“Yeah, we posted to this website, and then we were inundated with all kinds of unqualified applicants. We couldn’t believe it!”

It’s funny. They are actually surprised.

I read an ad today that I just had to repost here. Obviously, this church has suffered through the mountain of resumes blasted to them a time or two, and they’ve had enough! But the apparently also discovered the secret of Internet job postings. “Just yell at people in all caps and they’ll quit blasting the non-matching resumes…”

” (church) is currently looking for an Executive Pastor to become a part of an exciting, expanding and vibrant ministry. (church) is a non-denominational, international teaching ministry with close to 30 countries represented in our worshiping body. (church) is located in (city / state)- a vital part of the (local) community. The rich history of this area along with the international trade, tourism, military bases and agriculture provide a diverse socio-economic and cultural base for this location. QUALIFIED APPLICANTS ONLY need apply.”

Yep. That’ll stop them.

If you’d like to talk about how to be less passive and more strategic in targeting your candidate, let me know!

-Greg Allen
The Shepherd’s Staf
972.434.2408
GregAllen@TheShepherdsStaf.com
http://www.TheShepherdsStaf.com

In every work culture it is difficult to be the new guy.  I don’t care if it is in the church or in some company in downtown Atlanta. 

I was talking to a candidate the other day that has taken a position with one of our client churches.  I was reminded of a few things.

Things to remember:
-Be you!  You are the only you.  Don’t try to be something you are not.
-They hired you!  Not the guy that was there before you.  If they wanted him, they would have kept him.
-Use the influence you have at the beginning.  There is a window of time for change to occur.  That does not mean everything has to change, but if you wait to long to make the changes it will be too late.
-Take time off. What???  You heard me.  If you establish bad habits at the being those habits will become expectations of you. If you are to be out of the office on Friday, be out of the office on Friday.

You only have one first impression.  Make it a good one.

This isn’t a complaint. It’s merely an observation.

Now get out there and campmissionimpactexcelelevatevbs!

For now, I wanted to look some things to do to help yourself in a search. If you are not retiring in 6 months, there is a chance you will be looking for a new position at some point. First recommendation: keep your resume updated regularly, not just when you are searching.

The purpose of your resume is to get a to a conversation and the way it does that is by representing the exiting/cool/impressive things you have done. If you are only working on your resume when you are “looking,” you might be trying to remember details from years ago.  Instead, as exciting things happen in your ministry, make a new bullet on your resume. Also, this is a good tool to see how often you are “accomplishing” things.

In my life the connection is to God and others.  In my job I help people connect with churches.  On Sundays as I lead worship I help people connect with the Author of Life.

It is easy in my day begin to think every thing is about me.  My time, my stuff, my job, etc.  But really I need to have my eye on what it is all about.  My life is really more than my day and stuff, it is about the on that is… Bigger Than Life.

#168
“Before adding your picture to your resume, run the idea by someone besides your spouse or your mother. And then add it only after exercising extreme caution.”

If you are a guy, think about how you feel when your wife asks if the dress she’s wearing makes her look fat. Use that filter to interpret the answer you get when you ask someone if you should include your picture on your resume.

Trust me on this. I’m trying to help you. Really.

Greg Allen
The Shepherd’s Staf
GregAllen@TheShepherdsStaf.com

I read some of the “top” blogs in the country in this area.

But I am astounded by the lack of thoughtful content compared with the “come to our church, it’s so cool” posts.

I think that is in some ways sad, because many of you really have a lot more to say than, “come to our church, it’s so cool.”

Just a thought.

-Greg Allen
The Shepherd’s Staf
GregAllen@TheShepherdsStaf.com

It isn’t filled with all of the “feel good” stuff that we sometimes want to read, but it is a great article that is important to read.

We’ve got a problem, that’s for sure. Oh, for a culture of peace.

