Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Dec/84

Contributor - Murray Moerman

Title - Staffing for Church Growth (Part 11)

Topic - Focusing On Church Growth

Today we continue with reasons to consider adding for church growth NOW:

2. Important ministries which help the church grow are being left undone. One cannot do everything. As a young pastor I was more than busy with preaching, counselling, administration and pastoral calling. Yet an entire secular university lying at our doorstep remained untouched by our church. Sunday evenings were not being used creatively. I had no time for the lay-ministry training programs I knew our people needed. A staff person was added, these and other needs are being filled and growth is continuing.

3. Staff members will supplement your pastors spiritual gifts. Your pastor does not have, nor does ANY pastor, all spiritual gifts. He may be gifted in counselling, but not preaching. He may be gifted in preaching, but not administration. Therefore, recruit staff on the basis of spiritual gifts. Fellow pastors, pick out what you can do best and do it. Then find a person who has spiritual gifts you don't have and give them major areas of new responsibility. Even preaching. Your staff should be a team of persons whose abilities complement each other rather than overlap. The largest church in British Columbia is led by a senior pastor who seldom, if ever, preaches. It's not his strongest gift. He is more gifted as an administrator. So he sought out the best preacher in his denomination and called him to preach. He called the best evangelist he knew of to come and lead the congregation in evangelism. And the best youth worker for his youth. And the best worship leader to lead worship and oversee the church's music ministries. And the senior pastor? You seldom see him. He isn't seeking personal glory. He is seeking to see Christ's church grow. "The ideal of the omnicompetent pastor is a negative growth factor." (Peter Wagner, in Leading Your Church to Growth (Regal) p. 213.)

4. You don't need a bigger building as much as you need staff if you are "in rented facilities and putting every possible dollar into your building fund, reconsider. You can go to double, or triple services, add staff, add new ministries and programs, much more economically than you can put up a building. One church I know of has a building accommodating only 160 persons. Yet they have a staff of four full-time persons. They have multiple services, an entire school of ministry and many strong, well supported programs. They have put priority on people over things, and therefore, on staff over buildings, If you HAVE to choose, choose staff.

You may say, "Okay, I'm convinced. But I can't act on it today. What CAN I do NOW?"

Permit me to suggest four things:

1. List all staff current on your bulletin, address list, advertising brochures, etc. Include full-time, part-time and volunteer staff. Get people used to the idea and thinking in those categories.

2. Seek a commitment to future staff Graph attendance growth and consider staff formally at a consistory, and later, a congregational meeting. People need to get used to the idea. Propose and ask the consistory and congregation to consider a present commitment to a future staff person. For example, ask for a committed and concerted effort to add staff NEXT year or in THREE years. Or ask for a commitment to add staff when attendance moves beyond a specific number or shows itself to have plateaued for a full year. Be specific.

3. Consider specific staff ideas and job descriptions. Many congregations begin with pastors for youth and Christian education. That may not be the place that will most help your church to grow. Win and Charles Arn (quoted last month) suggest the first person added after the pastor be someone ministering full-time in the area of evangelism/church, including the incorporation of new members into the fellowship. "This person will usually pay for him/herself through new giving units added to the church within the first year and a half" - Arn.

4. Train potential staff from WITHIN your congregation. People already in your congregation know your church and your church know them. Spiritual gifts and trust have already been established. This person will know the philosophy of ministry, flow and momentum of your congregation. You can train them BEFORE they become staff for a much longer time. Dependability and commitment can be ascertained long before the staff position becomes official.

If a suitable person cannot be trained from within the congregation, look next to other competent, gifted people you ALREADY know, trust and respect. Preferably, they will already live in your city, if not your community. People who move a long way from their family and "roots" will eventually leave you to return "home".

Only as a last resort risk the untested path of faceless resumes and profiles. Strangers are risks, take time to train, and are likely not to be as committed to your congregation as you are. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. But I don't suggest looking for them unless you have to.

May God send more labourers into the portion of His vineyard He has called you to tend, and may His harvest increase!

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.