Staff Development for Church Innovations
By Barbara Miller

Click here to return to the Church Innovations web site.

Church Innovations works with church systems and local church staffs to help them develop effective communication, shared vision and effective working teams. These important aspects of staff development are not taken for granted at CI. We consistently use our recommended process up date vision and mission statements. We evaluate the projects we undertake within the context of the strategic plan we have developed.

While we remind our partners of the importance of celebrating success, and growing personal and spiritual gifts, we have not always been so intentional in our habits. Starting our staff meeting time with Dwelling in the Word has long been our practice but this year we committed to include these other important components in our planning. Through a series of staff retreats, we looked at our planning tools and renewed our commitment to using systems that keep daily, weekly and monthly goals before us. We all took the Myers Briggs assessment to identify personality types and have reflected on how our personal preferences shape us. Then we spent time unpacking how those preferences impact the work environment, especially in the context of work teams.

We have adopted a new meeting format that maintains the importance of Dwelling in the Word and then helps us focus on tasks that are important or urgent, or both. We have also structured time for future planning, measuring outcomes and yes, even set aside time to be together and celebrate!

Consistently working together not only on the daily and weekly tasks, but focusing on the broader, long term goals for the organization (as well as celebrating together) has enhanced our individual and working team relationships, helped sustain focus on longer term goals, and has made us more proactive and productive. If your staff needs new energy, or concrete ways to build into the future, we invite you to talk with us.

Barbara Miller is the Chief Operating Officer of Church Innovations.