By Tim Spivey

“The single most important thing great companies did that good companies didn’t was make superb people decisions.” That was from Jim Collins at the Catalyst West conference last week. Collins is one of my favorite…OK, my favorite, author on leadership from a business perspective. The research his team has done over the years has changed even the everyday language of leadership for many.

While not everything Collins says from a business perspective should be used in churches, that statement can. At a strategic level, nothing matters more than using good judgment in people decisions. So, I’ve compiled a list of five huge staffing mistakes either I or people I know have made. Avoiding these will help your church immensely:

1. Hiring close friends or family – just because they are friends or family. Of course it’s good to work with people you love. However, hiring someone on that basis alone is a recipe for problems. Some churches hire people they know and love who simply need a job or who grew up at the church. In addition, they often lack the personal differentiation to hold that friend accountable or to transition them out if the fit isn’t good.

One giveaway that a church is in this cycle is to see how many “rehires” they’ve done. How many people who left the church staff for some reason are rehired later? If this happens much at all, you have a nepotistic family system at play, not a healthy church hiring process. Go ahead and hire friends and family if: (a) they’re actually the best for the position, and (b) you’re completely committed to doing what’s best for the church as it pertains to them…even if it means their departure. Don’t use the church’s money to help a brother out. Use it to help the Kingdom advance.

2. “Swifting.” The reference here is to love life of one Taylor Swift. This track-record of quick break-ups is more commonly instigated by church boards than senior pastors, in my experience. You’ve seen “Swifting” in churches where there’s a new minister every 18 months. High turnover churches usually mean one of two things – and usually both: (a) poor hiring practices, and (b) power issues.

If you’re looking for a place to serve, be very cautious in considering a church with high record of turnover. I know of a church that had three senior pastors in the same year. They also blamed each of those three for the transition based on “wanting a new direction.” They’re right – they need a new direction. They can start by taking responsibility for either poor hiring or a quick trigger finger in personnel matters – or both.

3. The slow trigger. Here we have the church that can’t hold people accountable or transition them out when they need to. This leads to ministry mediocrity over many years, and having even one of these can seriously impact your church. How do we know when it’s time to release someone? If they demonstrate a lack of effort or ability to improve their character, competency or chemistry on the team over a six-month period. If they’re trying, I might go a year. If they won’t try, I might not even wait six months – provided they knew what the church expected from them and I was coaching them along the way. Allowing people to languish does no one any favors.

4. Settling. There might be times when a church should hire someone to fill a spot that really needs attention immediately. I just can’t think of one. Don’t hire someone who can fill a necessary role quickly, unless they’re the best person to fill it permanently. The one exception is interim hiring in which everyone understands it’s interim. Don’t settle.

5. Handcuffing your staff. Don’t hire people if you don’t plan to make virtually every resource you can afford available to them. Care for them spiritually, and be generous in budgeting for their areas of ministry. If you’ve hired good people, they won’t waste it. They will multiply its impact.

True story: I have a friend who is a highly capable youth minister. He was hired to work with a youth ministry of roughly 20 students. The church, which had plenty of money at the time (very important), allowed him only a whopping $200 youth ministry budget – total! Just as exciting for him, conference attendance was considered vacation time. It took him all of six months to figure out that his hands were tied and he couldn’t deliver what they had asked him to – and he didn’t want to be there long-term. The church rehired the position, and that minister was gone in a year, as well.

If you’re going to spend the money on a staff position, give them the tools. Or, expect a lot less. But, who wants to hire someone with low expectations? If you don’t have enough money to resource the position you’re hiring, you can’t afford the position. If you have the money, use it to equip the substantial investment you’ve made in position. It’s a worthwhile investment of God’s resources.

What would you add to this list? Any thoughts on the above?

