A Report from the Director - Part 7: Lay Staffing - Changes Congregations Are Facing Today - A Tenth Anniversary Series
"No church will ever have enough money to pay people to accomplish all that God is calling them to do."
What has changed? Over the past several decades, the ministry of lay staff has become increasingly vital to many congregations. The research of Dr. Ann A. Michel, associate director of the Lewis Center, documents both the increasing numbers of lay staff employed by churches and also the increasing percentage of church budgets dedicated to staffing in addition to pastors. In fact, it was only in recent years, for example, that the total expenditures by United Methodist churches for lay staff exceeded the expenditures for clergy. She found in her study that the primary reasons for this growth in lay staffing included: the increase and influence of very large churches a changing culture of volunteerism the need for specialized programmatic ministries a shift away from clergy generalists in favor of lay specialists, many of whom are part-time lower salaries and greater influence and flexibility by churches when hiring laity While large churches employ many lay staff, particularly full-time staff, churches of various sizes have added staff in recent years. Michel found that about 60 percent of staff were members of the congregation where they work before being hired, and more are currently members there. As with clergy, lay staff tend to see their work as a calling to serve God. While lay staff are not limited to the largest churches and all churches are more likely today to have more paid staff than ten years ago, the greatest growth of lay staff in the past decade came from large churches. Using expenditures on lay staff in United Methodist churches as a sample, between 2002 and 2012 the number of churches spending $100,000 or more on lay staff increased by 32 percent or 761 churches. Churches spending between $10,000 and $99,000 (about one quarter of churches) stayed the same. The number spending less than $10,000 on lay staff decreased. A full one-third of churches spend no funds on staffing beyond the pastor. What churches are doing? What churches are doing depends on the size of the church. Churches of a couple of hundred attendees or more may still be adding staff. Those smaller but with attendance of 75 or more are probably holding fairly steady. Smaller churches either do not have staff or may be reducing staff. But there are changes taking place in terms of how those churches with lay staff think about both staff and lay volunteers that may have some lessons for all churches. Rethinking the roles of paid staff and lay volunteers.There are times when staff are hired simply to do the work previously done by volunteers. While this may be appropriate for some tasks, the church’s ministry always belongs to the entire congregation and cannot be subcontracted to others, including staff. There was a time when churches saw themselves making progress when they could afford to pay people to do ministry on behalf of the congregation. Today that more narrow view of paid staff is receding. The role of staff additions today tends to be seen in many ways like that of pastors — to equip the saints for ministry. No church will ever have enough money to pay people to accomplish all that God is calling them to do; and it would be a tragedy if they believed a church should do its ministry in that way. Rethinking all service as ministry. While it is easy to distinguish paid staff from lay volunteers because one receives income from the church and the other does not, the difference in the two groups is not as bold as it may seem. On the one hand, those who “work” for the church tend to be people who not only see their work as a ministry but who probably could make more money elsewhere for the same level of work. On the other hand, the “volunteers” are offering service at a level that would be hard for the church to provide if it had to pay for it. While the reward for volunteers may not come in a paycheck, they are “earning” whatever intrinsic rewards they receive. Show appreciation for volunteers. Churches without paid staff function as churches have for centuries with the volunteer service of many people. But churches are learning that volunteer time is scarce for many people today and members have many options for using discretionary time. The spirit of service is alive but not limited to the church. Communities offer a range of ways for persons to serve God and others. If churches think of volunteers as unpaid staff, they are more likely to provide things that mean much to volunteers but are often neglected, such as position descriptions, recognition, supplies and equipment, and opportunities to grow. More volunteers may require more staff. It is not uncommon for churches with the largest numbers of paid staff to have the largest numbers of volunteers. Just as staff should not be seen as merely those who do what volunteers used to do; neither should volunteers be seen as persons who replace a paid person. Many churches see their paid staff as the catalysts for greater lay involvement. Whether a church can afford paid staff beyond a pastor or not, the challenge for a congregation remains the same. All who constitute a church share the call to love God and serve Christ with all their ability to fulfill the mission God has for your congregation. by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start
Are you a pastor preparing to begin ministry in a new setting? With The Right Start video resource, you’ll learn how to end your current ministry well, develop a personal transition plan, and make the most of your first days, weeks, and months in your new congregation. The Right Start is refreshed for 2014 with updated information and is available in both Pastor’s and Group Training Versions. Learn more.
50 Ways to Engage Local Schools
If your church has a school-focused service initiative — or even if you’re just thinking about one — you’ll want to read the latest free resource in our “50 Ways to Build Strength” series. You will learn practical, actionable strategies to help your congregation engage local schools better. Topics include Build Relationships and Trust, Cultivate Congregational Support and Awareness, Help Students Succeed, Support Parents and Family, and more. Read and download this and other free “50 Ways” resources today.
Is It Time to Make the Switch to Social Media?
It can be awkward when a church tries to shift to social media as its primary means of contact with the congregation. Martin Davis offers some suggestions about how churches might think through whether and how completely they should make these changes in “When to Make the Switch.”
How to Protect Your Church from Theft
Lewis Center church finance training regularly offers suggestions to help congregations maintain the integrity of all their financial practices. To that end, we recommend “How to Protect Your Church from Theft,” an article from United Methodist News Service that is part of a series helping congregations protect themselves from the unanticipated.
Enhanced Version of Keeping Our Sacred Trust Now Available
The Lewis Center offers a resource to educate clergy leaders on preventing sexual misconduct. Keeping Our Sacred Trust, an online course that has been used by more than 1,200 clergy across multiple denominations, is now available in an enhanced version. The course addresses the dynamics, motivations, and vulnerabilities that can lead to misconduct and the positive steps that can help prevent misconduct or the appearance of misconduct. Keeping Our Sacred Trust is meant to supplement in-person training, peer support, counseling, mentoring, and supervision. Within this array of prevention strategies, it can promote a baseline understanding of the issues and expectations related to misconduct. The cost for each participant is only $49 and includes .5 CEU. Individuals may enroll online, or judicatories may set up group enrollment with group billing and discounts for groups of 250 or more. Learn more at www.keepingoursacredtrust.org or contact Joe Arnold at (202) 885-8560 or jearnold@wesleyseminary.edu.-------
Editors: Lovett H. Weems, Jr., and Matthew Lyons.
Production and distribution: Carol Follett
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016 United States
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment