Staff Members: Maximize Your Ministry! - Part 3

In this final post directed toward church staff members, I want to strongly encourage you to connect with the Senior Pastor. He is God's appointed and anointed leader for the church in which you serve. If you are willing to accept that as fact, you'll easily be able to put these final three principles into action.


7. Mirror the personality that the pastor ascribes for the ministry.

Thank God that all churches are NOT alike! God loves variety. I'm sitting in a Starbucks right now, and as I'm looking around the room, I see so many different ages, colors, body sizes, hair styles, clothing styles and personalities. God created all of this variety, and he was pleased!

This doesn't mean that you should change YOUR personality, but to mirror the personality that the pastor desires for the ministry. All ministries have a personality. Some are conservative, some are daring, some are colorful, and some are traditional.

Search out the personality nuances that makes your church unique, and advance them!

Now, it may be possible that your pastor desires to create a subtle personality shift in your church. If that's the case, discover where he is wanting to go and help him break the ice into a fresh identity. Be his assistant in the process, but go at his pace! :)


8. Be honest and transparent with your supervisor.

Honesty and transparency can be tough topics for a staff members, because you don't want to lose your job over it, do you?

To clarify, I'm not talking about being "brutally honest" where you just spout off whatever you're thinking or feeling. It's my opinion that "wearing your emotions on your sleeve" has no valid place in ministry.

Instead, I'm speaking of being honest and transparent regarding your family life, your spiritual life, and your ministry calling. If your supervisor has any adeptness regarding the fundamentals of discipleship, he should be more than willing to hear you out and walk with you through your ups and downs. No path in life is completely smooth and carefree, so when you hit some unique twists and turns, or when a boulder is standing in your path, be open about it!

Also, be sure to share your excitement regarding victories and successes with your supervisor. He's a real person too, and you just might discover that through openness and transparency, you can relate to him on a deeper level. After all, God's kingdom is based on relationships!


9. Discover what the Senior Pastor is excited about, then embrace it and pursue it!

This is a biggie! As a senior pastor, nothing would make me happier in staff relationships than when staff members were pumped about my latest ideas or suggestions. I absolutely loved it when a staff member would use my terminology, communicate my ideas, and propagate the vision God had given me for the ministry.

Senior pastors are always looking to create positive momentum. So, when the leaders are moving in unity, excited about where they are headed together, momentum occurs and the church progresses forward.



So, if you're a church staff member, keep these random pointers filed away in the back of your mind, and work diligently to serve the pastor God put you under. Serve wholeheartedly, and watch how the Lord will bless you. If you find yourself unable to serve him anymore, it is time to leave that ministry and move on.