Monday Morning Insights

Photo of Todd
    .

    Defining Your Staff/Leadership Values

    Bookmark and Share

    1.) Authentic Relationships

    ? We commit ourselves to the Principle of 10%
    ? We value watching each other?s back
    ? We commit to honest and integrity In communication
    ? We will not talk about each other until we have talked to each other, and then we will only talk in love.

    2.) Professionalism and Excellence

    ? We will value accountability in time management, financial management, and programming.
    ? We will value each other?s privacy and schedules in the office and at home.
    ? We will not start ministries or programs without clear direction from God and proper resources.
    ? We will safeguard ourselves against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex.

    3.) T.E.A.M. Ministry

    ? Together Everyone Accomplishes More
    ? We will value the opinions and ideas of all team members.
    ? We will work together for the sake of the overall church, instead of individual ministries or interests.
    ? We commit to growing in leadership and giftedness.

    4.) 4 E Focused

    ? We will be held accountable for Enlisting, Equipping, Empowering, Encouraging workers and leaders.

    5.) Prayer Driven

    ? We hold that nothing of eternal significance happens apart from prayer.
    ? We will become strategic and innovative in our pursuit of God.

    6.) Right Priorities

    ? We will cheat ministry and church, before we cheat God and our families
    ? Being a workaholic is not a good thing and WILL NOT be valued or tolerated at Ridge Stone.

    7.) Retreat and Relax

    ? We will retreat once a year as a staff.
    ? We will retreat twice a year by ourselves.
    ? We will commit to taking our vacations and conferences.
    ? We will play and relax together throughout the year.

    8.) People Matter

    ? Before programs, before budgets, but not before principles and purposes.
    ? We will use Ridge Stone to build our people, not our people to build Ridge Stone.

    9.) No Fear

    ? We will not allow fear to stand in the way of God?s direction.
    ? We will not allow fear to stop us from doing the right thing.

    10.) Pure Communication

    ? We commit to building each other up.
    ? We commit to purity and edification in our speech.

    11.) Reckless Abandon

    ? We value the principle of meeting with God early, first, or expecting nothing.
    ? We commit to meet with God early and first in our day, realizing we are powerless apart from His strength.
    ? We commit to growing in the disciplines necessary for further spiritual growth.

    12.) Maximum Quality

    ? We will shoot for the highest level of performance possible.
    ? We will hold our positions at Ridge Stone in highest regard.

    You can read a lot of other great stuff from Gary and Ridge Stone Church at Gary's Blog here

    FOR DISCUSSION:  What do you think?  What would you add (or leave out).  Do you think it's important to have a written set of staff/leadership values?  Share what your church is doing in this area or discuss staff values today right here!  I'd love to hear your comments and ideas!

    Have you thought about what your staff and leadership really values? Recently, Gary Lamb shared the staff values that they have gathered and published for his church, Ridge Stone Church in Canton, GA.  I think it’s a great start… Take a look:

    Comments

    if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, they will displayed on any website that supports them.

    1. Mike on Tue, May 17, 2005

      Overall I think they are good, just too many. For values to work they need to drive important decisions in an organization. For values to drive decisions they need to be easily recalled, understood, shared and have authority over personalities, and force of debate. I like how they “fleshed out” each value to give it some substance but with so many and some even having 4 or more sub-values like “4 E Focused” I have a hard time expecting leaders in the organization to keep them straight and memorable enough to drive decisions consistently. Some is good, more is not better.

    2. drbob on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I think that is a great value system for a staff to minister together. I am blessed to be on a staff right now that lives those values, I have been on staff where it is not always unified. we are currently looking for a Senior Pastor who is a good TEAM Captain, not a CEO. We know that God will help us find His man for this position.

    3. Mike on Tue, May 17, 2005

      Suggestions on making them less, but not less powerful…


      2 & 12


      6 & 7


      9 & 11

      are somewhat repitious and could be effectively combined.


      Remember less is more because they are more memorable, recallable and then are actively being used to drive decisions.


      Remember as well, every decision—whether in your church, family, business, etc.—is based on a values or set of values. This is especially true when the decision is in an area of limited resources like budget and staffing. Having clear, agreed upon and shared values makes those decision easier (a relative term) then people just fighting over needs in an organization. Like I said every decision is based on values the question is are the values known, understood, shared and do they have authority to drive the decisions?


      I’m pleased to see this article because in our consulting business this is almost always one of the key issues that hold churches and organizations back or cause conflict.


      Most often the church or organization just goes out and builds a values list and never stops to do a full, completely honest assessment of what values—stated and unstated—are driving the ministry. Often times is awful stuff like a personality, pet projects, financial fear, and our favorite “we’ve always done it that way.” These are all values!

       

      Only after this honest assessment can you do a new list because you have to be absolutely intention about stopping those types of values as you do about starting any others.

       

    4. Dean D. Carlson on Tue, May 17, 2005

      Just a quick Q - What does the statement mean “commit ourselves to the Principle of 10%”??????  Is it the obvious - tithing financially or something else?


      THANKS!!!

    5. Allen Nolan on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I have the same question as Mike, “what does the statement mean, ‘commit ourselves to the principle of 10%’?”  Is it tithing time and money?

