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Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and a Biblical Perspective to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. Our tools constantly change; our task doesn’t; we can help.
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What Bosses Want Ministry Assistants to Know

8 October, 2013 By grhilligoss@gmail.com Leave a Comment

What bosses want ministry assistants to know 10-2013
Bosses share what they want their assistants to know and do--great advice here to make the church office run efficiently.

Some bosses winced at the word “boss.” I assured them, as I assure you, that the designation here is meant as a positive one—administrator, manager, supervisor. In most instances pastors fill this role; in some cases an associate or business manager oversees the staff. Many are very involved concerning office administration. A few, especially in team-of-two offices, tend to rely almost entirely on their ministry assistants to look after administrative tasks. All were clear about what they appreciate in those who fill support positions.

I appreciate it when you—

• Excel at the basics
“We count on our secretary to have excellent basic skills: spelling, grammar, computer savvy, business manners, telephone etiquette, organization, and time management.” These are the tools of the trade that every ministry assistant must develop.

• Keep calm
Being emotionally mature is a tremendous asset in the church office. “Things can get stressful here. Unfair things happen, things we can’t control. The assistant can’t take these things personally; she needs to remain cooperative and cheerful when others might get upset, hurt, or defensive.”

• Value your supportive role
“Being a support person is an important and valuable job. Our assistant recognizes she is not the pastor; she is not responsible for his work style, nor answerable to the congregation for his actions. I appreciate my assistant’s support; I need a helper, a team player, not a critic.”

• Adapt well to change
Coping with change is a vital part of this job. “When plans go awry, when the unexpected happens, we need everyone to roll with the punches. I expect my assistant to be able to shift gears and move ahead with what needs to be done.” If you can’t bend, you may break.

• Move beyond the basics
“Our assistant never has the attitude that she knows it all. She is a learning machine—one who does at least two important things no machine can do: generate ideas and express care.” As you perfect your organizational and technical skills, know that the abilities to innovate and to show compassion enhance your professionalism.

• Exercise initiative
“I like the way our assistant sees what needs to be done and does it. She doesn’t overstep her authority by any means, but neither does she worry about whether the necessary task is in her job description.” It can take a while to locate this fine line, but it is worth the effort for all concerned.

• Keep me informed
“I want my assistant to be candid with me about work plans, projects, or problems; I will respect her point of view and her confidentiality.” Several pastors said they like assistants to handle routine problems themselves. “If and when there are difficulties beyond her scope, I expect them to be brought to me. If she can bring possible solutions along with the problems, all the better.”

• Maintain a positive attitude
As important as excellent skills are, they are not what bosses appreciate most. “Technical abilities are needed, but even outstanding skills can’t compensate for negativity.” An enthusiastic, Christ-like spirit is the essential attribute every effective assistant brings to the church office.

Bosses want their assistants to know that, while they may not express it often enough, you are appreciated.

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Filed Under: Church Office Skills, Columnist Gayle Hilligoss, Contributors Tagged With: church office advice, church office bosses, National Boss Day

Bosses—What Ministry Assistants Want Them to Know

8 October, 2013 By grhilligoss@gmail.com Leave a Comment

 

What MAs want their bosses to know
One of the greatest gifts we can give those we work with is our honest opinion and this article should help with that.

National Boss Day is October 16 in the United States—and an appropriate time to recognize bosses worldwide. In recognition of this most important event I talked with a number of ministry assistants (who, almost without exception, say they work for and with excellent leaders) and pastors (each of whom was quick to say his or her assistant was top-notch). A few noted they had less than satisfactory work situations in the past and benefited from lessons learned. With a view toward opening up some interesting dialogue, here is what these office team members shared.

I appreciate it when you—

• Show loyalty to your staff
Much is said of the need for the assistant to be loyal to the boss. Excellent bosses are similarly loyal to their assistants.“I can count on my boss to speak up for me, to treat me with professional courtesy, to give me the benefit of the doubt in conflict situations, and to respect the mutual confidentiality of the workplace.”

• Challenge me
Assistants of today are eager to venture beyond the ordinary. They want to be challenged with new and difficult assignments that contribute to ministry. “I’m constantly motivated toward excellence because my boss pays me the compliment of trusting me with meaningful jobs that stretch my skills.

• Involve others in decision-making
Few things increase job satisfaction more than having your voice heard. “Making major revisions in our office organization could have been disastrous to our team. But, from the start, our wise pastor included each of us in the process; we became committed to the success of what we planned together.” More often than not, it is not change that causes problems, but how the change is implemented.

• Tell me what you expect
“Something I admire about my pastor’s leadership is that he is clear about the results he wants. I choose how to proceed, but I always know where we’re going.” Assistants want to be more than busy; they want to be effective in achieving ministry goals. “I like, too, that I’m asked to do things rather than given orders.”

• Recognize the value of training
“My minister told me seminars motivate her to excel. She thought a conference would do the same for me. I went; it did. I am grateful for her belief in me and in my professional growth.”

• Confront problems promptly and impartially
Ignoring difficulties almost always makes matters worse. As uncomfortable as it may be, dealing with problems is something a leader must do. “My pastor expects staff members to follow the rules equally. If there is a problem, he instills confidence by dealing with it without playing favorites.”

