Deborah Ike

Deborah Ike is the president and founder of Velocity Ministry Management: a company dedicated to helping church leaders grow their churches and create a life with healthy margins.

With several years of experience as a consultant, project manager, and risk manager in the corporate world, Deborah launched VMM to serve the church. She is the author of three books and writes for several church-related publications.

Articles by Deborah Ike

• 3 simple New Year’s resolutions for church staff

  Monday, December 14, 2020

  We're near the finish line of 2020, with everyone ready to bid this chaotic year adieu. As we try to shake off a rough year, it's time to look ahead and consider how to start 2021. While COVID-19 isn't fully behind us, we can still take a few actions to make this new year better than the last.

• 7 church administration areas to refresh with a new year

  Tuesday, December 01, 2020

  As we begin to wrap up 2020 (and there was much rejoicing), it’s time to consider how we can start the new year off right. For church administrators, there are a handful of areas to review and address to set our churches up for a great year of ministry. Here are several ideas for making the administrative aspect of your church run even more effectively in the upcoming year.

• 3 reasons to unplug during a vacation

  Tuesday, November 17, 2020

  With all the chaos and uncertainty we've faced this year, we could all use a few days to relax and recharge. Hopefully, you'll be able to take some time off once Christmas services are over (whatever those end up looking like). While it's tempting to stay plugged in to what's going on at the office, there are a few reasons why you should avoid work email while on vacation.

• 3 areas where small improvements can make a significant difference

  Tuesday, November 03, 2020

  As we start to wrap up a challenging year, making any significant changes or improvements may be a bit too much to ask. However, there are several ways to make incremental improvements that lead to lasting impacts. We all want to see significant results from ministry efforts. We want to see more people coming to Christ, increased attendance at worship services (online and/or in-person), more volunteers serving consistently, etc. Those are worthwhile goals that would be wonderful to see happen. However, getting to that fruit typically doesn’t happen overnight. So, what can you do now to see that fruit later?

• How clarity builds a stronger team

  Tuesday, October 20, 2020

  With more to do than time in the week, it’s imperative to build strong teams that can serve the congregation and community more effectively. Whether a team consists of staff, volunteers, or a combination, each individual needs to know what you expect. A fundamental way to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of any team is by clarifying expectations. A lack of clarity can cause misunderstandings and frustration between team members and between you and your team. Here are three key reasons to clarify roles and responsibilities for your team.

• 4 change management tips for ChMS implementations

  Tuesday, October 06, 2020

  Whether you’re starting to use church management software (ChMS) for the first time or switching from a previous vendor, there’s a lot that goes into a successful implementation. New software involves learning a new program, changing processes, and the typical implementation headaches. While everyone may agree that change is necessary, they might still get frustrated along the way. So, how do you have a successful implementation and a happy team? Here are a few tips.

• Avoiding burnout in a difficult year

  Tuesday, September 22, 2020

  2020 has been a year full of unforeseen challenges, to put it mildly. You've probably had to shift gears repeatedly to deal with the latest curveball thrown your way. If you're feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and always on alert for the next battle, you're not alone. Ministry isn't easy in a typical year, but this year has been anything but typical. Even in a season as difficult as 2020, burnout isn't inevitable. Avoiding burnout will require you to make some tough decisions and possibly do things that feel selfish at first.

• How to cultivate a problem-solving culture with your team

  Tuesday, September 08, 2020

  This year has brought several challenges. Many of these have forced church leaders to get creative and develop new ways of doing things. Thankfully, even if you’re the senior pastor, you don’t have to figure this all out on your own. You have a team, whether paid or all-volunteer, who can help you handle the next challenge. However, developing problem-solving skills takes intentional practice and action.

• 5 inexpensive ways to thank volunteers

  Tuesday, August 25, 2020

  With all the changes due to COVID-19 this year, church volunteers have had to adapt right along with church staff. Some have learned how to host an online service while others have joined the new disinfecting team to clean between in-person services. After several months of being flexible and "making it happen," now is a great time to express your appreciation. Fortunately, you don’t need a big budget to show volunteers how much their efforts mean to the church.

• How listening can help your staff stay strong throughout COVID-19

  Tuesday, August 11, 2020

  This year has been full of challenges. It's been a difficult season for everyone — but many look to church leaders and staff for help and reassurance. Since it appears we're stuck dealing with COVID-19 for a while, we need to focus some energy on ensuring our leaders and staff stay healthy. Take the pulse of your team by initiating a conversation. Whether it's via a video conference or in-person, talk one-on-one with each team member.

• Getting started with project management

  Tuesday, July 28, 2020

  Have you ever participated in an effort to select, buy, and implement a new ChMS? What about completing an overhaul of the church’s HR policies? Or perhaps you're working on reopening plans amid COVID-19. Those are a few examples of projects you may face. A great deal of time, money, and work is expended to complete these projects. One way to make that process less expensive and time-consuming is to use a project management process.

• Are you happy with your online giving provider?

  Tuesday, July 14, 2020

  If your church didn't offer an online giving option before COVID-19, it likely does now. Hundreds (if not thousands) of churches had to quickly establish an online giving capability or risk a significant drop in donations due to people not attending services in-person. Here are a few things to consider as you evaluate your current online giving provider.

• 5 tips to improve volunteer communication

  Tuesday, June 30, 2020

  As your church reopens amid COVID-19, you may find that you need more volunteers. All the extra sanitizing, helping people adhere to social distancing guidelines, and more will require additional people to make services run smoothly. You may also need more volunteers to host online services, follow-up with online prayer requests, and to contact members who might need assistance during this time. Here are a few tips for improving communication with your volunteer teams.

• Dealing with risk in a volatile season

  Tuesday, June 02, 2020

  To put it mildly, 2020 has been a challenging year. We've all had to deal with the impact of several significant events in a short period of time. While no one envisioned so much happening so fast, this raises an issue that many church leaders prefer not to consider … risk. However, leaders who have a plan to prevent these risks and how to deal with them if they occur will fare much better than those who don’t. Here are a few things for you to consider as you mitigate the risks to your church.

• What does an executive pastor do?

  Tuesday, May 19, 2020

  The role of an Executive Pastor (or XP) can be difficult to define. It's not a new role, but it tends to look different based on the culture and structure of each church. Sometimes, the XP role goes by a different title altogether. Whatever your church decides to call it, this individual usually oversees human resources, facilities, insurance, finances, and making sure everything behind-the-scenes runs smoothly. Since this role varies by church, there are a handful of resources to check out to find a definition that works for your situation.

• Avoiding ministry burnout in the midst of COVID-19

  Tuesday, April 28, 2020

  Have you ever run a marathon or other long-distance race? If so, you know how tempting it is to run a fast pace initially. Between the extra adrenaline pumping and energy from the crowd, it's easy to blast off from the starting line. That can work for a few miles, perhaps, but it will catch up to you. Pretty soon, you're slowing way down, wondering if you’ll have enough energy to finish the race. Are you feeling that right now?

• Post-Easter activities to accomplish during the pandemic

  Tuesday, April 14, 2020

  We just wrapped up the first virtual Easter. Let that sink in for a moment. Your team spent hundreds of hours planning, preparing, and setting up services in a way you never thought you'd need to just a few short weeks ago. So, first off — excellent work! The willingness to pivot and the ingenuity of church teams has been incredible to behold. That's something to celebrate. As your team recovers from a whirlwind of activity, here are a few actions to take in the coming days.

• How to plan for more social distancing at your church

  Tuesday, March 31, 2020

  Now that federal social distancing guidelines extend through at least April 30, it's time to plan for how to do ministry remotely for a longer period. Even if the government changes social distancing guidelines in May, some parts of the country might have to remain online-only for longer based on how COVID-19 is spreading in their region. For now, planning remote church for the next 30-90 days seems wise. As your team plans for the next several weeks of online church, here are several things to consider.

• How to serve your congregation online

  Tuesday, March 24, 2020

  With social distancing becoming our new, temporary, norm, many churches have moved to online services only. The potential for even Easter services to be online-only is a real possibility. In light of these challenging circumstances, how do you serve a remote congregation? Here are a few things to consider.

• Why you need a church event request form (and what should be on it)

  Tuesday, March 10, 2020

  If you're responsible for planning events at your church, you've likely run into situations where you didn't have all the information needed to plan effectively. Instead of trying to track down decisions late in the process, asking for key details when an event is initially approved will make planning much easier. An event request form can aid in gathering all the necessary details you’ll need to plan effectively. Here’s what you should include in your church event request form.

