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Church Management and Administration

Manage your congregation effectively with resources on budgeting tips, software, and leadership strategies.

Resources

9 Resources
From the Staff From the Staff
One Budgeting Idea when Funds are Scarce
Sometimes funds are scarce. God has created the world abundant with water, trees, blue skies and...
From the Staff From the Staff
Leadership and Management
Many congregational leaders know the importance of clear mission and vision statements. However,...
article
How to Choose Software to Manage Your Church
This quick and simple overview is a helpful introduction for congregations considering...
web resource
Church Management Software Research
This webpage offers information to help congregations navigate the evaluation and purchase...
organization
Church Community Builder
This member management software connects congregations in its giving, volunteers, small...
article
Who Should be at the Table?
This article highlight the various stakeholders who should be included in the decision-making...
book
Administration In the Small Membership Church
This book identifies administration and leadership as crucial components for the small church,...
book
AdMinistry: The Nuts and Bolts of Church Administration
This book offers insight to manage a budget, organize personnel, and deal with the technical...
book
African American Church Management Handbook
This thorough handbook has advice for all aspects of management in the Black Church including...

Guest Contributor

Contributor
Ben Tapper

Ben Tapper is an associate for resource consulting with the Center for Congregations. Ben has a passion for communal healing and restoration. He is also a consultant on CRG Chat and helps with social media.  

Church Management Resources

It is important for congregation leaders to implement a strong management style to help guide their congregation. That is where church management resources can be helpful. Anyone with experience managing or running a business will likely understand that the religious sector can be a bit different. Congregations come in many shapes and forms, and while they are usually going to be very different from that of a traditional business, a lot of the aspects of managing an organization might be the same. In order for the congregation to keep its lights on, for instance, it needs to balance the books. That is one area where strong church management can provide insight and leadership.

If there are religious leaders out there who are facing difficulty in running their congregations in the modern era, it can be good for them to know they are certainly not alone. There are lots of moving parts that can all contribute to an effective balancing act, and this is where church management resources can so often prove to be critical. Remember that there are outside resources that can help assist leaders in managing their churches effectively, and it can be a good idea to take a look at what has worked in the past, along with some of the most common mistakes that other religious leaders have made. If leaders are able to follow in the footsteps of those other people who have had success, while at the same time working to avoid these common mistakes, they may be able to help place their congregations in the best position possible to be successful. This can be seen as one of the main principles of church administration.

When taking a look at a church management PDF, it might prove worthwhile to try and tailor these ideas to meet the unique structure of that specific religious environment. After all, some congregations are larger than others. With this in mind, not every idea is likely going to work for every church. Rather, it might be the responsibility of a leader to take a look at these outside resources, figure out what will work the best, and then implement those ideas effectively. This is likely going to be how to set up a congregation for success moving forward.

Church Management Books

Even though there are plenty of online resources that can be helpful, it might also prove helpful to take a look at a few books. When it comes to the best books on church administration, there are a few factors that religious leaders may need to consider. First, they might consider taking a look at when the book was written, because while books from decades past can still be helpful, it can be worth keeping in mind that the current environment has perhaps changed significantly since then. Therefore, books that were applicable in the past may run the risk of not being as relevant today.

Then, religious leaders might want to try and look for books that are easy to understand. For example, there are some books that could be filled with outstanding ideas. On the other hand, if they are difficult to interpret and understand, it will potentially be difficult to apply those ideas to a church environment. If legislators are able to keep these two factors in mind, however, they may be able to find church management books that can ultimately be useful. By taking a look at the top books on church management in the modern era, it might be possible for legislators to learn about a lot of ideas that can be helpful in the current environment.

Principles of Church Management

It can perhaps be easy to get lost in the details when it comes to managing a church in the current environment. With this in mind, it might be good to think about the top principles of church management, when looking at how to run a church office. This is something that likely starts with the church ministry structure and organization. A lot of people who occupy positions of leadership, particularly when it comes to churches, are used to controlling things. After all, a lot of tasks can be made easier if people simply perform them themselves. However, it can prove to be impossible for someone to run every aspect of a church on their own, as there is likely simply too much to do. Therefore, one of the first principles of church management that people may do well to follow is to place the right people in positions of leadership, which can help set the church up for success moving forward.

