1. Is there a better way to find church staff?
    Gone are the days of calling the local seminaries and asking for resumes. Identifying the most effective staff is a full-time job. Growing churches that are particular about staffing have realized the importance of strategically searching for the right candidate for their open staff position. Pastors and/or lay leadership have neither the time nor the resources to identify, screen, interview, and background check the number of candidates necessary in filling an open staff position. Also, quite often, the most viable candidates are PASSIVE CANDIDATES – candidates who are not actively looking for a new position. How can you find them if you don’t know they are looking?
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  2. How long should it take to find a new staff member?
    NOT LONG, considering the risks involved in going without proper leadership in our ministries. Not only do we lose families to more stable churches, but we also risk losing souls. Does a visiting family feel comfortable joining a church with open staff positions? What about giving? We know that giving decreases with the instability of church staff. How can you find them if they are not looking?
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  3. When do we start planning for future staffing needs?
    Immediately! The great commission did not challenge us to be satisfied with what we have; therefore, we must always be considering ways to reach our community. It is imperative that we NOT wait on growth to then determine when to hire. If we do this, we will NEVER see a need to make that hire, and we will miss out on church growth associated with an effective staff. Instead, we need to trust God and seek His direction as we carry out His plan. Let a trained MinisterSearch staffing consultant assist you in this area. 
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  4. How do we plan for growth?
    STAFF for it… too many churches wait for growth to add staff. Typically, the staff a church has will not support its current membership. Does your church have at LEAST 1 staff member for every 150 in attendance? If not, you are understaffed. How can we expect our pastoral staff to minister effectively if they are over tasked?
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  5. What can we do to retain our top staff?
    There are several key factors that growing churches share.
    • First, you must hire the right person. Sound simple? Not really! Close to 75% of pastoral staff surveyed stated that they were "less than satisfied" with their current position. Why?
    • Second, we MUST pay our pastoral staff well. If they are concerned about paying bills, how can they effectively lead our churches?
    • Third, get creative! If the budget is tight, add a week of vacation. What about a sabbatical or a family retreat?
    These are just a few of the areas in which your MinisterSearch consultant will assist you.
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  6. What are other churches doing?
    Consistently, the churches that are growing and reaching the community for Christ are focused on a solid staff development/retention plan that requires consultation from experts. No, this is not business… this is what works, and our responsibility to be good stewards requires us to strive for excellence in ALL we do!
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  7. What if we have a search committee?
    The MinisterSearch team will come along side your search committee and staff members to assist in the search. First and foremost, we want to make sure the search committee is positioned for success, so we spend time determining specific criteria regarding the job description, requirements, profile, etc. It is imperative to seek God's will for these areas as we seek His will for the open position.
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  8. What about compensation for the position?
    MinisterSearch will also assist in determining the most attractive compensation package. Today's pastors and ministers are working harder than ever, and they deserve to receive a fair compensation package; therefore, we collect up-to-date compensation information along with the church's budget to develop a salary structure that works.
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  9. What size churches do you work with?
    MinisterSearch has experience with rural churches of 150 as well as the largest MEGA churches with more than 40,000 members. Our vast network of pastors and ministers enables us to quickly identify candidates and fill open positions. 
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