• How to prevent financial fraud at your church

  Tuesday, February 25, 2020

  You may have seen a recent news article regarding a church financial secretary who embezzled over half a million dollars from the church. Other churches have faced the awful reality that a trusted staff member or volunteer committed fraud and stole from the church. While we'd all prefer to trust those who handle church finances, that's not a risk we can afford to take. Instead, we need to have safeguards in place to protect the church and the reputation of those handling church finances. Here are a few simple ways to protect against fraud.

• How to leverage lessons learned

  Tuesday, February 11, 2020

  One of the challenges in ministry is that there's always another sermon to prepare, an event to plan, or a project to initiate. When everyone feels the pressure to hurry up and move on to the next significant effort, it’s difficult to get people to gather lessons learned from the last project. Unfortunately, when we don't reflect on what we've learned we tend to repeat the same mistakes. Here a few tips for how to leverage the lessons you learn from each project to make the next one even better.

• 4 tips for managing last-minute ideas

  Tuesday, January 28, 2020

  "I have an idea…" This phrase tends to mean an avalanche of work is headed your way. While the idea that's coming may be excellent and worth doing, what a church business administrator dreads is the likely effort to cram too many tasks into a short time frame. As you know, turning vision into reality is a tall order. If you've been hearing those dreaded words a lot lately and feel like your team is in a vicious cycle of last-minute planning, here are four tips to break the cycle.

• New year, new initiatives: How to set up for success

  Tuesday, January 07, 2020

  With a new year comes the sense of a fresh start. We’ve wrapped up the holiday season, got some rest, and are getting back to the office this week. As we begin the year, your church may have several projects in the queue. Facility maintenance, software changes, new equipment installation, or perhaps a new building are all possible projects. As you prepare to launch these initiatives, consider these tips for setting the team up for success from the start.

• 5 tips for Christmas volunteer success

  Monday, December 16, 2019

  Christmas services and outreaches require more volunteers than the typical Sunday service. From more people serving in the parking lot to handing out hot chocolate and candy canes, you’re going to need a few more helpers to pull off an amazing Christmas event. Here are a few tips for making this year’s volunteer experience incredible for everyone involved.

• 8 tools to be thankful for this year

  Monday, November 25, 2019

  This week, those of us in the United States will gather around the table for a Thanksgiving meal. As we prepare the turkeys, mashed potatoes, and way too many desserts, here are several resources I'm thankful for this year. We can use these tools to share the Gospel, save time, and be more effective as we minister in our communities.

• How to plan for your Christmas guests’ next visit

  Tuesday, November 12, 2019

  With Christmas coming soon, your church leadership team is probably working on plans for special services. As you focus on trying to attract first-time guests, it's easy to overlook how to get them to come back after the holidays. In order to follow-up with them, you'll need to figure out a system on how to gather their contact information. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that.

• 5 ways an event planner makes events more successful

  Tuesday, November 05, 2019

  Hosting events involves a great deal of details and coordination. You'll need to decide on the date, time, theme, location, and whether to charge a registration fee. You'll also want to make sure people know about the event. Then, there's the task of getting volunteers signed up to help with the event. I could go on, but you get the point…there's a lot to do to pull off a successful event. An orchestra without a conductor doesn't make for great music. The same principle applies for a church staff trying to pull off an event without an event planner.

• A vital component to hosting impactful church events

  Tuesday, October 22, 2019

  Hosting events can be a great way to minister to and serve people through your church. However, events can take a significant toll on your budget, staff, and volunteers. Fortunately, it is possible to reap the benefits of hosting events without the extra stress or expense. How do you do it? Plan in advance. In fact, I recommend a year out. No, I’m not saying you need to create a detailed to-do list a year ahead, but at least decide which events your church will host for the year.

• 4 little-known costs of church events

  Tuesday, October 08, 2019

  Hosting events throughout the year is how many churches are able to expand their reach within communities. Church events allow a unique space for fellowship and a chance to share the Word of God outside of Sunday services. From Vacation Bible School to marriage retreats to Christmas concerts to Easter celebrations, churches have plenty to plan. But while ministries are frequent event hosts, it’s rare to find one with a standard process for planning those events.

• What to do when volunteers quit

  Monday, September 23, 2019

  It’s that awkward moment you’re always trying to avoid: a volunteer emails you or mentions one Sunday that he "needs some time away from serving for a while." Maybe you saw it coming; maybe you didn’t. Regardless, now you’re left trying to figure out what to do about it. Your gut reaction might include a bit of defensiveness, and it’s hard not to take it personally. However, when you truly care for each church member’s needs, then there is an appropriate response to have in these situations. Here’s what I recommend on what to do when volunteers quit.

• How to implement a new church management system

  Tuesday, September 03, 2019

  Thankfully, there are many incredible church management software programs available to support a church’s growing needs. You’re most likely already using one of them. If so, I don’t have to tell you about the value a comprehensive ChMS tool can provide to your church. What I can tell you, however, is that not every ChMS is created equal. With that in mind, if your ChMS tool has lost its ability to effectively support your church, it might be time to consider upgrading to a new one. Once you’ve chosen a ChMS vendor, here are some great tips on how to implement a new ChMS tool.

• 4 tips for your church’s benevolence policy

  Tuesday, August 27, 2019

  As followers of Christ, part of how we honor our Savior is by giving to the poor, helping the oppressed, and encouraging the discouraged. One way churches can follow through with this mission is by developing a benevolence policy. Having a structured policy will help your church be consistent in how you distribute aid and ensure proper stewardship of the money and resources entrusted to you. Creating a benevolence policy isn’t hard, but it will take some organization by church leaders. Here are four tips for creating a strong benevolence policy for your church.

• How to include all staff members in financial stewardship

  Tuesday, August 13, 2019

  Talking about financial budgets isn't exactly everyone’s favorite subject. When it comes to your church, however, it's a discussion to engage in with more than just top leaders of your congregation. Depending on how your church is structured, department or ministry leaders might have some involvement in the annual budgeting process. You may also have a finance committee consisting of church elders who are involved as well. As you begin planning for your next annual budget, here are some ways to get employees engaged in the budgeting process.

• 4 tips to simplify planning for Christmas

  Tuesday, July 30, 2019

  You see it year after year: More people filling in your pews for the Christmas service. Some are coming to make their obligatory annual church appearance, while others are faithful members who are eager to participate in the traditions of a Christmas Eve service. Though having more people fill the sanctuary is a good thing; seeing a noticeable decline in attendance after the holiday can be discouraging. However, this attendance spike at Christmas is an opportunity to turn your unchurched guests into active church members. One way to do this is by planning a memorable Christmas service that motivates and inspires.

• Preparing for back-to-school and other fall events

  Tuesday, July 09, 2019

  As the days of summer set in, you’re probably already thinking about the transition into the busy season ahead. Your summer calendars are most likely getting a nice break from constant activity, but now is the time to get your fall event schedules in order. Here’s how to prepare for back-to-school and other fall events.

• What to look for in church management software

  Tuesday, June 25, 2019

  Leveraging church management software (ChMS) is how many churches keep up with first-time guests, members, volunteers, and all the data associated with ministry follow-up. In fact, a ChMS tool — which automates daily operations to assist in membership, donations, event planning, marketing processes, etc. — streamlines the back-office side of things so church leaders can support ministry with an efficient and useful tool. There are, however, a lot of ChMS options to choose from. To help you decide, here are three tips on what to look for in church management software.

• An overlooked project management skill: Chief communicator

  Thursday, June 13, 2019

  With all of the work involved in managing a project, it’s easy to focus on the details of tasks, risks, budget, and timelines. However, one issue that can quickly derail a project is a breakdown in communication. Many times, one group or department doesn’t understand another or doesn’t know who else needs to know about a particular issue. As the one person with both a 30,000-foot view and access to the detailed tasks, part of your role as the project manager is to bridge these communication gaps. Here are a few ways you can fill that communication role.

• How to get started with digital giving

  Tuesday, June 11, 2019

  With fewer people using checks for purchases (or even carrying a checkbook with them), it’s time to consider providing additional giving options. By creating a digital giving platform where your members can donate online through their phone or on a kiosk, you may actually see an increase in donations. If technology is where people are hanging out anyway, why not meet them there? Here’s an introduction on how to get started with digital giving.

• 5 simple steps to keep church policies and procedures current

  Wednesday, May 29, 2019

  Tackling policies and procedures aren't exactly tasks people are excited to handle. However, having documented and up-to-date policies and procedures can save a church time, money, and even legal issues. What happens way too often is a committee approves a set of policies, then those documents are filed away somewhere never to be seen again. Instead of letting these documents become dust collectors, it’s best to allocate time throughout the year to review and update each one. Here’s how to get started.

