8 Strategies for Leading a Large Team Download PDF One of the principles of the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System is “span of control.” This is the concept that there’s a limit to the number of individuals or groups one person can effectively supervise. There’s no question this is an important factor in responding to an emergency incident, but it’s no less significant in managing a workplace team. Behavioural experts generally agree that the ideal number of direct reports to manage in the workplace is somewhere between five and seven, with various reasons proposed for sliding the number a little higher or a little lower.Factors like the size of the organisation, the type of work being performed, and the experience of the manager all influence what would be considered “best” for a particular work environment, but if you’re managing 10, 15, or even more direct reports, the experts all agree…
Interview Tip – Present the Evidence! Download PDF For more information on answering job interview questions or questions from potential patrons or partners, check out the following articles:The STAR(ce) Method – or how to ace your job interview! Interview Tip – Show Your Learning. Here’s another in the short series of tips for preparing for job interviews, pitching to potential patrons to support your work, or asking another organisation to partner with you – present the evidence!Showing evidence for your experience and accomplishments is very simple and straightforward, and yet it’s an aspect of demonstrating your achievements that few candidates think of when they’re preparing for an interview. Out of the dozens and dozens of interviews I’ve conducted, only in one or two cases dida candidate come with physical or electronic evidence to back up their claims to show the interview panel.“But won’t people just believe what I say in the…
Interview Tip – Show Your Learning Download PDF For more information on answering job interview questions or questions from potential patrons or partners, check out these articles:The STAR(ce) Method – or how to ace your job interview! Interview Tip – Present the Evidence. Here’s another tip for those applying for new roles and facing the sometimes daunting prospect of job interviews. This is also applicable for anyone approaching patrons for support, applying for ordination, or in countless other contexts where you find yourself in some way competing against other candidates for a role, experience, or some other outcome.Always make sure you can share what you’ve learnt through your work experience. When I was in school, my maths teachers were always telling me, “Show your working.” When it comes to presenting yourself as a potential candidate for a job, investment, or partnership, a similar thing applies; “Show your learning.” Lots of…
The STAR(ce) Method – or how to ace your job interview! Download PDF For more information on answering job interview questions or questions from potential patrons or partners, check out the following articles:Interview Tip – Show Your Learning. Interview Tip – Present the Evidence. How can you present yourself in the best possible way when you’re in a job interview or talking to a potential employer? And how can you do it without exaggerating or stretching the truth on one hand, or feeling like you’re boasting on the other?For lots of people, situations that depend on promoting your own accomplishments can be difficult and feel artificial, and that’s even before you start worrying about the outcome that you’re hoping for! Often the situation giving rise to these feelings is a job interview, or it may be that you’re asking a potential patron to give financially, or you may be asking an…
Effective Planning & Review Meetings Download PDF Gospel ministry often involves lots of meetings! In fact, it can seem like meetings take up a disproportionate amount of time for church staff and leaders, and others involved in gospel work. Though know planning and canvassing ideas is an important part of being good stewards of the resources at our disposal – we don’t want to be wasteful because we haven’t thought enough about likely outcomes. It’s also part of being good shepherds of those in our care – it’s unkind not to consider the challenges and responses likely to be faced by those we lead and involve in ministry.Similarly, reviewing our ministry tasks – reflecting on how we’ve used our time and money and how we’ve asked people to labour alongside us – is part of seeking to be fruitful and effective for the gospel.If you lead a team, whether that…
Stages of Small Group Life Download PDF If you’ve been a member of a small group in a church for any length of time – a Bible study group, a staff team, a project group, or any other type of group – you’ll have noticed that groups change!Why do groups change so much?Is the change bad? Is it better to stay the same?What leads to change? What hinders it?The stages of group life described here are based on the group development model of Bruce Tuckman. Tuckman was a researcher in educational psychology who first published his work in a well-known 1965 article in Psychological Bulletin, “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups.” He re-visited the topic in a subsequent publication in 1977 and his stages have been the focus of much discussion and research since!Small groups in churches involve many of the same interpersonal transitions as groups in other contexts; Group members…
We’re inviting applications for Ministry Trainees to join us in September 2021! As a growing and an increasingly diverse, all-age church family with four congregations on a Sunday, the church I serve, Dundonald Church, Raynes Park is a busy church! At Dundonald you’ll find everyone from babies to the elderly, students to retirees, those caring for others, and those working in the city, and everyone else in between!Our mission “We witness to grow disciples” summarises our conviction that the good news of Jesus changes hearts and lives as we hear and proclaim God’s Word. In 2021 we will be moving into a purpose-built facility which we pray will enable gospel ministry in new and exciting ways for generations to come.To find out more, and to learn how to apply, head to dundonald.org/trainees today!
Managing Ministry Staff Download PDF In team ministry contexts, more and more staff are finding themselves line-managing other ministry staff. These may be ministry apprentices, or junior staff, or other senior team members.Managing staff isn’t something we’re typically trained for in our ministry training! And while some gospel workers will have experience from previous employment, it’s a challenge for many to work out what this kind of management looks like in a gospel ministry context.While the discipleship and mentoring of ministry staff are important issues, the purpose of this document is to outline some helpful aspects of the management relationship; how gospel workers lead other staff in order to work together towards agreed gospel outcomes. Of course, because we are members together of the body of Christ (Ephesians 3:6), the discipleship and service aspects are never absent from the way we seek to manage others in ministry!Some gospel workers will…
Live Streaming Advice for Churches Among the many challenges I’m sure you’re wrestling with in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, is how to keep teaching and shepherding your flock as people self isolate, and when meeting together becomes impossible. I’ve had lots of requests this past week for advice and tips on streaming services or sermons online, and so have been sending the following info out. If this is something you’re looking for some information on, the following info may be useful for you or someone in your church who can investigate streaming. As it happens, I had recently bought some equipment to help with streaming training events, and we already had a variety of other gear, so our situation might be a bit different to how you might begin. So here are some useful links, some tips for a basic setup using a mobile phone, and then a…
Role Descriptions for Volunteer Leaders Having clearly communicated expectations is an important part of looking after those who serve in leadership in our churches. It’s unkind to ask people to serve in leadership without clarity about what you’re asking them to do, what others are responsible for, and how they will be supported in their ministry. Lack of clarity leads to confusion, conflict, and frustration!These documents were written for volunteer leaders at Trinity Church Mount Barker in 2019. Your documents will look different according to your context, whether leaders are paid or volunteers, and depending on the the shape of your ministries, etc.Area Leader Role Descriptions:Area Leader – Bible Study Groups Area Leader – Music Area Leader – Welcoming Area Leader – Youth Team Leader & Team Member Role Descriptions:Bible Study Group Leader Team Leader – Creche Team Member – YouthTeam Member – WelcomingRole descriptions for 5M Purpose Leaders are also…