Three Ways That a Church Leadership Residency (might help) Recession Proof Your Staff

by Dave Miller

At Leadership Pathway we are all about helping churches find, support, and develop future leaders through a Church Leadership Residency. A Residnecy Program can help keep your staffing challenges moving forward even through a potential recession.

If you are a church leader looking to grow or replace staff, the hits just keep coming. The latest is the continual headlines of recession.

Man…this is fatiguing. Our team feels your pain. I feel your pain. Honestly, I hated even writing this clickbait title. Like you need this on a sunny morning. The daily headlines of the looming recession downturn are just one more example that today is the day to launch a leadership residency for your church to help combat future staff challenges and here are three reasons:

SHOT OF ENERGY - a pastor recently told us that inviting young twenty-somethings to the table has given them “renewed energy” onto the team. New young leaders are pushing, wanting to run, and helping those who’ve been there a while with renewed hope and forward thinking.

GROW WHAT YOU’LL NEED - I know if you are reading this you don’t need any more statistics on the big quit, but many in ministry were already living in a mission-driven salary (that translates that they’re underpaid) before inflation and now recession. I know this is fatiguing to hear, but we must adjust. You will have to replace them somehow just to stay where you are before you think about growth. Talk to any staff recruiting agency and they’ll tell you this climate has radically changed candidate pools.

In fact, a creative agency owner told me just this morning that he’d “hired a few people straight out of church employment who got significant raises and their weekends back.” You can fight that sentiment or you can just admit that this is true. Up to you.

I DON’T HAVE A THIRD POINT - I could have fifteen points if I took the time to write it. A church leadership residency will not recession-proof your staffing challenges. but it is one strategy of a few that Leadership Pathway would be honored to help you with.