• Why your church should use email marketing software

  Tuesday, May 21, 2019

  Does your church send email newsletters with information about upcoming events and church news? If so, can you tell how many people read each email? Are you seeing an increase in visits to the church website or more event registrations within a day or two after sending a mass email? An email marketing software can help with those items and much more. Here are a few reasons why your church should consider email marketing software.

• 5 ways to alienate your project team

  Wednesday, May 15, 2019

  The role of project manager isn’t always viewed kindly. Some team members may think you don’t do any real work or that you’re creating extra work for them. To fight against those stereotypes, consider the following ways you could accidentally alienate your team and take a different approach instead.

• 5 resources to create or update your church’s security plan

  Monday, April 29, 2019

  Unfortunately, we continue to see churches and places of worship become victims of violent attacks. While our first and most important tool is prayer, there are several additional steps church leaders can take to protect their congregations. Deciding when and which doors to lock, how to respond in the event of an emergency, how to collaborate with first responders on emergency response plans, and establishing safety teams are just a few examples. Here are five resources to consider.

• 5 continuing education resources for project managers

  Wednesday, April 24, 2019

  Project management is a profession that requires continual learning to hone our skills. As we move from project to project, we’ll encounter new team configurations, different industries, changes in technology, and more. To stay ahead of the curve, we need to proactively seek out learning opportunities. For those with the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or another PMI designation, earning Professional Development Units (PDUs) is part of maintaining that credential. Here are five resources to consider as you look for ways to learn and grow as a project manager.

• Preparing for VBS and other summer church events

  Tuesday, April 23, 2019

  The summer months are when many churches host Vacation Bible School, summer camps, and other events. While most of the staff's focus has been on preparing for Easter up until now, schools will be letting out within the next month or so. If you haven't started planning summer activities yet, here are a few quick tips to help you get started.

• How to avoid file storage chaos

  Monday, April 08, 2019

  With all of the videos, graphics, documents, and other items we use each week for ministry, file storage can be chaotic at best without a good electronic filing system. Trying to maintain a server for your church staff's files might not be the best fit for your team. Instead, consider using an online storage option that can grow with your team's needs.

• 4 inexpensive ways to motivate your team through a long project

  Friday, March 22, 2019

  When you're on a long project, it's easy to get lost in the drudgery of a seemingly never-ending to-do list. Celebrating the completion of the project might be a year away. If you're not diligent to avoid it, your team may soon become weary of the project. This impacts team morale and can derail productivity. One way to keep the team motivated is to celebrate milestones completed along the way. Whether it's finishing a tough Agile sprint or writing the last of the test scripts, a little celebration is in order.

• Tips for onboarding new employees

  Tuesday, March 19, 2019

  For many churches, by the time you're able to hire someone, you're already feeling the strain of not having anyone in that role. While it's tempting to toss a mile-long to-do list at a new employee as soon as he arrives for his first day in the office, that's not going to set him up to win long-term. Instead, it's best to complete an organized onboarding process for each new team member. Here are several steps to consider when planning to get a new employee fully on board.

• The retention secret every volunteer coordinator should know

  Tuesday, March 05, 2019

  We all know how challenging it can be to get and keep volunteers. There are a variety of strategies for how to communicate the need and invite more people to serve. However, we also want to pay attention to how we keep volunteers on the team. There’s one tool you may not have considered yet when it comes to retaining volunteers (and adding to their ranks). That tool is conducting a volunteer survey.

• 4 tips for onboarding a new project team member

  Wednesday, February 27, 2019

  Most projects that last more than a few months will involve onboarding new team members as you move into a new phase of the project. Part of your role as the project manager is to ensure that new team members acclimate to the project as quickly and as smoothly as possible. That won't happen without planning for their arrival in advance. Here are several tips for how to get new team members onboard and into a productive mode ASAP.

• 3 ways accounting is vital to ministry vision

  Tuesday, February 19, 2019

  If your job responsibilities include keeping track of the church’s finances, you know that your role is frequently overlooked as part of ministry. After all, you ask other staff members to submit requests by a set date, fill out forms, turn in receipts, and manage their departmental budgets. If you don't work in your church's accounting department, please note that those individuals love the church just as much as the front-line folks. They just show their commitment in different ways. Here are three ways accounting is vital to a church's ministry.

• Are you ready for Easter Sunday?

  Tuesday, February 05, 2019

  Yes, I realize it's several weeks away, but it’s almost never too early to start preparing for one of the highest attended Sundays of the year. If you haven't started planning, or have but have a nagging feeling you're forgetting something, here are a few steps to consider. For example, don’t wait until the week before to start asking your regular attendees to serve on Easter Sunday. Some people might travel over Easter, while others will have family visiting that afternoon. Make sure you get on their calendar now so they can plan accordingly.

• What happens after go-live?

  Thursday, January 24, 2019

  You've launched the new product or went live with the software upgrade. The team completed the mission. So, what happens next? Do you forget the work of the last several months and move on to the next project? That's the simplest thing to do since, after all, there's always another project to jump into. However, what about all the lessons the team learned along the way? You don't want to lose those and repeat the same mistakes with the next project.

• 8 ways to build a stronger church team

  Tuesday, January 22, 2019

  They’re committed, dedicated, hard-working, loyal and steadfast in their determination to serve the church. They come in early, stay late, and pour their energy into their work. They can also get exhausted and discouraged to the point of giving up. Prevent burnout and improve team morale by implementing these tips for a stronger church team.

• 4 keys to building trust with your project team

  Thursday, January 10, 2019

  When you’re asked to lead a new project, you’re probably also given a team. You may not know these team members, and they’re unfamiliar with you as well. Some might welcome the coordinating efforts of a project manager while others would prefer you stay out of their way. Regardless of these factors, it’s essential to the success of the project that you find a way to work well together. In leading project teams where several team members didn’t care for project management methods, the following actions helped me gain credibility and build trust with the team.

• How to get off to a great start with volunteers in the new year

  Tuesday, January 08, 2019

  There’s something about the start of a new year that invites us to refresh areas of our lives. That could mean initiating a new Bible reading plan, launching a healthier lifestyle, or other improved habits. If you have a role in coordinating and leading volunteers, here are a few habits you can cultivate to help your team become healthier and add to its ranks.

• 7 tips to help your ministry team prevent burnout

  Tuesday, December 18, 2018

  As leaders, sometimes we need to protect our team members from themselves. The individuals who regularly stay late to wrap up a few tasks, who take on the toughest assignments, and practically live at the church need your help. While their dedication and work ethic is admirable, ministry is a marathon…not a sprint. Running at a sprinter’s pace will keep team members from being able to stay healthy and strong over the long haul. Here are seven tips to help your staff avoid burnout.

• 4 tips for a more peaceful Christmas

  Tuesday, December 04, 2018

  With Christmas right around the corner, this is a busy time for church staff members. Candlelight services, stage décor, volunteers, special programs, and more are all part of the hustle and bustle of the season. So, how do you manage all this activity and still feel some peace on earth and goodwill towards men? Here are a few tips to help.

• How to know when to say no

  Tuesday, November 06, 2018

  In ministry, we’re often in a position where we want to please others and make them feel cared for and valued. That’s not a bad thing. However, if you agree to every request for your time and energy, you’ll burn out fast. Whether your title includes pastor, worship leader, church business administrator, or another role on staff, you’ll often receive requests for your time. When you receive these requests, you probably feel somewhat conflicted. The decision becomes even more difficult when the request isn’t unreasonable and sounds like something you’d enjoy doing. So, what to do?

• 4 questions to strengthen team relationships

  Thursday, October 25, 2018

  What have you asked your team lately? As project managers, we have to ask about the progress and status of various tasks. However, we can also use questions to develop our team and our relationships with team members. For example, your project team is used to you asking them to finish a task or give you a status update. However, what if you turned things around for a moment and asked how you can help them? The key to this question is to listen carefully and work to fulfill their request if possible.

• How to make a project management tool work for your church

  Tuesday, October 23, 2018

  Project management tools such as Asana, Basecamp, Trello, and others can be useful in helping church teams plan events and manage projects. Many church leaders select a tool and excitedly roll it out to their teams hoping this will make their projects immediately run smoother and finish on time. Unfortunately, there’s often a level of disappointment that happens once a church staff starts using the tool. That disappointment probably has nothing to do with the tool and everything to do with the process.