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

It isn’t enough to simply do what you’ve been asked to do. That’s a given. Ministry staff must be cohesive units that execute ministry’s calling. I’ve observed that some churches emphasize “getting the job done” without looking at how to get the job done in a way that reinforces other church objectives, such as cultivating team chemistry or building godly character. There’s no reason “getting the job done” has to be the only thing that happens when staff works on something – ever. The job will get done better and more consistently if those on the staff like each other. I don’t mean they are best friends; but, rather they like each other enough to consider hanging out with each other outside the office. Laughter should be common, and there should be intellectual respect for one another.

How does one accomplish this? Here’s a shortcut: hire people you like. Ask yourself whether they are a good fit for your team. Or, if your team is dysfunctional, would they bring better chemistry to the team (as you work on the relational aspects of your team, of course). When we hire at NVC, we don’t care less about how “productive” or competent a minister is – they have to fit. We obviously aren’t going to hire an incompetent person; but, it’s far easier to find competency than chemistry.

Surprisingly, I know some churches that don’t want to hire people they know get along well with other people on their staff. The fear is they will squirrel around too much, or personalize one another’s departure from the staff if it ever comes to that. In churches where there’s a lot of elder/staff tension, some elders actually bring a “divide and conquer” mentality to the hiring process. They look for a company man or woman rather than someone who might lower tensions by bettering the work environment by enhancing chemistry. What a huge mistake, and one that really hurts the ministry.

Fun and team chemistry accentuate productivity. True, they can also facilitate a bit of goofing off, but in the long run, that’s a good thing. Here’s the reason: Ministry is a team sport. If you hate your team, it ruins the sport. You might play hard though true grit or a sense of calling, but privately, you’ll be either looking for a trade or wanting to practice or play on your own. Either of those is bad for the church. Loving, and LIKING the people you’re serving with means a greater willingness to say “yes” when the church asks someone to go the extra mile – if for no other reason than they like hanging around with each other. So, if we need to set up 1,000 chairs, I’m there, because I know that somehow it will be not only done, but it will be fun. Imagine doing that alongside people you didn’t like. You’d either try to dodge it, or it’ll suck the very life force out of you. Miserable task + miserable coworkers = miserable ministry.

Hire people you like, are capable, and live out the Gospel. It’s amazing how much those qualities bring intrinsic accountability into a staff team. If your staff members hate each other, you’re going to need to make some changes before you can get top-shelf ministry out of your team and build long-term cohesion and joy in service to Christ. Make them…wisely and compassionately.

These three remain: Character, competency, chemistry (Hybels’ terms). The greatest of these is character. Vice-greatest is chemistry. Good team chemistry will pull the best out of everyone on the team. If you want top-shelf ministry and long-term staff continuity, hire godly, capable people you like.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

By Tim Spivey

So, how’s your church budget doing this year? It’s March now, which means it’s also a good time to look at church finances. You can probably already tell what kind of start the church is off too. Granted, January and February are not strong months for offerings, historically. However, you can take this into account and make some adjustments if you need to. If you’re off to a better year than anticipated, praise God. If you aren’t, praise God anyway, and make a small tweak or two now. It will save you greater pain down the road.

Church budgeting isn’t the same as personal budgeting for a variety of reasons. One of them is the unexpected that happens on the opposite side of the ledger. In personal budgeting, I can generally expect a paycheck every pay period. The variables are my expenses – and unforeseen medical bill, a surprise car repair, etc. Church budgeting has surprises on both side of the ledger. You can get caught by a big facility-related expense and (more commonly), get caught off-guard on the “offerings” side of things.

Tell me if this sounds familiar. Your church steps out on faith with some ministry plans that will require increased offerings, say 5 percent to 7 percent above last year’s offerings. They don’t materialize. Not to be deterred, your church runs a slight deficit through about July, until someone on the board throws the flag, calling for something to be done about the deficit. They want to cut. Other elders want to challenge the church to give more generously. The preacher doesn’t want to do either, because both mean significant pain for him personally. This process goes on for a few months until the church is at a crisis point. So, a special offering is called for the purpose of making up the deficit. Usually, the church still comes up a little short and a deficit is left at year’s end. So, some new ambitious ministry plans are put out there that will require increased offerings of 5 percent to 7 percent. They don’t materialize…

Then, the process gets repeated the next year.

