliver sensitive information.  What you intend to say may be misconstrued because the receiver cannot read your tone, inflection, and body language.  Meet face-to-face or by phone when delivering sensitive information. 
4. Return all communication sent to you in 24 hours.  You assign value to others when you respond to them in a timely manner. Team members must understand they can be a hindrance to their teammates’ progress when they don’t promptly respond to them. 
5. Be organized.  Part of being a high capacity leader requires each of us to balance a weighty schedule. You will not succeed if you are not organized.
6. Realize you represent more than yourself in every public arena, including your online profile.  Understand that everything you put out publically is a reflection of Christ and your church.  Don’t complain, gossip, vent, or trash others on your online forums. Be above reproach in everything you communicate publically. You represent much more than just YOU.
7. Make good on your commitments, knowing you lose trust when you don’t.  When you communicate to someone that you will be somewhere, assist with something, or accomplish some task, make good on your commitment.  If you find you cannot fulfill an obligation, don’t just not show up—communicate early and apologize to the person with whom you are breaking a commitment.
8. Understand that public loyalty results in private leverage.  It is important that your team function as a unit and your church body have confidence in your unity.  Being publically loyal to the team allows you to have credibility to challenge any team objective privately.
9. Make other people’s passions better.  You work on a team with shared goals.  Continually ask the question, “How can I help my teammates be more successful?”
10. Love and encourage ministry kids.  Ministry kids are often under more stress than other children.  Encourage, cherish, and champion other staff members’ children.  Love them so they love the church when they leave ministry homes to go on their own.

What other suggestions would you add?