Kevin Wilson 360

For all the benefits of longevity in church staff, it can also create challenges. One is preventing the team from being worn down by following the same routine year after year. Here are five ideas for re-energizing the staff:

Take a field trip.

Field trips can provide both inspiration and education. Look for a sister church that has already met challenges facing your congregation. Seek out a nonprofit that does an outstanding job of living out core values shared by your church.

I worked with a church staff that toured a Christian hospital. They learned about how to provide training for staff when there is little time for training. They also discovered ways of helping guests and visitors find their way around the church facilities.

Find a partner church to collaborate with on a project.

A collaborative project provides staff with the opportunity to learn by doing. Staff also glean insights from leaders and members of the partner church.

The most rewarding collaboration I experienced was partnering in a new church start. Our church played a minor role in launching the new congregation, but was inspired to start new ministries.

Serve together in the community for a day or weekend.

As a staff, research opportunities to serve the community. Choose one to engage in together. This is primarily a morale booster. It provides a break from the routine and can create a renewed sense of community.

I’ve worked with staff have handed out water bottles in parades, volunteered to clean yards of neighbors and stack sandbags during a flood. The staffers were sharing stories about the experiences years later.

Switch tasks for a day.

There are some tasks in churches that can’t be switched. However, one weekend the Director of Christian Education could lead the drama team while the Director of Music leads a small group. A Pastor could spend an evening with an inter-generational ministry while the Family Life Minister makes a homebound member visit.

In order to learn about new church software, I spent one Sunday evening entering data from weekend worship services into the program. Meanwhile, our Director of Communications contacted our weekend guests and visitors on Monday morning. Switching roles was eye opening for us both.

Hold a retreat.

I prefer to hold retreats off-site. Changing environments is a proven method for stimulating new thinking among staff. However, holding a retreat on-site is better than not having a retreat. It is important that the retreat go well. Staff can develop a poor attitude towards retreats if they perceive retreats as boring or anti-productive.

Retreats can cover a wide range topics. Today, I will help lead a retreat in the Cleveland area for church staffs. The morning will focus on helping staff members understand their own strengths and each others’ strengths. In the afternoon, each staff will create or update a staff covenant.

What is your favorite way of boosting staff morale? Share it in the comments or shoot me an email.