By Mike Klockenbrink

You’re called into a meeting to discuss a problem or situation. You are just one component somehow involved in a process that isn’t going the way it’s supposed to.

Even before you get to the meeting your brain is racing. What is my role in all of this? Am I doing everything I’m supposed to? Am I in trouble? It’s amazing to me how many times we instantly go on the defense. It’s that part of that lizard brain I hear author Seth Godin talk about so much. The lizard brain is known as the Limbic System. It’s the part of the brain takes over in a flight or fight situation, survive at all cost.

So you get to the meeting with several other people connected to this process. The process is laid out and you start to discuss the areas where it’s broken down. After a while everyone is heavily involved in the discussion. Together you realize that someone isn’t properly trained in part of the process. There are assumptions made, and you know where that leads. This person didn’t have particular rights. This person was waiting for this person and so on.

Now that we understand where the break down happened, areas of miscommunication and assumptions occurred, we can fix the process. We clarify who is going to do what, we give individuals the tools needed to complete the task and clearly define who, what, when, where and why of the process. Everyone agrees and you leaving the meeting feeling like you accomplished something together.

Somewhere during that process you realize, it’s not about you, it’s about the process. Once you realize that, you switch from defense to offense looking for solutions with the team. I have found that it is rarely about you and usually about the process.

If you’re the one calling the meeting on fixing the process, save the team unneeded anxiety by clearly stating what the meeting is about. You are looking to this group to help you solve a process problem. Let them know this meeting is not about them, it’s about the process.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Sam S. Rainer III

Every position of leadership has its nuances. We pastors are no different. Those of us who shepherd God’s people have unique demands and quirks that come with our leadership roles in ministry. And in my years as a pastor, I’ve learned the hard way that some secular leadership models simply do not work in the church.

A seasoned pastor bristling with sagacity recently reminded me of several characteristics of sound pastoral leadership, specifically relating to potential conflict within the church. I’ll share them with you.

• Always tell the truth (even when it hurts)
• Be transparent to prevent misperceptions of hiding information
• Show humility in all situations
• Do not attack those who attack you
• Do not engage in malicious gossip
• Love the people
• Keep focused on the main things
• Deal squarely and fairly with the issues
• Be open with the people
• Allow people the opportunity to vent and ask questions if needed
• Keep your composure
• Watch God work in the midst of negative events
• Take a conflict and turn it into an opportunity
• Be prepared and present the facts with clarity and composure
• Pray constantly
• Seek the counsel of key people in the church
• Seek the counsel of those wiser than you
• Work unceasingly to see the matter to resolution
• Do not encourage conflict, but do not avoid necessary conflict
• Demean no one
• Never yield to ultimatums
• Keep important records and documentation
• Never let conflict (or your leadership) be about you
• Show much compassion

Anything else you all think should be added to the list?

Sam S. Rainer III is the president of Rainer Research and senior pastor of First Baptist Church Murray, Murray, KY. [www.rainerresearch.com] [www.fbcmurray.org]

By Ken Behr

Have you ever wondered where you are going to get all of the volunteers you need in your ministry? If you are leading a volunteer workforce, you are in good company. The US Department of Labor reported that this past year (ending September) that there were 62.8 million people that were actively volunteering in some organization. These people came from all walks of life, all economic classes, some college, some not, all races, both genders, young and old.

On average they spent about 52 hours in the past year volunteering, or about one hour a week.

While you may not remember all these numbers, remember the “one-hour a week.” Many churches have embraced “Worship one; Serve one” as a challenge to all of their members, engaging each one of them in a worship service and a serving opportunity, both likely about one hour a week.

We know that people volunteer for a variety of reasons. These range from identification with the values and mission of the organization and wanting to help, to a desire to get to know other people, make friends and find common interests. Regardless of the reasons given, our churches advance their mission when people identify with our mission and our calling. Identifying the Great Commandment (to love one another) and the Great Commission (to make disciples of all nations) as our mission creates great opportunities for people to serve, make a difference and grow in their faith. Remember, people have opportunities to serve in all kinds of organizations but only the church can give them the opportunity to fulfill the mission Jesus gave His followers.

