Hiring, training, and sustaining a competent and committed staff is never easy. But there is no need to start from scratch. Recognize and utilize the resources that can guide the staffing process.

ADMINISTRATION : Staffing 

The Alban Personnel Handbook for Congregations (Book)
Erwin Berry, Author.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1999.
The Alban Personnel Handbook gives church leaders the necessary tools and information for implementing a comprehensive personnel system, managing human resources effectively, and applying policies and processes in a fair and equitable manner.

Church Administration and Finance Manual: Resources for Leading the Local Church (Book)
Otto F. Crumroy Jr., Stan Kukawka, Frank M. Witman, Authors.  Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998.
This reference guide provides guidance on the ethical and effective administration and financial management of a church. Forms, sample documents, checklists, and other tools are included to assist readers in implementing the systems described.

Church Staff Handbook: How to Build an Effective Ministry Team (Book)
Harold J. Westing, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997.
The church staff must model for the church how a good team is to function. God wants the church to function as a team and who better to show the way than the professionals called to serve the church.

Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business (Book)
Patrick M. Lencioni, Author.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2004.
Convinced that good meetings are crucial to organizational effectiveness, Patrick Lencioni has written a book outlining the elements of meetings that work. Everyone who manages staff or volunteers will find this book helpful.

Feeding and Leading: A Practical Handbook on Administration in Church and Christian Organizations (Book)
Kenneth O. Gangel, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1996.
Feeding and Leading will be useful primarily to pastors who function not only as spiritual shepherds, but also as leaders, managers, and servants of a diverse staff, a volunteer core, and a congregational board.

First, Break All The Rules: What The World's Greatest Managers Do Differently (Book)
Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman, Authors.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Just as great managers focus on employee talents, great congregational leaders effectively learn how to implement programs and leadership opportunities by honoring each person’s individual, spiritual gifts.

Staff Your Church for Growth: Building Team Ministry in the 21st Century (Book)
Gary L. McIntosh, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2000.
Presenting an approach to church staffing that is both functional and biblical, Staff Your Church for Growth helps senior pastors answer key questions about the "what," "how," and "why" of multiple staff ministry.

When Moses Meets Aaron: Staffing and Supervision in Large Congregations (Book)
Gil Rendle, Susan Beaumont, Authors.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2007.
Leading a staff team can be a challenge. One has to manage everyday details while inspiring and driving a congregation’s vision. This book—an invaluable toolkit—takes the best of human resource know-how and applies it to the large congregation.

Business Savvy, Church Sensitive: How and When Business World Practices Can Aid HR at Churches (Article)
Mike Bonem, Author.  Your Church. 2010. Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, Inc.
Business consultant and Baptist pastor Mike Bonem draws on his experience in both business and congregational life to offer clear advice on hiring practices, performance evaluations, and staff terminations.

A Change of Pastors . . . And How It Affects Change in the Congregation (Book)
Loren B. Mead, Author.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2005.
Loren Mead explains ways that clergy can work with the church during their exit from old ministry settings and entrance into new settings. Revising an earlier work (A Critical Moment in Ministry), Mead addresses current issues.

Effective Ministry as an Associate Pastor: Making Beautiful Music as a Ministry Team (Book)
Robert J. Radcliffe, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.
This resource is a guide to effective service in the specialized ministry of the associate pastor for clergy, laity, and staff.

Evaluating Ministry: Principles and Processes for Clergy and Congregations (Book)
Jill M. Hudson, Author.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1992.
Based on an understanding of ministry as mutual and collaborative between congregation and pastorate, this book may be used for designing either an evaluation process for clergy already in place or a contract provision for clergy soon to be called.

Getting a Fix on Your Ministry: A Practical Guide to Clergy Performance Appraisal (Book)
Roy M. Oswald, Author.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1993.
Acknowledging the damage that can result from attempts at clergy evaluations, consultant Roy Oswald explains and affirms two evaluation models: one for all church leaders and members, and one for clergy leaders.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Book)
David Allen, Author.  New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2001.
In Getting Things Done, David Allen explains how you can be both more productive and less stressed by following his organizational system. Because the book speaks to the way we think and live, anyone—clergy, laity, staff—will find it helpful.

National Association of Church Business Administration (Organization)
With 3000 members and over 70 local chapters, the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA) is an interdenominational Christian organization that provides training and resources in the field of church administration.

National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (Organization)
NACPA is a national organization for human resource managers and personnel directors dedicated to the promotion and development of just personnel practices for all church employees.

Selecting Church Leaders: A Practice in Spiritual Discernment (Book)
Charles M. Olsen, Ellen Morseth, Authors.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2002.
Filling leadership roles in a congregation can be a daunting task. Here is a resource for grounding that task in a spiritual discernment process that seeks to bring God's longings and our own into congruence.

Team Troubleshooter: How to Find and Fix Team Problems (Book)
Robert W. Barner, Author.  Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing, 2000.
Team Troubleshooter supplies a full toolkit for identifying and resolving team problems. Robert Barner leads readers through the problem-solving process and helps them understand the problems teams face.

Teams That Click: The Results-Driven Manager Series (Book)
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2004.
Teams that Click suggests ways to make your team "click" in four areas: boosting productivity, handling inevitable conflicts, dealing with special communication challenges, and rewarding team performance.

Transform Your Church with Ministry Teams (Book)
E. Stanley Ott, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.
This book offers practical advice to those who have made the decision to move from a committee-based to a ministry team based church organizational structure. Step-by-step information on recruiting, developing and enhancing team life is included.

Turning Team Performance Inside Out: Team Types and Temperament for High-Impact Results (Book)
Susan Nash, Author.  Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing, 1999.
Susan Nash draws upon her understanding of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and team dynamics to present a densely packed book aimed at developing both the gifts of individual team members and overall team strengths.