Ministry, Human Resources, & the "Non-Profit/Volenteer" stuff
Yes, this is a touchy and potentially very controversial issue. Definitely an arena of issues in servant leadership you can't ignore. And I will not hold back much at all on the controversial side.

Let's start out with "Firing Volenteers"

Yes you can fire a volenteer. And too often I see volenteers that need to be fired or re-assigned that are not fired or re-assigned. You can guess reason why. But it is perfectly ok to fire or re-assign a volenteer, as long as you know how to. Just way too many volenteers out there that are hinderances, for whatever reason, in this world that does not have enough volenteers. Yes, it is true, good help is hard to come by these days!

I have fired both employees and volenteers. I hate doing either, yet firing an employee is easier than firing a volenteer. I bet we all can make a long list of reason why firing a volenteer is hard. I'll skip making my own list and will drive right into a classic example I use.

Example of Trimming Down the Team: Gideon

In the book of Judges we read many accounts of Gideon. Those who have heard of the movie "300" would know something about how 300 Spartans battled the Persians in Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Yes, an impressive battle. But this is not the only story in history of 300 soldiers triumping against the enemy.

Judges 7 gives the account of Gideon trimming an army from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300. That last trimming from 10,000 to 300 came when Gideon picked those who rant water, while keeping alert, drinking with their heads up. All the other soldiers put their head/mouth right into the water to drink, unable to see the enemy come.

Of course the story ends with a nice "almost battle scene" where the army of 300 was amplified by both sound and sight in the mountains near the enemy's camp, intimidating the Midianites to flee and bringing the army of Israel victory.

How Gideon's 300 applies to "Firing Volenteers"

A force of 300 is hardly at all a match against an army of thousands or even tens of thousands. Yet thinking back to the Spartan's, an army of 300 prime soldiers was an extremely formitable match against the international Persian army that numbered in countless thousands. It all comes down to strategy, effectiveness, training, follow through, and determination. Both forces of 300 had the wits of a warrior and a soldier. They were alert, intelligent, skilled, etc. The flip side would be delussional, foolish, unprepared, and untrained.

Now the original 32,000/10,000 all had a chace to make the cut for Gideon's prime & trim army. But of course 22,000 just left, didn't even try. And 10,000 just didn't have the simple stuff it took to make the final cut. What remained were the true warriors.

Now in Royal Rangers, as well as other ministires, we always seem in great need of help. It seems so wrong and backwards to turn down and fire volenteers. Yet I've seen ministry teams be null in effectiveness, even take too many steps backwards in ministry but having the wrong people in place. Now of course we can't turn down those who are called and are answering that call. That's another area I'll cover later with training and discipleship.

Yet to those who have the basics down, maybe more training and experience in a particular ministry, there comes a point you need to cut off the defective and unproductive people. Yet it is foolish to just go hacking away, without knowing if it is the people or the methedology that the people are using are ineffective. Once you know it is the people, the use tact.

I once had two commenders that I needed in my Outpost that I wanted to let go...

One was giving all he had to help out on Wednesday nights, which is more than most men at my church give to the boys. Yet he couldn't get out to training, which he needed. As a result in lack of RR training, he relied on his on limited methodologies, which was ok as far as coordinating games and activities in the meeting, yet he lacked the leading for the Bible study and merit portions of the meeting.

I did address my concerns to the first commander in person and in written form. I thanked him for his service and acknowleged both his service and his situation. I also addresssed my concerns too. And I didn't put the leader down, rather addressed the man in a respectable manner. I didn't fire that commander, yet gave him both an opportunity to rise up in his service for the Outpost or leave the Outpost. Eventually he left, yet because I and others did not scourge him, he later came back as a commander and was a part of the leadership team that helped to take that age group to a whole new level.

Another commander was an experience, even a GMA. He had to do things his way and very often challenged my direction, guidence, and leadership as the Senior Commander. I know sometimes it is hard to be so seasoned and have your own ideas + methodology, while the leadership above you has their vision, goals, and plans. I know over the years I've struggled like that being the one under the Senior Commander, Sectional Commander, even District Commander with all my ideas, methodologies, etc, along with my credentuals, yet have to submit to authority.

In this tale of two GMA's, one adapted and another did not. Of course my church (as well as section and district) trusted my servant leadership and appointed me to Senior Commander (and other roles on other levels). There were reasons why the other GMA was asked just to be an age group commander, which in my opinion is a role I rather be in than Senior Commander. Eventually the other GMA went to another church and moved on to other ministries. I ended up resigning and reassigning myself to his role. As a result, we have 5, soon to be 8 GMA's and our attendence in that age group has steadily risen over a 10 year period.

