Love it or hate it, organizations tend to function in the realm of hiearchies, processes, procedures and structures. So too the “usual” expression of church. Generally speaking.
Ever re-examine your church leadership structure to try and determine if it’s effective for the growth in staff and congregation you’re experiencing and, perhaps more importantly, if it’s optimal for serving your mission? Structurally speaking there are various options to consider… from keeping the leadership structure essentially flat… to a standard hierarchy… to adopting Hybels’ “constellation of leaders” concept.
I want to hear from you. (All you church staffers represent!)
What best describes your current expression of church? (house, small, medium, mega, multi-site, don’t go at all, etc.)
What’s your context? (rural, urban, suburban, university campus, etc.)
How is your leadership structured?
Is it “working”? (however you define that)
Any innovative approaches to organizing the staff of a church that you’ve come across?
I’m listening.
nooc
3 comments
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April 4, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Lon
medium, mid-urban, slightly ministry function oriented, it’s working, but I wouldn’t say optimally. it’s all a bit middle of the road at the moment.
innovative approaches? hrm.. not many from me. there’s partnerships or no-leadership, time-bound leadership, or lead/equal eldership…
i think you’re right, structures are a reality.. and they do communicate something… but i think it’s more important that the people themselves remain innovative regardless of where they are in the hirarchy
April 4, 2007 at 8:06 pm
ragamuffindisciple
I’m in a small church, in a more suburban area. We are Elder oversight, staff lead and Elder, staff and lay people run. It’s really not working, not because the model (if you want to call it that, we call it Biblical) is broken but that leadership has to be top down and vision and mission directed. Everyone has to be on board or it won’t work. All have to catch the vision and grab a hold of it and own it. If that doesn’t happen nothing else matters and you’ll be a mediocre gathering, playing church on Sundays and fooling people into believing that what you project is real Christianity. Of course this isn’t a rant against you but more out of frustration with the church as a whole.
April 5, 2007 at 10:25 am
anne jackson
What best describes your current expression of church? (house, small, medium, mega, multi-site, don’t go at all, etc.)
((meeegggaaa….we are expecting 25K for easter)))
What’s your context? (rural, urban, suburban, university campus, etc.)
((suburban…outside metropolitan Dallas in the fastest growing county in the country!))
How is your leadership structured?
((in an org chart…but basically elders/senior pastor/senior staff/leadership staff/ministry director staff/manager/coordinator/administrative&facilities/hourly))
Is it “working�? (however you define that)
((yep, surprisingly!))
Any innovative approaches to organizing the staff of a church that you’ve come across?
((we all take extensive personality and strenghts test and are “plotted” so we can see who is strong where. your job comes out of that. if your strenghts/passions change your job changes with you. that is really odd for a megachurch to be so flexible but it really works well.))