Creating a Culture of Appreciation on Your Church Staff

Gratitude has the power to transform workplaces, and that's no different for church staff. Have you ever wondered why some church teams thrive while others struggle with morale? Join me, Todd Rhoades, co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, as I share insights from my years of experience and a touching story about my daughter's experience as a preschool teacher. Discover how a simple yet genuine act of recognition from her principal sparked a wave of positivity, illustrating the profound impact a culture of appreciation can have on your team’s engagement and productivity.

Creating a ripple effect of gratitude starts with leadership, and when you embody thankfulness, it becomes contagious throughout your organization. Inspired by Colossians 3:15, I encourage you to consciously express gratitude towards your team members, whether they're paid staff or key volunteers. A heartfelt thank you can go a long way in fostering a supportive and peaceful work environment, and it’s a powerful tool against burnout. Tune in to explore practical ways to integrate appreciation into your routine, and see how this simple practice can build a joyful and effective church staff, week by week.

Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com

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If your church is searching for a new staff member, reach out to Todd for a conversation on how he might be able to help.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Welcome everyone to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes. I'm your host and also one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom. I'm glad you're here.

Speaker 1: 0:17

We're in the middle of a two-week series leading up to Thanksgiving. We're talking about gratitude and Thanksgiving. Today we're talking about something that I think every church leader can benefit from, and that's creating a culture of appreciation for your church staff. At Chemistry Staffing, we've seen firsthand we see it almost every day how important it is for staff members to feel valued, and when people feel appreciated, they're more engaged, they're more productive and, honestly, just more joyful. So today I want to dig in a little bit to see how you can build that kind of culture on your team. Some churches do this really well and some churches really actually, if we're being honest, just suck at it. So let's start with this question, okay, as we dig into this today, when was the last time I want you to think about this? When was the last time you said a genuine thank you to somebody on your team, not just a quick off the cuff, you know, hey, thanks, but a moment where you truly took the time to let them know that you noticed their effort and you appreciated it. It might seem like a small thing, but trust me, and you appreciated it. It might seem like a small thing, but trust me, it goes a long way, and this is something not just in the church.

Speaker 1: 1:28

My daughter called me yesterday and she's a teacher, she's a preschool teacher and her principal came in and saw how they had decorated. She had decorated her classroom, her and her teacher assistant, and she said this is just incredible. Thank you so much for caring about the kids and thank you so much for decorating your room the way you have and you know what. You can. Come in a little bit late tomorrow, I'll cover for you. That's a great example of not just passing somebody in the hall and say, hey, thanks. She took the time, she went to the classroom, she called them out, she said thank you and she said hey, here's something you noticed, you did a good job, and here's something that come in a little bit later tomorrow. I'll cover you for an hour. Those are the kind of things I'm talking about. When was the last time you did it?

Speaker 1: 2:14

It works in the school system and it also works with your church staff, and here's why Gratitude is contagious and when you, as a leader, model it, your team will pick up on it and it creates this kind of ripple effect that goes all across your church. It might sound really cheesy but it's true. When people feel appreciated, they're more willing to go the extra mile. And in ministry, where burnout, believe me, it's a very real threat, that kind of positive reinforcement man, it can make all the difference. Paul wrote in Colossians 3.15,. He said Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. As members of one body, you were called to peace and be thankful. And when we bring thankfulness into our work culture, into the church staff, we're fostering that peace that Paul is talking about. We're building an environment where people can feel seen and heard and valued.

Speaker 1: 3:17

So here's your bottom line today try to make a plan to intentionally thank one person on your staff this week. If you're listening on the day that this is released, it's Wednesday, so you've got all day today. If you're listening in the morning, you've got Thursday, you've got Friday, whatever your day off is, but you've at least got a day or two. Think about just one person who is one person on your team. And if you don't have a paid team, maybe you've got a key volunteer who's one person that you can intentionally thank. It doesn't have to be a big, elaborate gesture, just a sincere word of appreciation. Maybe it's a quick note, could be a text, could be a phone call, could be taking them out to coffee, that's it. But even if you want to take it a step further, try making this a weekly habit. Set a reminder. I tell you what, if something's not on my calendar, it just doesn't get done. So maybe put something on your calendar, pick someone. Let them know how grateful you are for what they do. It'll take five minutes of your time, but it could make someone else's whole day.

Speaker 1: 4:24

I'd love to hear how this goes for you. Have you found ways to create a culture of appreciation on your team? If so, drop me an email. I'd love to hear from you. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom.

Speaker 1: 4:35

What has this podcast today caused you to think about? What has it caused you to do? I'd love for you to share your thoughts. I'm always looking for new ideas and, who knows, your tip might just get shared on a future episode here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. And hey, if you haven't hit return or hit that subscribe button, now's a great time. We're just getting started with the series. We've got all this week and next week to do this series on Thanksgiving and gratitude, so there's plenty more to come. And finally, if your church is looking for ways to build a healthier team culture or bring somebody new on your team that fits your church and your staff, I'd love to chat with you. You can reach out to me. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom.

Speaker 1: 5:18

It's one of the things that I do every day here in my role at chemistry, and we're here to help you make your next hire a great one or to make your current team even healthier. Okay, that's it for today. Thanks for hanging out with me and taking a few minutes with me today. Remember showing appreciation. It doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's the simplest of gestures that actually make the biggest impact on somebody's lives. So go out there, spread a little gratitude and I'll see you back here tomorrow. Appreciate you. Have a great day.