• Stay grounded
“Pride and arrogance are occupational hazards in ministry. As a ministry assistant and pastor’s wife, I know how hard it can be for ministers to keep ego under control. The compliments and deference they receive must be kept in perspective or self-centered behaviors can develop that make them hard to work for and with.”

• Practice what you preach
Assistants want to be proud of their bosses. They want to work for people known for setting positive examples in speech, appearance, and conduct. “My boss doesn’t just expect me to honor deadlines, he honors them as well. He doesn’t just expect me to be organized, he is organized. He not only expects the staff to lead exemplary lives, he leads a life worthy of our respect.” Nothing earns respect and establishes authority quite like authenticity. “I pray for my pastor every day, asking God to keep him strong and faithful.”

We applaud excellent bosses everywhere and wish them God’s best.

 

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Filed Under: Church Office Skills, Columnist Gayle Hilligoss, Contributors Tagged With: church office skills, communication with your boss, National Boss Day, what Ministry Assistants want

How to be a better boss or leader, plus an inspirational postcard to print and share

7 October, 2013 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

We can do it--leaders and bosses
We can do it! Leaders and bosses make a huge difference in the lives of the people they work with.

In preparing this series of articles related to National Boss Day, October 16, I did several searches for clip art using the keyword "boss." I was surprised to find that many of the images were negative. The images showed bosses portrayed as the devil, bosses standing on people, yelling at them, making people bow down before them. We could moan and complain about the bad state of many workplaces today, but instead, let's look at how the church can communicate the way to be a better boss, both in words and actions.

Live out the lesson

Gayle Hilligoss contributed two challenging and helpful articles on this topic (CLICK on the titles to go to them):

What Bosses Want Ministry Assistants to Know
https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/2013/10/what-bosses-want-ministry-assistants-to-know/

Bosses—What Ministry Assistants Want Them to Know
https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/bosses-what-ministry-assistants-want-them-to-know/

If we live out what she suggests, if we make our actions in the church office and whatever job we have a conscious reflection of our Lord, we can communicate to our world that being a follower of Jesus not only makes a difference in our eternity, but in our actions each day.

Today it is popular to say, "we are the church" as we remind our congregation that the church isn't a building, but the people in it who are the church, the body of Christ. But no matter how much we say it, we need to live it out in our servant lifestyle in our work. This is especially important for pastors, bosses, and leaders, because to be a servant to those you work with requires a lifestyle totally different from the rest of the world.

We can lead differently, because we know who is really in charge

All of the negative clipart and much of the reality of negative office situations comes from the mistaken idea that we can control others and the way to do it is to lord over them, yell at them, and put them under pressure to make them do what we want them to do. But that is not how Jesus wants us to lead. He was very clear:

But Jesus called them together and said, “Among the heathen, kings are tyrants and each minor official lords it over those beneath him. But among you it is quite different. Anyone wanting to be a leader among you must be your servant. And if you want to be right at the top, you must serve like a slave. Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28(TLB)

We lead best, when we serve best. One way to serve is to encourage each other. It's not always easy to look for a way to build someone up so they can do the job, to train, to come along side or cheer on, but as Charles Erwin Wilson said “A good boss makes people realize they have more ability than they think they have, so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could.”

Hebrews 10:24 (TLB) says a similar thing in this way:

"In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good."

When you live in response to these reminders by Jesus, you may not be able to change the way clipart portrays bosses and leaders, but you'll change the picture of them to your world. The little card below can help remind you.

Communicate the lesson: For ECC Members, an inspiring postcard for you or your bosses and leaders

I've put together the three quotes into an inspiring postcard, that is ready to print for ECC Members. If you aren't a member you can use the ideas to create your own. You can print them out as a reminder to yourself or as an encouragement to someone else.

There are three versions below and the card comes in a downloadable ZIP file (link at the end of the article). For each of the cards, the file has:

  • Ready-to-print PDFs
  • Editable MS Publisher files—so you can personalize them any way you want
  • Hi res and low res images

If you are a Member of Effective Church Communications, you know this is just one of the many downloadable template and ready-to-print files available for you. If you are not a member, CLICK HERE for more information or to sign up.

Below are illustrations of the cards in the ZIP FILE for ECC Members. The download link is below the images.

Boss and Leader Card 1, low resBoss and leader card 2, low resBoss and leader card 3, low res LINK to download the ZIP FILE for the cards here:

[mepr-show if="rule: 23971"]
CLICK HERE to download the ZIP FILE

[/mepr-show]

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Filed Under: Misc. Advice and Articles Tagged With: church office advice, church postcard template, encouragement for church leaders & bosses, encouragement postcard, National Boss Day

National Boss Day is Oct. 16 & how Ministry Assistants define the excellent boss

3 October, 2012 By grhilligoss@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Celebrate your church office boss
Oct. 16 is National Boss Day and here are some characteristics of great ones.

Ed. note: The article that follows reminds us to thank and celebrate great bosses in our church. If they don't come up to the standards here, the article provides a wonderful list of prayers for them.

National Boss Day is a time for workers to show appreciation to their employers. The day is annually observed in the United States on October 16, or the nearest working day. Over the years I’ve asked scores of ministry assistants to define their ideal boss.

The excellent boss according to Ministry Assistants:

• sets a high standard for attitude and actions
• treats others with respect and courtesy [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Church Office Skills, Columnist Gayle Hilligoss Tagged With: charactistics of a great booss, Christian Bosses, church office leader, National Boss Day

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