• 5 tips to escape the meeting trap

  Tuesday, October 09, 2018

  Do you find yourself running from meeting to meeting all day long? Are you frequently double-booked with meetings? If so, consider this: Is your presence vital for each of those meetings? Now, I’m not suggesting that you don’t have something valuable to contribute. However, your time and energy might be better spent elsewhere. While you probably can’t clear out your calendar tomorrow, here are some tips to help create more free space on your calendar.

• 5 questions to ask before scheduling a church event

  Tuesday, September 25, 2018

  From marriage seminars to outreaches and more, events can be an incredible ministry tool. However, it’s easy to get into a familiar routine and host the same events every year. It’s also tempting to fill the calendar with activities to provide something to everyone. Unfortunately, this approach can lead to lackluster events that don’t achieve your objectives along with staff and volunteers who are exhausted from rushing to make these events happen. As you discuss various event ideas and look to determine which events to approve, consider the following questions as a filter for that decision-making process.

• 4 questions to diffuse a tense situation

  Thursday, September 20, 2018

  When you bring people with various personalities, working styles and backgrounds together, a few tense moments are almost inevitable. It doesn’t seem to matter that your team is talented and diligent. Even when you put considerable effort into building relationships, conflict can happen. The issue could be rooted in a personality difference, varying communication styles, or frayed nerves from a challenging project. Whatever the cause, ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it disappear. When caught in a tense moment, try one of these questions to diffuse the situation.

• 7 things you don’t want to forget when planning fall events

  Tuesday, September 11, 2018

  Summer is winding down, and with the start of fall comes a plethora of church events. As you plan for fall festivals, outreaches, and Christmas plays, make sure your to-do lists include consideration of these easy-to-forget items. For example, depending on how many attendees you anticipate hosting and the roads around your facility, consider whether you need to coordinate with local police for road closures.

• 5 tips for a more productive project team

  Wednesday, August 29, 2018

  It’s one thing to be able to create an extensive project plan, charter, budget, and dashboard. The skill set required to lead a project team that’s cohesive and productive is quite different. Project management involves a mix of hard and soft skills, and you’ll need to know when to use each tool in your project manager toolbox at a given time. Here are five tips based on my experience. Unfortunately, some of these I learned from doing wrong at first.

• 5 steps to volunteer communication success

  Tuesday, August 28, 2018

  Serving alongside volunteers can be incredibly rewarding and, at times, perplexing. Some volunteers show up a few minutes early, do exactly what you need them to do (and even more), and maintain a great attitude no matter what task they’re tackling at the time. Others are quite the opposite and make you wonder why they decided to sign up in the first place. If you’re wondering why your volunteers aren’t doing what you need them to do or if they arrive late or unprepared, the issue may not be a lack of enthusiasm or commitment.

• How to break free when ‘last-minute’ is normal

  Tuesday, August 14, 2018

  It’s Thursday afternoon, and no one knows what announcements the campus host needs to make on Sunday. You’re two weeks out from Christmas, and your team is scrambling to pull everything together. Your staff typically works late nights leading up to a big deadline, and you’re eating heartburn chews like candy to deal with the stress. Is this how ministry works? Is all this chaos necessary to reach the lost and make disciples?

• 5 ways to prepare for natural disasters

  Tuesday, July 31, 2018

  Growing up in Oklahoma, part of “Tornado Alley,” I had to take cover many times as the sirens went off near my home. We had a few close calls but thankfully, we never suffered damage from a tornado. However, I’ve volunteered with my church to help clean up after a tornado. Natural disasters can wreak havoc on a community. Lives lost. People injured. Homes and businesses destroyed. As a church leader, not only do you need to protect your home but you also need to protect your church facility and consider how your congregation will serve the community.

• 7 keys to a successful project start

  Monday, July 30, 2018

  Starting a new project involves an assortment of details. Developing the plan, completing a project charter, assigning team members, and much more. As you embark on your next project, consider the following to set a solid foundation for the team to build upon. First of all, a project without clearly defined goals is a recipe for disaster. The team needs to know what a win looks like for this project.

• How to get off the last-minute event-planning cycle

  Tuesday, July 17, 2018

  The week before a big event or holiday typically involves stress, late nights, missed family dinners, and way too many meetings. If you’re practically living at the church the week before an event, you’re not alone. When I talk with church leaders about their event-planning efforts, I usually hear that they start planning X number of weeks out but wish they would have started much sooner. Why don’t they start sooner? They’re too busy working on the final details for another event or project to get started on planning something a few months away.

• 10 questions to ask before adding an event to the church calendar

  Thursday, July 05, 2018

  Many churches now are very event-driven. In addition to weekend services, they have small group Bible studies, men’s/women’s events, marriage retreats, summer activities for kids, and a variety of other events throughout the year. As you start adding these to the church calendar, the schedule can quickly become crowded and overwhelming. As you consider adding an event, here are several questions to discuss as your team works to ensure this event is the best choice for your church.

• How to create a plan with a predetermined deadline

  Thursday, June 21, 2018

  Ideally, when you receive an assignment as the project manager for a new effort, you have the opportunity to create a project plan based on the tasks required to complete the work and how long it will take to complete those tasks. That should result in a project plan with a realistic deadline based on the resources already on hand. However, this ideal situation doesn’t always happen. In fact, I’ve rarely experienced this option. Here are a few tips on how to proceed when you already have a deadline.

• Consider conducting a mid-year review

  Tuesday, June 19, 2018

  You've heard of spring cleaning and closing the accounting books at year-end, but have you considered doing a mid-year checkup? The halfway point of the year is an excellent time to make sure you’re on-track with your annual goals, budget, and other aspects of leading the church. It’s also an opportunity to check on facets of church administration that are easy to overlook when you’re busy with the day-to-day. Here are several items to assess when starting a mid-year review.

• How to keep departmental silos from ruining your next church event

  Tuesday, June 05, 2018

  Planning a church event, even if it’s focused on a single ministry area, requires involvement from multiple departments. For example: Running a week of Vacation Bible School involves more than the children’s ministry leader and his/her team. That department will take the lead role, but they’ll need support from those in facilities, finance, marketing/communications, and more. Unfortunately, it’s easy for the department in charge of an event to forget that the other groups work on more than one event at a time.

• Spring cleaning your church database

  Tuesday, May 22, 2018

  While we tend to expect our church management software (ChMS) to display valuable information on every report, we need to remember that the information it provides is only as useful as the data we enter. If you’ve had your ChMS in place for several years or if you’ve ever switched from one ChMS to another, it might be time for a system cleanup effort. Here are several tips to help you get started.

• Risk management: What could derail your project?

  Wednesday, May 16, 2018

  Business and projects are fraught with risks. While it’s tempting to bury our heads in the sand and hope everything goes smoothly, that’s not going to help when something inevitably goes awry. The wiser choice is to consider what could go wrong and take steps to prevent as much of that risk as possible. Since the first step is identifying potential risks to your project, here are several items to consider.

• What systems do you need?

  Tuesday, May 08, 2018

  When you work on the back-office aspects of running a church, you tend to manage several different functions. You may have inherited those from your predecessor, or perhaps you initiated them as the need arose. Whatever the case, occasionally it’s helpful to evaluate what systems you need to have in place versus what you’re already doing. Here are a few systems to consider improving or implementing.

• 4 signs you shouldn’t switch to a new ChMS (yet)

  Tuesday, April 24, 2018

  ​We've all had moments where the software we're using doesn't seem to be working for us. When it comes to church management software, that tends to mean we aren't getting the information out of it that we want, reports aren't configured the way we expected, it's hard to set up new functions or features with the system, or other issues.

• Drive project efficiency with templates

  Wednesday, April 18, 2018

  Most project managers have more than one project to manage at a time. Therefore, anything you can do to make your job easier and less complicated, the better. That's where templates come into the picture. If your company has a project management office (PMO), they probably provide you with templates. However, if you don't have a PMO or if it's relatively new, then you might need to create your own.

• Capturing lessons learned from Easter

  Tuesday, April 10, 2018

  ​The campus was abuzz, people filled the sanctuary, and most importantly, souls connected with their Savior. Now that the big day is over, it's time to learn from how plans worked out (or didn't) on Easter Sunday.

• How to prepare your facility for church events

  Tuesday, March 27, 2018

  ​Hosting a special event at your church requires a few extra steps than Sunday services. Before you go too far down the road planning your next event, make sure you've considered these items.

• How to earn (and keep) project sponsor support

  Wednesday, March 21, 2018

  ​As the project manager, your relationship with the project sponsor can make or break a project. If you work well together and understand each other's working style, that can make even the most challenging project easier to manage.

