Background
The New Life Personnel Committee was asked by the Session to meet with the congregation to determine our church needs, and to develop a recommendation for staffing beginning January 1, 2016 and beyond. At the time of this request, New Life Presbyterian was served by two designated co-pastors, Pastor Maghakian and Pastor Prakasim.
There was concern about the ability of the church to sustain a 2-pastor team and a full paid staff beyond 2016.
Personnel Committee formed a Staffing Study Team to focus on this effort. The team (Jym Hubbell, Jan Silliman, Steve Smith, Laurie Reis, Bob Jensen, Larry Lane, Mary Barraclough, Karen Lee and Bruce Nelson) began meeting in early April, 2015. During this process Pastor Maghakian submitted his resignation and Pastor Riz became our sole full-time designated pastor.
Resources and methods used to gather background information
• Two congregational meetings were held to discern the wishes of the church members. Both were well attended.
• Reviewed pastor configurations by church size in Presbytery
• Met with Pastor Prakasim to learn of pastoral concerns and needs
• Met with a representative of the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry for advice and counsel
• Members of the Team also met with staff members of Dayton Avenue Presbyterian and North Presbyterian churches in the area to assess alternative staffing models.
• Reviewed and prioritized current staff roles and responsibilities. These were compared and contrasted with our mission and desire to provide a sustainable staffing model for the future.
• The size of our church and our present budget limitations are both convincing arguments for a single full-time pastor. Such a configuration is very common throughout the Presbyterian Church USA.
• During this time of transition from two co-pastors to a single full-time pastor, experienced staff will have a valuable stabilizing influence and help to identify/fill gaps.
• Our paid staff's role and responsibilities will change to support a new single pastor, a changing congregation and community.
• Our church needs to build a larger base of enthusiastic volunteers from within the congregation. While this is happening, our paid staff keeps this church moving forward.
• We value our existing staff, and do not propose any immediate changes. As turnover occurs in the future there will be opportunities for changes in staff configuration.
• We recommend a staffing model headed by a single full-time pastor.
• This report will recommend or suggest changes in responsibilities or philosophy in keeping with the congregations’ comments at town hall meetings and other resources. Three things stick out from the town halls:
-Consistency with the youth
-Music to appeal to a broader audience
-Improve organization, communication and planning
Recommended staff configuration (hours shown are current)
Full-time pastor
Church Administrator (Business Administrator) (1/2 time)
Administrative assistant (full-time)
Coordinator of Music Ministry (25 hours/week)
Choir Director (10 hours/week)
Faith Formation Coordinator – Christian Education (15 hours/week)
Custodian (30 hours/wk)
Communications Collaborator (5 hours/week)
Nursery caregiver (position unfilled at this time)
Technology Administrator (New)
Recommendations by position
• Pastor (Full-time)
Our church has been fortunate to be led by two capable designated pastors over the last 2 years. But going forward, a staff led by a single full-time pastor not only promises cost savings but also provides clearer lines of communication and authority in handling the daily activities of the church. The change to this single-pastor mode has already occurred with Pastor David Maghakian’s departure in June. Pastor Riz is making adjustments as he picks up the responsibilities Pastor David shared. The congregation will need to make a decision soon about a pastoral call, but Staffing Study Team feels that a single pastor model is appropriate and realistic for this congregation.
• Church Administrator (Business Administrator)
This position is a critical part of the church staff. The Administrator manages the business affairs of the church, ensuring its financial affairs and records are in order and that the building is kept secure and in good physical condition. He or she also provides problem-solving expertise, helping the staff and congregation to coordinate their efforts and minimize gaps in communication. Some congregations call this position “Minister of Administration” although no religious training is implied, and as such it provides a helpful Face of the Church to visitors and members alike. Although the church may not be able to justify more than the .5 FTE provided in the current budget, the Study Team recommends growth toward a full time position as opportunity permits. To do this job effectively the Administrator needs to be a visible presence.
• Administrative Assistant
This position supports the entire staff as well as the Session and members of the congregation with the output of their work in the form of bulletins, monthly reports, annual reports, wedding/memorial service bulletins, and other routine duties plus tasks as assigned. The position is subject to a lot of interruptions and last-minute work. It is hoped that, with proper training, the use of the recently installed computer server system will lead to a more even work distribution in this area.
• Coordinator of Music Ministry, and Choir Director
These positions provide ways for the congregation to hear and participate in a full range of music opportunities. Included are church organist/pianist, director of Commosso and Bell Choir, director of Adult and Children’s choirs and planning of music for church services. At town hall meetings the congregation has expressed its appreciation for the music program. It was also noted that this is a congregation in the midst of demographic change. Folks want to be sure there is an appropriate mix of music while continuing to value the traditional hymns and choral pieces. Can we do it all with appreciation for a diverse congregation that is becoming increasingly diverse? One last comment; the Study Team believes that the process of planning for Sundays can be improved with the use of the new server system. This includes the process of the Pastor and the Coordinator of Music choosing hymns and topics one to two months in advance and leads to the final typing of the bulletin.
• Faith Formation Coordinator
This position leads and coordinates the congregation’s Christian Education program for our children. Because it is a part-time position additional staffing by volunteers is critical; volunteer recruitment is an important part of this job. If we are successful in building a more “engaged” church, the excitement of congregation participation should carry over to the Sunday School as well.
• Nursery Caregiver - recommend reporting to the Faith Formation Coordinator. Attempts to fill this position at 2 ½ hours per week have been unsuccessful to date. We should continue to search for a paid leader. Right now a volunteer, supported periodically by parents, is maintaining the nursery during church services. A larger supply of volunteers is needed. Refer to the earlier comments about an “engaged” church.
• Communication Collaborator
This position is a communication backbone for the church right now. It is also an area that could be expanded to include more website development, ways to make audio recording (and eventually video recording) of sermons available to shut-ins or those unable to attend a service. Marketing and communication with the community are possible additions to this position, although volunteers through Session should be considered first.
• Custodian
This position seems to be providing the necessary support to the church at the 30 hours/week level. No change is recommended at this time.
• Technology Administrator (New position)
This position may be combined with another position, but is distinctly unique in its purpose. Currently there is no one person that understands all the interworking and complexity of all the technology systems in place within the church. These systems include; data network, voice network, internet gateway, wireless network, private cloud services (network servers), mass storage server, remote access server, backup service, security protocols, digital phones, analog phones, atrium monitor software, multi-function copier, electronic door lock system, sound system, website, cloud based email system, laptops, workstations and software.
This position would be responsible for understanding and streamlining these systems as well as providing input and research for improvements in the future, e.g. streaming content from the church website such as sermon audio and/or video; also responsible for training and mentoring of all staff and volunteers. This position may be paid or voluntary.
Change is inevitable and nowhere is this more visible than in the people we entrust with day-to-day operations of our facilities and programs. So, while we strive to find a balance between not enough change and too much change we believe this recommendation has found that balance. We endorse the Single Pastor model. We recommend improving our previous staffing model by enhancing the Administrator position while keeping existing personnel in place, albeit with some changes in their responsibilities.
Financially this recommendation demonstrates good stewardship in providing better support for the church at a reduced cost.
Next steps are to review and seek modifications and approval for this recommendation from Pastor Riz and Session before communicating it to the Congregation. These changes are intended to take place in 2016 or sooner if appropriate.
Click HERE to download or view a PDF of this report.
