A Conversation about Restructuring your Team or Ministries
TEASER
If there's one thing I don't need to tell you, it's that the last year and a half have been a rollercoaster of emotions and full of inefficiencies and challenges in your ministry. I bet almost every time you made a plan; you needed to change it soon after.
But, hopefully, with restrictions lifting at a pace that seems like it may stay consistent, we might finally be working ourselves towards a more predictable ministry calendar. And as you start to plan it out, you may find while looking at your ministries, staff positions, and goals that they might not all match.
On this episode, we'll discuss how to start a conversation about how your ministries and staffing fit your short and long-term goals. So if you'd like to get everything realigned again, then stick around because I've got a couple of ideas for you right now.
INTRO
Hey there, and welcome. My name is Mike, and I'm a Church Helper. And my goal today is to help your church make every decision on purpose. If you like what you hear today and think it can help someone else, please share this episode with someone and make sure you like and subscribe to the Podcast and our Youtube Channel.
Restructuring Your Team or your Ministries
Now, before we get into how to start talking about restructuring your team or ministries, there are a couple of things that are important to remember. I think if you're here, you already know them, but it's always worth saying them out loud.
IT WOULD HELP IF YOU DIDN'T DISCUSS RESTRUCTURING YOUR STAFF OR YOUR MINISTRIES WITHOUT HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR MISSION AND GOALS.
Sometimes it's tempting to skip this step because it feels like you don't have the time or everyone assumes they're on the same page, but please, please, don't skip it. Skipping this step puts you behind where you want to be. For example, suppose the church decides it should hire a digital pastor before conversing with staff and elders about overall goals. Is it a trendy hire? Sure. But is it the right hire? Nobody's going to know because you didn't get any goals. So, before you have a conversation about staff, have or revisit a conversation about goals.
IT WOULD HELP IF YOU DIDN'T DISCUSS RESTRUCTURING MINISTRIES BEFORE EXAMINING ALL YOUR CURRENT MINISTRIES.
Again this seems obvious, but it's something a lot of people don't do. One of the things we do at Church Helper is what we call a ministry assessment. We'll look at a church's current ministries, talk to leaders, review goals, and report how things are going.
We've learned in many cases that plenty of ministries don't run the way they intend to or aren't accomplishing the goal they set out to accomplish. So often, this leads to ineffective ministries, burned-out volunteers and staff, and a hesitancy to try something new.
Make sure you take the time to have a conversation about every ministry in your church. This process can be as deep or surface level as you'd like, but at the end of the day, if you decide you do or don't need something without looking at the big picture way, you won't know if you're making the right call. Make sure these conversations go first.
MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO BE HONEST AND CONTRIBUTE.
When people talk about their ministry, take their input and experience and validate it instead of making conclusions from your perspective. So. If you're a senior leader or Elders Team member and you're curious about whether you need to move around so leadership teams or ministries, make sure everyone in the conversation starts from a place where their voice and opinion matter and where honesty is celebrated.
Alright. So that's where to start, now.
Here are five conversation starters you can bring to your team
Are we currently equipped for where we want to go?
Paul Alexander of the Unstuck Group says, "You're Perfectly Structured to Get the Results You're Getting." What he means is that doing what you're doing has gotten you where you are. But the statement also means that if you want to go somewhere new, you might need to change. So ask your team these questions: Are we set up to succeed based on what we're trying to accomplish? Are we equipped for where we want to go?
DO OUR TEAM MEMBERS HAVE THE SKILLS AND STRENGTHS NEEDED TO CHANGE ROLES?
This question requires a lot of trust. As soon as people start to talk about restructuring, staff get nervous about where their place might be. So instead of getting everyone worried, be open and honest about your intentions. The conversation isn't about getting rid of anyone. It's about seeing how their gifts provide a path towards your goals. So, ask your staff members two questions:
Are you willing to change roles?
How could repurposing the strengths of our team get us where we want to go?
If you're not sure about the strengths of your elders or staff team fit into all this, reach out to us to talk about it. Using a tool like the Clinton Strengths Finder might be a great way to find that sort of thing out, and we love bringing teams through that exercise.
WHAT AREAS DO WE WANT TO GROW? WHAT AREAS ARE WE OK WITH BEING MAINTAINED.
I'm sure you know this, but growth and maintenance aren't the same. A growing ministry requires planning, strategies and long-term goals. Maintaining a ministry only requires keeping things as they are.
Not every part of your church needs to grow, but it's likely that not every area should stay the same. It's knowing when to make the switch that helps you plan for the future.
For example, maybe in the next 12 months, you just want to keep your kids' ministry floating - but in a year from now, you're going to make a push for growth. Talking about that now helps set expectations for the short and long term. And as a bonus, clear expectations help everyone's blood pressure go down a few beats.
**side note, you should take a minute to define growth as a team
DO WE NEED TO END SOMETHING TO START SOMETHING NEW?
Two things are finite in most churches – time and money. You only have so many hours in a day, and you only have so much money to invest. If your church is anything like most churches, it's likely that pre-pandemic, you were pretty close to capacity on both.
That level or capacity probably means that if you want to add something new, and you want it to go well, you're going to need to take something away.
Decisions like these are why starting with your mission and goals is crucial because explaining why something needs to end is easier when it's lead by the mission. Talk to your team to see what, if anything, you can let go of for a season to try something new.
DO WE NEED A NEW STAFF MEMBER OR SOMEONE ON CONTRACT WITH A SPECIFIC SKILL?
Many churches have used contact hires for all sorts of things, but it might be a time to lean into that idea a little more in a season of change. Like we talked about before – growth and maintenance aren't the same. So, if you need an updated live streaming setup – hiring someone for six months to get it all going and get everyone trained will get you past the growth period and allow you the time to see what you need for the maintenance period. A contract hire comes with drawbacks, like someone who is likely more focused on their task than the overall mission, but it shouldn't put you off track if you make that decision on purpose.
These are just a few conversations that you might need to have. Now, personally, these types of conversations are my favourite thing to do because when you get to dig down and ask big questions, you usually end up with great answers and outcomes. And if you're a church staff member or elder who would rather be a part of these conversations than have to lead them, then we might be a good fit for you. Reach out and let us know if we can help you make every decision on purpose moving into this next season of ministry.