Let me suggest a more disciplined process: Don’t stop dreaming, but budget a bit a more conservatively, then make small adjustments every two months based on data, not dreams. This doesn’t mean you can’t run any deficit ever. It’s normal to run some deficit during the first part of the year, because the back half is always better than the first in terms of offerings. I’m suggesting we not let that deficit run too deep. I’m suggesting you run a smaller deficit and avoid the loss of credibility that comes from always needing a bailout.

There’s a difference between asking the church to give generously at year’s end to make up a $5,000 gap and needing to ask in July for $50,000 and then again in December for $40,000. Managing God’s money that way hurts your church long-term by eroding credibility and training the church to give to need rather than vision, and to crisis instead of love for Christ.

Most of a church’s financial problems are self-inflicted. One of our biggest mistakes is not adjusting down before we absolutely have to adjust.

Take for instance the “sequester.” Regardless of whether you think the sequester was a good idea, the real reason it happened wasn’t just because of President Obama or the Republicans. It happened because for years, no one did anything about the deficit to the point something had to be done. When you’re in crisis, your options are limited, and anxiety rules the day – not logic or the Spirit. Political interests may have caused gridlock when it came to finding another solution. But, the problem wasn’t political. It was perennial, self-inflicted financial decay.

Rather than run that play in your church, look at how you’re doing this year, and make small tweaks now. How small? Two percent might be about right. If you feel that’s too steep, go with 1 percent. Right now, someone is thinking, “If we lower the “weekly need” number, people might give less.” Yes. But, that tells you a lot about how your church has been formed spiritually. In addition, if you really want people to give less, mismanage the budget year after year.

You might consider telling the church what you’re doing in the name of stewardship – and part of biblical stewardship is responsible spending. However, also remind them stewardship’s essence in the Bible is generosity.

Tomorrow’s post will deal specifically with choosing what to cut. For now, I hope you’ll keep your mind open to the idea now, not in August.

Question: Does your church make small tweaks throughout the year, or does do you run deficits most of the year hoping to make it up at the end?

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

By Tim Spivey

In the last post I introduced the subject of mental preparation for ministry and offered three skills of those well prepared mentally for ministry.

Here are the other two:

4. Understanding the church as a body. The church is a body, not merely the sideshow for our preaching. One of the biggest reasons lead pastors and elder boards make poor decisions is they lack an understanding of how the church functions as a body. If a person goes to the doctor with back pain, a bad doctor may assume they’ve slipped a disc or had poor posture. However, it may be an old knee injury is causing them to overcompensate as they walk, thus leading to the back pain. The pain is in the back. The problem is in the knee.

Pastors who are well-prepared mentally devote themselves to the field of knowledge known as “church systems.” Or, think of it as holistic medicine and wellness care for the body of Christ. The church is a bit like a mobile. Pull this and that moves, pull that and this moves. We need to know what moves what. We need to understand how our decisions impact the whole church body and how before we make them – as best we can.

If you want to see this principle at work, watch the budget process carefully. The budget process is like a throat culture for the body. You can see so many incubating diseases in it. Watch as we cut things or spend things based on making ends meet and the value system of those making the decisions, rather than on a full understanding of how cutting out pizza night for the youth ministry or not giving raises this year is actually going to impact the body. Understanding the church system as a body may not change whether the cuts need to be made, but it might change where the cuts are made or whether an effort to raise more resources is the solution.

5. Breadth of practical ministry understanding. There is a reason doctors are trained exclusively within their area of specialty. An ENT doctor has to also study some podiatry. This is because the body is a system, and knowledge of the body’s various parts helps in understanding their specialty and the body as a whole. The church is the same. Reading broadly, studying broadly, experiencing broadly – these all help you as a leader in subtle ways that add up over time.

