Building an Effective Leadership Team: Roles and Responsibilities for Elders

1. BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TE M Roles and Responsibilities for Elders Together Embracing A Mission Together Experiencing AMinistry

2. What Role do you Play? Guard Center Safety Tackle Passer Tight End Blocker Running Back Bench Warmer

3. Why many boards drop the leadership ball When a leader lacks an understanding of how the ‘game is played’ they naturally take a defensive or passive position on the board. Position: Rubber Stamp This represents the extreme hands-off, passive board. It generally characterizes a Board with a strong leader or where the pastor has accumulated a long exemplary tenure. No one ever challenges the decision of the leader.

4. Why many boards drop the leadership ball When a leader lacks an understanding of how the ‘game is played’ they naturally take a defensive or passive position on the board. Position: Guardian of the Gate Elders believe their primary task is to keep an eye on the pastor. They function as watchdogs. This position is about control and preserving the status quo.

5. Why many boards drop the leadership ball When a leader lacks an understanding of how the ‘game is played’ they naturally take a defensive or passive position on the board. Position: Keepers of the Peace The task is to keep everyone happy for the sake of peace and unity in the church. This represents the extreme hands-off, passive stance. This approach degenerates to placating the “squeaky wheel” and letting one or two control the board.

6. Why many boards drop the leadership ball When a leader lacks an understanding of how the ‘game is played’ they naturally take a defensive or passive position on the board. Position: Representative Democracies See themselves as representing various groups (factions) in the church. Position: Micromanagers Highly proactive, hands-on, time-consuming board approach

7. Why many boards drop the leadership ball Solutions for Micromanaging… Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! Leave any micromanaging to the staff; those on the front lines of ministry know best what to do. Let them lead and handle the day-to-day operations of the church. Here’s Why… Time – The staff, not laypersons work with the entire church on a day-to-day (8-10 hours plus) basis. They know the church inside and out. They also have time to properly carry out their task. Training – Staff members are generally more trained for church ministry than lay leaders. Most competent staff members take advantage of continuous learning opportunities.

8. Why many boards drop the leadership ball Solutions for Micromanaging continued… Close to their Ministries – Staff members have first-hand knowledge of problems and ministry opportunities. They know and understand the situations first hand, therefore they should make the decisions or at least have much input into them. Remember this… The collective wisdom of individual ignorance can be devastating to team morale!

9. Understand the Role only you can Play Coaching Question: “Which issues and topics if not addressed and dealt with properly around the elder’s board table, won’t be dealt with properly anywhere else in the life of your church?” Answering this question correctly might be the most important discussion you will ever have as an elder’s board.

10. Important Board Clarifications: The Board only has a “life” when it is in formally-called meetings. No one speaks for the Board unless the Board has ‘spoken.’ The Board speaks with ‘one voice’ or not at all. Importance of clear minutes to communicate final decisions No individual has authority unless given by the Board. When you leave the Board meeting, you function under the Senior Pastor’s or Board Chair’s authority (depending on task).

11. Understand the HOUR GLASS model of Leadership & Ministry LEADERSHIP GOVERNANCE Board of Elder Head – ThinkDiscern Ends Decide what is to be done Understanding and respecting what goes on either side of ‘the line’ is the key in experiencing successful leadership governance! LEADERSHIP GOVERNANCE Governance principles do RIGHT THINGS. MINISTRY Staff/Volunteers Hands – Do Implement Means Decide how it will be done MINISTRY Ministry programs are expected to do THINGS RIGHT.

12. Five Primary Functions of an Elder 1. Pray… Elders are to pray on behalf of those in their congregation. Twice James mentions prayer in James 5:13, and in verses 14-15. A Board must also pray for their staff. Staff is on the front-lines, often waging an intense spiritual battle. They need to be under girded with prayer. Also, the Board that prays together and for one another usually works well and stays together.

13. Five Primary Functions of an Elder 2. Provide Oversight In Acts 20:28 Paul exhorts the elders of the city church of Ephesus to “keep watch over yourselves and all the flock.” That’s called congregational oversight. They give oversight to: The Church’s Spiritual Condition The Church’s Ministry Direction The Pastor’s Leadership A Ministry Description An Annual Evaluation Support

14. Five Primary Functions of an Elder 3. Make Decisions on behalf of church It is recommended that Boards use consensus, not compromise to develop and establish its policies. Consensus does not necessarily have to mean unanimity. It does however require the Board to discuss the issue thoroughly before voting. For consensus decision making, Board members agree to support the final decision of the team even if they disagree with it. They agree to disagree. At the end, all should be able to say that they either agreed with the decision or at least had their day in court. The idea is to pursue unity but not unanimity.

15. Five Primary Functions of an Elder More on making decisions… After the board reaches a decision it then delegates… assigns responsibility for implementation, the second is to provide accompanying instructions commonly known as polices. Through polices it adopts; a Board can give direction and reduce its risk of getting lost in details. Policies are based on past learnings. They function much like the boundaries, end lines, and goal lines of a football field. They are built on values and, at the same time, perpetuate values. Therefore, a Board exercises leadership through policies.

16. Five Primary Functions of an Elder 4. Engage in Planning (Develop a MAP) Planning not only helps you to anticipate the future, it permits you, within limits, to create the future. In the absence of planning we are the victims of our fate. We take what we get. We are totally in a reactive mode. Through planning, we can become proactive. We can have influence, not total control, over the events which come into our lives.

17. MAP OVERVIEW MAP OVERVIEW State Your Purpose Sense Your Vision Sense Your Vision What’s the main thing you’re about? What are you hearing from God? Structure Your Plans Select Your Priorities How will you achieve your priorities? Where will you direct your efforts? ANNUALLY

18. What will a completed Ministry Advancement Plan look like? A Statement of Vision A Purpose Statement 3-7 Priorities flowing out of your Purpose 2-5 Goals flowing out of each Priority 1 SMART Goal Statement for each Goal Area 2 Anticipated Outcomes for each Goal Statement 1 Performance Measure for each Outcome A specific Action Plan for each Goal Statement

19. Five Primary Functions of an Elder 5. Give Feedback and Advice Wise pastors look to their boards for advice. And wise boards give it. There is “wisdom in the counsel of many.” It is important to keep in mind that a board’s advice is different from its decision-making. It is not imperative that the pastor or staff follow the board’s advice; they have a choice. However, when the leadership Board makes a decision, it is final, and pastor and staff are expected to follow through on it.