What is interesting also about one hour is that studies have shown that in about an hour, the average volunteer can be fully trained to perform the job for which they are assigned. The church jobs that volunteers fill range from some simple jobs like handing out the weekly bulletin or folding chairs to more complex tasks like making hospital rounds, supervising a nursery or mentoring inner-city youths.

What is unfortunate is that all too often, we don’t give these volunteers the one-hour of training that they need. This is unfortunate because the church is one big volunteer-run organization. Since the day of Pentecost, the vast majority of the leaders in the Church have been volunteers. Volunteers provide the invitation, the hospitality, the teaching, the training, the development and also the governance of most churches.

When training is inadequate, volunteers don’t get the opportunity to fully understand the importance of their role. Without proper training they can’t lead and without leadership the mission suffers.

Fortunately the best people to do the training are volunteers. We just need to give them the opportunity and let them know it is a priority; let them find the one-hour to train. Let them lead….62.8 million can’t be wrong.

Ken Behr is an executive pastor at Christ Fellowship, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. [www.gochristfellowship.com

By Mike Klockenbrink

When was the last time you’ve shown appreciation for your employees or your co-worker? If you have to think about it, then it’s been way too long.

Have you created a culture of appreciation to show your staff that you appreciate them? Appreciation is shown in many different ways. No matter how you show it, it must be sincere.

Sometimes a simple, “Thank You,” is all that is needed. Show your appreciation for their hard work and contributions. And, don’t forget to say please often as well. Social manners do belong at work. A more gracious, polite workplace is appreciated by all.

So what else can you do to show your appreciation?

Be interested in them not just as an employee, but as an individual. Ask your employees or co-workers about their family, their hobby, their weekend or a special event they attended. Your genuine interest will help people to feel valued and cared about.

Introduce them to guests as you pass through the office. Don’t blow by employees as if they are insignificant. They’re important – so show it!

Give them an important project; show you trust in their capabilities.

Praise something your coworker has done well. Identify the specific actions that you found admirable.

Offer staff members flexible scheduling for the holidays if feasible. If work coverage is critical, post a calendar so people can balance their time off with that of their coworkers.

Know your coworker’s interests well enough to present a small gift occasionally. An appreciated gift, and the gesture of providing it, will light up your coworker’s day.

Almost everyone appreciates food. Bring in bagels or bakery goods to treat your staff and coworkers. Offerings such as cookies or cupcakes, that you’ve baked personally, are a huge hit. Another hit? Bring chocolate – chocolate anything.

Create a fun tradition for a seasonal holiday. This past Christmas our entire staff helped with an on-site work project together. Afterwards we had a potluck lunch where people were divided into cooking teams. Each team prepared a meal to share, and people got to vote on the best overall meal. Team winners got a gift card.

Last, but not least, provide opportunity. People want to participate on a special group or team where their talents are noticed. Invite them in to participate and not just sit on the sidelines like a spectator.

Show your appreciation, and they will appreciate you for it.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Mike Klockenbrink

I’ve always dreamed of playing a guitar up on the stage rocking it out. I tried trombone and bass guitar in high school but it didn’t stick.

A dream without action will always be a dream. Flash forward 30 plus years and the dream won’t go away. So, in 2009 I got a guitar for Christmas. I thought this was going to be easy. After all, I’ve played air guitar all my life, and recently, Guitar Hero. How difficult could this possibly be? Okay, several months have gone by, and all I can do is strum. Not quite the rock star I envisioned. So for my birthday my wife bought me guitar lessons.

When I headed to my first lesson at Graham Music Pros with Scott Graham, I was a little nervous, but I thought I would have it nailed within a few lessons. After my first lesson, reality set in and I realized it wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.

