Meetings have a bad reputation, especially in churches. They are stereotypically long, boring, and unfocused. They seem to revolve around the details of running a church, like finances and schedules, rather than how the church is sharing the Gospel.
What I have found in my experience in the church, as well as in a corporate environment, is that people really don't dislike meetings; they just don't like unproductive meetings.
Meetings are not a necessary evil, but they are necessary, so how can we make them more productive? For pastors and other leaders of the church, it starts with how you communicate with your church staff.
We surveyed hundreds of congregations and asked how they improve productivity in their church offices. We received some great ideas, and the following are three types of meetings you should be having in your church office to emphasize communication without affecting productivity.
Daily standup meetings
It is most important for the church staff to be on the same page since they spend the most time together. Meet for 10–15 minutes at the beginning of each day to go over the schedule and share any updates.
Weekly ministry staff meetings
Host one-hour weekly ministry meetings and include both the church staff and key volunteers. Spend time discussing short-term projects, but use that time to focus on the ministry of the church at a high level, including potential long-term opportunities. If you find yourself frequently seeking or relaying information, it may be time to add key players to the meeting invite. If confidential information needs to be discussed, it’s okay to excuse those who do not need to be part of the conversation and continue on.
Bi-weekly one-on-ones
It’s important that pastors stay connected. Consider 30-minute one-on-one meetings with each staff member every other week. From what we’ve heard, the investment is well worth it.
Portions of this blog post were taken from our ebook "51 Ideas to Make Your Church Office Hum." To download this free ebook,which includes more ways to increase productivity and efficiency in your church office, click the button below!