    6. Phil in CA on Tue, May 17, 2005

      “We commit ourselves to the Principle of 10%”


      I’m glad that reads “Principle of…” and not “New Testament example of…”  http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif

    7. Dave on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I concur that the list is too long to be effective.

        Our staff of 5 recently clarifies purpose and values statements. Each of these has a trigger to keep them memorable. Our purpose statement is summed up with “We Empower” - the longer version is


      Having been reconciled to God through Christ, and remaining dependent upon His Spirit, We have been entrusted with the task of empowering God’s people to make more and better followers of Christ.


      We empower through Leadership, believing that the Christian life is to be modeled through those who lead. Our lives are a visual and spoken testimony that should demonstrate a real and growing faith, should be lives with integrity, and should reflect Christ’s compassion and servanthood.


      We empower through training. Believing in the authority of God’s Word, we seek to impart God’s truths to God’s people in relevant ways.


      We empower through supplying resources and opportunities that will better assist God’s people as they walk with Him and live for Him.

       

      We empower through engaging God’s people in times of corporate worship and prayer; believing that time spend in God’s presence enables and empower us to accomplish His purposes.


      We empower through intentionally encouraging, strengthening and deploying God’s people.


      We empower because of Him, through Him and for Him.


      Our staff values were developed and evolved into an acrostic - W.A.T.E.R. (since we are Southern Lakes Ev. Free Church, the water motif kind of was a natural connection). W.A.T.E.R stands for Worship, Authority of God’s Word, Transformation of the individual, Excellence, and Reliance upon God.


      We broght these home from our off-sight planning day by using each of the values as the basis for staff devotions at the next 5 meetings and graphically presenting them in a poster that hangs in each staff members office.


      Some great resources in this process are George Cladis’ book “Leading the Team Based Church” and Harold Westing’s book “Church Staff Handbook”.

    8. Rick Barker on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I am just wondering about the consequences that take place when someone repeatedly does not follow or hold to the values. All the talk about accountability sounds great, but what are the consequences of accountability?

    9. Mary on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I would like to know what the Principle of 10% is.

    10. John on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I assumed the principle of 10% is what Bill Hybles talks about when he mentions that leaders say anything and everything but the 10% that needs to be said.  It sounds as if many of these values are from Willow Creek and Bill talks about saying the 10% that needs to be said but I could be totally wrong.

    11. Phil in CA on Tue, May 17, 2005

      I, personally, don’t think the list is too long.  Frankly, our buzzword-laden, acronym-obsessed material tends to OVER-simplify everything.  You know, the “Five principles of…”, “The four R’s of…” etc. etc., ad nauseum—- usually built on spiritual sounding euphemisms that either obscure their complex theological underpinnings or simply make challenging ideas more comfortable.  In fact, over-simplification leads to generalization, and that to vagueness, and then to hazy understanding.  Meanwhile, the sheeple in the pews are dying (or simply leaving the church) to get detailed theological understanding of deeper concepts.

    12. Ben E. on Tue, May 17, 2005

      There were a lot of good ideas, principals and statements and yes, perhaps a few too many or redundant.  My question is the same as Rick B.’s accountability question.  “What happens when….”


      It’s all sounds spiritually strong but all to often someone decides that they (or their ministry) is a little bigger, a little more important at the moment to be bound by so many statements.  AND, “all to often,” that someone tends to be the Pastor.

      Secondly, what about the congregation?  Do they hold to a value statement? Does the staff “sign off” on these values?  Would the congregation be willing to commit to these values and submit to any accountability?  Hummmm?  If they did, I think you’d have one heck of a church!


      Ben E.

       

    13. Mac on Tue, May 17, 2005

      Well, I can tell you firsthand what happens when they don’t adhere.  Depending on the principle that was violated they are either warned, encouraged to improve, or asked to leave.

    14. Ben E. on Tue, May 17, 2005

      On the 10% thing.  Could someone elaborate?


      Is it you should only say 10% leaving the rest up for discernment? (sp?) OR, that 90% of what should be said, doesn’t get said?


      Just wondering.


      Ben E.

    15. John Mutombo M.Mwembo on Wed, May 18, 2005

      It is indeed a big pleasure forme as a young pastor who is straightforward from University like this.


      I find your program very formative especially this part of life experience shared by senior pastors.


      Iam convinced that sometimes the theories we get from seminars never find their places on the ground , at time we need to relate to the situation and use our common sense.


      In America yes time managment is very important but here in Africa events are very important ,you keep time and we make time.But both of us do it for the glory of God.


      Here good leadership qualities are valued in terms of anthusiasm, devotion,compasion ,caring in short good leadership quality are found in a peson who gives his time to listening to people’s problem and attend to them. Jesus did not leave anybody with unsolved problem because of time.


      To be a pastor in here requires more courage than Angels have. It means a lot to be a pastor in Africa you will be everything at anytime, thus being in charge of ; music, counseling, worship,healing ministry, preaching,prayer, christian education, youth pastor, women pastor, single person pastor,peace keeper, etc… That is why it really needs people who are called to serve ,otherwise it won’t make sense.

      This is one of the problems we guys are going to face because we have been trained in the Afro American program here at Africa University in Zimbabwe Africa.


      But this network will help me to adjust but mostly I believe in luke in ACTS that the holy spirit will empower us to do his work we are called to serve and not to be served.


      Thank you keep in touch.


      Rev John Mutombo.

       

    16. Page 1 of 2 pages  1 2 >

      Post a Comment

    17. (will not be published)

      Remember my personal information

      Notify me of follow-up comments?

    Sponsors