Final Thoughts on Hiring from Inside or Out

While some of our best staff members have come from other churches, I am still heavily biased to hire from within. Our rate of success in raising up leaders from our church outweighs bringing them in from other churches.

While many staff from other churches sell out to the vision, for some it is just another job. I don’t want to fill roles with people doing a job. I want people obsessed with a mission. Those from within are usually more prone to give their lives to the mission.

We’ll continue to look for the best everywhere. To me, it is always more fun when you recognize those God has put in your local body and equip them to do more than they ever thought possible.

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Disadvantages of Hiring From Outside

Some of this is repetitive from earlier posts this week. In many ways, I’m saying the same thing from a different perspective. Even though these thoughts are similar, I think they are worth addressing again.

The disadvantages of hiring from outside your ministry include:

1. Cultural risks. Just because someone is successful ministering at one place, does not guarantee they will be successful at another. The cultural and value differences are often difficult to discern in an interview.
2. Hurt Relationships. If you hire from other ministries, you can put a strain on ministry friendships. We must be careful to hire with integrity.
3. Family risks. When someone uproots their family and moves to another city, state, or country, there are many factors involved besides the giftedness of the pastor. We’ve hired effective staff from other churches, but the spouses and children never settled in and kept their ministry relationship from working long-term.

Please share from your experience.

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Hiring From Other Ministries

Hiring From Other Ministries

When done with integrity, hiring from other ministries can be a big win for everyone involved.

The advantages include:

1. Observing a proven ministry track record. When hiring from within, there are many ministry unknowns. Those who have served somewhere else in ministry have often honed their gifts and have a proven track record to observe, minimizing some of the risks.
2. Deeper biblical knowledge. This isn’t always true, but when someone is trained by a strong seminary or has served for years under a great Bible teacher, they are often more theologically grounded than a lay person.
3. Placing under-challenged leaders in a place to maximize their gifts. If a gifted leader isn’t fulfilled, he or she can be a huge blessing to another ministry when they are allowed to fully use their gifts and passions to make a difference.

More tomorrow on the disadvantages. What are your thoughts?

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The Down-side of Hiring From Within

Although there are many advantages of hiring staff from within the church, there are some potential challenges as well. Here is my short list:

1. They often have limited ministry experience. Even though they are gifted and passionate, it is still a big step to move from corporate life to ministry life. Those from other churches likely have experience preaching, visiting the sick, officiating funerals or weddings, etc. Those from within are often very “green” and generally need a lot of development in ministry basics.
2. If it doesn’t work out, it is generally more painful for everyone. If you hire from within, chances are you did so because you know and love the person. If they don’t succeed, moving or removing them can be costly on many levels.
3. It can be hard on families. Because the rhythms and schedule of local church ministry are so unusual, those transitioning from the business world to ministry often struggle. The differences can be especially hard on spouses and children.

Jump in…

Tags: hiring

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The Benefits of Hiring from Within

When building a staff team, you have two basic choices:

1. Raise up staff from within
2. Hire from other churches

In the early years of Life Church, we hired almost exclusively from within. Over the years we expanded more to bringing in gifted and godly staff members from other churches or ministries. (85% of our current staff members have come from within our church family.)

This week, I’d love to dialog with you about the benefits and down-sides of each.

Let’s start with the benefits of hiring from within. I’ll list what I think are the big four:

1. You develop a culture of leadership development. When people see lay people excelling and growing into staff members, it naturally produces a leadership culture. Instead of bringing in the “professionals” from other churches, it promotes equipping and raising the local body.
2. People already understand your culture. When you bring someone in, it is always questionable whether or not they can catch the spirit and fit into the culture of your ministry.
3. People are generally more loyal to the vision. Those who come from within are generally more loyal to the vision. Rather than being another rung on their ministry ladder, most who come from within see your ministry as a life calling.
4. They can bring huge life experience. Those who have been successful in non-ministry roles can bring a wealth of wisdom from their life’s learning into a local church.

There are plenty of more benefits. What are your thoughts?

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Final Reflection from Hillsong

One of the things that stood out the most was the Kingdom-mindedness of everyone involved with Hillsong Conference 2009. On one evening, Hillsong handed the whole night over to Lakewood Church and let them do their own thing.

I was very grateful for the diversity of ministry leaders represented at the Conference. Brian’s team explained how they believe there is strength in diversity. I agree completely. Instead of staying planted in our safe Christian camps, it is refreshing and educational to see how God works through other people.

At every event, different ministries were highlighted. The leaders promoted Compassion International (a ministry close to my heart), the Caines’ work to rescue girls trapped in human trafficking, and many different ministries. Churches and ministries of all sizes were recognized and celebrated.

Even though Hillsong hosted the conference, this was not a Hillsong thing. It was unquestionably a kindgdom thing.

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Yet Even More Hillsong Reflections

Without question, Hillsong is making a significant impact around the globe. Their television ministry is huge. Their worship CDs and DVDs are sold worldwide. Their church plants in New Zealand, Europe, South Africa, Russia, the U.S. and more, are making a tremendous impact.

Yet amidst all this global success, every leader from the Houstons to Darlene Zschech and beyond was as humble and down to earth as you could imagine.

One moment in particular stood out. Brian Houston was talking to Joel Osteen and Joel asked him a question. Brian laughed and said, “When my books have sold millions of copies and I have a television ministry like you, then I’ll give advice. Right now I’m here to learn from you.”

Without question, Brian and his team have leadership wisdom to offer anyone in ministry. But every single one of them is humble, teachable, and eager to learn. In a world filled with too many self-important ministry leaders, it is refreshing to see greatness cloaked in humility.

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Even More Hillsong Reflections

If I heard Brian Houston say it once, he must have said it a dozen times: “Church is about God and people.” In everything Hillsong does, you can sense their genuine hunger for God and love for people.

Even though their church is the largest church in Australia, it seemed small because of their relational emphasis. At each service, they took time to read prayer requests and praise reports.  This helped engage the church members in prayer and encouraged them to keep a ministry focus. The campus pastors (or stage leaders) would also highlight when key volunteers got engaged or had a baby.

This relational focus bled over into the conference. Each day, the leaders highlighted a “delegate of the day.” The staff would choose someone from the 20,000 attending and set them up front in a lounge chair, fed them, and highlighted them to the whole crowd. Some how this gesture made the conference seem smaller.

Most of all, I was blessed by the intimacy fostered between the speakers and key leaders. In the U.S., at most conferences, speakers fly in and out and aren’t expected to do much else.

At Hillsong, even though no one requested it, all the speakers and their families attended all the main sessions. Between and after each session, everyone gathered for extended meals. Even though we were exhausted and jet lagged, this wasn’t a burden. It was deeply meaningful and obviously a significant part of the culture.

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