So why fire a volenteer? Or have them go back into the "dugout"?

Safety first is the #1 reason. Churches are to screen their leadership with a criminal background and child workers clearence. A particular man or woman might be the best at doing Bible studies, teaching other stuff, leading in activities, organization/adminsitration, etc. Never ever risk putting a leader in there that has a criminal and/or abuse record. And even if a leader has a clean record, if there is any reports or suspiscion of criminal or abusive behavor from your leadership, take it seriously and handle appropriately, with the minor's safety being the main concern. Also always practice proper confidentuality. Take a leader out of service until the situation is cleared and if not clear, then firing the leader is a must.

If you have no clue how to screen leaders, class room safety, etc, then there are a lot of worships, training courses, and documentation out there both in and outside of Royal Rangers. Feel free to even contact me and I'll point you out to these resources.

I say fire "title hogs" who have a title and really don't do anything. There are some leaders out there that are all about having a title and position of leadership. Could be that they want to feel important. Could also be that they are power hungry. Could also be that they feel that they need to vindicate themselves by being in a role of importance. All of that is one issue that they need discipled in with character developement. Regardless of whether any of that is the case or not, if they do nothing or a do a whole lot of stuff that is nothing but ineffective, then I say fire them and use wise tact.

I've come across a lot of people that are "title hogs". And I know a lot of them do have lists of stuff they did in their role, such as completing the minimum they were told they have to do, activities that totally miss the target, or are jus not doing anything at all. What grind my gear greatly, a top pet pieve, are those that have endless excuses why they are so ineffective, always passing the buck. To me the "buck passer" are slackers and are not willing to do what it takes to develop the ministry and/or area of ministry they lead.

I say give servant leaders a chance, yet fire them or re-assign the ones that can not build leadership teams. I do acknowledge that team building is not a leadership gift that all possess. If you are in senior/head leadership at any level, you need to be a team builder and learn the leadership art of facilitation and deligation. Maybe the senior/head leader is not a team builder, yet a master at organization and administration. Fine. Then have a deputy in place that has that team building gift and fully enpower that person to build the team. Otherwise, the head leader or deputy needs to be reassigned roles, title, or possition. It is better that they are supporting leaders under a head leader than the head leader who doesn't do what a head leader is meant to be. And if they possess that leadership gifting and are not using it for whatever lame reason, fire that leader or at least put them in the dug-out for a while until they get their act together.

Yes, there are more reason to fire some one, yet even more reason to focus on team building and training to make effective use of the trim leadership pole you probably have.

Team Building and Training: The Key to Ministry HR Success!!!!!!!

I won't get into leadership structure in this post, which is something your ministry's training program needs to address.

If you are a head leader in your ministry organization on whatever level, you need to know how to build a team, team dynamics, organization, and administration. As a head leader, you need to lead and enpower your leaders. Think of each leader in your team as an extra set of hands and feet. Also think of them as a force of knights, ninjas, sameri, or whatever skilled servant leadership force that is specialized in training and experience to do the task and role they have been assigned. If you find yourself needing to do a whole lot of "this and that" which takes you away from being the head facilitating leader, then you need another trained/experienced person in place to handle that. And again, you responisbility as the head leader is to empower your leadership team.

Let me address head leadership again. Before you go out firing and hiring other people, you have to get your organizational and administrative act together. This takes both training and planning. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Yes, I quote that often from Ranger Basics and it is 100% true. Yet just because you plan doesn't save you and your team from failure and ineffectiveness. You need wise and educated planning. A lot of that comes from training. Yet a lot of that also comes from research + development. You might need to assemble your team or a special task force from your team to do the research + development. This way your planning is effective and your are hitting your target in all your team does.

Trained servant leaders are significantly more effective than and other servant leaders. And just because a person is a natural at what they do doesn't bi-pass them from the need of training and refresher courses. Even I needed, need, and will need training throughout my life. And I'm a GMA, LTA, CI, have a bachelors degree in Pastoral Ministry (trained in church ministries), and have other church trainings too... Even if you "know it all", there is always more to learn. If you hate learning, well welcome to life! Be trained. Get you new leaders their basic training. Get all your leaders continiously involved in training. A trained leader is highly likely to be an effective leader!


