One of the most frequent questions my coworkers and I get asked is, “What do I do if my pastor is not on board?” At the same time I know our pastor has received a similar question, “What do I do if my staff is not on board?” The answer is simple:
TAKE OWNERSHIP
Again, it’s simple, but not necessarily easy. Nonetheless staff unity is a problem way to important to ignore. If you do not have staff unity you not only limit the growth of your ministry, but put in jeopardy the health of your church. So, what can one person do?
The most basic step to get people on board and stacking hands is through prayer. Ask God to give you:
When you start getting God involved he will let you know what you need to do to improve the relationships.
No one really likes conflict. To avoid it completely is impossible. The question you need to answer is, “When will you engage the conflict?” That means confronting an issue immediately no matter how small. Whenever you notice tension:
By diffusing small arguments and disagreements you prevent the epic ones.
Have a group of individuals to hold you accountable to lean into the conflict. Ask them to give you advice on sensitive issues like salary and benefits. These are people who can be found in your pews or they could be a part of a network. Accountability will help you own the situation.
Sometimes our own selfishness gets in the way. People will see that you are there to support them and not compete against them. This will build trust and create a team atmosphere. When the team is willing to look out for one another your church’s movement picks up momentum.
If you want the pastor on board you need to show him honor and respect. That means looking at ways to lead up. To influence up it means building trust. To build trust he needs to know:
You do not have to agree with every decision; however, it’s important to trust that God is leading him. If you can’t trust that you might not be in the right place.
Every work environment is going to experience difficult times. If you trust God you will pull through, you just need to believe it will. God has called you into ministry, and wants you to succeed. He will not let you down. Embrace the hope and share it with your team. Get everyone on board.
Next time you feel like someone isn’t on board do not ignore it. Take action and lean into the conflict. God has called you to something great and remember you don’t have to do this, you get to.
[reminder] Why do you think there can be such disconnect in a church staff? [/reminder]
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