A lead minister really needs to know something about youth ministry, worship ministry, children’s ministry, etc. Notice I said “know” and not “think they know.” Also, notice I said “something,” not “everything.” If a leader of a staff has zero knowledge of a given ministry area, they will likely lack the ability to understand the body’s parts and health system. Study youth ministry, hang out with the youth minister some, and go to a few youth events. Watch the band rehearse, walk through the children’s wing at check-in time. Sit in on finance team meetings and have lunch with the chairperson every few months or so. You get the picture. All of these add to our understanding in subtle ways intellectually and experientially – and they keep us from making subtle mistakes as we lead because we didn’t know various parts of the body existed or how they functioned.

This two-part series of posts is about growing as practitioners of ministry. I’d like to know what you think about the concept of mental preparation, and what you might add or remove from this list.

If we devote ourselves to practical, mental preparation for serving the Lord, we will be more effective practitioners of the Gospel.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

We focus rightly on spiritual preparation for ministry. Recently, the church has focused new energy on the emotional health of the minister. This, too, is a good thing. However, there is another side to ministry that is neglected. It’s the mental side. By “mental side,” I don’t mean theological reflection alone. I mean the part of us that thinks pragmatically. It’s the side of us that learns to operate on someone, not just the part of us that thinks about the nature of the body or building the hospital. The task of ministry is theological/spiritual first, but the implications of our theology will bear themselves out in daily ministry. Preparing spiritually is vital – and part of that preparation is transformation and full devotion of our minds to the task to which God has called us.

I’m coaching a girls’ softball team, 9 and 10 year-olds. At that age, mental preparation is, at least, half of the game. Thinking through what you are going to with the ball before each pitch, knowing how many outs there are, knowing if it’s a good time to steal, or what pitch to throw – huge. Then, there’s the biggest skill – the ability to forgive yourself for a mistake quickly while learning whatever you need to. It’s the mental side of the game.

Ministry has a mental side. It’s not all theological reflection. It’s sound, pragmatic ministry thinking for God’s glory. Have we ever noticed how many of our blog posts, conferences, etc., talk about what the church needs to do – while rarely teaching us how to do it?  It is one thing to yell, “Throw strikes!” It’s another to teach someone how to throw strikes, to forgive themselves for a walk or hit batter.

Below, I’m listing five skills of mentally prepared ministers I’ve observed over the years. I’m giving three today, and two in tomorrow’s post. Do these things – and it will really help your mental preparation for ministry.

1. Regular remembrance of God’s mighty works. When it seems you are facing an insurmountable obstacle, when all seems lost, when you’re discouraged to the point of despair, remember God. Like the Psalmist exclaims: “Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered…” (105:5). Don’t just remember the biblical works of God (though those are vital as well), remember the mighty works of God you’ve seen with your own eyes. Remember when you thought the elders were about to split apart and God held them together. Remember when your marriage was about to disintegrate and God brought healing. Remember when he healed the sick, brought you through an excruciatingly painful period in your ministry, and brought new Christians to himself in the waters of baptism. Remember things you’ve seen God do with your own eyes. Pray it out loud. It builds faith, fights discouragement, helps us forgive ourselves when we make mistakes, keeps us from thinking it all depends on us, and reminds us all is never lost.

2. Continual study of healthy, pragmatic ministry. Churches are complicated, communities are dynamic, and devotion to mission is difficult in a time when attention is hard to capture. Effectively hiring, managing, budgeting, spending, pastoring, starting and stopping is often our calling in addition to improving our preaching, youth ministry, etc. Mentally prepared ministers not only understand the importance of these things, they spend much of their energy learning how to improve. By all means, read books on the theology of preaching. But, by all means, learn how to preach. Listen to people who really know how to do it well. Spend extra time working on delivery, finding better illustrations. Try some new things in your preparation process, and prepare better physically for Sunday morning.

3. Love vision, but don’t worship vision. In sports, the goal is usually to win the game. In church, it’s “seeing God’s vision for our church come to fruition.” The problem is, wanting it or seeing it doesn’t make it happen. Crystallizing vision is important. Thinking through its implementation is equally important. “Vision worship” is a disorder in which we talk passionately about hazy things like “making disciples” or “reaching our community with the Gospel” while investing virtually no energy in how to make that vision a reality. If you’re not good with strategy, get some help from another pastor, a consultant or someone. Picture implementation as a part of your vision. If you see it as separate, you’ll invest little in it, because pure vision without consequence is much more fun. View them as husband and wife. Perform the vows between them yourself. Then, what God has joined together, let no pastor put asunder.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

Do you attend your local pastors’ gathering? If so, why? Let me tell you why I go, even though I’ve struggled with it over the years.

If you’ve never been to one, it usually goes like this: a group of 10 or so pastors from a particular neck of a city get together for lunch, share what’s going on in their churches, and perhaps someone speaks for a little while.

Sometimes the food is mediocre. Sometimes the fellowship isn’t much better. Over the years, however, I have seen these gatherings accomplish what no national conference does – it gets ministers to know each other. If such a gathering develops even minimal camaraderie, it helps the city.

Truth be told, I’ve broken bread with pastors who probably would have chosen to eat with a serial killer for they thought of me a liberal. I’ve also been at gatherings where I was patronized because of the tribe I came from,  treated like a novelty of sorts – an Amish-like relic of things the church should have moved on from by now. Ten years ago, I would attend these gatherings and have my head patted, figuratively, for a couple of hours because I was the youngest present by 20 years.

I could have stopped going. I didn’t need those gatherings. I could have focused on what was right in front of me through isolationism or excluding them back. In the end, however, I would have hurt not them, but my city – and probably myself as well. In those gatherings, I learned how to help or work alongside people that didn’t like me much at the time. I learned how to care more about God’s plan for the city than my own feelings. I also learned what it’s like to be the new guy or outsider in a room full of people that are supposed to be uber-hospitable but aren’t. That’s why I now look out for the young pastor, the Hispanic or Black pastor in a sea of white faces, the pastor from the eclectic fellowship, the liberal pastor in the conservative preacher’s gathering. I was them – and still am sometimes.

If you feel out of place or as though it’s truly a waste of time, perhaps you shouldn’t go to your local pastors’ gathering. I’ve just found over the years it does the city good when pastors know each other and have even minimal relationship with one another. It doesn’t have to be the local pastors’ gathering. You can proactively seek out relationship with those around you. But do something.

Don’t serve as though you’re the only pastor in town. You’re not, and serving that way hurts you (it cultivates isolationism and “bubble” thinking), those around you (who could learn from and enjoy you), and your city – that will experience ministry through silos rather than a unified Body. On numerous occasions over the years, a city has been blessed by our church and others working together for the common good. On numerous occasions, the seed for the ministry breakthrough our church needed was planted at one of those gatherings.

Scott Lambert, one of mentors, says, “Have sharp elbows.” I’m glad I’ve followed his good advice. Find a gathering and pull up a chair. It’s good for your city, and it’s good for you. By God’s grace, you’re going to make a friend or two along the way.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

By Tim Spivey

It should.

One of the primary reasons we don’t trust politicians is because they promise things they cannot deliver, or deliver the promised result through inappropriate means. This leads to a feeling of betrayal or a sense that we ought not to take what they say too seriously. When Jesus talks about not swearing, but instead letting our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no,” He provides us some good wisdom for both life and ministry.

If you have Vision Sundays or budgets or capital campaigns or foyer conversations with the church, use “yes,” “no,” or “I’m not sure.” Use, “Can you give me some time to think about that?” Even as we set goals we believe honor the Lord, let’s not promise things we can’t deliver. If your church is setting some goals this year (and you should), be wise. Don’t, under the cloak of “faith” set a goal that will require God to part the Red Sea or raise the dead to achieve. That’s not faith, that’s testing God. Remember, God parted the Red Sea (extraordinary) as Moses and the Israelites were simply trying to get away from Pharaoh. They weren’t seeking a miracle; God performed one in the midst of everyday life. In my experience, God delivers huge blessings as we follow cloud and fire faithfully each day.

