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The Story of Joe

How to Mitigate Conflict Between Staff and Church Board Personalities

Wherever people gather, conflict eventually follows. Even in healthy churches, strong personalities, differing perspectives, and passionate convictions can collide. Staff teams and church boards are especially vulnerable because they carry weighty responsibility, spiritual authority, and diverse leadership styles.
Conflict isn’t the enemy—unmanaged conflict is. When handled well, tension becomes a catalyst for clarity, unity, and growth. When ignored, it becomes a slow leak that drains momentum and fractures trust.
Here are practical steps to help pastors and leaders navigate and mitigate conflict between staff or board personalities.

Start by Naming the Real Issue
Most conflicts aren’t actually about the surface disagreement. They’re about:

  • Misaligned expectations
  • Communication breakdowns
  • Personality differences
  • Unspoken assumptions
  • Past unresolved tension
    Healthy leaders slow down long enough to identify the root, not just the symptom.

Establish Clear Roles and Boundaries
Many staff–board conflicts arise because the lines between governance and ministry execution get blurry.
Clarify:

 

  • Who decides what
  • Who communicates what
  • Who is accountable for what
  • Where authority begins and ends
    Clear boundaries reduce power struggles and protect relationships.

Create a Culture of Direct, Respectful Communication
Indirect communication—side conversations, venting, triangulation—destroys unity.
Encourage:

 

  • Face-to-face conversations
  • “I” statements instead of accusations
  • Listening to understand, not to win
  • Asking clarifying questions before assuming motives
    Direct communication builds trust and prevents small issues from becoming big ones.

Use Personality and Strengths Assessments Wisely
Tools like DISC, StrengthsFinder, or Enneagram aren’t magic, but they are helpful.
They help teams understand:

 

  • How each person processes information
  • How they make decisions
  • What triggers stress
  • How they prefer to communicate
    When leaders understand each other’s wiring, conflict becomes easier to navigate.

Address Tension Early—Not After It’s Exploded
Unresolved conflict compounds. What starts as a small irritation becomes a relational fracture.
Healthy teams:

 

  • Don’t wait for the “right moment”
  • Don’t hope it will disappear
  • Don’t spiritualize avoidance
    Early intervention is an act of stewardship.

Bring Conversations Back to Mission and Values
When personalities clash, mission unites.
Ask:

 

  • “What outcome best serves our mission?”
  • “What decision aligns with our values?”
  • “What honors the people we’re called to shepherd?”
    Mission-centered conversations shift the focus from winning to serving.

Create Safe Spaces for Honest Dialogue
People need to know they can speak truth without being punished for it.
Build safety by:

 

  • Inviting feedback
  • Responding calmly
  • Avoiding defensiveness
  • Thanking people for their honesty
    Safety doesn’t eliminate conflict, but it transforms how conflict feels.

Involve a Neutral Third Party When Needed
Sometimes the wisest move is to bring in:

 

  • A mediator
  • A denominational overseer
  • A trusted outside consultant
  • A seasoned pastor
    A neutral voice can break stalemates and help teams see blind spots.

Reinforce Unity Through Prayer and Spiritual Practices
Conflict isn’t just organizational—it’s spiritual.
Strengthen unity through:

 

  • Regular prayer together
  • Shared devotionals
  • Fasting during major decisions
  • Confessing faults and extending grace
    Spiritual unity softens hearts and aligns perspectives.

Build a Culture of Honor
Honor doesn’t mean agreement—it means valuing the person even when you disagree with their position.
Honor looks like:

 

  • Speaking well of each other publicly
  • Giving the benefit of the doubt
  • Celebrating strengths
  • Protecting each other’s credibility
    Honor creates an atmosphere where conflict can be resolved without damaging relationships.

What’s the Big Idea
Conflict isn’t a sign of dysfunction—it’s a sign that people care deeply. The goal isn’t to eliminate conflict but to steward it well. When leaders commit to clarity, humility, and Spirit-led communication, even the most challenging personalities can work together in unity.

How to Plan a Large-Scale Ministry Event at Your Church: Practical Steps for Success

Big ministry events—outreach festivals, conferences, holiday productions, community serve days—can become catalytic moments for your church. They build momentum, deepen relationships, and open doors for new people to encounter Jesus. But large-scale events don’t happen by accident. They require intentional planning, clear communication, and a unified team.
Here’s a practical, step-by-step guide to planning a major ministry event with excellence and peace.

