One of the most significant factors in your ministry is the people you have around you. Last week we talked about the fact that every leader has strengths and every leader has weaknesses (Prophet, Priest or King). Your effectiveness will be determined by your team. Too often we do everything ourselves or fail to find people who really fit, whether volunteer or paid staff.

LET’S TALK…

So how do you go about finding the right people for your team? Samuel Chand in his book, Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code, asks these four questions.

1. Competence: Can they do the job? 

Are they gifted and capable of doing this ministry? I remember (during the years of my pastorate) asking some leaders to help me find a secretary. They suggested a person who just simply “wanted the job.” The problem was that she couldn’t even type. They were still trying to convince me that, because she really wanted the job, she should get it. Willing and available are factors the must be considered but they must not be at the top of the list.

Most ministry positions require getting people to do things who aren’t getting paid to do them. I suggest looking for people who are leading others as a volunteer before you think about putting them on staff.

Travis Stephens

2. Character: Can I trust them?

If there is no trust, there is no ministry. Character and trust go hand in hand and they are especially important within a church. One person can easily unravel a church. You can’t be careful enough when it comes to character.

Even when placing volunteers in leadership, do a background check, see what they are putting on Facebook, ask others about their reputation and integrity.

3. Chemistry: Do they fit in our culture?

Sometimes it’s not a matter of how talented a person may be, but how they get along others. Want to know if someone fits within your culture before you hire them? Here’s one suggestion: Take them on a weekend retreat with the staff and see how it goes. If your normally chatty team gets run over by the talented superstar, the cost of bringing them in may be too high. (Or you may need to coach your team (both sides!) through the adjustment period.)

4. Capacity: Can they grow with us?

When you’re part of a healthy church, you can’t just look at the present. In many ways, you want to seek staff and leaders in view of the future. You can’t just hire for the here and now. Travis Stephens suggests asking, “Is this a person who is going to be willing to put in the work to grow with us? A great indicator of this is what are they doing now to grow themselves. If they’re not reading books, blogs, and listening to podcasts, they’re probably not interested in growing.”

BEFORE YOU GO…

I don’t think you can go wrong using these four questions. They are a great filter in determining the people who are on your team, paid or unpaid.  Thoughts?