7 Essential Church Management Skills You Need to Know

The church is a peculiar organization.

It’s a blend of flesh (people) and bones (administration).

As the body of the Christ, your church’s ability to reach people with the gospel, disciple your members, and serve people is built upon a solid foundation of church management.

For many church leaders, church administration isn’t exciting, but they know it’s essential for the well-being of their church.

In this post, we're going to tackle seven essential church management skills you need to know, including:

1. Serve your people
2. Support your pastor
3. Steward your finances
4. Manage your facilities (or rented space)
5. Communication
6. Protect your children and youth
7. Support your volunteers

Let's get started!

#1. Serve your people

The church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-14), which means it’s full of people. 

People who are broken by sin and in need of a Savior, and people you need to plan on discipling and serving.

For instance:

1. What process does your church have to lead visitors to become members?
2. How does your church know if someone is sick and needs help?
3. Do you provide financial assistance to people?
4. How does your church disciple its members?
5. What church management software do you use to lead your church?

These four questions are only the tip of the iceberg, but you get the point: Your church needs a plan to tend to its people. 

Don’t allow poor church management and the lack of processes bog you down or lead you to ineffective ministry. With the help of your leadership and volunteers, schedule a time to develop procedures for your church to follow.

#2. Support your pastor

The foundation of your church is the Word of God, and you cannot grow a church on anything less. If you do, you’re building a church on the sand.

For your church, it’s important to be aware of the time your pastor has to prepare to preach. Protect his time to develop his sermon. Identify activities that are non-essential to his role so that this work can be delegated to a staff member or volunteer.

As a church leader, develop a regular time to pray, study, and prepare your sermon. Unless there is an emergency, you can protect this time by ensuring miscellaneous things do not encroach upon your preparation.

#3. Steward your finances

Like individuals and families, a church must steward its finances well.

At the minimum, it’s essential to track your giving and have a clear picture of your expenses.

The easiest way you can do this is to offer online and mobile giving options for your church. Members of your church will continue to give by cash or check, but most of your members will eventually prefer online and mobile options.

#4. Manage your facilities (or rented space)

Where does your church meet? In a home? In a rented space? In a building you own?

Regardless of your meeting space, it’s important for your church to manage the set-up, clean-up, and maintenance of your facilities.

For some churches, you may be able to hire a facilities manager. If you’re unable to do this, then consider finding a volunteer to oversee your facilities and encourage him or her to create a schedule for other volunteers to support maintaining the space you use for worship.

#5. Communication

Do the members of your church know how to ask a question?

How long does it take for a question to get answered?

Communication within your church can be a burden or blessing.

For managing communications during your worship services, you will need to provide a physical location people can visit to ask questions and get information.

But here’s the thing about communication. It doesn’t end on Sunday. People will have questions or requests throughout the rest of the week. So, be sure that you have a plan in place for handling communications and that people know what phone number or email address to use for questions and requests.

#6. Protect your children and youth

When it comes to protecting the children and youth of your church, you need a plan.

Here are some things you MUST do:

1. Screen volunteers
2. Provide training for your staff and volunteers
3. Write down a child protection plan
4. Create an allegation response plan

There are several additional steps you can take, but the four steps above will help you and your church to create a plan to protect your children and youth.

#7. Support your volunteers

Volunteers are the fuel that runs your church. Without the help of many volunteers, your church will not be able to function, which is why you need a plan.

From recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers, your church needs a plan to connect with volunteers at every level.

Does your church struggle in any of these areas? 

How does your church excel in one of these areas? Share your thoughts in the comments below!