The Tact of Hiring and Firing Leaders

Sorry, but I won't give out the answer here, nor really any tips. This is an area where a head leader or HR leader needs to get trained and gain experience. This is also an area that a person needs to be mentored/discipled. Trust me, even with the best tact, since your dealing with people, there is a guarentee for slip ups. You will step on people's toes, people will get offended, people will ignore your attempts to recruit or dismiss them, etc, etc.

My leadership style is very blunt, very effectiveness and results driven, though it is not numbers driven, rather quality over quantity, also function over form. I tend to be very blunt. Thus the need for me over the years and still now to develop tact. Some people have a natural nack with people, which is awesome in my books! I'd want that person on my team to be the one networking with people and assisting me with team building.

Sometimes there is the way you want to say and do things, like when you are free to let all your defenses down. Here is a recent example that applies to me with the whole website issues I've had for 2 months.

Someone could say, "Why the freaking heck can't Shawn get things right with the website? He's always having problems with the website! We need someone who knows what they are doing so we can have a website that freaking works! ..." In that case you can let loose your anger and frustration in the fact that what I was responsible for doing as the district webmaster for Penn-Del RR.

The other way could be, "Shawn, what kind of issues are we having with the website being down and not updated in the past 2 months? Are there any alternative solutions? How can we help and support you through these issues?"

I'm sure both sets of attitudes have been displayed both before me and behind my back about the very real website issues I've been dealing with the past 2 months. Obviously the situation was beyond my control and my boss, the district commander, knew what I was doing to resolve these issues. He also knew my limitations. And he also shared my frustrations on all sides. Cmdr Greg did not fire me, tell me what to do, breath down my neck, rather he came to me regularly to find out the status of the crisis and even offered his help. I'm sure he was frustrated with me, yet understood that the root of the issue was beyond me. If the issue was me, as it had been in rare occasions, he had and will continue to address me personally with those issues.

Mistakes to avoid when hiring volenteers

1. Neglecting to put safety first is wrong. Protect your kids and teen, as well as adults too! Refer back to what I previously mentioned on this.

1. Avoid throwing warm bodies into voids in the leadership team. Short term solutions can destroy your leadership team in the long run.

2. Avoid over extending your servant leaders. In other words, don't have them do too much, rather have them focus on one or two things only. Big pet pieve and personal struggle of mine. When your over worked leader burns out, you now "have a hole in the damn, flooding the valley". I get on leaders cases all the time about this.

3. Neglecting to deal with personal issues between team members and/or individually is a cancer to your team. Root out the cancer or resolve the conflict. Sit down and talk things out when needed. Give time off when necessary to have team members resolve personal issues.

4. Don't keep a team member in place when they are just occupying space just to avoid hurting their feelings. Pet pieve of mine with Christianity, where we throw out that fake compassion towards people too often. Yes, we need to include everyone in God's kingdom, as Paul taught us in his letters to the churches. I believe that Walmart greeters give certain people a job to do, yet we ought not to make ineffective use of people like that, when we can reassign them to other things that they can truly make a difference. I call this stepping to the side, not stepping down, for leaders that once were giants and now are not effective in their roles. And for those who are willing yet not exactly able, we need to be good HR leaders and find a place for them. There is always a place for them and it is rarely a "Walmart greeter", then again, sometimes it is.

5. Once again, we need trained leaders and need to guide them in a mentorship process towards effective experience. Neglecting this is a cancer to your leadership team and you doom your mininstry.

6. If you neglect to address problems with leadership, such as inactivity, ineffectiveness, lack of training, poor planning, poor development, etc, you just allowed a cancer in your organization and leadership team grow. And that cancer will ultimately bring death to the ministry.

7. Give people a chance and give them grace. People are not perfect and everyone needs a starting point. This is the great opportunity of mentorship and discipleship. I remember a man from New Castle, named Joe, gave me most of my first chances at leadership. He was my safety net when I failed or when circumstances just failed on their own. He guided me through. And Joe even connected me with other mentors and disciplers who taught me things he just could not teach me on his own.

8. Take risks, yet not retarded risks. This is with people, planning, organization, administration. I am not saying always take risk, since there has always got to be a stable base to work off of. I am saying that every now and then you need to let yourself and your people think outside the box and take risks. Some risks I have been a part of in the past 10 years has resulted in some great things. There are clusters of examples with Junior Leadership Training Academy, District Powwow, and Expedition Rangers.

