In every growing organization, the order in which you hire your next staff member is critical to your growth trajectory. Resources are limited and every staff hour counts. How much more true is this in a non-profit organization like a church? Especially when it’s primarily a volunteer movement?
Is your next hire an administrator or a children’s pastor? Is it a youth worker? A worship leader? A groups pastor?
Peter Drucker, in his book The Effective Executive, gives us timely advice for this question:
One should only have on a team the knowledges and skills that are needed day in and day out for the bulk of the work. Specialists that may be needed once in a while, or that may have to be consulted on this or on that, should always remain outside. It is infinitely cheaper to go to them and consult them against a fee than to have them in the group to say nothing of the impact an underemployed but overskilled man has on the effectiveness of the entire group. All he can do is mischief. (Location 673)
What a great framework to determine who your next hire should be!
After all, “contracting out” various aspects of your ministry is now easier than ever. For example:
- Instead of hiring a leadership development specialist, what if you signed up for Ministry Grid? This is a fantastic leadership development platform for everyone from your elders and staff to your parking attendants and ushers.
- Furthermore, instead of expecting your groups pastor to be a curriculum specialist, what if you allowed him/her to focus on coaching, and then contracted out curriculum development using a resource like Discipleship in Context? They can create custom Bible studies that reflect your church’s vision, ministry goals, and community context. Or what about using the on-demand small group curriculum development solution – Smallgroup.com?
- Or what about using Lifechurch.tv’s Church Online platform to launch an online extension of your ministry? Or their Church Metrics software to keep track of data and growth? Or their Open platform to guide and supplement your sermon series’?