January 29
Church Org Chart
Thursday, January 29, 2009 @ 10:18 am by Josh Burcham
How have you or how would you structure your church staff and Ministries? Why? Do you have a Senior Pastor, Music/Worship Pastor, Youth Pastor, Discipleship Pastor, Finance Pastor, Executive Pastor, Lead Pastor, Prayer Pastor, Small Group Pastor, Best Pastor, Small Pastor, Community Pastor, Campus Pastor, Big Pastor, Tall Pastor…?
I have to make a confession: I love org charts. I love to see how things work. I love to know the why behind the chart. I’m a student of leadership and ministry. I want to learn all the ways people are doing it out there; so I can choose the best for the vision. When I visit a church’s website I don’t go to the history, sermon or media page first. I got to the staff page. I want to know what positions that they have deemed important; then to the ministries page to do the same thing, but that is another post.
I’ve have talked and read up on churches across the nation, and for that matter the world, about their staff structure. I’ve learned a few things, good and bad, from these churches:
1. Your structure is important. Not because it’s important to know who is in charge, but to get your vision done. You can’t build a structure if you don’t know what God is calling you to do. I would start there.
2. There isn’t a right one. Your God-given vision is different then other churches; which means how they do ministry is different as well. There isn’t a church out there that is doing it right for your church. Yeah, learn from other churches and with other leaders, but don’t just copy them. You want to have the “right” structure for your vision.
3. You can change your org chart. Vision complete…God moving in a different direction..change your structure. Structure not working…the wrong position…change it. It’s okay. As a leader you have to make the hard decisions. It is not easy, but it is necessary.
4. No structure is still structure. Churches have felt God call them to no org chart, which is great, as long as it fits their vision. It’s okay to be different (that sentence could probably be it’s own bullet). Don’t just get lazy and drop the ball. Take the time and work through your vision.
5. Structure is for your pride. Struggle with pride as the lead/senior/main pastor? Build accountability in to your system. Let it hold you accountable. Don’t build a system to boost your pride.
What’s Your Org Chart? Would love hear about it?