• 7 details to consider as you wrap up Easter plans

  Tuesday, March 13, 2018

  With Easter coming up in about two weeks, you’re probably deep into finalizing plans for Easter services. The activities at churches across the country vary from traditional services to massive outreaches and Easter productions. Whatever your church leadership decides to do, there are several details that are easy to overlook amidst the chaos of Easter planning. Here are seven things you may want to consider as you put the finishing touches on your Easter plans.

• How to select project management software for your church

  Tuesday, February 27, 2018

  Online project management software such as Asana, Basecamp, Trello and others can make coordinating tasks for events, communications projects and more a bit easier. However, there's often some frustration and disappointment that happens once a church staff starts using the tool.

• How to get enough volunteers for Easter while growing your team

  Wednesday, February 14, 2018

  From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, your church will likely host several events and special services. Making those activities run smoothly requires more volunteers than a typical Sunday morning.

• 7 tips for effective project team meetings

  Tuesday, February 06, 2018

  Meetings are both a necessity and a potential waste of time when it comes to leading a project team. You need to gather as a team periodically to discuss issues, relay key information, solidify decisions and brainstorm ideas. These sessions could be productive. Instead, they often end up trailing off into unrelated topics without any decisions made or tasks assigned when the meeting is over.

• What does documentation have to do with ministry?

  Tuesday, January 30, 2018

  When it comes to leading a church, we don't immediately think of employee handbooks, meeting agendas or policy and procedure documentation. That makes sense — after all, we gather as congregations to grow in our faith and to share it with others.

• The value of a high-level view of the project timeline

  Thursday, January 18, 2018

  ​When you develop a project plan for an effort that will take months (if not years) to complete, it's easy to get lost in the details. A high-level overview is useful for your ability to create and update the plan and to communicate it to others.

• How administration impacts ministry at the altar

  Tuesday, January 16, 2018

  ​Most people don't see how administration impacts Sunday morning services or what happens at the altar. However, what they don't realize is that the functions of the back office can have a direct impact on ministry.

• 5 simple ways to improve in the New Year

  Tuesday, January 02, 2018

  ​The start of a new year is a chance to reflect and decide how to make this year better than the last. With 80 percent of people quitting their New Year's resolutions by February, you can increase your chances of success with simpler goals that are easier to implement.

• How visionaries and planners can work together

  Monday, December 18, 2017

  Imagine two people looking at an empty plot of land. One envisions beautiful landscaping that showcases a church facility ready to host thousands of people with a desire to learn and grow in their faith. The other person sees the same empty plot of land and a long list of all the tasks that must be completed to make something out of the nothingness in front of him.

• When your team rejects project management

  Wednesday, December 13, 2017

  ​Have you ever heard from a team member that project management is just a lot of paperwork? Or maybe they commented that you as the project manager don't do any actual work? I hope that hasn't been your experience, but I've heard those comments and more.

• 3 ways to grow your church’s volunteer team

  Tuesday, December 05, 2017

  We all know churches need strong, committed volunteer teams. Volunteers greet people, take care of infants, teach children, make coffee, lead small groups and much more. Members of your congregation need the opportunity to serve to develop strong relationships within their church family, grow in their faith and experience the joy that comes from serving others.

• Team building on a budget

  Tuesday, November 21, 2017

  ​How well your staff works together has a direct impact on the ministry that happens during weekly services. If you're constantly dealing with personality conflicts, poor communication and inefficient practices, others will see the impact of those issues on Sunday morning.

• Lessons learned from a software project gone awry

  Wednesday, November 15, 2017

  Software implementation projects — whether of new software or a significant upgrade — can be expensive and time-consuming. That's no surprise. However, what happens when the software's functionality doesn't live up to what your team expected?

• 4 tips for delegating to volunteers

  Tuesday, November 07, 2017

  As a church grows, the need for more "hands to the plow" increases as well. Unless your leadership team decides to hire more people, you'll need volunteers you can trust with more complex tasks. This could include leading teams of other volunteers or managing an area on Sunday that staff members have typically handled.

• 5 steps to planning for inclement weather

  Tuesday, October 24, 2017

  ​For those of us who live in the northern U.S., it's time to prepare for lots of snow and ice. We have the infrastructure to clear the roads fairly quickly, but there are days when even an army of snowplows can't do the job fast enough.

• Christmas planning from the administrator’s perspective

  Tuesday, October 10, 2017

  Christmas may seem far away, but it’s definitely not too early to start planning. The challenge for church administrators is that you may be overlooked at times when it comes to preparing for big events. Since you’re not preaching, leading worship, or have an otherwise highly visible role, it’s easy for the rest of the team to forget that their plans impact you. One way to manage this is by asking a few simple questions early on in the planning process.

• 5 ways to increase your team’s capacity

  Tuesday, September 26, 2017

  Life on a church staff can be hectic. You feel the need to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel and to serve your community. However, you could use more "hands to the plow" to get all the work done.

• How to serve your internal customers with excellence

  Tuesday, September 12, 2017

  ​The church administration role involves serving those within your congregation, the community and fellow staff members. From processing purchase requests to maintaining the event calendar, your efforts directly impact the ability of other staff members to complete their projects.

• Make expense reporting easier with mobile apps

  Tuesday, August 29, 2017

  Which would you rather do? Get a few teeth pulled at the dentist or try to get expense reports and receipts from your fellow church staff members? If you're thinking, "At least the dentist would give me pain medication," then this article is for you.

• How to engage volunteers who can serve during the workday

  Tuesday, August 15, 2017

  When we think of volunteers, we mostly consider what roles we need them to serve over the weekend. While that's certainly the time we need them the most, there are ways volunteers can help out during the week.

• 3 administrative activities to prepare for fall

  Tuesday, August 01, 2017

  ​Fall is an exciting time for churches. People come back from summer vacation, kids get ready for school, and everyone starts returning to a normal schedule. Like most churches, you're probably planning a back-to-school event or some other fall kickoff program to welcome everyone back to church. From there, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.

• How to support a visionary leader

  Tuesday, July 18, 2017

  Have you ever felt the tension of appreciating your pastor's vision while being frustrated by rapid-fire requests and changes in direction? You value his desire to reach people with the Gospel, make disciples and lead a thriving church. You want to support him in those efforts, but you're exhausted trying to keep the day-to-day stuff running smoothly and making his latest idea happen.

• 5 key questions for potential volunteers

  Monday, July 03, 2017

  Every church, regardless of size, needs volunteers. The challenge is in getting more people to serve on a regular basis. You may have tried several approaches to bridge that gap, including announcements from the stage, videos, emails, asking people individually and volunteer "job fairs." Those methods can work. However, it’s best to first consider how the approach you decide to use will come across to potential volunteers.

• Developing a budget for your next church event

  Tuesday, June 20, 2017

  While we want to host events that serve the community, lead people to Christ, and strengthen disciples, those events can be expensive to pull off. Event materials, décor, catering, supplies, equipment rentals, and more can add up quickly. Your church may have included an overall budget for events within each department or a lump sum for the year. However, it might be time to consider budgeting for each event individually.

• 3 ways to protect your church’s data

  Tuesday, June 06, 2017

  Technology is an excellent ministry tool. We can communicate with our members via email, text message, push notification, social media and more. We're able to help people find a small group using the church database, and we can offer services online.

• 4 tips to avoiding the summer volunteer slump

  Tuesday, May 23, 2017

  ​Summer is almost here with schools starting to let out and families making vacation plans. Most of us look forward to the summer months, but this is can be a challenging time for church leaders. While your volunteers head out on vacation, you're still trying to make sure each area is well-staffed to pull off weekly services.

• 3 church administration areas you can’t afford to overlook

  Tuesday, May 09, 2017

  ​From accounting to technology and more, there are plenty of tasks on a church administrator’s to-do list. While certain administration topics receive the lion’s share of attention, there are a few areas that aren’t as obvious to consider.

• How to train your replacement (even if you’re not leaving)

  Tuesday, April 25, 2017

  ​In a previous article, I mentioned three reasons why you should train your replacement even if you have no plans of leaving your job anytime soon. The next logical step is to offer tips on how to make that happen. Whether you're a department of one or simply don't have lots of spare time to document how to perform various tasks, these tips will help you get started.

• How to follow up with volunteers this Easter

  Tuesday, April 11, 2017

  When we think of Easter and follow-up, we tend to focus on those who visited on Easter Sunday. We want to contact them quickly and make sure they know we'd love to have them come back. However, another group we should follow up with is our volunteers.