Sitting in my office I asked myself how many employees have dreams to be something more. Maybe not a rock star (I don’t really want to be a rock star, but it sounds cool) but having more responsibility or move into an area they’ve never been before. How can I make those dreams come true? This comes back to getting to know your employees and what it is that they want to do. You can provide for them the opportunities as they become available. You can give them the necessary tools (guitar). You can even give them the training they need (music lessons). However, if they don’t practice on a regular basis they will never get better. They may become frustrated and give up, because it’s too difficult.

This is where a simple nudge or word of encouragement can go a long way. Know that they will have some highs and lows along the way. Celebrate the little successes.

As for me and my guitar, it goes the same way. The more I practice the better I sound. I still have more than my share of sour notes, but I’m having fun along the way. I’m tired of just dreaming, I want to play. So practice, practice, practice and let the music play.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Sam S. Rainer III

I recently attended the funeral of a 95 year-old man. He was a bi-vocational minister. He paid the bills by working as an electrician. But his calling drove him to the tent revivals and churches.

Bi-vocational pastors serve outside the spotlight. In my denomination, however, approximately half of all pastors are bi-vocational. They are many, but they get only a fraction of attention given to pastors of larger churches. They receive little recognition, but they are the workhorses of churches that do much of the heavy lifting.

Though I now pastor full-time, I served for two years as a bi-vocational pastor of a tiny church in central Kentucky. We started with 6 people. It was my first pastorate, and I had no idea what I was doing. I drove two hours one-way to get there. My preaching was awful, and I had to lead music with a karaoke machine while my girlfriend (now wife) played an out-of-tune piano. The church was dying. The people were tired. The building was falling apart. And there was no air-conditioning.

I loved that church. Still do.

The people forgave my less-than-spectacular sermons. I encouraged them to reach outward. And, truly by the grace of God, the little church grew. Not to 500, 250 or even 100—more like 40. But we knew God was working. It was great.

God revealed much to me while I was their pastor. I know I learned more from them than they got out of my sermons. I’ve still got a long way to go, but let me share with you a few things I figured out during my short time as a bi-vocational pastor.

Ministry is not about ideals. I had several ideals, a big vision, and grand hopes for the little church. My plans were not wrong. But the people had heard it all before from other short-term pastors. I learned that before a church family follows the grand vision of a new pastor, you must first love them where they are.

Ministry means working alongside people. One of our first projects was to paint the church and install air-conditioning. If I hadn’t shown up with a paintbrush in hand on work day, then I would have lost the respect of the people. At the end of the work day, the folks gave me the honor of painting the church bell red—it was a big deal.

Ministry requires you to laugh at yourself. I made more mistakes than I had successes as a younger pastor. And the people knew it. You can laugh at yourself and help everyone feel comfortable. Or you can pretend and make everyone feel awkward (or angry).

Ministry means loving people deeply. I will never forget the gifts people gave me when I left the small church. The church was poor, but the people lavished love on us. I didn’t deserve it, but they gave anyway. The love between a church and pastor should be like nothing else. I pray they understand how much I loved them.

I wasn’t a great bi-vocational pastor (or even close), but there are many who have served faithfully for years. They love their churches. Their churches love them. And God’s kingdom is larger because of their faithfulness.

Sam S. Rainer III is the president of Rainer Research and senior pastor of First Baptist Church Murray, Murray, KY. [www.rainerresearch.com] [www.fbcmurray.org]

By Mike Klockenbrink

Excuse me, did you just tell me NO?

“Hey Matt, could you take care of this for me?”
“No I can’t at this time. I’m really buried in this project at the moment.”

Did he just tell me no?

Congratulations! As a leader you’ve done your job. When an employee can tell their supervisor no, you have helped to eliminate the fear factor. The fear factor of I’m too busy to take on anything else at this time. Too many times we hand off projects or assign tasks to people who are overburdened and would never say no to their supervisor. That’s an unhealthy spot to be in. I’ve heard it too many times, “I’m drowning here and nobody seems to care.”

