One of our newest members looked completely bewildered as we stood outside the locked church in the rain.
A ministry leader had neglected to inform me about a last-minute change in the meeting schedule, so we were left waiting outside for 20 minutes until the church sexton arrived.
"You don't have a key to the building, but you're second in charge?" she said. (The senior pastor actually had suggested that I get a key, but we had decided to wait until after all the locks were changed.)
This member's reaction speaks volumes about the paradox of my role as minister of leadership growth and development at Turner Memorial AME Church.
Some members have the erroneous perception that I wield authority and influence over everything that happens. Others feel that since I am not the pastor, they do not have to be accountable to me.
The truth falls somewhere in the middle, the place from where I am called to lead.
Read more from Natasha Jamison Gadson » |
Associate Staff Ministry: Thriving Personally, Professionally and Relationally by Kevin Lawson and Mick Boersma
This vital revised and expanded update to How to Thrive in Associate Staff Ministry (Alban, 2000) provides guidance to the growing population of staff members employed by churches. Churches are expanding their staffs, but the turnover rate remains high, often due to stress, isolation, and conflict on the job. Lawson and Boersma address what it takes to thrive personally, professionally, and relationally within associate staff ministry.
Based on updated research and interviews with over 600 veteran associate staff members from many different denominations, Lawson and Boersma describe the priorities, attitudes, and practices that can help associate staff members thrive in their ministry roles. They present, explain, and illustrate a four-part "Model for Thriving in Associate Staff Ministry," a concrete framework that readers can use to help achieve satisfaction and balance in their own lives.
In addition to addressing those in associate staff roles, the book also includes chapters to help supervising pastors and church boards support their associate staff members. Each chapter includes questions for personal reflection or discussion with others to help readers engage with the material and determine what steps they might take to improve their own experience in associate staff ministry.
Learn more and order the book » |
| | FROM OUR ARCHIVE: THE ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATE |
The associate pastorate in the large church can be an effective and rewarding role for its occupant, and it can be a critically helpful role for the congregation and the senior leader. Yet, minimizing role confusion and role conflict are key to maximizing role impact and employee satisfaction, writes a former Alban senior consultant.
Read more from Susan Beaumont » |
| Having associates serve on congregational staff is a choice, says pastor and author Donna Schaper. If you opt for the associate pastor approach to staffing, make it work, and find ways to both teach and learn from this person you have hired to help you and taken under your wing. Read more from Donna Schaper » |
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