• Why you should train your replacement (even if you’re not leaving)

  Tuesday, March 28, 2017

  ​Initially, the idea of training your own replacement sounds like an excellent way to work yourself out of a job. However, if we're honest with ourselves, we all know we're not irreplaceable. It just feels that way with all the demands for your time and expertise throughout the week.

• The importance of internal controls in the church

  Tuesday, March 14, 2017

  ​According to a recent story in the Tul​saWorld, authorities charged a former church employee with embezzling nearly $245,000. She's alleged to have charged church employee credit cards to make personal purchases, used church funds to pay her own personal debts and more.

• 3 ways to learn from church volunteers

  Tuesday, February 28, 2017

  ​Volunteers are on the front lines on Sunday mornings and at church events. They're the ones helping first-time guests check in their kids. They hear comments about the parking lot, sound in the sanctuary, the church website and more.

• 7 tasks you can’t afford to overlook when planning church events

  Tuesday, February 14, 2017

  Hosting events at your church can be a great way to serve your community, strengthen relationships and build momentum for growth. However, planning those events can drain staff and volunteers. Here are seven key tasks that you can't afford to miss as you plan the next event for your church.

• 3 simple ways to improve communication between ministry departments

  Tuesday, January 17, 2017

  Have you ever felt frustrated with someone from another ministry area at church? Maybe they were late getting in a purchase request and now expect you to rush the approval process. Perhaps the youth pastor left out a few important details about an upcoming event when he needed the information posted online ASAP. Those are moments where you want them to succeed, yet feel frustrated that they didn't communicate sooner (or more effectively).

• 5 ways to help volunteers stay committed in the New Year

  Tuesday, January 03, 2017

  ​Your church likely depended heavily on a larger volunteer team over the Christmas season. Hopefully, volunteers had a great experience and have had a chance to recoup after all the activity. Here are five ways to help them reflect on the impact their service had and continue to stay committed to serving throughout the New Year.

• 5 easy ways to prepare your church for 2017

  Tuesday, December 06, 2016

  ​As we close out this year, you're likely still busy with preparations for Christmas services. While realizing that time is a precious commodity, there are a few simple things you can do now to prepare for the New Year.

• 5 surefire ways to repel volunteers

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016

  Convincing people to give their time and energy away for free isn't always an easy task. Once you do have them on the team, though, you definitely want to avoid actions that push them away. Here are five things I've seen repel volunteers, along with a few simple ways to retain volunteers and help them grow as members of their local church.

• Give yourself a present this Christmas

  Tuesday, November 08, 2016

  Christmas is both a wonderful and a stressful time of year for church staff members. You've got Christmas services to plan, decorations to hang, volunteers to recruit (and train), candles and other supplies to order, Facebook ads to create, etc. The list goes on — it might rival Santa's in length!

• How to build a volunteer administration team

  Tuesday, October 25, 2016

  ​Most churches have volunteers to greet people as they come in on Sunday mornings, others to provide childcare during service, ushers in the sanctuary and someone to make coffee. However, volunteers for administrative tasks don't typically make the list.

• How to prevent church event budget-busters

  Tuesday, October 11, 2016

  Hosting special events such as a marriage seminar or Thanksgiving outreach requires a bit more planning than a weekend service. Unfortunately, no one really likes to kick off an event-planning session by talking about the budget. However, it's important to have this discussion early so you're able to make affordable planning choices.

• Will you have enough volunteers for Christmas services?

  Tuesday, September 27, 2016

  From pumpkin spice lattes to cooler weather, it's easy to tell that fall is here. That means Christmas is right around the corner, along with a mountain of details to manage while preparing for Christmas services. In addition to deciding if you'll have services on Christmas Day (which happens to be on a Sunday this year), you'll also need more volunteers than a typical service. With many people traveling to visit family over the holidays, you'll need to plan ahead to make sure you have enough volunteers for each service.

• But we’ve always held that event ...

  Tuesday, September 13, 2016

  You've probably heard this phrase or something like it in your role as a church administrator. You're raising concerns about an ineffective event, and you hear that familiar pushback. While most people would agree we want to use our resources effectively, they balk when that means not doing their favorite event.

• When is the right time to celebrate?

  Tuesday, August 30, 2016

  ​You've just wrapped up a successful ministry outreach your team spent months preparing to host. It's Saturday evening, and you're already thinking ahead to Sunday morning. You have a great Sunday, then Monday rolls around and it's off to the races on planning the next big service or event.

• 7 traits of a potential project manager

  Tuesday, August 16, 2016

  Think of a project manager as an orchestra conductor. He doesn't play the music, but he keeps the musicians in sync. If your church hasn't really focused on assigning a leader or project manager over each effort, you may not have a staff member on board who's specifically trained in that discipline. Thankfully, project management is a skill you can learn with on-the-job training. However, it does require a certain set of innate skills that are harder to teach.

• Yes, it’s time to start planning for Christmas

  Tuesday, August 02, 2016

  We're still experiencing warm weather, sunny days and lots of outdoor activities. Oh, and we also have about five months until Christmas. While that sounds like plenty of time now, consider this.

• 7 steps to conflict resolution in the office

  Tuesday, July 19, 2016

  ​For some reason, when we start to work at an office, we unconsciously expect everyone to get along and not have any conflict. That idea tends to be proven false fairly quickly. Whatever conflicts you've experienced, the tension and resulting lack of cooperation can keep the team from being as effective as possible.

• 7 steps to conflict resolution in the church

  Tuesday, July 19, 2016

  ​For some reason, when we start to work at a church, we unconsciously expect everyone to get along and not have any conflict. That idea tends to be proven false fairly quickly. After all, while we're all followers of Christ, we're also still human (frustrating, I know).

• How to conduct a church systems check

  Tuesday, July 05, 2016

  ​Have you ever been driving down the road when suddenly the check engine light comes on? That's obviously an indication you need to have your vehicle's system checked out. While we don't receive warning lights within our churches, there are ways to tell when it's time to check on the systems in place that are "how we do what we do."

• 8 tips to prepare for a successful back‑to‑school season

  Tuesday, June 21, 2016

  Unless you're in the VBS or youth event trenches, you likely have a somewhat less hectic schedule than usual during the summer months. If that's the case, after you've taken some time off, this is a great time to start planning ahead.

• How systems support ministry

  Tuesday, June 07, 2016

  Systems are simply a set of procedures or processes established for achieving a specific result. An easy example is the system you develop for processing invoices or adding new members to the church database. You likely have a standard set of tasks someone on the team repeats week after week to result in bills paid or members added.

• 5 signs of a healthy church staff environment

  Tuesday, May 24, 2016

  Serving on a church staff is a different kind of job. It not only involves your time, talent, and work ethic, it also involves your faith and seeing people at their best – and worst. While we’d like to think all churches are a great place to work, some can be quite toxic. Instead of focusing on the negative, I’d like to share the following signs of a healthy environment.

• Does your team know what you expect?

  Tuesday, May 17, 2016

  ​Have you ever wondered why a team member did something completely wrong? Have you assigned someone a task and the final product was not quite what you needed? While it's certainly possible your team member made a mistake, perhaps he simply didn't understand what you'd requested. Ensuring your employees know what you expect is a key step in developing an effective team.

• Does your church team know what you expect?

  Tuesday, May 17, 2016

  ​Have you ever wondered why a team member did something completely wrong? Have you assigned someone a task and the final product was not quite what you needed? While it's certainly possible your team member made a mistake, perhaps he simply didn't understand what you'd requested. Whether you have a group of staff members or volunteers, ensuring they know what you expect is a key step in developing an effective team.

• Are you ready for what’s next?

  Tuesday, April 26, 2016

  ​Vision is a popular subject among church leaders. What’s the vision for your church? How do you communicate your vision to staff, volunteers and the congregation? Vision is important, however, we also need to talk (and do something) about how to make the vision a reality.

• 3 questions for a team health check

  Wednesday, April 13, 2016

  ​Whether you lead a team of staff members or volunteers, you're relying on them to bring their best to the table. However, they can't give their best if they're exhausted or frustrated by an overflowing to-do list. Here are three questions to ask your team for a quick health check.

• What if every Sunday was Easter Sunday?

  Tuesday, March 29, 2016

  ​One helicopter, lots of Easter eggs and an event that went viral in the community. That combination didn't turn out so well Sunday for a church in Plano, Texas. What was planned to be a fun event for the community went awry when a crowd of about 10,000 people couldn't be controlled.

• Are you connected with fellow church business administrators?

  Wednesday, March 16, 2016

  ​We all intuitively know we need other believers to help us mature spiritually, hold us accountable and provide encouragement. The same concept applies to our professional efforts. We need the insights, wisdom and more from others who work in similar roles.