Now does this mean that “no” would be acceptable all the time? Of course not; each situation must be looked at independently. You may ask Matt to take this on because he’s the only one capable of doing it or because it’s time sensitive. In any case, if you’re going to put more on his plate you have to take something off or change your expectations.

What if everyone isn’t like Matt and they don’t say no? Then it’s your responsibility to ask questions before you just add something on their plate. What are you working on at this time? Is it possible for you to add this to your already full plate? Is there something I can do to alleviate some of this workload for you? Reassure them that it’s okay to say no.

If you’ve hired the right people in the first place, they’re going to work hard. Believe in them, encourage them, push their comfort zone from time to time, and let them know that it’s okay to say no. Don’t let fear get in the way.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]

By Ken Behr

Over the years, businesses intentionally embraced the masses and got larger and larger. In this pursuit, mass production and mass marketing led to a large and ultimately massive market. Customers that were initially attracted by the lower prices from these mass production techniques eventually lamented the sameness and the lack of uniqueness that was all too apparent in the companies’ products and services.

Henry Ford once said, “A customer can have a car painted any color that he wants as long as it is black”.

Some progressive leaders of these large companies discovered a new concept called “Mass Customization” whereby customers could still take advantage of the availability, low cost and high quality associated with mass production but at the same time could receive a product or service that was customized to the individual and specific needs of the consumer.

Recently, churches have gotten big—really big. Just a few years ago, we used to marvel at megachurches. We now have dozens of gigachurches, churches that serve tens of thousands of people each week.

These churches regardless of their size have one particular thing, one particular offering or service that needs to be very customized. That product or service is discipleship.

Very large churches do a great job in providing spectacular worship; they offer amazing programs and have built remarkable buildings. These are all mass produced offerings. Their worship attracts thousands; many of their programs require hundreds of employees and utilize thousands of volunteers. However, in order for these very large churches to turn out great disciples they also have to learn or acquire the art of Mass Customization of Discipleship.

Embraced small groups
For example, as churches have grown, in order to maintain intimacy and fellowship they have embraced small groups. Small groups are a great way for many people to grow in Christ, discover what it means to become accountable, to understand sacrifice, humility and community. Individuals and couples find their way into a specific small group that fits and meets their particular needs.

Not everyone is ready however for a small group. Many people on the path of becoming disciples need to heal, regroup, recover or possibly relearn some of the basics.  Many churches have found opportunities to offer them medium size and larger group gatherings including divorce support groups, alcohol and drug rehabilitation groups.

Sunday school still offered
I’m very happy as well to see that all the success experienced in years past through adult Sunday school programs hasn’t been discarded. Many of our largest churches are offering new Saturday, Sunday and weekday classes. These class offerings range from some basic classes in the faith to more advanced classes in evangelism, stewardship, marriage and child development. All have been customized to meet the particular needs of individuals.

Here in South Florida as well as in many parts of the country, a large percentage of our visitors and new members have a Catholic background. In order for many of these individuals to grow as disciples, they want to understand some of the historical and cultural similarities and differences.  Churches that offer these classes have designed a customized approach to a smaller but specific group with distinct and individual needs.

Mass Customization of Discipleship isn’t simply offering more but offering that which specifically meets the need of certain individuals, couples and groups. People are attracted to large churches because of the quality of worship, their excellent programing and ample facilities. As these churches continue to grow they need to find ways to minister and customize growth opportunities for various individuals, couples and groups.

Mass Customization of Discipleship maintains some of the advantages of economies-of-scale while creating opportunities for large churches to provide unique and distinctive ways for people from various backgrounds to grow, to learn and to become exactly who Christ wants them to be.

Ken Behr is an executive pastor at Christ Fellowship, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. [www.gochristfellowship.com]

By Sam S. Rainer III

We all struggle with bad habits; at home; at work; privately and publically. Church leaders are no exception. Allow me to share a few of these bad habits through the lens of church life. We can harm otherwise fruitful ministry with these character foibles. Here’s a list of ten bad habits to consider kicking.

