If you have visited a construction site before the walls are finished and plastered, you will see a myriad of wires and pipes woven into the hidden recesses of the building. It is these items that provide the plumbing system, internet connectivity, security system, lighting system, etc.
We don’t think about these items in the building we worship for example until any of the systems is not working properly.
The corollary of this analogy is our body systems-respiratory, excretory, reproduction, blood circulatory, digestive, etc. It is when any of the system in the body break down suddenly, that we pay attention to our health. It is the functionality of all the systems in the body that makes us healthy.
In the same manner, the management side of the ministry is not noticed unless it is not working well. The coordination of all those systems is the work of management.
Management is the life wire of any functioning Church or ministry. For example, as a congregation grows, a system that was effective before may suddenly become ineffective. A case in point is the energy requirement in our worship building, it may suddenly increase because of adding more air conditioning units to cool our facility. By implication, the former generator becomes inefficient if it cannot carry the new load requirement. Frequent light-out due to overheating of the generating set can mess up the worship service.
Church manager must carry out periodic reviews of their system and processes to ensure that it is supporting the needs of the church as the congregation grows. Are your current systems and processes effectively supporting your congregation and ministry requirements? If so, are they scalable to support a growing congregation? If you cannot answer “yes” to both questions, consider using the following appraisal to review your management effectiveness.
Evaluate the following administrative functions in your church:
I. Volunteer Management- this includes recruitment and training, deployment and debriefing.
II. Financial Processes and Control.
III. HR processes including hiring and staff development, compensation plan, leave matter, staff policies and disengagement, etc
IV. Program & Event Planning Procedure.
V. Communications- announcement & information dissemination & management. Including social media, mass SMS and email blasts e t c
VI. Technology- internal network, church management software, database management, etc
VII. Facility Management including lighting, air conditioning system, audio and visual equipment, etc
Are these areas effectively supporting the vision of your church? If not, where are the areas you need improvement?
For each area that needs a bit of renovation, work with your team to determine what needs to change and what it will take to improve. You may need to involve a consultant in the areas in which you need improvement for professional advice. It is not a crime not to know, but it will be a crime to keep quiet with our inadequate knowledge and continue to struggle under the yoke of ignorance. (Hosea 4:6)
Involve staff members in the process so they can take ownership of the whole process for successful implementation. All we need first is to identify the gap area- we need improvements, what we need to do and when we are going to do them given the financial outlay of our decision. For example, we may need to get a bigger generator with installed capacity to meet our new energy requirement. And the money to do that is not in our account presently. When we will get the money and how will affect the implementation of that decision?
Moreover, as a church, we need to build for the future. To be able to respond to the changes in our environment, start talking with your team about what they would do to support a larger church from your present size. How would the team that recruits and leads volunteers handle a 20-25% increase in Church attendance? They will need more volunteers to serve a larger congregation. How can they get more people involved?
What financial system or policies you will need to put in place to get more donations and improve your expenditures?
Will you need to consider hiring more full-time or part-time staff? Or rather outsourcing some services for cost-effectiveness instead of outright employment?
Do you need to up your technology to take care of the growth? For example, did you need to upgrade your Church software or acquire a new one?
Play out a growth scenario let’s say 10% more people join your church next month during your staff meeting and start asking questions to get them thinking. Then develop a plan to use as you start seeing the growth in your church. Our population is increasing and with the present economic conditions, more people will come to church to seek solutions to their problems. This is the only way the growth will not cause strain and stress for the staff team.
We all want to reach more people with the gospel and make disciples. As church administrators, your supporting role may not be visible, but heaven is taking record of your input and God will reward you in due season. (Gal 6:9)
However, the work you do behind the scenes can either propel or hinder your church’s growth. Your teams have a vital role to play in serving your congregation. Take the time now to improve and prepare for growth. As we are faithful to what God has entrusted to us so far, it’s possible He will entrust us with greater responsibilities. Get ready because the growth is here!
Seyi Oladimeji
No comment