![[S3EP20] How to Lead Through Church Layoffs: A Practical Guide for Pastors & Executive Pastors Artwork](https://www.buzzsprout.com/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTQ2NTgyNDI1LCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--099d9e91a0cb0d6a57d296bd0b506585459311f8/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6eyJmb3JtYXQiOiJqcGciLCJyZXNpemVfdG9fZmlsbCI6WzYwMCw2MDAseyJjcm9wIjoiY2VudHJlIn1dLCJzYXZlciI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2MH0sImNvbG91cnNwYWNlIjoic3JnYiJ9LCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--0b154cb6b88107719b1a277923d35676ba5519cc/Untitled%20design-4.png)
The LeadingSmart Podcast
Honest conversations. Practical insights. Smarter leadership.
Hosted by Tim Stevens and Holly Tate, The LeadingSmart Podcast exists to equip church leaders who care deeply about leading with integrity, clarity, and wisdom—even when it’s hard.
We are officially on Season 3! This season is about staying sharp in today’s rapidly changing environment. We’ll dive into the practical issues leaders are facing right now—from running effective executive team meetings to navigating crucial conversations to leading in moments when the playbook doesn’t exist yet.
Holly and Tim are moving out of the studio into our offices, and they will be recording and posting in real time, responding to current events as they happen, sharing fresh insights from our work with leaders across North America.
Be sure to email us at tim@leadingsmart.com if there are specific topics you want us to cover!
Enjoy!
#LeadingSmartPodcast, #ChurchLeadership, #SuccessionPlanning, #LeadershipDevelopment, #ExecutivePastor, #LeadershipTools, #MinistryCoaching, #LeadershipPodcast
The LeadingSmart Podcast
[S3EP20] How to Lead Through Church Layoffs: A Practical Guide for Pastors & Executive Pastors
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Welcome to episode 20! Is your church facing financial pressure? Wondering when — and how — to make the difficult decision to reduce your staff? In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, hosts Tim and Holly Tate tackle one of the hardest leadership challenges in ministry: church layoffs and reductions in force (RIF).
Whether you're navigating declining offering revenue, an over-staffed budget, or the aftermath of a campus closure, Tim and Holly bring decades of real-world church leadership experience to help you lead through this season with wisdom, clarity, and care.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The difference between a layoff and a performance issue — and why getting this wrong damages trust
- The key financial indicator every church leader should be tracking (staff compensation as a % of budget)
- Why you should act before your reserves are gone — so you can offer generous severance
- A powerful org chart exercise to identify the right staffing structure objectively
- How to communicate a layoff to your board, leadership team, and entire staff — and in what order
- Why shorter timelines are more humane than drawing out the process
- How to rebuild team culture and morale after a reduction in force
- The unique emotional and spiritual dimension of church layoffs vs. corporate ones
Tim also shares hard-won lessons from leading through layoffs at Granger Community Church and Willow Creek, including how to benchmark severance by tenure and how to handle health insurance with care.
If your church is facing this moment — or you want to be prepared before you ever have to — this episode is essential listening.
🔗 Resources mentioned:
- Staff-to-budget ratio episode https://youtu.be/pLyNqvZksUU
- Leaders vs. Doers assessment — email tim@leadingsmart.com
- Executive Pastor Gathering (10K+ attendance churches) — September in Chicago — https://www.leadingsmart.com/chicago26
📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens
💻Visit LeadingSmart.com
Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk
Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable
Listen to Leading In Real Time Podcast Series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ2wnxRYYqm_ThAiSPBwjH7vQH5i3H3aK
Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast
Download The Simply Strategic Show
https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2
📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk
🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?s...