1. Procrastination. It’s harmful at any level, but the effects of this bad habit are compounded at higher leadership levels.  If a ministry leader or senior pastor consistently procrastinates, then everyone is forced into a last minute fiasco. If top leaders don’t plan ahead, then by default no one plans ahead.

2. Sloppy communication. My second biggest pet peeve is poor grammar and careless writing. Write in complete sentences. Proof the worship guide. Check press releases for time and location errors. Stop splitting infinitives.  And don’t chew gum or crunch ice in a meeting, which is my biggest pet peeve.

3. Confusing informal with disrespectful. I doubt most pastors would prefer to be called “The Most Holy Reverend Doctor.” In my experience, most church staff is on a first name basis. In church work, a direct superior may also be a best friend, but authority and submission must remain intact.

4. Taking advantage of leeway. For me, one of the most refreshing parts of being called into ministry from the corporate world was flexible hours. I work longer, more intense hours at the church, but I don’t have to be at my desk for specific times anymore. I’ve seen many workaholic pastors and many lazy pastors, with very few in between. Neither extreme is admirable, but lazy pastors are especially harmful to kingdom work.

5. Refusing to mingle. It’s a sad truth, but you can work at a church and never be among the people.

6. Consistently running late or going over. A person who does not honor time parameters erodes trust. Occasional offenses are forgivable. A pattern of time abuse shows disrespect for others.

7. Staying in a silo. Most midsize to large churches have departments, programs, and separate ministries. Clear distinctions of job responsibilities accompany these silos. The mission killer is usually not the silo. The mission killer is the “it’s not my job” attitude.

8. Acting as the resident contrarian. “Yes” men and women are annoying. People who always believe their ideas are better are doubly annoying.

9. Electronically badmouthing the church. A blog is tantamount to speaking on a street corner with a megaphone. Not too many people would air dirty laundry that way. An even more cowardly action is blog bashing a church.

10. Politicking. Church work requires smoothing edges and rubbing shoulders with the right people. Consistent politicking, however, makes people question a person’s motivation.

The list is not exhaustive, so feel free to add in the comments section bad behaviors that you’ve seen that are detrimental to the church.

Sam S. Rainer III is the president of Rainer Research and senior pastor of First Baptist Church Murray, Murray, KY. [www.rainerresearch.com] [www.fbcmurray.org]

By Mike Klockenbrink

Direction, not intention, determines destination.

It doesn’t get much clearer than that.  Throughout my life I have had the best of intentions, but at times I have arrived at the wrong destination.  I remember throwing a surprise birthday party for my wife.  I thought it was  going to be great; she’s going to love it; I’ll be a hero.  I made the necessary plans, picked my wife up from work and told her we needed to run by the house to pick up my wallet.  We walked through the door and everyone yelled surprise.  My wife does not like surprises.  Ooops!

I had the best intentions in mind.  I like surprises, but I didn’t take the time to consider if she did.  Unfortunately, throughout my life I’ve had many good intentions both at home and work that didn’t end up where I intended.

Many times we have loved ones, friends and employees who may have gone the wrong direction, even with the best of intentions.  While I may appreciate their effort, I sometimes ask “Help me to understand what you were trying to accomplish?”

I found that there are usually a few reasons we get off track.

You’re happy overachiever.
If a little is good, more must be better.  Sometimes more comes with a cost.  You spent how much? How much time did this take? This is all I was looking for.

They do everything but …
Look at all of the things I got done.  That’s great, except the only thing I wanted to see completed didn’t get done.

I thought, therefore you should know.
So with little or no understanding your employees will do something and arrive at a destination.  In the words of the famous Dr.  Phil:  “What were you thinking?”

So what do we need to do to make sure we arrive where we’re supposed to? Know who you’re talking to. Everyone is wired just a little bit differently and will respond differently. Don’t assume.  Everyone knows this one.  Be clear with your direction and what your expectations are.

If you are not clear with your direction, nobody will ever end up at the destination regardless of your intention.

Direction, not intention determines destination.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. [ www.lakesidechurch.com]