• The inside scoop on why people serve

  Wednesday, March 02, 2016

  Why did you get up and go into the office this morning? One big reason is likely to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, right? Why do you exercise a few times each week? So you can get or stay in shape and be healthy. Why do you make sure you have most evenings at home with your spouse and children? So you can have a strong family and a loving relationship with them.

• 3 tips to make church accounting easier

  Wednesday, February 03, 2016

  ​If you work in the church accounting office, allow me to congratulate you on surviving the craziness that is January. You reconciled the month and year-end books for 2015, prepared tax-deductible donation receipts and made sure everything was in-order for 2016's accounting.

• Can’t live with documentation, can’t live without it

  Wednesday, January 20, 2016

  ​Nothing excites a room full of church staff members like announcing the idea to document their job responsibilities, right? Typing several pages of notes detailing how to reconcile the church bank accounts, enter new members into the database, or how to set up kids' check-in each week is a thrilling time for all.

• How to protect volunteers from themselves

  Wednesday, January 06, 2016

  The volunteer of our dreams is always on time, willing to do whatever task is required, has a great attitude, encourages those around him/her and attracts more people to serve. I'm guessing not all of your current volunteers fit into this category, but you probably have a few with at least some of these qualities.

• Should we care about excellence in church?

  Wednesday, December 09, 2015

  We've all had moments where we wanted to "phone it in" and call it good enough. It's been a hectic week, you're short on manpower (again), and whatever zest for ministry you had at the start of the week has waned out of sheer exhaustion. It happens to the best of us.

• Church leaders: What to do when what you’re doing isn’t good

  Tuesday, November 24, 2015

  "The thing that you do is not good." Ouch. That's what Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, said to him after seeing him serving God's people all day (Exodus 18:17). How is that not good? Moses stated, "I make known the statutes of God and His laws." That seems like a noble, Godly, worthwhile effort, right? Well, apparently his father-in-law had a different take on things (and I doubt this was comparable to a holiday season spat with your in-laws).

• Great systems make vision happen

  Wednesday, November 11, 2015

  We all want to reach more people with the Gospel and help them grow in their faith. Accomplishing that vision takes many forms, such as worship styles, outreach efforts, programs and more. However your church seeks to communicate the Gospel, vision and systems are certainly key factors.

• 4 tips for church customer service

  Wednesday, October 28, 2015

  When we think of customer service, we typically think about contacting a call center or a department at a store — not the church. However, customer service is really a matter of honoring and serving people with excellence. It's treating those who come into contact with your church (members, guests, vendors and more) with respect, compassion and the love of Christ.

• 5 superpowers of church business administrators

  Wednesday, October 14, 2015

  Making every dollar stretch farther than anyone thought possible. Diving in to make last-minute changes to sermon slides (and still managing to not have any typos). Keeping church staff on-schedule and ready for the next service or event.

• 3 hacks for getting out of fire-drill mode

  Wednesday, September 30, 2015

  ​Have you ever had one of those days where you're constantly running from one meeting to the next or where you're solving one issue after another? Yeah, you're definitely not alone on that one. Sometimes it's our own time management goofs that cause those days; other times we're frustrated by another department's lack of planning. Either way, those days aren't productive and can certainly create unnecessary stress for everyone involved.

• Is your church suffering from these 3 symptoms?

  Wednesday, September 23, 2015

  When was the last time you thought about your liver? How about your heart or lungs? It's been a while, right? Me, too. Well, I thought about my lungs when I had taken a too-long hiatus from cardio recently, but that's my point. We don't think about our internal organs until there's a problem. Our internal systems don't get any attention or recognition on a regular basis.

• 3 steps to building financial accountability within church staff

  Wednesday, September 02, 2015

  Do you have to fight to get your children's director to fill out a purchase order? Do you frequently receive requests for large purchases that aren't in the budget? Does the rest of the staff feel like you hold the "purse strings" too tightly?

• How to implement changes without losing volunteers

  Wednesday, August 19, 2015

  Have you ever announced a change to your volunteers that didn't go over too well? Have they ever resisted implementing a new system or process and you couldn't quite figure out why? I'll let you in on a little secret: The issue probably wasn't the change itself. The issue was probably in how the change was rolled out.

• 4 steps to holiday preparation

  Wednesday, August 05, 2015

  We’re not quite done with summer, and football season hasn’t even started, but now is a good time to plan for the holiday season. If your team isn’t already playing Christmas music to get in the planning mood, here are some things to consider. We recommend you find out what did and didn't work last year, delegate responsibilities and see what your pastor has planned.

• 10 commandments for productive meetings

  Wednesday, July 22, 2015

  Meetings, often justifiably, get a bad reputation for being a waste of time. That doesn't have to be the case. In fact, a meeting can be a productive and effective tool for accomplishing many endeavors. That's not going to happen by accident, though. It requires planning and follow-up.

• 10 commandments for productive church meetings

  Wednesday, July 22, 2015

  ​Meetings, often justifiably, get a bad reputation for being a waste of time. That doesn't have to be the case. In fact, a meeting can be a productive and effective tool for accomplishing ministry endeavors. That's not going to happen by accident, though. It requires planning and follow-up.

• 5 safeguards every church finance team should follow

  Wednesday, July 08, 2015

  ​Every Sunday across the country, people put their hard-earned money into an offering plate as it's passed down the aisle. There's an implicit trust they place in church leaders to use that money wisely and with integrity.

• How to take a vacation without checking your email

  Wednesday, July 01, 2015

  ​It's summertime! The kids are out of school, the weather (hopefully) is nice, and it's time for a vacation. Maybe you're planning an epic road trip, heading to a favorite theme park or finding fun stuff to do locally. Whatever adventure your family chooses, vacations are a great time to recharge and reconnect.

• How to take a vacation without checking email

  Wednesday, July 01, 2015

  It's summertime! The kids are out of school, the weather (hopefully) is nice, and it's time for a vacation. Maybe you're planning an epic road trip, heading to a favorite theme park or finding fun stuff to do locally.

• How to take a vacation without being bothered by work

  Wednesday, June 24, 2015

  It’s summertime! The kids are out of school, the weather is hopefully nice, and it’s time for a vacation. Maybe you’re planning an epic road trip, heading to a favorite theme park or finding fun stuff to do locally. Whatever adventure your family chooses, vacations are a great time to recharge and reconnect. And by that I mean recharge your batteries, not your electronic devices, and reconnect with loved ones and maybe your pillow. Here are a few tips for really unplugging this summer.

• 3 project management practices that deliver immediate results

  Wednesday, June 10, 2015

  Running the day-to-day activities at a church can be complicated enough. Implement these three simple strategies to make managing projects less stressful and more efficient.

• It’s time to think about risk at your church

  Wednesday, May 27, 2015

  Whether we face up to it or not, ministry involves risk. A key staff member quits, donations take a nosedive, a storm damages your building, etc. No one likes to think about these risks. However, those who do consider them and have plans to prevent them and deal with them once they've occurred can survive these events.

• From striving for perfection to pursuing excellence

  Wednesday, May 13, 2015

  As church leaders, you're working each day to spread the Gospel and make disciples. Whether you're a pastor, worship leader, accountant, graphics designer or IT genius, you have a role to play in making your church's vision a reality. As you use your talents in your church, there's a tension between wanting to get everything perfect and striving for excellence.

• How to prevent staff communication silos

  Wednesday, April 29, 2015

  ​If your church staff consists of more than a few people, you've likely faced a communication issue (OK, maybe even with just two people). As you add team members and organize into various departments (youth ministry, care team, finance department, media, etc.), communication between groups becomes more challenging.

• Want to finish strong in ministry? Take care of yourself first

  Wednesday, April 15, 2015

  As a church leader, you're used to serving others. Whether that's praying with several people after each service, comforting those going through a difficult trial, or trying to ensure the next service has the greatest impact possible, you're focused on everyone else. That's admirable and part of what being a follower of Christ is all about.

• 4 steps to empowering your staff to manage their budgets

  Wednesday, April 08, 2015

  Does your team complain about filling out purchase requests? Do they wonder why you told them they couldn't rent that huge inflatable or buy that new software? If so, it's probably time to pull back the curtain and show them the budget. If you want ministry leaders who will take ownership of their departments and be excellent stewards of their resources, then give them responsibility to manage their budget.

• How church administration builds relationships

  Wednesday, March 18, 2015

  Church administration tends to have a reputation for being all about tasks, planning and procedures. However, administration really is about developing, maintaining and safeguarding relationships. When you have a heart for ministry and a talent for administration, it's easy for others to only see the "policy and procedure" side.