With this in mind, it can be helpful to try and provide those leaders with enough autonomy to be able to do their jobs effectively. If church leaders micromanage the situation, after all, they will not be giving their leaders an opportunity to shine. Furthermore, they may even detract attention from other areas of the chart which can be seen as being just as important. If church leaders are able to keep these principles in mind, they will be better able to empower their leaders to truly flourish.

Effective Church Management

Effective church administration can be critical. When running a church administration and leadership group, perhaps one of the foremost parts of effective church management is collecting feedback from as many people as possible. Everyone should feel like their opinion is being valued, including not only individuals who occupy positions of leadership within the church, but also members of the congregation itself. It can be good for leaders to know when to speak and when to listen. Be sure to think about how other people feel about the current environment in the church.

Another potentially important part of effectively managing a church today may be flexibility. In an environment that can oftentimes be seen as one which is changing quickly, it can be useful for the church to be able to wield, adapt, and be flexible in the modern era. If the church is agile, then it will perhaps be able to respond more quickly to the changing landscape, keeping the congregation together while at the same time attracting new members.

Finally, church leaders may also benefit from knowing how to delegate responsibilities. Even though it can be tempting to try and do everything, it can also be good for church leaders to know when to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. In reality, it is simply a sign of intelligence.

Church Administration Resources

It might be a good idea for church leaders to understand the difference between administration and management. Administration refers to the process of setting objectives and schedules, and can possibly be seen as an important part of running a church. In contrast, managing refers to the process of developing actions and plans, and it is usually going to be the responsibility of managers to detail how something is going to be carried out.

Church administration resources can also be seen as important. When it comes to church administration training, it can be good to train those specific individuals on the various resources they are going to have available to them. This could include things such as templates, software programs, email lists, and plenty of other tools that can help expedite their daily tasks.

Oftentimes, church leaders might have the responsibility to ensure that everyone is using their time appropriately. If someone is spending an inordinate amount of time in carrying out clerical tasks, this is likely valuable time that could be spent elsewhere. Fortunately, there are software programs out there that can automate a lot of the tasks that used to be done by hand. When it comes to church administration, it can be a good idea to take a closer look at some of the resources that people have available to them. That way, everyone might be able to use their time wisely.

Church Administration Structure

When it comes to church leadership structure models, the size of the church might play a role. By taking a look at church administration notes, it may soon become clear that small church administration is likely going to be different from that of a large church. Thus, the church administration structure is naturally going to vary from congregation to congregation.

A small church may only have two or three administrators. For example, there may be a church leader, a treasurer, a secretary, and someone who is in charge of running small groups. Small churches might even have volunteers who lead these small groups or run Sunday school sessions.

In contrast, a large church is likely going to have many more positions. There might be a dedicated technology person, a dedicated AV person, and even a dedicated public relations advisor, as a few examples. Furthermore, a large church might even have some of its leaders be responsible for running small group sessions.

There is perhaps no single “right” way to organize the structure of a church. Instead, church leaders might need to think carefully about how many people they need to ask for assistance when it comes to running the church. As long as they have the right people in the right places, the church should perhaps then be in a good position moving forward.

Church Management System

Ultimately, there is a lot that can go hand-in-hand with running a congregation. Keep in mind that a congregation is likely going to have people of all backgrounds. There will be children involved, teenagers, adults, and elderly individuals. Some people may have disabilities, and others may come from disparate socioeconomic backgrounds. It is oftentimes going to be the job of a church leader to be able to cater to all of these individuals in a productive way, and that is perhaps the hallmark of a church management system, and potentially one of the most important parts of church administration 101.

Even though there may be a lot of challenges that come with running a church today, this can still be one of the most rewarding experiences. By figuring out how to address these challenges, church leaders can possibly begin to place themselves in a better position to be successful, while also endearing themselves not only to the members of the congregation but also to their fellow church leaders. It will be interesting to see what happens next throughout religious communities all over the country, as some might consider religion to have never before been more relevant than it is today, and it has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of many people.

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