Start With Purpose, Not Logistics
Before you pick a date or book a vendor, answer one question: Why are we doing this event?
Your purpose determines everything else—your budget, your programming, your marketing, and your follow-up strategy.


Clarify:

    • The spiritual goal

    • The target audience

    • The desired outcome (salvations, community engagement, discipleship, volunteer activation, etc.)

      A clear purpose keeps the event aligned and prevents unnecessary complexity.

Build the Right Planning Team
Large events require collaboration. Don’t try to carry it alone.
Recruit a team that includes:

    • A project lead

    • Logistics coordinator

    • Volunteer coordinator

    • Communications/marketing lead

    • Worship/production lead

    • Hospitality/guest experience lead

    • Prayer/altar ministry lead
      Empower them early. Give them authority, not just tasks.

Establish a Realistic Budget
Your budget should reflect your purpose—not the other way around.
Include:

    • Venue or facility costs

    • Production and equipment

    • Marketing and printing

    • Guest speakers or artists

    • Food and hospitality

    • Security and safety

    • Kids ministry supplies

    • Contingency funds (10–15%)
      A well-planned budget prevents last-minute stress and keeps the event sustainable.

Choose the Right Date and Time
Consider:

    • Competing community events

    • School calendars

    • Holidays

    • Weather patterns

    • Church rhythms (avoid burnout seasons)
      Pick a date that maximizes attendance and volunteer availability.

Create a Detailed Event Timeline
Break the event into phases:

    • Planning phase (vision, budget, team roles)

    • Preparation phase (marketing, volunteer recruitment, vendor booking)

    • Execution phase (event day operations)

    • Follow-up phase (thank-yous, data entry, next steps for guests)
      Then create a week-by-week checklist. Clarity eliminates chaos.

Recruit and Train Volunteers Early
Volunteers are the backbone of any large event.
Focus on:

    • Clear role descriptions

    • Simple sign-up processes

    • Short, effective training

    • A culture of encouragement

    • Backup volunteers for key roles
      Remember: people serve longer and better when they feel valued.

Prioritize the Guest Experience
Think through the event from the perspective of someone who has never been to your church.
Plan for:

    • Clear signage

    • Friendly greeters

    • Easy parking

    • Clean, prepared facilities

    • Smooth check-in for kids

    • Clear next steps
      Excellence communicates care—and care opens hearts.

Communicate Consistently and Widely
Use every channel available:

    • Social media

    • Email

    • Website

    • Stage announcements

    • Printed materials

    • Community partnerships

    • Local advertising (if appropriate)
      Your message should be simple, compelling, and repeated often.

Prepare for the Spiritual Moment
Large events aren’t just productions—they’re ministry.

Plan for:

    • Prayer coverage

    • Altar teams

    • Follow-up systems

    • Salvations and rededications

    • Pastoral care needs

    • Testimony capture
      When God moves, you want to be ready.

Execute With Excellence, Then Evaluate Honestly
On event day:

    • Arrive early

    • Over-communicate

    • Stay flexible

    • Keep attitudes joyful

    • Solve problems quietly

    • Celebrate wins loudly
      Afterward, gather your team for a debrief:

    • What worked

    • What didn’t

    • What to improve

    • What to repeat

    • What God did
      Evaluation turns one event into a foundation for future growth.

Final Thoughts
A large-scale ministry event is more than a date on the calendar—it’s an opportunity for your church to shine the light of Jesus in a big, bold way. With intentional planning, empowered teams, and a Spirit-led approach, your event can become a defining moment for your congregation and your community.

10 Ways Leaders Accidentally Hinder Church Growth

Church growth rarely stalls because of a single dramatic failure. More often, it slows quietly—through subtle patterns, blind spots, and leadership habits that seem harmless in the moment but compound over time. The good news is that once these patterns are named, they can be changed. Healthy, Spirit‑led growth is always possible when leaders are willing to reflect, adjust, and lead with humility.
Here are ten common ways leaders unintentionally hinder the growth God desires to bring.

