Hiring the right folks on your team is important. You need every hire to be competent to do the job and match the team chemistry of the church.

But did you know it is possible to hit 3 or 4 homerun hires in a row and still put your church in danger?
That’s the subject of this week’s newsletter.

Lift Or Drag

The terms “lift” and “drag” refer to aerodynamic forces. These are particularly important for flying an airplane. Lift refers to the forces that help propel a plane forward and in the air. Drag refers to the forces that work against the plane and pull it down.

The terms can help provide a framework for thinking about staff positions and budget at your church. Lift and drag positions don’t refer to whether they are good employees or important positions. Lift and drag positions refer to the impact those positions have on the bottom line of the organization.

I’ll provide a few examples. A worship leader is a “lift” position. Why? Because if they do their job well, and the quality of the music improves at the church, more people will come. More people coming eventually leads to more dollars given to the church. In that sense, the worship leader position is a “lift” position. If they are good at their job, they will pay for themselves.

An administrative position is a “drag” position. This doesn’t mean it is unneeded. An administrative assistant doesn’t lead to more people coming to the church or improved discipleship. But every church must have drag positions to execute ministry.

The point of showing this contrast is to help provide a framework for recognizing the true cost in your hires. I know a church that hired several “drag” positions in a row. They needed them. But the hires ate their budget up rather than growing it, putting them in financial straits.

You can’t do that without consequence.

1 Actionable Tip

Avoid hiring too many “drag” positions in a row so you don’t strain the budget.

Opportunities for Next Steps

If you want help working through items like we discussed today, reach out about leadership coaching.

1. Personal Coaching. If you are a pastor interested in personal leadership coaching, reach out to john@kjmin.org and he can detail out the process and opportunities.

2. Student Minister Leadership Lab. We are excited about pouring into student ministry leaders with a practical workshop style event. Join us in Nashville August 3-4^th for coaching and practical help for leading an effective student ministry. Register here.