April 22, 2016

For Churches

partner_chcLooking for a new senior ministry professional or specialized ministry associate? We can help.

Your church deserves better than a “fill out this form and we’ll be in touch” approach. You deserve someone willing to walk with you to discover the right process, solutions, and candidates for your unique situation. Through constant communication, open access, and an intentional process of discernment, we work directly with your search team to find high potential candidates that may not be found through conventional search methods.

We can also help ease the burden of the tasks and time demanded of your volunteers by doing some of the legwork for you.

Click here to explore a simple website designed to help facilitate the work of a search committee
(password = “sample”)

Collaborating with our colleagues at the Center for Healthy Churches, we work hard to establish a process-oriented approach to all types of transitions. Beyond the details of finding and presenting exceptional candidates, we can assist your church through the entire process by:

  • Using our broad network of highly effective and experienced ministry professionals to find candidates with the highest potential for success
  • Planning with the congregation before the transition even occurs
  • Finding and celebrating key milestones in the process
  • Exploring options to manage the transition period
  • Resourcing, training, and coaching the search team to effective fulfill their duties
  • Collecting and pre-processing data to assist the search team
  • Working with the entire congregation on issues of identity, values, and self-reflection
  • Serving as a primary Point of Contact representing the church to candidates and other external entities
  • Providing coaching for new hires and church leaders through and beyond the transition

iStock_000012132537XSmallBut what does it cost?

We frequently try to get around it with gimmicks like “call for a free quote,” but money is an important and necessary part of the discussion. Some search and placement firms deal in ranges of $40,000-$50,000 per client. Since the vast majority of churches have regular attendance of fewer than a few hundred people, those types of fees are far beyond their reach.

We feel that there is an opportunity to serve churches of a all sizes while still providing the highest quality services. Every church and situation is unique, but here are some general cost ranges that you can use for planning purposes:

A simple contract can provide some basic assistance for as little as $1,000.
Some churches just need a little extra help. We can help simplify the process by:

  • Serving as the primary Point of Contact for potential candidates
  • Acting as an agent on behalf of the church
    • Interfacing with denominational organizations for candidates
    • Posting advertisements and receiving responses
  • Working with the search team to establish goals, identity, vision, and criteria for candidates
  • Establishing congregational identity & priorities through questionnaires and key interviews
  • Evaluating the applicant candidate pool through initial interviews, references, etc.
  • Presenting a curated list of candidates for the search team to evaluate more fully

Intermediate Options can provide more resources for $2,000 – $5,000
Beyond acting as a simple point of contact, we can:

  • Utilize our extensive network of ministry professionals to identify potential candidates beyond a simple pool of active applicants
  • Work hard to find those high potential candidates who may not be actively seeking a new place of service, but may be open to a new calling.
  • Use multiple site visits to work closely with the orientation and facilitation of the search team
  • Engage the entire congregation with visioning / identity work
  • Listen to core leaders, committees and congregational interviews to provide the search team with better information
  • Facilitate on-site interviews as needed

For churches with the resources and the need for a deeply engaging process, $10,000 and up

  • Multiple on-site visits to facilitate a long-term vision, identity, and discernment process before starting the active search process.
  • Actively planning key milestone events for the staff and entire congregation
  • Working with the entire congregation over a long-term period of self-reflection and exploring identity, values, and vision
  • Active recruitment of high potential candidates beyond traditional channels who may not be actively seeking a new place of service, but may be open to a new calling.
  • Present to help facilitate candidate interviews, church listening sessions, discussions, and presentations
  • Providing coaching for new hires and church leaders through and beyond the transition

Regarding Billing

When we develop a new client relationship, we bill by the project and provide clear deliverables. That gives the client a fixed amount to budget around and a clear understanding of expectations. Any work that goes above and beyond that project fee is not added (like a surprise), but is assumed by us as a part of original quote. However, if new work is generated during our ongoing relationship which extends beyond the scope of the original project, an additional project can be created to cover those costs.

Feel free to ask whatever questions you may have about our candidate search services: