Deliberate Church: Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Staffing

Introduction
When and if God sovereignly draws more people to our church, we will need more staff members to help shepherd the flock.

Why Not Specialize?
Professionalization – ministry should not be niche-marketed.
Fragmentation – ministers should not be doing their own thing; they should be doing the work of the ministry side-by-side (Read first full paragraph on page 164).
Territoriality – ministers should not think in terms of “my” ministry or “their” ministry.
Program drivenness – specialized staff only see part of the whole.

What’s the Alternative?
An all-around ministry – No more departments!
Versatile players – “Instead of hiring specialists, we’ve found it useful to hire pastoral staff who are willing to be generalists.”
(1) Pastoral assistants – temporary position for young men
(2) Assistant pastors – permanent position for called and gifted men
(3) Associate pastors – it is always good to have more than one person on the boat who can steer the ship.

The Relationships Between Staff, Elders, and Deacons
“The elders decide on the destination. The staff drive the bus. The deacons make sure we’ve got enough gas to get there.”

Conclusion
“A staff configuration that promotes the heath of the church begins with a healthy concept of shared pastoral ministry.”