9. Don't be an island of leadership in and of yourself! I know too many leaders, even myself in my early 20's, who could do it all themselves and did do it all themselves. Unfortunatley most of these people got burned out and are no longer in minstry or at least not in their original ministry. Being a team is crucial! Sharing leadership with others is key. Deligation is key. Limiting yourself and what others do is key. Taking risks on others is key. Failure happens and is ok. Being a control freak is often worse than failure and that island disapears when you do.

10. Mentorship is key! Be mentored. At the same time mentor someone. Train your replacement. Make sure your replacement will do the same. Pass the torch every now and then to encourage others to step up to the role, to ensure a secured and effective future in the ministiry leadership team! Btw, you can substitue disciple for mentor here!

Endless other tips to share. In the end be part of the team of servant leaders, striving for excellence and effectiveness in ministry!

Labels: help, hr, leadership, ministry, servanthood, volenteers

To Outpost 19 & other across Penn-Del,

Two weeks ago I gave one of those extremely hard speeches to Outpost 19's Adventure Rangers. As I gave the speech, an untypical silence fell on my Adventure Rangers. After giving the tough news, I asked for questions and comments. Joey said with deep sincerity, "Thank you Commander Shawn for being my commander!" I replied, "Thanks for letting me serve you!"

June 2008 mark's the start of year 22 in Royal Rangers... Thing is year 22 will be put on pause for a while. Let's look back at the prior 21 years, as I say a very very hard good bye to Outpost 19 Royal Rangers.

Spring 2002 & Jonathan Tenney

This was the tail end of my short reign as Senior Commander of Outpost 19. It was summer of 2001 that I had handed, correction, thrown the keys of the Outpost to Cmdr Elliott. I was overwhelmned and it seemed like I was fighting an endless losing battle, trying to turn this ministry into a live, functioning Royal Rangers Outpost. Everything was there, just no champions. That's when the champ made his proclaimation, which was the turning point of the Outpost. Jonathan Tenney gave me a speech on how he was going to get the GMA, no matter what. He didn't care what the others thought. He didn't care about the cost. He was going to be the first. Jon became in 2003 the first GMA in Outpost 19, my second discipled GMA.

The "Commando's Patrol" & the other 4 GMA's

I will forever brag about the best patrol I ever had part of one of my Outpost's, a close second to the Buffalo Bills & Gator patrols of Outpost 7. Jeff and Josh were the other two GMA's of the Commando's patrol, with Matt now serving in the Navy on active duty. I remember countless times I got in trouble for things they did in and out of the church. And they sure do have fun blaming me for getting them lost on hikes, where I can recall it was them hiking on past junction points that got us lost that one time. (You can blame Hawk Mountain on me, so can JTT!)

I can write stories about each of these 5 GMA's, Jon Tenney, David Dippold, Abe Smith, Jeff Richmond, Josh Daniels. I won't this time around. I know there are a couple others soon to come, like Doug Smith, Brandon Bartilotta, and maybe Ramon Oqendo (if he makes a choice to finish). I see several others down the road that I wish i could be a part of their journey in Royal Rangers to the top of the GMA mountain, yet I leave that to the GMA's of Outpost 19 and those to follow the foot steps of us visiting GMA, such as Jake Harrison, Zach Povec, and too many others...

Outpost 7, the Outpost of the 90's

It was summer's day in June 1987 that my parents took me to a new church on Wednesday nights. And as my GMA essay reflects, I didn't want to be there with Outpost 7. A couple years later in October 1990, Sammy Smith became GMA # 1855. That night I was inspired by Sammy to become a GMA. And 4 years later I received GMA # 2556 along with Corey Richardson, GMA # 2557. My brother, William Shevitz, followed four years later, becoming GMA # 3596.

All-in-all Outpost 7 had 8 GMA's, Sammy, Rick, Andrew, Shawn, Corey, Jonathan, Bill, and Louis. Most of us GMA's from OP 7 became district and regional Royal Rangers of the Year, having served various servant leadership roles. Yet the torch stopped with Louis and it has been a 9 year drought.

Passing the Torch

I don't want to pass pressure onto the 5 or so GMA's at Outpost 19, yet I wish them to be the guardian's of Outpost 19. Why? I don't want what happened to Outpost 7 to happen to Outpost 19. That was my fear for a long time, that God would one day take me from Grace Assembly of God and the Outpost would die. Too many people had seen that the life of the outpost rested on my shoulders. I knew better than that. I knew it was about the team, the Outpost joining together as a whole to make the Outpost alive, working, and excelling. And until recently were I have seen those like Abe and David step up, I started to have faith that I'll leave Outpost 19 and that they would begin a new era on excellence all on their own.

