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 Staff Meetings in Large CongregationsHow to conduct staff meetings in churches of 500–2,000 people.
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 We've always known a lot about small congregations. We also know that mid-size congregations are stressed by trying to do more with fewer resources. And there's growing literature about megachurches. But we need to learn much more about large congregations—"corporate-size" churches, with worship attendances of 500-2,000 people. According to Gary McIntosh, author of One Size Doesn't Fit All: Bringing Out the Best in Any Size Church (Fleming H Revell, 1999), large congregations are more driven by vision, are more organizational than relational, have pastors that function as leaders more than as "lovers" (administrators), and have decisions made more by staff and leaders than by committees. All of this suggests that staff meetings are of increased importance in the large congregation because that is where much of the vision alignment and organizational strategy take place. On that point, here are observations from Alban's work with large congregations. In general, staff meetings have several important purposes: Missional alignment: Staff meetings are occasions for staff members to remember and rehearse the larger vision of the congregation and to recognize the efforts of individuals and committees in light of that larger vision. Community: Staff members connect meaningfully with each other and remind themselves that they share in a ministry of great purpose. Supervision: Staff reviews typical supervisory questions such as, What have we been doing? What are we learning? What will we give attention to in the next week, month, or quarter? Role renegotiation: Staff members can negotiate what they need from each other to do their work. "John, I need you to help Mary and me to … " This is the appropriate time and place for members to offer help and to get what help others can give. Recognizing these purposes, leaders should keep in mind the following three principles when designing and facilitating staff meetings: 1. Maintain a standard format. A predictable format and dependable agenda for meetings will allow—and instruct—staff to share information and raise questions in a helpful way. Information sharing and storytelling are not the same thing. For example, everyone does not need to hear why a particular member of the congregation is in the hospital, what tests have been done, and when she is expected home. The staff simply needs to know that the person is in the hospital and that someone on staff has the responsibility to provide pastoral contact and care. In other words, the purpose of sharing information is to prevent surprises and to align the work. But sharing information is not always an invitation for others to review the work, raise questions about how a staff person is operating, or suggest improvements to performance, unless solicited. |             |
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