When the Pastor leaves a church, many questions are asked by members. These and other questions need to be raised and responded to:
"Aren't we good enough anymore?"
"I wonder what went wrong, why isn't the Pastor happy here any longer?"
"Are there personality differences?"
"If we had done more for the Pastor, maybe he wouldn't be thinking about leaving?"
"What is going to happen to our church? How will we find another Pastor?"
"What will happen to the ministries that were started under this Pastor's leadership?"
"Will we ever see him and his family again?"
Have the meeting in an informal setting, not the Pastor's study.
Each person come prepared with a brief Scripture and comments.
Share personal testimonies, and history in connection with the Church.
Each participant create a name tag from colored construction paper. Tell about your name tag.
Staff members complete this sentence: "I enjoy working for the Lord in this Church because...."
Questions for Church Staff
1. What gives you the most satisfaction in your ministry?
2. How does the congregation demonstrate its support of your ministry?
3. In what way are you connected with people who serve in a similar capacity in other churches?
4. What are your ideas as to the reason for a vacancy in the office of Senior Pastor at the present time?
5. Among the church people you serve, what are the outstanding spiritual needs?
6. In a previous meeting, the following item from the list of "Convictions Related to Pastoral Ministry" was given the lowest "agree" grade. Do you have any ideas why?
Worship should be charismatic (spontaneous, Spirit-led, and
allowing for the gifts of the Spirit), but not detached from
doctrine or historical roots.
7. In what ways have you grown since ministering with this congregation?
8. What kind of reading have you done in the past year, or what educational event have you attended that relates to your ministry?
9. Identify your concerns related to the calling of a Senior Pastor; for yourself, for the congregation, for the new Pastor.
10. What kind of support would you hope to have from the Senior Pastor?
11. What kind of accountability and reporting are you comfortable with?
12. Are you accustomed to having opportunities of being together as a staff, such as an overnight retreat for spiritual renewal as well as planning? How frequently?
13. What do people in the congregation call you?
14. If you could change one thing in relation to your day-to-day ministry, what would it be?
Additional Questions
How does involvement in this ministry help you to grow in the Lord?
In what settings, and from whom do you receive spiritual and emotional
support for your ministry?
In your opinion, what ministries of the church seem to be the most productive?
Which ministries, though perhaps not as noticeable, provide the back-
bone for the church?
Who are the people who exert the greatest influence on the direction
of the church?
If you were to evaluate the church at the present time, what letter grade would you assign to the following:
Congregational Worship A B C D F
Teaching Ministries A B C D F
Fellowship Opportunities A B C D F
Evangelism A B C D F
Missions A B C D F
Spiritual Gifts A B C D F
Caring for the Needy A B C D F
Questions for Employed Staff Members
What do you like best about working here?
How long have you work here, where did you work before you worked here? What were the circumstances that led up to your being employed in your present position?
What do you like least about working here?
When you came on staff, what kind of training did you receive for this position?
Is your job description written out?
How often do you receive intentional evaluation of your ministry?
Are there any procedural manuals that have been written up?
Have you ever attended any seminar related to your present job?
What could be done to make you feel more successful in your job?
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