Like I said 10 years ago, its all about the GMA's!

It took many GMA's and dedicated outsiders to spring life into Outpost 19. I credit Pastor Tom back in 1999 for reconstructing the outpost into something that I could take to the next couple levels. Without Cdr Tom, I'd be stuck spending years doing what he did in the matter of months as the Children's Pastor. As always, I give you that credit, when others point to me.

Yet it also was the GMA's before me that worked in Outpost 19, trying to convert a baby sitter's club into a top notch Outpost. I remember countless conversations I've had with all these GMA's that either came before me or work along side them. If you give me credit, I then quickly pass credit on to them, especially Jake, Zac, John, and Glen. I might be the acception to the rule in being able to give far more to Outpost 19 than any of them were capable of giving, yet they gave just as much as they could within their own limits. And they made much more a difference than I did.

Men of God: Step Up!

This is something I am saying to all outposts in Royal Rangers and their churches, especially Outpost 7 and Outpost 19. Men, be real men and make the sacrifices that many of us hard working Royal Rangers have made and step up as servant leaders in Royal Rangers. As John Eldridge says in "Wild at Heart", it takes a man to teach a boy how to become a man. There is no other way that a boy can learn how to become a man. Even if you don't think you are man enough to teach a boy how to become a man, deep down inside, you can. You have other lessons to teach a boy that I can't, because my experience in life is different than yours. Besides, all kinds of different men in my life, even the so called unworthy ones, taught me how to become a man.

Saying Good-bye and Moving on to new things of God

Living for God is hard. Those who say otherwise don't know jack about what they are talking about and/or are telling lies to fool people into follow Jesus Christ. I think Jesus' own words makes this crystal clear, especially that whole "pick up your cross and follow Me" bit.

I move on not knowing what it is I am moving on to. That kind of faith is very very scary. As I told Pastor Sharon yesterday, I don't want to go. I want to stay. But I do so, in obedience to God and God's will.

How do you tell newly become teenage boys that you are leaving? How can you? I don't know. All I know I did was share my heart. And I know the message is received. But how do you tell a church that you call family? I guess the same way. And I am extremely and forever grateful that Grace Assembly of God has been more than family to me, through the good, the bad, and the ugly. They believed in a young man that years ago was still young and fresh in ministry. They supported me in all I did, told me "no" a lot of frustrating times, even backed me when I was on the rise to higher levels of servant leadership. And their blessing and confirmation of this redirection of God's calling in my life is there with me and my heart.

Yes, July 31st is the end of an era in my life. It is my last official day serving in Outpost 19. Also my last day serving on Penn-Del district staff. All that remains while I wait for God to open the doors in my life to pick up and move somewhere is keeping with the promises I have made with my church and with the district. I'll see these 2-3 GMA's through, will be a consultant for the district website, and will serve on staff for the second JCC. Outside of that it might be 1-2 years until God let's me join the ranks again with a new Outpost and a new district.

Saying goodbye to Outpost 19

Outpost 19, my love is with you! I will forever call Outpost 19 my home, just as I do with Outpost 7. I will never be afraid to crash the campsite or an Outpost meeting here and there.

To all the Ranger Kids, Discovery Rangers, and Adventure Rangers of Outpost 19, I challenge you to do what Jon, Jeff, josh, Abe, David, and others have done before you. As per my infamous GMA speech "The be over the do", I challenge you to take on the challenge and to become that what truly is a GMA. When you become a true GMA, it never leaves you and it signifies that which Jesus Christ has transformed you to become, which is more than a child of Christ, rather into a warrior of Christ! Don't give up just because I am leaving or because you don't like that other commander as much. Do what Jon Tenney did and aim for it no matter what others say or feel.

And to all my GMA's, whether your calling is Royal Rangers or something else, hold the fort. You are like Jedi's, GMA Jedi's. Active or not in Rangers, you are permanent members of Outpost 19, just as I am a permanent member of Outpost 7. Keep encouraging, inspiring, even give hard love where needed. This is your Outpost, just as Outpost 7 is my Outpost. (I know OP 19 is my OP too!)

Awards night is coming June 25, 2008. What a sight it will be if one last time all OP 19's GMA show up and we celebrate the end of an era and a beginning of a new era.

To God be the glory, the great things he has done!

Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted.
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard.
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action.
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.

Psalm 115:1 (paraphrased)

Labels: era, gma, goodbye, leadership, love, op19, op7, servanthood