Church Staffs Just Wanna Have Fun

Posted on February 26, 2013 Written by

One of the many legends about Google as a work environment is the different places they created for their staffs to have fun. It’s not just work at work, there is some fun involved, too – by design. The folks at Google (and tons of other companies) realize that employees need to have their brains stimulated in new and creative ways, the staff need to decompress even during the work day, and they need do things together so that they can bond and bind together as a team. Coming to work, doing just work, going home and then repeating that ad naseum creates a workplace that can lead to employee burnout.

Here’s a solution for churches:

  • Allocate $1,000 from your church budget to be spent $250 each quarter (feel free to allocate more, it just depends on the size of your staff)
  • Divide your staff into four groups and assign each group a quarter of the year.
  • Each group is tasked with finding something fun, creative, and new for the staff to do and they’ve got a budget of $250. It may cost a little more and then each staff person might have to chip in a couple of bucks, but try very, very hard to not make this an expense for the staff.
  • Find one day each quarter when the church is closed for a “staff development day” (if you can only do a half day, that is okay, too)
  • Then, close the church, put a volunteer on the switchboard, and go have fun. Once you do this a few times, it will begin to change the way the staff interacts with each other. They will recall fun times, goofs by each other and themselves, etc.
  • This will create memories that are NOT church or work related. The staff will have something to talk about other than work. This will create a much healthier work environment.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Bowling
  • Painted pottery
  • Movies
  • Tour of a local historical site
  • Team Hide & Seek in a mall
  • Paintball
  • Ropes course
  • Kayaking or canoeing
  • Frisbee golf
  • Scavenger hunt
  • Raking leaves for a shut-in
  • Habitat for Humanity home build

You get the idea. Some of these ideas are free; some are not; all are beyond the walls of the church. Some are outside the comfort zone of a few staff; none are difficult; all are different.

Go have FUN with your staff!

Lead On!
Steve

www.financeforchurches.org
www.facebook.com/financeforchurches.org

Filed Under: church administration, church staff Tagged: ,

Sloppy Church

Posted on January 22, 2013 Written by

My guess is that when you go to a fast food restaurant, you look for a clean or mostly clean table at which to eat. I avoid tables that are piled with stuff from a previous customer that wasn’t considerate enough to put his trash away. I appreciate when the staff comes out to wipe down tables so they are clean for the next customer.

That is true for churches, too. Churches should be clean and free of clutter. We don’t need last week’s bulletins scattered everywhere, or every flat surface piled with flyers and postcards about upcoming events. We don’t need Bibles and study guides in stacks on ledges, tables, and chairs in classrooms. I’ve seen rooms with tables and chairs tossed around as if no one cared about the room and what it looked like. I’ve seen members walk right past trash on the floor; actually, they looked at it and probably thought that was someone else’s responsibility to clean up. I could go on and on, but you’ve likely seen the same thing in your own church or in one you’ve visited.

Bottom line: if a place of business were as sloppy and messy as many churches are, you wouldn’t give them your business. Why then are churches so sloppy?

  • Is it that no one really sees it? Yes, there are some people who see messes and some who just don’t. I’m one of the first group. I see messes, and they bother me a lot. Here’s a way to know what group you’re in: look in your car. If you have empty drink cups, wrappers, and other trash on the seat or floor, you’re in the group that can’t see messes. If that’s the case, you ought to find someone with a really clean car and get them to point out to you the messes in your church. They’ll show you what you “can’t see.”
  • People think someone else is responsible for that. Some members actually believe that they pay staff to do those menial chores and that they should not have to stoop to pick up trash or straighten bookshelves or ask why there are old books and Sunday School quarterlies which make the church look bad. Keeping the church clean and straight should be everyone’s responsibility; not just the custodian’s job.
  • Do some people not even care? Unfortunately, yes. It’s not a large number of people, but some just don’t really care or appreciate how a church looks. That kind of problem requires a bigger solution than just becoming aware of how sloppy the church looks; those folks need to experience a change of heart so they’ll value their church and its property.