In a word, I’d say that I highly recommend the XPastor Seminar I attended this week. Next year, I’d guess that it will be held in February again. Why don’t you take a moment and make a calendar entry for September or October to get registered and all? If you are an Executive Pastor, COO, Church Administrator, or even a Senior Pastor looking into hiring and Executive Pastor, you will benefit.

Actually, I’m none of those things listed above…but I found the information presented to be very educational. I also found the process and format to be one of the best I’ve seen - complete with large group presentation, small group discussion, frequent breaks for casual conversation and networking, options for workshops, and plenty of Q and A. I thought it was fantastic.

XPastor was founded by David Fletcher, who is now an XP in Austin, TX. David has an obvious passion for the church and its leadership staff. What he has put together is an opportunity to learn and to network with your peers in an effective learning environment. The seminar is really only one piece of the puzzle (though it is a big corner piece in my opinion). David’s website is filled with information that can be very helpful to a church staff who wants to learn and grow.

This year, we tackled two case studies - one on sabbaticals and one on church conflict. Both were excellent. The sabbatical case study was presented by Mark Brewer and Roger Dermody of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. One of the great things about gatherings such as this is just the refreshing opportunity to be encouraged by the what else is going on in the Body of Christ across this country. It was great to hear of the success of Bel Air, and to be able to discuss strategy with other church leaders from all over the nation (and other countries).

I’ve worked with churches who are in the position they are in (needing staff) either because they don’t have an adequate policy in this area or who have sent their pastors on sabbaticals just so they can figure out what to do with them. Hearing about this healthy example of the use of a sabbatical was eye-opening and encouraging.

The other case study was presented by Ken Sande of Peacemaker Ministries. I found the information presented here to be among some of the most challenging information I’ve ever heard presented at something like this. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to dive in nearly deeply enough. But it did offer the opportunity to find out how to access more of this information. What a work this organization has done!

There were plenty of workshops offered. I went to three different workshops, and I learned something unique in each one of them. In addition to learning, I was able to get some more small group time with people from whom I could learn. That was very meaningful to me. I was able to attend very beneficial workshops, led by David Fletcher, Jim Kuykendall, and Bob Feitl. I gave all of them very high marks.

David Fletcher encouraged us to take away some controversial ideas along with the tools for ministry we were picking up. I went back through my notes this morning, and I offer the following as some of the “ideas to ponder” as I have labeled them on my legal pad (sorry David, I’m not paperless…yet):

• Qualitative Success Measurements - We so often measure on quantity (how big, how many kids, how many in attendance, how many years, what growth percentage, etc.), that I think we can really miss the boat on measuring quality. Quantity and quality may be related, but they are not the same thing. But how do you measure? How? One thing I can do for my clients is to discuss this with them and help them to come up with the qualitative measurements. What a challenge! I love it!
• Nothing is actually JUST about selection. A church can’t even hire ONE staff member who doesn’t have some kind of impact on the church’s culture. To say that we will simply select them into our preexisting culture without realizing that it will change the moment they arrive is just ignorance. Sadly, even when that culture is changing around us, we miss many of the signs we should be heeding. Wow.
• Power, manipulation, and control drive way too much of what we do. Jesus isn’t about those things. We should be about Jesus. If He is really our focus, why do we keep falling for these ridiculous schemes? What is so attractive about that? Nothing, but I guess we sometimes think it gets the result. Yuck.
• In conflict, offering to be available to talk isn’t enough. As leaders, we have to initiate the conversation, and we have to create the environment for it.

So, my list may seem very uncontroversial to some of you. Oh well. Give me time to catch up, OK?
And don’t let my issues distract you from the point of this post. If you are an Executive Pastor, get here next year, OK? You’ve got a lot to learn, and no doubt a lot to share as well.

-Greg Allen
The Shepherd’s Staf
GregAllen@TheShepherdsStaf.com

We are going to learn a lot, meet a bunch of great people, and hopefully add value to some discussions.

If you are going to be there, look for us!

Hope to see you there.