One of our soon-to-come training tools is called Caring for Church Workers, which helps churches know how to support their staff and volunteers. As a sneak preview, here’s a short excerpt from an interview we’ve included in the tool. Lee Dean spoke with Doug Fagerstrom, president of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and author of Ministry Staff Member and The Volunteer.
How important is delegating and releasing church workers?
We need to know what we’re releasing them to. Sometimes leaders are guilty of catch and release, which is a fishing term. I recruit you and release you to ministry but I don’t touch you again. There needs to be a coming alongside. I need to be praying for you, engaged with you, evaluating with you. I need to be asking you good questions about your ministry. “Do you need help? Do you need more people or fewer? Do I need to be sharing with the rest of the organization what you’re doing?” We need to release you, but not so released that we cut the line.
How can leaders best show appreciation?
I can say “thank you” even if you did a bad job. However, when I’ve been told, “good job, way to go,” I hear what I hope someday will be the words of Jesus. He’s not going to say “thank you.” He’s going to say, “well done, good and faithful servant.” I want something more than a public accolade from my leader, because anybody can do that. Public accolades can be more for the leader than for the person they’re talking about. What I really want is that personal, eye-to-eye, warm, “you did a good job.”
How do we help workers celebrate victories and overcome defeats?
We celebrate the victories by personal touches. We’re allowed a lot of creativity and space. It might be a Starbucks card or an invitation into the leader’s world of ministry, leadership, or personal life. You give correction by asking me how I think it went. Let me self-evaluate, as opposed to coming in with condemnation. That only says, “I disappointed you because I didn’t do it to your standard.” Ask me good questions that will help me go to the next level.
