Staffing for the Future

Pastor and researcher Sam Rainer says it’s time to reconsider your church’s staff configuration and plan for the next decade.  Here are a few of the new jobs he foresees:

MULTICULTURAL DIRECTOR — Preschools will be minority white by 2021, with the rest of the nation to follow by 2042, and not only in big cities.  Churches will first need children’s directors who can lead the new heterogeneous society.

CREATIVE ARTS DIRECTOR — A title already in use, more of these positions will be created as worship leaders in medium and smaller congregations realize they don’t have the technological expertise needed for computer-aided worship, and the teen/geek volunteers in their AV booths don’t have the maturity or creativity required to produce quality techno-savvy services.

BOOMER DIRECTOR — Boomers start hitting retirement in two years, and the senior population will increase by 35% by 2020.  The senior adult pastor will need new tactics to reach boomers, who don’t want to be called “seniors” and won’t appreciate the ministry that served (or still serves) their parents.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH PASTOR — A rebirth of the education director, this pastor will focus on keeping the church’s renewed interest in spiritual growth simple, yet structured.

CHIEF OF STAFF — The executive pastor may become more strategist and gatekeeper than operations officer.  Like an E.P. on steroids, this experienced pastor will handle staff, sticky situations, and logistics, while keeping the senior pastor’s back.  Give facilities duties to an “Operations director.”

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR — As multi-site churches grow, so does the need for coordination between the campuses.  Otherwise, the sites grow apart into separate congregations.

summarized from ChurchExecutive.com