Enhancing Purpose and Fulfillment in Church Staff Roles

Ever wondered why some church staff members thrive while others struggle? In this episode, we break down the findings from the 2024 Church Staff Health Assessment to uncover the truth about job satisfaction and fulfillment within church roles. Discover the key factors that make church work both challenging and rewarding, and learn practical steps to enhance your sense of purpose and accomplishment. We'll highlight how a majority of staff members feel a strong connection to their calling, yet nearly a third still grapple with finding fulfillment. 

Join Todd Rhoades, co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, as we celebrate our 192nd episode and explore the critical balance between challenge and reward that can make or break your journey in ministry. Reflect on your own calling as we emphasize the necessity of purpose in church roles. If you've ever felt disconnected or burnt out, this episode offers valuable insights and strategies to help you re-align with your mission. Download our comprehensive 84-page report for even more in-depth analysis and actionable advice. Stay tuned and let's ensure our work not only matters but also transforms lives.

Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com

Be sure to subscribe to The Healthy Church Staff Podcast wherever you regularly listen to podcasts.

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Is Your Church Hiring?
If your church is searching for a new staff member, reach out to Todd for a conversation on how he might be able to help.

Are You Looking for a New Ministry Role?
If you are open to a new church role in the next few months, add your free resume and profile at ChemistryStaffing.com.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Hi there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom and your host here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Thanks so much for joining us. Today. We are in the middle of a two-week series based on some of the findings that we found from our 2024 Church Staff Health Assessment. If you've missed anything like yesterday we talked about what we found out about leadership effectiveness if you missed any of those episodes, just subscribe to this podcast. You can go back and listen. I think today is episode number 191. I can't believe that this is number 191. We're going to be celebrating our 200th show here in a couple weeks. So thank you for those of you that have been with us from the beginning and those of you that have just discovered us today, welcome. Okay, today we are going to actually today. Today is number 192, actually. So there we go, set the record straight.

Speaker 1: 1:07

Today we're going to talk about what we learned from our 2024 Church Staff Health Assessment on job satisfaction and fulfillment, and let me just say here that you can download our full PDF report. It's 84 pages of just absolutely insightful things, I think, when it comes to church staff and how church staff in America are doing. You can read it If you're a staff member, read it and see how you align with kind of what we found nationally. If you lead a staff, I think it's very important for you to see overall how our church staff is doing across the country. You can download that. It's absolutely free. Download it now at chemistrystaffingcom slash staffhealth chemistrystaffingcom slash staffhealth. Today we're talking about job satisfaction and fulfillment and, let's face it, we've said it here, I think, just about every other day Ministry can be tough but can also be incredibly rewarding and the key is finding really that balance where your role not only challenges you but also fills you with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Speaker 1: 2:16

Today we want to look at a couple of the high top-level findings in the 2024 Church Staff Health Assessment. And first of all, the assessment shows that the majority of staff the majority, not everybody, but the majority of church staff regularly feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose in their roles. And thank goodness because the roles that we play at our church, they are important roles. I can't think of any more important work in the world than the mission of at our church. They are important roles. I can't think of any more important work in the world than the mission of the local church. So this part's encouraging and it speaks to the passion that many of us have for ministry. That's awesome, but while many feel that sense of accomplishment, there are always areas for improvement. So, for example, not all staff members feel this way. Some report and it's close to a third of people report to some degree or another that they're struggling to really find their purpose and fulfillment in their roles, and that's indicating that there are just ways that we can do better. Let's break that down a little bit.

Speaker 1: 3:18

So job satisfaction when it comes to being on a church staff and job satisfaction, it's more than just being content with your paycheck or your workload. It's more about feeling that your work matters and that you're making a difference. Think back with me for a second when you first felt that God was calling you to church work, and if you don't feel that God has called you to do this, you're probably in the wrong field. Okay, but think back to when God called you or when you felt like God really said hey, this is what I want you to do, and the reason because you can let's just talk here. You could make a lot more money outside the church than what you most of us could make a lot more money outside the church than what we do inside the church. So that's why the call to ministry really many times is really a call to making sure that what you do with your life and what you do with your work matters and that you're making a difference, that people's lives are being changed because of your work, and in ministry this sense of purpose is just absolutely critical.

Speaker 1: 4:29

And when staff members lose sight of their calling or they feel disconnected from their work, it can lead to disengagement and burnout. Work. It can lead to disengagement and burnout. So it's essential to regularly check in on ourselves and for you, if you lead a team, to check in with your team to ensure that we're continually fostering that environment where people can thrive. So let's take a look at how do we do this, todd. What are some ways? If I lead a staff or if I'm a member of a church staff, what are some ways that I can improve in this area of job satisfaction and fulfillment over the next year?

Speaker 1: 5:06

And, first of all, if you are in charge of a staff, provide opportunities for growth. Encourage staff to pursue some professional development opportunities to pursue some professional development opportunities. It might be attending a conference or taking a course, even some cross-training with some different areas of ministry. But keep it spicy, keep it moving, keep it fresh and allow for people not to get complacent in their roles or not to get bored in their roles. Second is align the roles with gifts. Take the time to understand the unique gifts and passions of each staff member and align their roles accordingly. So maybe, let's say maybe you hired a small groups person and they're doing a good job with small groups, but you've discovered over the past year and a half or two years that they've been on your team that while they might be good with the job that you've hired them to do, their real passion is maybe their real passion is kids kids ministry. You've seen them light up when they have anything to do and their ministry coincides with something that kids ministry is doing. It's okay. It's okay to realign and to mix some of these roles accordingly. When people are serving in areas that align with their strengths and their passions, they're more likely to feel fulfilled and energized.

Speaker 1: 6:30

And here's the last one. The other thing I had written down here was just acknowledge and celebrate achievements. I say this all the time. We don't celebrate our achievements, we don't even acknowledge when we have a victory or when somebody hits it out of the park. We need to recognize that and celebrate that, but I won't even mention that one. That one's a freebie, but I didn't even mention it, so you probably won't even remember it. The last one, though, is do whatever you can to help foster that sense of purpose. Regularly remind your team of the bigger picture, and by that what I mean is the mission and the vision of your church. Help them see how their area and, even more concretely, how their individual contributions are making a difference in the lives of others and in the kingdom of God, and this kind of goes along with that point that I didn't mention. When you see those differences, when you see that life change man, celebrate it, because it is something that needs to be celebrated.

Speaker 1: 7:30

All right, here's your bottom line for today Job satisfaction and fulfillment. They're absolutely vital to this. I'm not telling you anything you don't know. They're absolutely vital to this. I'm not telling you anything you don't know. They're absolutely vital for a healthy and an effective ministry, and to keep a staff member long-term. It's about creating an environment where people feel valued and challenged and connected to a greater purpose. So here's your call to action Take some time this week to have a conversation with just one staff member, maybe one key volunteer, about what does this for them, what trips their trigger, what brings them fulfillment in their roles, and then determine how you can better support them in finding and continuing that sense of purpose.

Speaker 1: 8:13

So very concrete call to action Find one person and just to ask them questions that help you understand what makes them tick, what energizes them, what are they passionate about? And then whatever you can do, even if it's something small, fuel that fire. Fuel that fire and allow them to become even more excited about the passion and ministry that their efforts are bringing to your church. Okay, that's it for today. Tomorrow I hope you'll come back. We're going to be talking about team dynamics and collaboration. You won't want to miss that. Here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast, again, you can download our 2024 Church Staff Health Assessment. It is at chemistrystaffingcom slash staffhealth, and you can also reach out to me anytime at podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. All right, we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.