Don’t promise the 10,000 baptisms this year. Set a goal to reach more people for Jesus, and have some concrete ways you’re going to do it. Don’t resolve your church is going to end all human trafficking over the next year. Instead, set the abolition of human trafficking as a value. Then, develop some clear steps toward that end. Join some other churches that have the same passion. Tell the truth. Avoid hyperbole.

Embrace vision, not hallucination.

Embrace vision, not dreams.

Let’s avoid flinging our churches off the roof of the Temple and telling God He promised not to let our foot dash against a stone. Instead, let’s set goals more consistent with daily discipleship and daily following of cloud and fire. We shouldn’t be surprised if God parts the Sea in front of us.

I’m not saying we should all aim low or not set goals. I’m suggesting we understand the difference between vision and hallucination, and stick with vision. Let’s have ambitious vision and clear steps, not hallucinations. Then, we can stand back at the end of the year and marvel at what God has done, not what we humans failed to achieve.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

By Tim Spivey

As I mentioned in my last post, staff reviews are thought by some to be intrinsically miserable and somewhat useless. They really don’t have to be. They can actually be a time staff looks forward to. I was reviewed for more than a decade in a way similar to what I describe below by elders at the churches I served. I never received a poor review, and only once did I ever feel any elder tried to use a review punitively. Thankfully, he was outnumbered by others who saw the job I was doing differently. I say this because I want you to know what I’m laying out below isn’t rooted in nightmarish review scenarios of my own. However, those of some of my colleagues have impacted how I think about reviews.

Not counting interns, I’ve done somewhere around 150 pastoral staff reviews. I review every minister and every support staff person. As I’ve gone along, I’ve tried to add certain components I felt were missing from my own reviews. I also took away things I believe created unnecessary anxiety in staff. I’ve never “outsourced” staff reviews to someone else. One year, that meant doing nearly 30 of them myself over a three-week period. It was somewhat exhausting and obviously a sacrifice of time – but sooo worthwhile. Staff reviews are an extremely valuable ministry tool for the reasons I described in my last post.

I know there are some better ways out there. Here’s how I do it.

Choose the right setting. I used to do reviews in my office. The upside was it was professional and clarified our respective roles on staff. However, I also found it to be an emotionally sterile environment. People would listen to me, but not talk. Now, I nearly always do them over a meal at a restaurant the staff member likes. It starts things off on the right foot and sets the table for a two-way conversation. It’s just harder to argue or be defensive over chips and salsa. Plus, the free lunch is a gift unto itself.

Make sure you have enough time, but not too much time. If you have a staff of under 10 people, two hours is about right. If you have too little, you may cut short important conversations. If you go too long, you’ll waste an entire month on reviews, and it means someone is probably dominating the conversation. Because of the desire to break bread with staff as we talk, I typically choose a long lunch hour.

Have a clear purpose. The three purposes of our staff reviews are: (1) for them to leave knowing how the church feels about the job they’re doing, (2) for me to hear from them what they need to go to the next level, and (3) for us to go away closer to one another and more dedicated to our ministry than when we sat down. The flow of the meeting typically goes in that order.

Have a good tool. Don’t just sit and have a chat. Put some serious thought into the finer points of how they’re doing and write it out. I use a written evaluation tool I’ve attached to this post. You can click the link at the bottom. I’m adapting this quite a bit for use at NVC. However, since most of my readers serve in established churches rather than church planters, I’ve included an older edition from my days in established churches. I “grade” the staff member in all 30 areas on a 1-to-5 scale, and I use whole numbers (no decimals). Fives are off the charts, and anything under a three must be addressed by March 1 of the next year or further action will be taken. The base is taken from a tool given to me by my mentor and professor, the late Dr. Charles Siburt. I’ve changed some of the wording, etc. He would have no problem with me giving this out, as he gave it out freely to hundreds of churches all over the country. I hope you find it helpful. The language of “Character, Competency, Chemistry” is taken from Bill Hybels’ terrific book, Courageous Leadership. After the 30 points, there are three short write-in sections. One to tell them what they are excelling at. One to give them “next level” recommendations. One to summarize and affirm again. We will begin using the adapted version of this tool in the coming year.

