Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff: A Guide to Thriving Together

by Kevin E. Lawson, Mick Boersma

Overview

Surveys of pastoral staff repeatedly show that senior or supervising pastors consistently rate their working relationships with their associate staff members higher than do the associate staff members. Satisfaction levels follow similar patterns. In many cases, supervisors are not aware of or attentive to the concerns of their staff, and yet, these staff members are critical to the success of the church. Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff is a research-based guide to the senior/associate staff relationship that is filled with real-life stories and practical advice to help readers negotiate their staff relationships successfully. The book focuses not only on the business mechanics of the supervisor/supervisee relationship, but also the full experiences of the associate staff, including emotional and spiritual needs. This helpful resource addresses congregations of all sizes across denominations and discusses a range or supervisor/supervisee relationship types.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781566997850
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/13/2017
Pages:	188
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kevin E. Lawson is professor of Christian education and discipleship, teaching the PhD and EdD programs at the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He served as a church associate staff member for eleven years before moving to seminary teaching, where his research continues to focus on the needs of associate staff members.

Mick Boersma is professor of Christian ministry and leadership and the chaplain of the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He has served as both associate and senior pastor over his years in ministry.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction: Foundations for Supervising and Supporting Associate Staff
Chapter 2: Forming and Leading the Ministry Team
Chapter 3: Time Together, Part I: Constructive Regular Team Meetings
Chapter 4: Time Together, Part II: Profitable Occasional Team Gatherings and One-On-Ones
Chapter 5: Facilitating and Supporting the Ministry of Your Associate Staff
Chapter 6: Supporting Staff Personally
Chapter 7: Staff Review and Development
Chapter 8: Letting Go – Staff Transitions
Chapter 9: Self-care as a Ministry Supervisor
Appendix A: Resources for Supervising Pastors
Appendix B: Overview of the Research Process

Editorial Reviews

As someone who has supervised staff in multiple ministry contexts for more than thirty years, I wish I’d had a resource like Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff available to me twenty years ago! Drawing on years of deep experience and rich research, Kevin Lawson and Mick Boersma have written an extremely insightful and practical book to guide those who are charged with supervising ministry staff. Particularly helpful are the many excerpts of interviews with both staff members and supervisors sprinkled throughout the book. Not only do I highly recommend this important book, I will be using it to personally improve my own supervision of staff.

Sam Rima

Mick Boersma understands how to love and motivate people for maximum Kingdom impact. He and Kevin Lawson unpack real, everyday, ready-to-use wisdom on a subject that has been overlooked by those writing on leadership. Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff will help you love and lead your team toward greater ministry and healthier lives.

H. Dale Burke

Biblical stewardship requires a thoughtful and intentional use of God’s resources. For those who are serving as the church’s shepherds, it is particularly sobering to realize that the staff members who come under our care are precious members of Christ’s body and should be treated with the utmost consideration. Lawson and Boersma have provided ministry leaders with a valuable and insightful resource to help us steward the colleagues that God has entrusted to our care. This book is a must read for anyone that is supervising and nurturing ministry leaders—whether it be in the local church or in para-church ministries.

Michael J. Anthony

Ministry supervisors want to do a good job but almost always feel inadequate to the task. Lawson and Boersma draw from their experience in studying associate staff ministry along with new research to provide an essential guide for staff supervision in the church. At the center of their approach is equal concern for the fruitfulness of the staff ministry and care for the staff member. They go beyond the superficial, though necessary, best practices of supervision to engage the theological, spiritual, and emotional dynamics always present.

Lovett H. Weems Jr.