Nothing poisons the fellowship within a congregation like strife among the leaders; nothing blesses a church like leaders loving one another.

As a pastor of 6 churches over the past 42 years, I've seen it both ways, and I have to say, harmony is the only way to go.

Here are my top eight ways for a church staff to achieve healthy working relationships with each other:

1. Play together. Whether the staff prefers tennis or golf or they spend the morning at the bowling alley, the camaraderie that results when you have fun together is worth the trouble. On an out-of-town retreat, take in a movie or a play.

2. Get the staff families together regularly. Have backyard cookouts and covered dish dinners in the homes of staffers. Play parlor games involving the children. Whatever you do, do not schedule a program or entertainment. Let it happen. It will. (Such informal times are far more valuable than taking everyone out to a fancy restaurant.)

3. Do not skimp on regular staff meetings to plan the calendar, ...