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Friends and Colleagues,
For some, an appraisal is like getting a root canal; for others they are non-existent. I think it's critical for both pastor and church to have clear expectations and clear appraisals. How are you doing? See the main article below.
The other article introduces some resources I've found helpful and invites readers to suggest their favorites.
My goal is to help
pastors be better leaders. Additionally, I've been coaching some clients who are dealing with other life issues like figuring out family or career issues. If you find
something here that's helpful, great!
Please forward it to a friend.
(and if you do so, please do it with the forward button on this
newsletter - that helps reduce spam!).
Should you be
interested in some coaching, please get in touch. Send me an email or give me a call. I'd love to explore possibilities.
I hope your November and Advent plans are going well.
Peace,
Bob
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How Are You Doing?
Many
years ago I was fired - well, technically I was given 3 months leave of absence
to find a new call. I was a young and
very naive Assistant Pastor. The church
was already conflicted over the Vietnam War and civil rights when I came on the
scene. I made some blunders. The Senior Pastor and I had differences. One day he called me into his office. I was through.
I was
totally blindsided. There was no
warning. I was out.
Most of us know a pastor who felt unfairly treated. Perhaps
you were caught up in a similar situation.
At the
other extreme are churches with pastors or other staff who are incompetent,
lazy, or who have retired in place. Lay
leaders grumble, active members leave, the church declines for lack of staff
leadership. But nobody does anything.
A
common thread in both these scenarios is that there is no effective appraisal
process.
What is
needed for an effective appraisal system?
1. A clear sense of
mission and vision for the church (or organization). Who are we and what are our priorities? Who is God calling us to be and what does God
want us to emphasize in the next 3-5 years?
(If you don't have clarity about mission and vision, I'd be glad to consult with you about how to
get there)
2. Clear, mutually
agreed on, expectations for the Pastor and other staff. How do their priorities mesh with those of
the church? For example, if a top
priority is developing worship that utilizes a variety of musical genres, then an
expectation would be that Pastor and Director of Music select (and teach)
appropriate music.
3. A job description
that reflects those expectations, indicating what are the most important foci
for the staff member and what are less important - the staff member can't
do everything.
4. An appraisal
system that involves lay leaders and staff in a clear process that reviews
performance against these priorities at least annually. Such an appraisal would:
describe reality - what
has the person done (or not done)?
holds the staff and other
leaders accountable - while this is primarily for staff, it is important
that lay leaders recognize that they are also responsible.
set expectations for the
next year and lead to the staff member making specific commitments
So for
a pastor some sample items in an appraisal might be:
Worship development and leadership -
Develops liturgy (forms, choice of hymns, prayers, etc.) that is appropriate to
the congregation and community. Conducts
meaningful prayers of the people.
Administers sacraments effectively.
Leads worship committee and program staff to consider changes and
innovations, such as whether a
"contemporary" worship service
should be established and format suggestions.
Priority: A
o Exceeds
Expectation
o Meets
Expectation
o Needs
Improvement
Education and Teaching - Teaches or leads
classes or groups as appropriate.
Encourages all ages and groups to learn and grow spiritually. Helps strengthen the CE program.
Priority: C (An Associate Pastor focusing on CE might have this as an A
priority)
o Exceeds
Expectation
o Meets
Expectation
o Needs
Improvement
I
would be glad to send you some samples of appraisal forms I have used and also
coach you as you develop your own system.
Send me an email or call.
A
good, clear appraisal system is vital for your personal growth and the church's
health. It protects a pastor from capricious
leaders and churches from incompetent, lazy, or disruptive staff members.
So
- how are you doing? How do you assess
yourself and other staff?
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Resources - a new column - books and other resources that have been helpful
Transforming Church - Bringing Out the Good to Get to Great - by Kevin Ford
Kevin Ford, the chief visionary officer and managing partner of TAG Consulting, uses a good combination of theology and systems theory to analyze how to help churches change. He has found five key indicators of a church engaging healthy change and transformation:
- consumerism vs. community
- incongruence vs. code (i.e. are we consistent with our core values - our dna?)
- autocracy vs. shared leadership (he makes a good distinction between listening and discussing an issue and then making a good decision vs. seeking total concensus)
- cloister vs. missional (to what extent is the church responding to the community)
- inertia vs. reinvention (how do church members think about the future?)
The book is full of examples of his work with churches in various stages of function and dysfunction.
I encourage you to take a look.
What books or resources have you found especially helpful? I'd be glad (with available space) to share your suggestions.
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Future Issues (monthly)
- A Do-It-Yourself 360 Feedback Approach
- Discerning a Mission and Vision
- Using a Coaching Approach in Leading
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I hope you have found this newsletter informative and helpful. Please subscribe to continue receiving it (or unsubscribe to stop). If you'd like to explore coaching, please email or call me.
If you have found it helpful, please forward it to friends who you think would appreciate it. (And please use the forward button on the newsletter itself.)
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Bob
Robert Harris
Harris Coaching and Consulting
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