Northeast Oklahoma District Church of the Nazarene

Dear NEO Family, Spring seems like it has been here for a while, but the calendar finally has acknowledged it! With Spring, we think of new life and growth. On the NEO District, it has seemed like a Spiritual Spring through the first three months of 2012. AWAKENING has been our prayer and our experience. One of the ways God is bringing new life is in directing our churches to skilled pastoral staff. Recently the following new staff have joined our team: Kathy Cott – Children’s Pastor, Tulsa Hills Bethany Henry – Children’s Coordinator, Family Abby Armstrong – Children’s Pastor, Miami New Life Robert McLemore – Associate Pastor, Grove Lakewood Compensating Staff Good staff is invaluable! And we need to do our best to compensate them like other professionals in the community.    If your church can do raises-or if it finds itself in a position to hire a pastor or staff member this year-don't forget The 2012-2013 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, which uses pay and benefit data from more than 4,600 churches nationwide to track pay ranges, assess benefit packages, and make competitive job offers." I am aware that often we can not compensate staff as we wish;  so, how do we address the under-compensated staff member? Those who have staff might want to check into the following resource I recently saw which addresses the 7 ways to bless and value staff even when raises are not likely. Here is what the link says... "While the U.S. economy continues to idle, finances undoubtedly remain tight for many. And I wondered: For churches that can offer little-or nothing-for pay raises this year, how can they still honor and reward their employees in ways that bless them, motivate them, and keep them happy? I spoke with Bloomberg BusinessWeek columnist Liz Ryan, a workplace consultant with more than 20 years of corporate experience. She offered seven specific ways churches can bless and develop valuable staff members. Read the first four ways today, and then check back later this week on ManagingYourChurch.com for part two.” Grace and Peace, Dave