In my nearly 36 years at Memorial, the value of increasing staff size is dawning on me. I don't assume to speak from technical data as much as experience. I merely propose that elders and congregations ponder the following.
For years our attendance was sliding. We had the proverbial Pulpit Minister and Youth Minister combo which seemed traditionally accepted and expected. The theory was that we will not pay a staff to do the church's ministry. Rather, we will get volunteers.
That is an accepted theory. If it works where you are and you see awesome effects from that set up, glory to God. Yet, I don't think that is what is happening in most cases. From observation, plateaus are more common.
For a long time here, we had a poor combination of elders and a dysfunctional combination of staff. Therefore, bodies added to the staff isn't the goal. A Spirit-flow within the staff and eldership is essential to make what I'm about to say work. We began to see a growth-change in the congregation, first, when a change in the right combination of elders arose.
At one point, maybe in the mid-90s, we were at a low of about 211 in attendance. Improvements in eldership approach was improving. Rough spots with the staff existed. A major move took place when the two remaining elders--at our lowest point in history--decided out of the blue of the Holy Spirit to add a staff member; a worship leader.
The church picked up.
Then we added a children's minister--one of our sweet members--part time and said build it. She did so effectively that we had to add yet another lady part-time. These two remain.
After this, we saw the need for an involvement minister and found one. The elders told the finance committee that they were adding a fourth full-time staffer and to make it work financially. The team did.
A few years later, the elders determined we should add a community minister. They had the man already within the congregation, added him full-time, and he is magic.
In each case, guess what. Volunteerism increased dramatically. Our staff doesn't just do the church's work. We draw in the wisdom and devotion of a great range of congregational talent, skill, and hunger to get to be a part of something useful.
Back to the theory of it not being healthy to pay a staffer to do the church's ministry, in our case, is a misnomer. The reverse is happening. With attendance back at the 500 range we have discovered the staff appropriately equips the members to activate. The usual 20% doing 80% of the work is no longer. We have 90% of our members doing 99% of the the work because there is something about the Spirit-flow in this combination.
I wonder if smaller churches might be staying at plateau level for decade after decade because it is stuck on a mistaken theory. Now, get the wrong staff combo (and we have had that) coupled with the wrong elder combo, and one will not see the results of which I write.
I would ask elders to awaken to the possibility with your particular flock. The more we add staff at the Spirit's pace, the more we seem to be blessed in both attendance and in depth of God's grace. This suggestion isn't a church growth rule. I know. It is merely an idea should your particular place find itself the same size as twenty years ago.
I'm neither a church growth expert nor guru. I am simply a fan of watching God work where we men profess He most likely won't. I write not in criticism of any arrangement; but just wondering if some systems could improve under His direction if we would open to possibility beyond our rut assumptions.
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