Be specific. Don’t just say, “You’re doing a great job” or “We need you to work on your relationships with your teammates.” Tell them how…exactly. I go through the aforementioned 30-points quickly, highlighting any fives or threes, and noting which of the three categories they are excelling in (Character, Competency, Chemistry). But, wherever I comment, I try to be specific and ask for their perspective too. “Do you feel like your relationship with Meagan is getting better or worse?” Wait for their answer and really listen. Then, respond with your own specific observation.

Give them the mic regularly throughout the conversation. Ask questions throughout, and especially the three below.

Do not surprise them. Whether praise or correction, a review should never be the first time you’ve told them.

Ask these three questions and really listen to the answers (this is the most important part of the entire review – the listening): (1) Is there anything you want or need to take your ministry to the next level? (2) How can I be a better ministry partner to you? (3) What one thing can I do to make your ministry more fun or fulfilling? I’ve had staff members give me stuff that was absolutely priceless in this section. One asked for financial help getting marriage counseling (I had no idea their marriage was struggling). Another confessed she was hurt when she didn’t get Thanksgiving off because her late husband died on Thanksgiving Day (I had no idea as a brand new minister). I’ve had people apologize for the job they did over the year and give genuine (non-fabricated or high-drama) explanations that reshaped how I saw them as a worker.

Be Generous. If we are able to give raises, I like to give raises at review time. This is for two reasons: (1) It’s Christmas time and they can plan better financially knowing how their pay is going to look going forward. (2) I want them to know we’re glad they serve the Lord at our church. Ministers are always hesitant to ask for raises. So, do it for them. When we can’t give raises or one isn’t merited, I still want to give something to them – a gift card for a night away with their spouse, etc. Evernote pays to have all of their employees’ houses cleaned twice. Some churches think the humbug approach is better – give the 1 percent raise every three years if you have to. Bleh. That’s a recipe for low morale and high turnover. I understand if the church can’t do it, they can’t do it. I’ve been there. However, if you can do it, you should do it for those who deserve it. Come January, you’re going to be a lot better off with motivated, high-morale ministers not worrying about money.

End with the heart-felt and positive. Don’t leave them with, “We appreciate the job you’ve done this year.” Leave them with something that lets them know you really believe in them, trust them, and are glad you have the blessing of working with them individually.

Be sure to pay the check.

There you have it. I’m sure there are better processes, and I’d love to hear yours.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

Click on the link for the minister evaluation form. Minister Evaluation Form

By Tim Spivey

It’s staff review time at New Vintage Church. To some, the idea of “reviewing” staff sounds a bit corporate. It certainly can be. However, it doesn’t have to be depersonalized and cold. It can be a time of the year staff actually looks forward to. In my next post, I’ll share with you how we do ours at NVC. Before that, however, I’d like to encourage you to do it. Over the years, I’ve found them a vital ministry tool. Here’s why:

It keeps communication flowing. It’s amazing to me how many churches either don’t do reviews at all, or make them a monologue from “employer” to “employee.” No one likes an annual beating or reminder of where they are on the proverbial totem pole. However, most ministers I know welcome the opportunity to hear how you think they’re doing, and have an open dialogue about they’re area of ministry over a few hours. Staff reviews are important if for no other reason than this: you and the staff get to practice speaking to one another constructively about awkward subjects. It’s going to be easier to talk about “job performance” or delicate ministry issues throughout the year when you do it more regularly.

It’s a chance to say “Thank you.” All staff have done some praiseworthy things. They deserve to know what those things are. It only blesses people to hear, “Well done.” Do it as often as you can.

