Because church staff members are called to a higher purpose, it’s often easy to forget that they also are employees. They are susceptible to job stress and frustrations like anyone else.
Whether you are a staff member or a congregant, think about ways to encourage, motivate and support the people who are leading your church.
Research indicates that stressed employees are less productive. Engaged employees, on the other hand, are more likely to be more productive. Church positions are often inherently stressful. Support and encouragement are even more important to maintain high morale and prevent burnout.
Here are a few tips to help take care of your staff and show appreciation for their hard work.
Encourage excellent work performance
- It’s hard to hit a target you can’t see. Create clear job descriptions.
- Offer fair church salaries and benefits. Employees who feel underappreciated are twice as likely to quit. Appreciation extends beyond finances, but adequate compensation is a good place to start.
- Don’t micromanage. Give them room to complete their jobs. Allow flexibility to showcase individuality. Ask for their opinions. Plan creative breaks.
- Criticize privately and praise publicly. Reports indicate that employees who receive regular feedback and whose efforts are positively recognized feel more fulfilled and work harder. Evaluate them frequently through formal and informal communication.
- Help maximize their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses. According to Business News Daily, professional development opportunities increase productivity and job satisfaction. Provide opportunities to attend conferences, workshops and training events.
- Create a supportive physical environment. Improve your team by creating a safe and dependable work environment and by giving them everything they need to do their job.
Honor their personal lives
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- Church staff members are people, too. One of the best ways to support clergy and staff and motivate them is to honor their personal lives.
- Encourage staff to take vacations. At least one survey reported that most pastors take zero to two weeks of vacation and one-third take fewer days than they are allotted. Don’t make your staff feel guilty for taking much-needed time to recharge.
- Celebrate successes and important events. Be aware of what is happening in the lives of your staff and act accordingly. Throw a baby shower. Give a wedding gift. Send flowers to the funeral home.
- Respect personal time. Establish clear on-duty and off-duty days and hours, and respect them. Have a predetermined plan for who is on call for emergency situations.
- Make sure everyone has a sabbath. Many staff members work on Sundays. If so, determine an alternative schedule for their day of rest and worship.
Give intangible and tangible presents
Support and encouragement take many forms. Assist your church staff by being a friend. Invite them to dinner. Take them out for lunch. Speak blessings and encouragement to them often.
Show your appreciation with gifts to them and to their families. Volunteer to lend a hand. Create a ministry support team whose sole purpose is to create ways to motivate and support the staff.
Most of all, remember that church workers are valuable servants of the Lord who also are normal individuals. Give them grace and pray for them often.
Tricia K. Brown is a Christian author and inspirational speaker. She shares stories of life, loss and laughter to encourage women to grow in their relationships with the Lord and each other. Her recent fiction release, “Seen, Heard, Beloved,” can be purchased on Amazon. For more information about her ministry and books, visit The Girls Get Together.