Staffing the Church in 2020

The latest issue of Church Executive recently hit the stands.  It has some great articles in it—you can subscribe here. Below is an excerpt from my article in the issue.

If your church remains healthy, then the staff structure will probably look much different in 2020 than it does right now. Church leaders will work for long periods of time to implement new visions for their congregations. They will labor for years to simplify the structures of their churches. They will lead their churches to adopt new discipleship processes and streamline programs. Yet one of the most needed changes that is often left untouched is the staff.

As churches move forward, existing staff structures are often left in place. Healthy churches that progress, however, will inevitably create positions for people who will champion the new vision. Over the next ten years, we are likely to see several different staff roles emerge in the church. What might these positions look like? While a small number of churches have created some of these roles, allow me to share with you some positions that may grow in popularity by 2020.

The Network Administrator. Multi-site churches are here to stay. In the next ten years they will become more numerous. They will not be limited to megachurches in densely populated areas. More multi-site churches will spring up in rural areas. Smaller churches will start new sites. As a result, there will be a need for someone to handle the administration between campuses. The network administrator will coordinate clarity of communication, movement of people, alignment of programs, and focus of vision across multiple campuses.

The Multicultural Children’s Director. The United States will become minority white by 2042, but preschools will become minority white by 2021. This diversity will not be limited to large, urban areas. Diversity is spreading out and getting younger. The children’s director is not a new position, but almost every church will need a children’s director who knows how to minister in the new heterogeneous society.

The Chief of Staff. It has been the key position for top political leaders for some time. Now many CEOs are seeking a confidant, gatekeeper, and strategic consultant in a person who is chief of staff. While the title will probably not carry over to the church, many larger churches will hire an experienced pastor to help the senior pastor deal with staff, sticky situations, and logistics. From answering emails to fielding questions from the media, the chief of staff must think like and understand the personality of the senior pastor.

The Creative Arts Director. Big screens are the new stained glass windows. Stained glass was used in the Middle Ages to communicate the gospel to a mainly illiterate society. Big screens help communicate the gospel to a highly visual culture. Both are technological innovations. The difference is the flexibility and changeability of today’s technology. Stained glass required skilled craftsmen. New technology also requires expertise. Stained glass windows are created once and are a permanent fixture in the church. Technology requires ongoing creativity. The creative arts director will manage all media and technology and also act as a liaison to the worship pastor and operations pastor.

The Boomer Director. The first wave of Boomers hitting retirement age is less than two years away. The senior population is expected to grow over 35% between 2010 and 2020. The problem is that there is a large generational divide between the Builders and the Boomers—as big a divide as the one between Generation X and the Boomers. The ministry that reached the Builders will not reach the Boomers. And it all starts with the name. Boomers do not like to be called “seniors,” so if you think that your existing seniors ministry will attract Boomers, you’re probably not going to reach many Boomers.

There’s a few more I mention in the article. Click here to read it, and then stop back by here to let me know your comments.

Kids These Days

I am self-conscious about using the term “kid.” I served for two years at a church where a loving member would adamantly correct me when I used the word in a sermon.

“Kids are baby goats. We have children, NOT kids!” She would chastise me every time. It seriously upset her.

But what about kids children these days? Excerpts from two separate research projects caught my attention. The first is from the Perspectives on Psychological Science Journal (reported by UPI):

Today’s teens are no more egotistical and are just as happy and satisfied as previous generations, U.S. and Canadian researchers said. Brent Donnellan of Michigan State University and Kali Trzesniewski of the University of Western Ontario said that their analysis of 477,380 high school seniors from 1976-2006 showed youth are generally not the self-centered, anti-social slackers that previous research has made them out to be. “We concluded that, more often than not, kids these days are about the same as they were back in the mid-1970s,” Donnellan said in a statement. Much of the previous research has relied on “convenience studies” of relatively small samples of young adults. The study found today’s youth are more cynical and less trusting of institutions than previous generations, but Donnellan said this is generally true of the broader population.

The other report comes from Barna:

When it comes to church engagement, those who attended Sunday school or other religious programs as children or as teens were much more likely than those without such experiences to attend church and to have an active faith as adults. For instance, among those who frequently attended such programs as a child, 50% said they attended a worship service in the last week, which is slightly higher than the national average and well ahead of those who rarely or never attended children’s programs.