  1. Holding Too Tightly to Control
    When leaders centralize every decision, ministry becomes bottlenecked. Staff and volunteers stop taking initiative, creativity dries up, and the church becomes dependent on one person’s bandwidth. Growth requires shared ownership and empowered leaders at every level.

      1. Avoiding Hard Conversations
        Conflict avoidance feels peaceful in the moment, but it creates long-term dysfunction. When leaders refuse to address unhealthy behavior, poor performance, or relational tension, the culture becomes toxic—and people quietly slip away.

      2. Neglecting Clear Vision
        A church without a compelling, consistent vision drifts. Ministries compete for attention, staff pull in different directions, and the congregation loses clarity about what the church is truly called to accomplish. Vision is the engine of momentum.

      3. Prioritizing Programs Over People
        When the calendar becomes more important than the community, growth stalls. Churches grow when people feel known, valued, and discipled—not when they’re simply plugged into activities.

      4. Ignoring the Guest Experience
        First-time guests decide within minutes whether they’ll return. Confusing signage, untrained greeters, awkward transitions, or unclear next steps can unintentionally communicate, “We weren’t expecting you.” Hospitality is evangelism.

      5. Failing to Develop Leaders
        A church grows only as fast as its leadership pipeline. When leaders don’t invest in training, mentoring, and multiplying others, ministries plateau. Healthy churches are always raising up new leaders, not just filling roles.

      6. Resisting Necessary Change
        Every growing church embraces change—service flow, structures, systems, communication, and even traditions. Leaders who cling to “the way we’ve always done it” unintentionally anchor the church to the past instead of preparing it for the future.

      7. Underestimating the Power of Digital Presence
        In today’s world, your website, livestream, and social media are the new front door. A weak digital presence communicates irrelevance, while a strong one expands reach, builds trust, and engages people long before they walk into the building.

      8. Allowing Culture to Drift
        Culture is shaped by what leaders celebrate, tolerate, and model. When leaders fail to intentionally cultivate unity, honor, prayer, excellence, and spiritual hunger, the church’s culture becomes inconsistent—and growth becomes unpredictable.

      9. Leading Without Rest
        Burned-out leaders create burned-out teams. When leaders operate from exhaustion, decision-making suffers, creativity fades, and the spiritual atmosphere becomes strained. Rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a leadership responsibility.

      The Hopeful Truth
      Every one of these issues is fixable. Churches don’t need perfect leaders—they need self-aware, Spirit-led ones who are willing to grow. When leaders embrace humility, clarity, and healthy systems, the church becomes fertile ground for God to move.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

The other day, a memory popped up on my social media feed that took me back to my days as the Generations Minister at World Harvest Church. It’s truly amazing how the Holy Spirit can minister through us in the most unexpected moments of life. This memory was from when my kids were little, and now they are both 17. When my kids were little, I would often tell them stories and insert their names as the main characters. I would usually try to illustrate some sort of life lesson. This particular night, I was absolutely exhausted.

Cue the flashback music… 🎶

The other night I was putting the kids to bed, and they really wanted to hear a story. It was a very long day, and I was wiped out. I settled into story mode, almost on autopilot and I told them a brief tale about a little boy named Josiah and a little girl named Xoe. They were playing when they saw a little boy crying. They asked him what was wrong, and the little boy cried, “I am sad because I don’t have any friends.” Xoe and Josiah, in the story, replied, “Don’t cry, we will be your friends.” They laughed, played, and became best friends.

Fast forward to tonight. I was one of the crew working in Kid Harvest, and I happened to be in my kids’ class. A little boy with mild autism was dropped off in class, and he was having a very hard time. He was sobbing and asking for his mommy. We were debating whether to call his parents out of the service. The little boy huddled up in the corner, and Josiah went over to him. I saw the story come to life right before my eyes. I started to cry. I couldn’t help it, it was like watching a parable of Jesus, real-time.

By the end of the class, Xoe and Josiah gave him a goodbye hug, and he was smiling and loving life.

I share this to let you know…

God loved that little autistic boy so much that He prepared the hearts of two kids to help him through a difficult time. He cares about you and has a plan for your life. He will order the steps of OTHER people to bring His plan to pass in YOUR life.

Isn’t it incredible how God works through us? Especially when it is unexpected. 😊

The Journey