It’s a chance to offer correction or “tweaks” if necessary. Even the greatest ministers I’ve ever worked with have things they can improve on. In a healthy staff culture, it will be understood everyone is trying to get better all the time. It will be considered a part of the job to self-assess and welcome others’ assessment for the common good. Having said this, it’s also a time to make people aware of significant or growing problems.

It’s a built-in chance to deal with staff issues you may have been avoiding. To be clear, staff reviews are not the grease trap for all the things you’ve been wanting to say but haven’t had the courage to. It’s a better time to check-in on things you’ve mentioned already. It’s a great danger to let it all build up, only to unleash it on an unsuspecting minister at a vulnerable time like a staff review. If, for instance, you’ve mentioned consistent lateness to meetings, this is a natural time to bring it up again or thank the minister for making strides. One rule of quality staff reviews: NO SURPRISES. No Pearl Harbors. One reason reviews can be non-anxious for people on staff at NVC is they know there will be no surprises. If they are to be confronted about something, they know it’s coming. I’ve committed to them they will know of anything needing attention in advance of that occasion. As a result, they can come in knowing the landscape already.

It’s a chance to strengthen the relational tissue of your team. Talking plainly to one another about important personal things builds chemistry. It deepens your relationships.

It’s a great chance to get a feel for staff’s “job satisfaction.” I like to ask what I can do to make their ministry thrive, or alleviate suffering where it may exist. I also like to ask how I can be a better partner in ministry to them. I have learned some GREAT things about how staff members perceive me or what they need from me during this time.

Lastly, it’s a chance to reward people. I like to come bearing gifts, when possible. If they are married, I like to do something that will bless the whole family. In lean years, it might only be a gift card. Other years, it might be a pay raise. But, I don’t want anyone on staff walking away with only a “well done” in words. I want to demonstrate that in a way that staff member receives affirmation best.

I highly recommend staff reviews for the reasons cited above. In my next post, I’ll give you a step-by-step guide to how we do it at NVC.

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”

By Tim Spivey

Every church gets a certain amount of opportunities to grow or make some sort of progress. They aren’t always the same as those of the church down the street. However, at least half of them will be. Like free throws in basketball, they are easy opportunities to make progress. Nevertheless, many churches fail to recognize them, and more still fail to take advantage of them.

What qualifies as a “free throw”? It can be seasons of the year during which people are more spiritually responsive and open to God and church: New Year, Easter, Back-to-School. Some churches don’t recognize them and others simply let them pass. It can be the constants of ministry: unified leadership, generosity, clear vision, staff that works well together. Some don’t recognize their importance or work diligently to cultivate them. There are other everyday free throws when God sends a new family through the doors of your church unexpectedly. Follow up, and you made your free throw. Don’t follow up, and you missed. Even better, we can prepare for the occasion by building a church that guests and believers love. Easier said than done? Perhaps, but not impossible. It just means a lot of free-throw practice.

The problem is that more churches prefer three-point shots to free throws. They get you more points for equivalent effort. The problem is, you’ll make less of them, and you won’t shoot as many of them. Great churches prevail the way great teams do. They don’t make the half-court shot or alley-oop their way to success. They make their free throws. In an average NBA game, a team that makes 80 percent of their free throws will win most of the time.

Don’t miss God-given opportunities to make progress. Take advantage of the seasons, your Sundays, the fundamentals of ministry, the times when the ball is in your hand and there is no one between you and the hoop. Spend less time figuring out how to come up with a break-through idea, and more time upping your free-throw percentage. It will help the church more. Then, you can work on the break-through ideas (three-point shots).

Some churches have great preachers but don’t grow. Others have great graphics, websites and bands, but they don’t grow. Other churches grow despite only adequate teaching, lackluster facilities, etc. They make their free throws. They don’t miss any low-hanging fruit. Don’t get me wrong – all of the aforementioned things matter to some extent. They just don’t matter as much as making free throws.

The NBA’s great three-point shooters are also great free-throw shooters. Guess which they learned to do first?

Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”