• How those ‘boring’ policy and procedure documents support ministry

  Wednesday, March 04, 2015

  ​Part of the church administrator role often includes being the custodian of church policies and procedures. From how to handle benevolence requests to the proper usage of church facilities, you have a wide range of policies to manage. If you've ever advocated for the development of a new policy or even simply the updating of existing policies, you may have received pushback from your ministry colleagues.

• How to create events that wow your guests without stressing you out

  Wednesday, February 18, 2015

  Most churches offer a variety of special events throughout the year. From couples' retreats to junior high lock-ins, these events require significant effort to pull off with excellence. Unfortunately, what should be a fun and impactful event often wears out staff and volunteers from all the last-minute chaos. So, how do we avoid the craziness and actually get to enjoy the fruits of our labor?

• What does ‘customer service’ have to do with ministry?

  Thursday, February 05, 2015

  When we think of ministry, we typically think about preaching, praying with people, discipleship, and various programs or events. The phrase, "customer service" probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. Perhaps it shouldn't be at the top of the list, but if you focus on the second word, "service," it feels less like a business buzzword and more like ministry. So, whom do we serve?

• 7 financial stewardship tips every church should consider

  Thursday, October 16, 2014

  ​Finances. Everyone's favorite topic, right? Whether money is tight or you have plenty of financial breathing room, you need to keep a close watch on your church's finances. Members of your congregation are tithing to support the church's work and trusting you to spend those donations wisely.

• Overwhelmed? 4 ways to take control of your schedule

  Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Church staff members are known for having too much to do and not enough time. You're probably wearing multiple hats — all of which are important. So how do you keep the proverbial plates spinning without them falling onto your head? Well, part of the solution is in how you manage your time.

• Preparing the management side of ministry for growth

  Wednesday, August 20, 2014

  Are your current systems and processes effectively supporting your congregation and church leadership? If so, are they also scalable to support a growing congregation? If you couldn't answer "yes" to both questions, consider using the following process with your team.

• Is your church technologically relevant?

  Wednesday, July 23, 2014

  The members of your congregation (and potential guests) expect you to have technology that's current and relevant. This means you need to have a well-developed and maintained website, be active on social media channels, etc.

• 5 things volunteers need to hear you say

  Wednesday, June 25, 2014

  Volunteers who are dedicated, trustworthy and willing to work hard are incredible assets to any nonprofit organization. If your current volunteer program is struggling, you might be surprised at how many people would be willing to serve if they were offered the chance. Paying closer attention to how and what you communicate just might be the catalyst you need to grow your volunteer team.

• 5 things church volunteers need to hear you say

  Wednesday, June 25, 2014

  Volunteers who are dedicated, trustworthy and willing to work hard are incredible assets to any church. If your current volunteer program is struggling, you might be surprised at how many people would be willing to serve if they were offered the chance. Paying closer attention to how and what you communicate just might be the catalyst you need to grow your volunteer team.

• 3 tips for finding hidden talent in your church

  Thursday, May 29, 2014

  Church leaders don't always do a good job at leveraging members with specialized skills. Match up their talents with your church's needs and watch as everyone benefits.

• 5 questions to evaluate church events

  Wednesday, April 30, 2014

  Special events can be productive and beneficial to your church. Community service projects, youth camps, couples retreats and more may be a core part of your church's annual calendar. However, if you're running the same events year after year, it might be time to step back and evaluate your events.

• 6 low-cost ways to achieve excellence on a budget

  Wednesday, April 02, 2014

  ​We've all experienced seasons where the budget is a bit tight. However, we still want to provide the absolute best for our communities and congregations. So how can you achieve excellence on a shoestring budget? Here are some practical tips you can implement at little or no cost.

• How to stand out in your next meeting

  Wednesday, March 19, 2014

  I've been thinking a lot about communication lately. Communication isn't just what we say. It’s how we say something — our tone of voice and our nonverbal queues, including facial expressions and body language. Sometimes our nonverbal cues can betray our intended message.

• The 10 commandments for church volunteers

  Thursday, March 06, 2014

  We have very diverse churches with different styles, but one thing we all have in common is the need for great volunteer teams. A strong, healthy volunteer program doesn't happen by accident or overnight. It requires planning and strategic effort to make it successful.

• 8 reasons why project management belongs in your church

  Wednesday, February 19, 2014

  Project management is a term we don't use much in ministry. It sounds very corporate-y, so it tends to be tossed aside. However, I know from personal experience that planning ahead and managing a project well can reduce the burden on church staff while enabling you to pull off great events and launch new programs.

• 7 steps for a more productive church staff

  Wednesday, February 05, 2014

  One of the challenges in ministry is that there's always more work to do — and it's unlikely you can hire a small army anytime soon. In light of that reality, here are a few practical tips to help your team be even more productive.

• How to ‘fire’ a church volunteer

  Wednesday, January 22, 2014

  ​One question I frequently receive when talking about recruiting and retaining church volunteers is what to do about a volunteer who isn't working out. In other words, how do you "fire" a volunteer? This is obviously a delicate situation and needs to be handled with great care. This individual is donating his time and efforts; he's part of your congregation and a brother in Christ. You don't want to offend him or damage the relationship, but his performance in the volunteer role is hurting the team. So, what to do?

• Are you working for God or with God?

  Wednesday, January 08, 2014

  There's an interesting dynamic that occurs when you earn a paycheck in ministry. Your work, and particularly, your performance on the job becomes tied into your relationship with God. When I worked for a ministry, I struggled with viewing my relationship (and right-standing) with God through the lens of how I felt I was performing on the job. Looking back, I realize how dangerous that mindset can be to our faith.

• Mind the gap: Stepping carefully from vision to implementation

  Wednesday, December 18, 2013

  If you've ever traveled to London and used their subway system, you've heard the phrase "mind the gap." It's their way of alerting you so you don't trip over the gap between the platform and the train. There's another, much larger gap we frequently deal with in our churches. It's the gap between vision and implementation.

• 4 ways for church staff to celebrate Christmas

  Wednesday, December 04, 2013

  December can be a challenging month for church staff. You'd like to enjoy the holiday season, yet your schedule is packed with planning Christmas services and outreaches while trying to prepare your family's holiday celebrations. Your dedication to serving others is wonderful and greatly appreciated. However, please take time for yourself and your loved ones this Christmas. Here are four tips to help that don't require much time or energy to accomplish.

• Help, we’re growing! Start planning now to support your growing church

  Wednesday, November 20, 2013

  It's an awesome "problem" to have with your church. Each week your sanctuary feels a bit smaller and you're running out of room. The congregation hasn't doubled or anything quite that dramatic, but you're noticing a steady increase. You've been praying for this moment, and now that it’s here your joy is combined with a moment of panic. What do we do now?

• How to turn your pastor’s vision into reality without wearing out your staff

  Wednesday, November 06, 2013

  You're in a staff meeting and your senior pastor mentions that he has an idea. Immediately, you start getting concerned (and then feel guilty for being concerned). You've been down this road before. He comes up with a great idea that you fully support; however, you know there’s a ton of work required to make it happen. Oh, and this is in addition to your team's day-to-day responsibilities, plus he wants it implemented ASAP.

• Are you hiring order-takers or high‑performers?

  Wednesday, October 23, 2013

  A robot only takes orders. It receives commands and completes the tasks as specified. It can't really think for itself; it can only do what it's been programmed to do. Does that sound a bit too close to what some of your employees do? Do you distribute tasks and receive reports back when each is completed? Is that really all you want in a team member?

• Are you hiring order-takers or high‑performers?

  Wednesday, October 23, 2013

  A robot only takes orders. It receives commands and completes the tasks as specified. It can't really think for itself; it can only do what it's been programmed to do. Does that sound a bit too close to what some of your employees do? Do you distribute tasks and receive reports back when each is completed? Is that really all you want in a team member?

• 5 tips to prevent burnout in ministry

  Wednesday, October 09, 2013

  Do you sometimes feel like you live at the church? Do you feel guilty leaving each day knowing there's still more work to be done? If so, you’re not alone. I've worked in ministry and felt the struggle between the work I was dedicated to do for God and my own physical, emotional and spiritual health.

• Do you realize how much administrative work impacts ministry?

  Tuesday, September 24, 2013

  ​When we think of ministry, we envision worship, a powerful sermon or prayer at the altar. Those are the central focus of Sunday mornings and rightfully so. However, the careful planning and watchful eyes of church administrators help make those ministry moments possible.