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The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.

In today's Vandercast, William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, talks with Karl Vaters, teaching pastor at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California. William and Karl discuss best practices for effectively leading a small church.

A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that a new workplace concept involving first-come, first-serve group workstations – rather than personal desks or computers – is becoming more prevalent. This structure takes the debate of open concept offices vs. closed office spaces to a new level – and it’s a debate that won’t end anytime soon. As more research is done about the relationship between productivity, employee satisfaction, and office layouts, there is no one right answer. In fact, there is only one consistent answer: it depends. The biggest factor to take into account: your office culture.

If your church is considering modifying your existing office space, consider the benefits and drawbacks of different designs as they relate to your culture. Here are some suggestions to help you choose a design that will bring out the best in your church staff.

When I woke up at 2:45 a.m. to find water pouring through my ceiling and an inch deep sheet of water covering most of our first floor due to a broken hot water heater in the attic, I thought to myself, “Bad stuff just happens sometimes.”

It wasn't a profound thought but, for some reason, it was a powerful reminder for me. Hardship often takes us by surprise. Part of ministry is walking through the “bad stuff” with people. In the big picture, my hot water heater issue was not a tragedy; however, it was a reminder that on this side of eternity we live in a fallen, unpredictable world where hurt and heartache are inevitable.

As church leaders, ministry leaders, and Christians, we are called to minister to others when they are dealing with pain and suffering. Some people naturally know what to do when tragedy strikes; others care deeply, but are at a loss at how to minister in the midst of that hurt.

Over the years, I have had the privilege to watch and learn from others who have gracefully and lovingly tended to others who have been hurt. Here are four considerations to help you take care of those close to you when faced with tragedy or hardship.

What is the proper attender-to-staff ratio for a church? How do you know if you are over-staffed or under-staffed?

As I coach and consult with scores of senior and executive pastors around the country every year, these are two of the most common questions. They look at their budget and feel like they are spending way too much on staff, but then look at what needs to get done and want to hire more team members. How can a leader accurately measure staff efficiency?

The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.

In today's episode of the Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, Holly Tate, vice president of marketing at Vanderbloemen Search Group, talks with Brian Beauford, executive pastor at Grace Church in Avon, Massachusetts. Holly and Brian discuss the different models of church planting and how to utilize them to bring more people to Christ.

Last year, I had the exciting opportunity to transition into a new role here at Vanderbloemen. I not only switched roles but changed teams altogether, and a friend of mine became one of my supervisors.

If not carefully navigated, having your friend turn into your boss can introduce challenges similar to when best friends become roommates. It can be enjoyable and fun at times, but it can also place strain on your relationship and potentially ruin a friendship if you're not careful. 

This is especially true in ministry, as many pastors and church leaders start a church or ministry with their best friends. It's exciting and can work really well, but if not carefully navigated, it can also become challenging and potentially hurtful.

Here are four things you can do to safeguard your friendship and set yourself up for a successful employer/employee relationship.

Recently, Millennials surpassed Gen X as the largest portion of the American workforce. This means that inevitably, every workplace will work with Millennials in some capacity, whether as co-workers, clients, or even supervisors. It’s important to note that Millennials have different career objectives, communication styles, and core values than many hiring managers are used to. These differences should be acknowledged and, whenever possible, embraced.

Here are three key factors to keep in mind when interviewing and working with Millennials.

The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.

In today's episode of the Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO at Vanderbloemen Search Group, talks with Dave Ferguson, lead pastor at Community Christian Church in Plainfield, Illinois. William and Dave discuss planting and multiplying healthy churches and the importance of aligning your mission and vision in your church network.

Over the past year, the news has been filled with stories of people who have lost their reputations and the respect of others due to allegations of harassment, misconduct, or moral failure. We're human, which means we are all going to make mistakes. But what are some practical steps we can take to maintain our integrity as we lead ourselves and our teams?

Many of us with long commutes fill our drives to and from work with podcasts. One of the more popular is How I Built This with Guy Raz, a podcast on which entrepreneurs tell their stories of starting, failing, and growing their businesses. Many of their stories share similar themes of resilience, innovation, and agility that contribute to the eventual success of their companies or ideas.

There are many parallels between church planting and tech startups. Of course, the ultimate purpose will be different, but church planters can learn a lot from the successes and failures of business leaders, especially as they are getting their plant off the ground. If you’re a church planter who is currently growing your ministry, utilize these five lessons to expand your reach in the Kingdom.