Next time you’re in church, look around with really open eyes. Check out your surroundings very intentionally. If it were a restaurant, would you eat there, or go to the next restaurant down the road? Guests and members appreciate cleanliness and orderliness, and you do too. Make it a point to help your fellow members understand how little things such as picking up old bulletins, straightening tables and chairs, not having piles of materials everywhere, and other things like that can have a positive effect on people–members and guests alike.

Lead On!
Steve

Filed Under: buildings, church staff, facilities Tagged: , ,

Star Trek & Star Wars

Posted on January 15, 2013 Written by

Pick one of those two space sagas – I don’t care which one, choose your favorite. Okay, now, name the seven major (good) characters in each one:

Star Trek

  • Kirk
    Spock
    Sulu
    Chekov
    Scotty
    Uhura
    Bones

Star Wars

  • Luke
    Han Solo
    Leia
    Obi-wan Kenobi
    Chewbacca
    C3PO
    R2D2

You may not be a fan of one or the other; you may not like either series. There are a few similarities and many, many differences between these two groups of characters but let me focus on one in particular as it applies to churches and their leadership: #6 in each list.

Uhura is more than the sex appeal for Star Trek, she’s the communications officer. She is on the bridge, sitting just behind the captain and ready to carry out his orders but also making suggestions based on her experience and knowledge of language and culture.

C3PO is the golden robot and comic appeal in Star Wars. He is also conversant in “more than 6 million forms of communication.” He talks non-stop to everyone especially his buddy and fellow robot R2D2.

Both are utterly critical to the success of each mission. Uhura and C3PO ensure that the message from the leader is spoken clearly and without misunderstanding (well, C3PO does mess up a few times) so that the story is moved along and that everyone knows what is going on.

Transition: who is the communications person in your church? Are you like most churches, relying on the pastor who is already doing everything else (preparing sermons, marrying, burying, counseling, helping members, leading staff, going to meetings, etc.)? Or are you intentional about using someone who is gifted in this area to take the message from the leadership and craft it in a multitude of forms so that the message is transmitted to everyone in every way possible? That person may not know six million forms of communication, but he or she is probably more knowledgeable than the pastor about how to disseminate the message.

Churches need to have a clear, consistent, comprehensive, and cohesive communications cohort. The pastor and other leaders must develop the message in a succinct manner. Then, they must work with and trust the communications specialist to send the message out in every way possible to the broadest possible audience.

The audience will see, hear, and read it in multiple ways. Marketing experts say that it takes a person seven views before the person will internalize a message. Communications people love the challenge of finding ways to tell things; most non-communications get weak-kneed at the idea of telling the same thing seven different times.

Even Hollywood recognizes the importance of communications in a leadership group. How much more should the church recognize the importance of communications since the church has the greatest message in the world? How intentional is your church in its communications? And what do you need to do to be more intentional about it?

Lead On!

Steve

 

Filed Under: church staff, communications, strategy Tagged: , ,

RACI

Posted on December 18, 2012 Written by

A friend and colleague of mine gave me an acronym that is used in his church whenever a decision is made. They assign RACI to actions and I like this so much I want to share it as a tool to help church staffs. RACI stands for:

  • Responsible
    • This person is in charge of the activity. All subsequent decisions go through this person to ensure that everything is working together to meet the desired outcome. This person can delegate intermediate steps but in the end, the buck stops with this person regarding the entire project. The responsible person must also have the trust and authorization to carry out the duties assigned to him or her. Anything less will set that person up for failure and perhaps even his or her departure from the church.
  • Accountable
    • This person is accountable for his or her actions (or inactions) and that accountability will affect his or her annual evaluation. An accountable person may or may be in charge of one aspect of the project or may be the responsible person, also. The accountable person must have the resources to carry out the task assigned to him or her whether those resources are financial, time, knowledge, or people. Accountable people need to know to whom they are accountable – that must be deicded initially; it is frequently the person who is responsible for everything.
  • Consulted
    • This is a person or group of people who have information which can help move the project further along the road. This may be specialized persons (lawyer, architect, teacher, pastor) but they are not part of the decision-making process. Their value is in providing additional knowledge which will help others who are decision-makers. Information is always a two-way street in the section: those who are consulted, by definition, should provide feedback to ensure the proper information is getting to the responsible or accountable person(s).
  • Informed
    • These are people who should be told what is happening along the way. This may be a person (such as the pastor or other leader) or a group of people (such as the congregation or key committee). They are not necessarily part of the decision-making process but keeping them informed can help the decisions go faster and easier. Information is usually one-way but sometimes it can flow back if it will help.