What do we make of these two studies? Undoubtedly, children and teens have different cultural struggles today than in the 1970s. The Internet, cell phones, and cable TV have made us rethink how we train up children in the way they should go. But, in general, the children of the 1970s are not that different from their own children today. And while there may be a heightened level of cynicism about institutions (the church included), it is clear church attendance as a child has an impact on having an active faith as an adult.

So, kids these days need their parents to get them involved in church—that hasn’t changed since the 1970s. But let’s take it one step farther. Parents should not only do church, but also talk about why their faith is important. In fact, our research has shown this conversation between parents and children is the best way to prevent the perception of hypocrisy. Perhaps my quirky church member was onto something. Goats really don’t have a place in the church, but our kids do.

Leaving a Local Legacy

No one knows Sam Rainer, Sr.—at least outside of Union Springs, AL. My grandfather was the mayor of the town and president of the local bank. He didn’t write books. He didn’t have speaking engagements. I don’t think he ever did a radio interview. He just poured his life into the town my grandmother endearingly called “Onion Sprouts” (she never told us why).

The Lord took him home in 1984, but his legacy remains. He was a war hero who flew D-Day. He sided with civil rights activists in the 1960s. He helped local underprivileged children. He gave loans to struggling farmers, approved by handshake. He had no desire for national prominence. He simply loved his community and worked hard to make it a great place.

We could use more leaders like Daddy-man (what I called him as a four year-old). There is a temptation as a leader to pour energy into personal “brand-building” enterprises that create national notoriety. I’ve been guilty of this thinking. In the church we need less spiritual celebrities and more local legacies.

I’m blessed to lead a church with many local heroes—men and women without fame. But they are legends in the Murray community they love. So here’s to all the Daddy-mans out there leaving local legacies—the world will never know who you are, and I know that’s fine with you.

I Want to Be an Old Man Some Day

I want to be an old man some day. My wife’s friends called me “old man Sam” when we started dating, but it doesn’t count. I am older than her, but not that much older. At 30, however, I think I’m more in the younger category than older. So one day I want to be an old man. One with lots of stories.

I look up to the older guys in my church. We young guys need to. There are a few things that I pray don’t disappear with the older generation. There are amazing stories to be told. And stuff to learn—good stuff that will hang with you. While I believe many men in the church desire to be godly leaders, there are some things that the older generation just does well. Here are some examples.

Hats. I love it that some of the older dudes in my church wear hats. It’s classy. Without a hat, you can’t tip a courtesy to a lady. And throwing a shoe just doesn’t work for celebration. More young men should wear hats (not grungy ball caps—it’s not the same thing). Next time I’m shopping with Erin, I’m going to try one on.

Letters. No one writes letters anymore. But I do get handwritten notes from the Builder generation. Young men should write letters—genuine, thoughtful letters—by hand.

Suits. Most older men dress classier. As many of you know, I’m not big on ties. But what happened to the suit? What happened to crisp shirts and sharp dress? Younger men should trade in their board shorts and t-shirts for suits (or at least a nice shirt, pants, and a jacket).

John Wayne. No male actor today even comes close. The older generation had real men who acted, not actors who pretend to be real men.  We need more movies like John Wayne’s movies.

Chivalry. I don’t even know if my generation can spell the word. I’m praying God works a miracle for my daughter, preserving chivalry long enough for her to find a man who still believes in it. Young men, please talk to some of the older guys in your church about chivalry. You will learn a lot.

Manhood.  There once was a clear distinction of what it meant to be a man. The boys were boys. The men were men. A rite of passage was required to move from boyhood to manhood. Now no one wants to grow up. No offense ladies, but this lack of distinction has feminized the church. We can learn from the older guys. They know what it means to be a man.

So I’m aiming to be an old man. Hat tips. Letters. Class. Chivalry. Younger men, you bring a lot to the table (and I know many of you agree with what I am saying), but there is so much to learn from the older guys. Older men, please don’t let your stories die with you. Tell them. Tell them well. Tell them to the next generation. We could use your wisdom. And your hats.