Matt Steen is absolutely one of my favorite people and leaders. Along with Todd Rhoades, he co-foundedChemistry Staffing, a new organization who helps churches and potential staff members make healthy connections. Chemistry Staffing’s process has one goal: a long-term, healthy fit for both the church and the staff member. I can’t recommend Chemistry Staffing enough.
Today, Matt is going to tell about 5 Signs A Church Is Ready To Hire A New Pastor Or Ministry Position. For the record, if you need to hire a new pastor or ministry position, my first call would be to Chemistry Staffing.
Now as promised, let’s get to Matt’s thoughts. Also, there is a FREE download at the end of this post which you need to take advantage of…
When should a church hire a new pastor or add a new ministry position?
As we’ve worked with clients on their searches for a new pastor or member of their ministry team, we’ve found that many of these churches have certain pieces in place before conducting their pastoral candidate searches. A new position shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. It is a major financial investment and it will require significant time to craft a useful job description.
New ministry positions require reporting systems and accountability structures. Each new position calls on churches to consider some of the following factors before placing their job ads:
The Necessary Funds Are in Place
Every ministry position in a church shouldn’t just fill a ministry need. It should be backed up by the appropriate resources. Don’t explore a new position until you’re certain that you can fairly compensate a highly qualified individual.
If you can’t offer a stable salary or you go cheap on your salary, you may find that your new hire will seek out greener pastures. In the end, you may have to repeat the job search and onboarding process all over again, using up even more resources and time.
There Is Senior Leadership in Place
There should be someone in charge of that position or a clear line of accountability with an elder board. Don’t hire a staff member who has no one to report to, as new staff will want to know who they’ll be working with on a regular basis and whether the relationship will work out.
Any vacancies in senior positions should be resolved first before adding a new staff position.
The Vision Is Clear
Getting a new staff member on board will change the dynamics and direction of your church, hopefully for the better! One big piece of the puzzle needed in place before making a new hire will be crystal clear vision statement.
Your new hire should fit into the goals, priorities, and direction of your church, helping it advance intentionally. Hiring to meet a perceived need isn’t always the same as hiring to fulfill a vision.
Volunteers Need to Be Trained
Although volunteers can keep a ministry going strong, there will come a point where expertise, more time, or both are required to keep volunteers informed, equipped, and in the loop. When the needs of a church puts significant strains on the volunteer teams, it may be time to consider a new hire.
The ideal candidate for a position will make the rest of the church more effective. A new ministry position should ensure that more people in your congregation use their gifts, not less.
A Contractor Can’t Do What Staff Can
In some situations, a church may benefit more from hiring an outside contractor rather than bringing someone on full time or part time as staff. For instance, the graphic design needs of a church may be intermittent enough that it can hire an outside firm to handle each project.
Once you’ve determined that a project or ministry need is large enough and demands regular attention and follow up, an on-site staff member may make more sense. While contractors should be used cautiously, we encourage churches to view all of the possible angles before adding a staff member.
More from Matt at Chemistry Staffing
At Chemistry Staffing we spend a lot of time helping churches consider who to hire and when to begin searching for the best candidates. If you’d like to learn more, click here to recieve a copy of 20 Things to Know About Church Staff Candidates BEFORE You Interview Them. This document is the foundation of our unique candidate assessment system, and should be the starting point for your search as well.
We love learning about churches and helping them find candidates for their open positions… and we’d love to help you. As a reader of Brian’s blog, I’d love for you to take part in a free 30-Minute Consultation where we can learn a little bit about what you are looking for, and share some of what we have learned from the churches we have served. You can click here to schedule a time.