Sometimes these four are mixed and matched. For instance, someone who is consulted may also be a accountable. Sometimes you don’t have all four – one of the above may be omitted if it is not appropriate or unnecessary.

Use this terminology to ensure that everyone understands and knows their role in the decision-making process. Keeping this clear will help people know what they are supposed to do and what they should not do. It can minimize conflicts (“eliminate” is probably too much wishful thinking). Use this tool to help you become a more efficient and effective staff – and one that communicates better with each other.

Lead On!
Steve

Filed Under: church staff, leadership, wisdom Tagged: , ,

Personnel Comp Letters

Posted on November 27, 2012 Written by

Personnel Comp Letters
Every year, every employee of your organization or church should receive a personnel compensation letter. This letter is a summary of all that the church pays in order to have this person as an employee. There are several reasons for creating this letter each year:

  • It provides documentation for the employee for his/her own knowledge. Otherwise, some employees would never learn if they got a pay raise or not.
  • It provides documentation for the employee’s personnel file in the finance office in case the auditor or Department of Labor investigator wants to see it.
  • It helps the employee to see what the “total cost” of him/her working at the church is. Many employees grumble because they’re not paid enough. This document will show that while their wages may be lower than they want, the employer provides a significant number of additional benefits. The letter explains how much those benefits would cost the employee if he/she had to buy them personally.

The letters that I send out have the following format:

  • Previous Year Gross Salary Figure
  • Next Year Salary Increase
  • Next Year Gross Salary Figure
  • List of benefits with a brief description of each and how much they cost for that specific employee
    • Employer FICA/Medicare (many employers forget this but it is a cost of having an employee)
    • Retirement
    • Health insurance
    • HSA contribution by the employer
    • Dental insurance
    • Other insurances: life, long-term disability, short-term disability, workers’ comp
  • Total Estimated Compensation (BTW, you should insert the word “estimated” or “anticipated” lest any employee leaving in the middle of the year demand to be paid the “Total Compensation” this letter might imply).

This is a time-consuming process. Each letter should be tailored to every individual. For instance, ordained ministers’ letters will not contain the FICA paragraph, but non-ordained staff will have it; some classifications of ministers will have different benefits than other classes. Tailoring the letters helps the employee know exactly what his/her benefits are. Take the time to do this or have it done. It will help employees see themselves in a new light, and it will help the personnel committee of the church see the true cost of their staff.

Lead On!
Steve

Filed Under: church staff Tagged:

US Marines and Church

Posted on November 13, 2012 Written by

Recently I’ve visited several churches. I’ve noticed something in common about all of them, and it’s something that is disconcerting for an organization whose primary purpose is to help people have a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Here’s my discovery:

Most churches are designed for themselves.
That’s a pretty broad statement, so let me explain. I’ve been in church life and work my entire life. When I walk into a church building, I know how to slip in and find a seat without being noticed too much. I know what the program in the Sanctuary or worship center will be like and how long it will last. I know who the people “on stage” are even if I’ve never seen them before. I know all this because I’ve been in church for a very, very long time.
What about people who have never been to church or haven’t been to church in a very, very long time. Are those people are going to overwhelmed by the physical layout of your buildings? Are they going to know when to sit, stand, and turn around during worship? Are they going to be offended or embarrassed by being asked to fill out a card or be recognized as a visitor? Are they going to feel under-dressed and uncomfortable?
Churches have one chance to get it right. When someone comes to visit, they’re giving you one shot at making it so compelling and interesting that they’ll want to come back the next week. You have one chance to do church so well that these guests will look forward to the next Sunday. One shot – just one.
Is that fair or right? No. Is it reality? Yes.
Think about the way you do church: is your Sunday morning programming crafted to appeal to newcomers or to make the long-timers feel comfortable? Unfortunately, in most churches, it’s not what it should be. Even Jesus didn’t go to the synagogue very often because, well, the synagogue of Jesus’ time was very much like many churches are today: designed to make the religious feel good about themselves and not reach those who desperately need a faith relationship with God.
The U.S. Marines Rifle Drill Team is flat-out impressive. Watch a YouTube video of them. What they do is amazing. They are probably about as close to perfection as you can get; each and every time, they do it right. I haven’t seen them in person yet, but I want to, and I know I’ll be even more impressed.
I know churches run with volunteers led by church staff, so there is plenty of room for human error. But what I challenge churches to do is to be a LOT more intentional about what they do, how they do it, and what it looks like on Sunday morning. And by “it” I mean shaping almost everything about Sunday morning so that people you are trying to reach actually want to be there and aren’t counting the minutes till they can leave without insulting you.
I don’t expect churches to be perfectionists like the U.S. Marines, but I do expect churches to raise the bar. We’ve let our standards get pretty low, so it’s time to raise them several notches. We should expect our staff and volunteers to be at the top of their game every Sunday, with every person. Challenge your leaders to make the Sunday morning experience one that makes everyone, guests and regulars, vital to their lives.
Now, go watch the U.S. Marines Rifle Drill Team (even the one where the rifle breaks in the middle of the drill!) and see what you can learn from a really good team that works seamlessly together.
Lead On!
Filed Under: church staff Tagged:

Conversations Not Confrontations

Posted on August 6, 2012 Written by

In elementary school I remember the entire class being punished because of the infraction of one person who would not come forward and admit to what he or she did. Instead, all of us got punished. I’ve seen that happen in churches and church staffs, too. Because of one person’s actions, an edict is issued or a policy is passed which applies to everyone.

Church policies have their place but my experience is that when you have formal policies, then you need “policy police” to enforce them. At worst, that can lead to a culture of negativity or fear or confrontation. Many church policies are created in reaction to one incident in an effort to prevent future situations. My experience tells me that often these are over-reactions to one occasion. Instead of passing policies, let me suggest that church leaders act as leaders and confront the person that caused the situation.

Actually, confrontation has negative connotations but there are positive ways to have a confrontation. So, intead of using a negatively-tinged word, I’ll switch to the word “conversation.” Rather than have a confrontation, have a conversation.

A conversation – a constructive, positive, “one-minute-manager” conversation – can do a lot to salvage the employee or volunteer in ways that a policy can never do. In fact, the person that caused the incident may never associate that his action resulted in a policy. Policies require time and discussion among a bigger group when that may not be necessary.

So, please talk with people – have conversations. Help the person understand how his words or actions were received by others, how what she did caused confusion, pain, or even disruption in the organization. Show that person how he could have handled it better or what she should have said. Do this in a conversational way, not confrontational.

At the end of this, you will have saved loads of time in not passing a policy when then requires further policing. You will have gone straight to the source of the issue. And you will have had a conversation which will lead to better communication among everyone in the organization.

Lead On!
Steve

Filed Under: church staff, leadership Tagged: ,

Reading List

Posted on June 26, 2012 Written by

This is a list of some of my favorite reading materials for my profession: church business administration in no particular order. What’s on your list? Share it.

  • Books
    • Me, Myself and Bob by Phil Vischer
    • E-Myth Re-visited by Michael Gerber
    • In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters
  • Magazines
    • Fast Company
    • Religious Product News
    • Church Executive
    • Peachtree Business Products catalog
    • NACBA Ledger
    • Harvard Business Review
    • Christian Computing Magazine
    • Today’s Facility Manager
    • Church & Clergy Tax Update

 

Filed Under: church finances, church staff, leadership, wisdom Tagged: , , ,
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