Hiring From Within - Ed Young

I believe very strongly that the church rises and falls on leadership.  You can talk about preaching, drama, events, and children’s activities all day and night, but nothing will start going and flowing until you have the right people in leadership positions.  For a church to reach its full potential, to become what God has in mind, you must have a strong, hardworking, God-ordained staff in place.

I firmly believe that God places most of our staff members in our churches.  It’s our mandate to hire these people, to call out their giftedness from the congregation.  As Fellowship church grows, we have to add staff positions quite frequently.  Of course, choosing the right person for the job is essential.  And almost always, we find that right person from within our own membership.

When we realize that a certain job is going to require a staff position, we look at who is already taking care of the task.  Is a layperson carrying the full weight of the work on his or her shoulders, along with a full-time job?  Is a staff member responsible, while getting plenty of help from volunteers?  Chances are there are already people stepping up who are ready to take it on full time.

                                                Why hire members?

We rarely hire people from outside the church because there are so many benefits to hiring people we already know.  We know they have given financially and have been active in the church.  We know they support the church vision and work well in our unique environment.  We’ve observed their talents and gifts and know that they are capable.  We know they’re loyal; they’re already emotionally committed to the church, and they’re not planning on going anywhere.  Most importantly, we know they have a heart for God.  Furthermore, laypeople who are hired from within the church generally aren’t expecting to be offered a job; they know that it’s a God thing from the beginning, and they continue to look to him for inspiration.

Andy Stanley/Ed Young, Can We Do That:  24 Innovative Practices That Will Change the Way You Do Church, (Howard Publishing Co.), 2002.  pg. 117