In the church world, we pastors are always talking about how to effectively reach and disciple people. We come up with creative ways to do so, and I think for the most part, have a real concern for the hurting people in our communities. In focusing on those within our church and those we are reaching, there is one segment within our church that can very easily be lost in the mix: our staff.

If you’re not careful, leaders do burn out. They’re not machines, they’re people just like everyone else in your church. The only difference is some of them are probably paid by the church. Although having paid staff does give you a higher level of accountability, it doesn’t give you an excuse to manage them like slaves. Here’s a few ideas for managing your leadership team (many of these ideas are geared toward full-time staff settings):

• Create community with your staff: Have a living room setting in your office area. Be intentional about creating an environment where people feel connected to each other. Remember, we’re a team not each others’ competition.
• Communicate with your staff: Make sure your staff feels a part of what is taking place in the church. Don’t lead in secrecy.
• Encourage & affirm your staff: It’s ok to say ‘You’re doing a good job.’ A simple word of affirmation to one of your staff will go much farther then you could ever imagine. People will work that much harder for someone they know appreciates them.
• Challenge your staff to have lives outside of ‘church’: Now this can definitely be overdone, but it’s healthy for your staff to have a life that isn’t ‘church’. That doesn’t mean they neglect their responsibilities – it just means they have a healthy social structure in their lives.

What do you think? Anything you would add?