Surveys of pastoral staff repeatedly show that senior or supervising pastors consistently rate their working relationships with their associate staff members higher than do the associate staff members. Satisfaction levels follow similar patterns. In many cases, supervisors are not aware of or attentive to the concerns of their staff, and yet, these staff members are critical to the success of the church. Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff is a research-based guide to the senior/associate staff relationship that is filled with real-life stories and practical advice to help readers negotiate their staff relationships successfully. The book focuses not only on the business mechanics of the supervisor/supervisee relationship, but also the full experiences of the associate staff, including emotional and spiritual needs. This helpful resource addresses congregations of all sizes across denominations and discusses a range or supervisor/supervisee relationship types.
Book Insights from Kevin Lawson
Mick Boersma and I partnered in the past on a study of associate church staff and how to help them thrive in ministry. One of the things that became clear in that earlier research is how important ministry supervisors are in helping associate staff members grow and do well in ministry. We set out to learn from associate staff members about the best things their supervisors did that helped them thrive in ministry. We also invited associate staff members’ nominations of “exemplary supervisors” who we then interviewed to learn more about how they supervised and supported their staff and what they had learned over the years that they would encourage other ministry supervisors to invest in doing. Many people who end up supervising others in ministry have no training in this aspect of their work and it can be challenging to know what helps best. This book then is our effort to help ministry supervisors understand key aspects of supervision and support, and best practices to do this well, leading to the ability to thrive well together in ministry.
Editorial Reviews
As someone who has supervised staff in multiple ministry contexts for more than thirty years, I wish I’d had a resource like Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff available to me twenty years ago! Drawing on years of deep experience and rich research, Kevin Lawson and Mick Boersma have written an extremely insightful and practical book to guide those who are charged with supervising ministry staff. Particularly helpful are the many excerpts of interviews with both staff members and supervisors sprinkled throughout the book. Not only do I highly recommend this important book, I will be using it to personally improve my own supervision of staff.
Sam Rima, Lead Pastor, North Seattle Church, author of Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership
Ministry supervisors want to do a good job but almost always feel inadequate to the task. Lawson and Boersma draw from their experience in studying associate staff ministry along with new research to provide an essential guide for staff supervision in the church. At the center of their approach is equal concern for the fruitfulness of the staff ministry and care for the staff member. They go beyond the superficial, though necessary, best practices of supervision to engage the theological, spiritual, and emotional dynamics always present.
Lovett H. Weems Jr.
Mick Boersma understands how to love and motivate people for maximum Kingdom impact. He and Kevin Lawson unpack real, everyday, ready-to-use wisdom on a subject that has been overlooked by those writing on leadership. Supervising and Supporting Ministry Staff will help you love and lead your team toward greater ministry and healthier lives.
H. Dale Burke, Dallas Theological Seminary; author of How to Lead and Still Have a Life
Biblical stewardship requires a thoughtful and intentional use of God’s resources. For those who are serving as the church’s shepherds, it is particularly sobering to realize that the staff members who come under our care are precious members of Christ’s body and should be treated with the utmost consideration. Lawson and Boersma have provided ministry leaders with a valuable and insightful resource to help us steward the colleagues that God has entrusted to our care. This book is a must read for anyone that is supervising and nurturing ministry leaders—whether it be in the local church or in para-church ministries.
Michael J. Anthony, president, Calibrate Global Consulting
