The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
We're all about helping create a healthy, positive, and spiritually positive environment for church staff members and leadership teams.
The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
The Power of a Simple "Thank You": Why Recognition Matters in Ministry
Could a simple "thank you" radically transform your ministry team? Discover the often underestimated power of employee recognition and how it can revolutionize engagement and reduce burnout within your church. Join me, Todd Rhoades, as we uncover practical strategies to cultivate a gratitude-filled culture that honors and uplifts your staff. Learn the art of personalized recognition, the impact of timely acknowledgments, and how public celebration not only appreciates the individual but inspires the whole team.
As we navigate the nuances of fostering appreciation, you’ll see how a few thoughtful words or a small gesture can make a world of difference. From heartfelt notes to creative rewards like a day off, there are endless ways to show your team they are valued. Together, we’ll explore how to integrate meaningful recognition into your ministry's fabric, ensuring your team feels seen, appreciated, and energized to contribute their best. Tune in to empower your ministry with the simple yet profound act of gratitude.
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Hi there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Happy Friday to you if you're listening to this podcast on the day that it is released. If not, happy Monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, whatever day you're listening. Happy day to you, so glad that you're here. My name's Todd Rhodes, I'm one of the co-founders over at Chemistry Staff staffing and your host right here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast.
Speaker 1:Today we're going to talk briefly about something that I think is just totally overlooked many times, but it's incredibly powerful, and that is employee recognition, the simple power, or the power of a simple thank you. I know what you may be thinking. You're thinking, todd, all right, we're in ministry, we're not driven by worldly rewards and get over yourself, and you're right, we're motivated by higher calling, but that doesn't mean that our team members don't need to feel valued and appreciated. Matter of fact, gallup research shows that recognition is a key driver of employee engagement, and engaged employees are more productive and more committed and less likely to burn out, and that's crucial in the demanding world of ministry. So Gallup is, in their research, asking people across all different business sectors what makes them tick, people across all different business sectors, what makes them tick, and what they found is that the key driver, or a key driver, is employee engagement and the power of a simple thank you, and ministry is no different Matter of fact. We don't do it enough and in ministry we really need to do it so much more. So how can we cultivate a culture of that simple thank you and recognition in our churches? And I think the one thing that comes to my mind is that we are thankful. We are a thankful people most of the time. Most of the people I know, most of the churches I know, are very thankful for their staff. They're very thankful for the people that come. They're very thankful for everything that God is doing, but they don't take time to communicate that.
Speaker 1:First of all, how can we cultivate this culture of recognition? The first of all, first thing, is just to make it personal. Make it personal. Don't just make generic compliments. Take time to notice and acknowledge specific contributions. Hey, sarah, that lesson you taught a youth group last night was incredible. You've really got a gift for connecting with the students. Things like that. Oh my goodness. How do you think that made Sarah's day? Probably her week. Maybe Sarah's a key volunteer, but maybe she's your youth pastor that you've not talked with for a long time.
Speaker 1:And when you see things that need to be called out in a great way, don't just call out the bad things. We're good at calling out the bad things in our churches, but when you see something that just needs an attaboy or a pat on the back, don't make it generic. Make it very specific. Take the time to notice Sometimes. Here's what I like to do Sometimes do it verbally.
Speaker 1:That's incredibly impressive and makes a huge impression. But so do little notes and cards, even more than emails. You can do it in an email, that's, emails are impersonal or a text is maybe a little better than email. But just a little thank you card saying, hey, I noticed what you did and it was awesome. That makes a world of difference.
Speaker 1:Second of all, be timely. Don't wait for a special occasion. Recognize the good work as soon as you see it. A simple thank you in the moment, as you see it sometimes, can go a really long way. Another way you can do this is to go public, celebrate successes in front of not just the person, not just Sarah. The next time you have a youth group volunteer meeting that next week, say, hey, did you guys hear Sarah on Wednesday night she hit it. Let's thank Sarah for what she's doing. Man, it's just incredible. It not only honors the individual, but it does inspire others.
Speaker 1:And then another thing is sometimes we just need to be creative. Think of beyond the typical employee of the month award, write a handwritten note, as I said, maybe a small gift card, or give somebody a day off to recharge. You can do that. You can do that. Get creative. So here's your bottom line. Many of our staff members and we just went through our 2024 church staff health assessment results and what we found is that there are a lot of church staff members that are really struggling with burnout and exhaustion and just not feeling like they're a valuable part of the team. And recognizing your team members is not just about making them feel good, it's about creating a healthy and thriving culture for your church. So here's your homework for today, for this Friday, for this weekend.
Speaker 1:Okay, take a moment to express your gratitude to somebody on your team. You've got to be thankful for somebody on your team, right? If not, go back and listen to yesterday's podcast on being a happy pastor, but pick somebody on your team and take a moment today, tomorrow, this weekend, to express your gratitude personally to somebody on your team and you might be surprised by the impact that it has. It will make a difference in them. And hey, if you're looking for more ways to build a strong, healthy team, that's what we love to help churches do in our work at Chemistry Staffing We've got a bunch of resources that we can give you.
Speaker 1:We also offer some coaching and consulting and staffing solutions to help your church thrive, and you can reach out to me anytime. You might not need me today or tomorrow, but maybe next week. Oh, here's something that I bet Todd could maybe help or his team at Chemistry can help me with. Always happy to connect Whenever you're ready. We're here and I'm here. You can reach out to me anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. All right, if you're listening on Friday. I hope you have a great weekend praying for you and your church, that you really see God work in some powerful ways this weekend and we'll be right back here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast on Monday. Have a great weekend.
