Our Top 16 Blog Posts Of 2016

At the end of every year, we look back on which blog posts were most helpful for you, our Vanderbloemen community. It's our goal to always provide you with practical content and thought leadership to continually equip and encourage you as you serve on the frontlines of ministry.

Here are the best-of-the-best, highest-read blog posts we shared with you in 2016! 

1. What The New Overtime Regulations Mean For Your Church Staff by Jamie Byrd

This is a super important subject for all church leaders regarding the new FLSA Overtime Regulations. UPDATE: Since we published this post, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to delay these new regulations. But church leaders should still be aware of these upcoming changes and how they will affect your church staff, as the new regulations will, most likely, eventually be put into effect. It's a great idea to talk with your church's attorney and put a plan into place now.

For further reading, check out How The New Overtime Regulations Will Affect Churches with David Middlebrook.

2. The 3 Most Undervalued Staff Positions At Your Church by Milan Ford

So much focus is put on the senior leadership roles at your church. It's easy to recognize the importance of the person who's preaching every Sunday or the one who's leading worship. But you may be underestimating the importance of some other members of your church staff.

3. 10 Things Your Pastor Won't Tell You by Bethany Brewster

Most people only see the fruit of a pastor's labor on Sundays during the teaching. What most of us don't see is all the work that goes on during the other 6 days a week, as well as the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll that the role can take on pastors. Chances are, this blog post will give you a new perspective on the work your pastor does.

4. 4 Reasons Your Pastor Left After One Year by Sam Murray

Most churches, we daresay, would say the problem was with the person if their pastor left after a short tenure. But church leaders or lay leaders need to be able to look honestly in the mirror and think about what the church might've done wrong to drive away a leader in such a short time. Though every case is unique, this is an important blog post for all churches to read when looking to hire a new pastor.

5. 4 Ways You’re Making Your Worship Pastor's Job Impossible by Casey Hampton

The chemistry between a Lead Pastor and a Worship Pastor in pretty important. They work together to create a weekend experience that touches people for Christ. But it's possible that a Senior Pastor might sometimes - unintentionally - make their Worship Pastor's job harder than it needs to be. Written from the perspective of worship professionals, this post is important for all leaders to read and guard against.

6. 21 Signs Your Church Staff Has Toxic Team Culture by Nicole Cochran

If you know anything about the Vanderbloemen team, you know we're big on the importance of good staff culture (we were even blessed to be named by Entrepreneur as the nation's #1 Company Culture last year!). Church leaders need to be vigilant in spotting and guarding against these signs of toxic culture - the health of your church might just depend on it.

7. The 7 Most Common Church Staffing Mistakes by Jay Mitchell

In our years of walking alongside churches as they make hires, we've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Even with the best of intentions, church leaders can make some big mistakes when it comes to adding to their staff. Read this post to know the most common mistakes so that you can avoid them!

8. 6 Podcasts Every Church Leader Should Listen To by Holly Tate

If you're not an avid podcast listener, you're missing out on a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. There are many great ministry podcasts designed to help equip and encourage church leaders, but here are 6 of the very best!

9. 6 Social Media DON’Ts For Church Staff Members by Katie Viscontini

Gone are the days when your personal and professional life can be separated on social media. Your social media presence reflects on where you work, which is vitally important for church staff members to realize. As believers and representatives of our church, we have a higher responsibility to avoid questionable posts and to point others to Christ in our social media.

10. 6 Mistakes Search Committees Make When Looking For A Senior Pastor by Jay Mitchell

If you've been following our blog for any amount of time, you know that June was Pastor Search Committee Month, where we focused on equipping pastor search teams. Search Committees often lack experience hiring church leaders, as it's a very different and nuanced kind of hire. Don't make these same mistakes. 

For further reading, check out Search: The Pastor Search Committee Handbook.

11. 5 Productivity Hacks For Busy Pastors by Holly Tate

No one knows more than we do how busy church leaders are. You're "on call" 24-7 and juggling many tasks and pastoral duties, often on top of prepping a sermon every week. Check out these great tips to help you get more accomplished with less effort.

12. 3 People Church Leaders Should Speak To Before Leaving Their Job by Milan Ford

Too many people are silent when contemplating a job change. Rather than discuss their thoughts and pray about the transition, they let all the decision-making happen in their head alone. But those of us in ministry have a responsibility to make our job transitions as God-honoring as possible. Read this great wisdom.

13. 15 Signs Of A Great Church Staff Culture by Jeff Gilmer

We talked about the signs of a toxic culture, how about the signs of a great staff culture? Church leaders, placing a huge importance and focus on building great staff culture will affect every aspect of your church and ministry. Don't overlook this as your lead your team in the new year.

For further reading, check out How To Establish (And Reinforce) Your Church Staff’s Core Values.

14. 4 Key Roles You Need To Break The 500 Barrier by Katie Viscontini

If your church is growth-focused, chances are you know about the 500 barrier. It can be tough to cross that threshold, but the first step is realizing that the Senior Pastor can no longer be the sole driver of that growth. Check out these roles that can help you get there.

15. 17 Must-Have Apps For Church Leaders by Deanna Kotrla

There are so many resources available to church leaders today. Between church leadership podcasts, ministry blogs, great books, free tools available on the web, and apps, there are really no more excuses for a church leader to not be the best leader he or she can be. This list of apps can help you and your church in a multitude of ways.

16. Why Pastors Shouldn’t Preach More Than 40 Weekends A Year by David Whiting

This blog post sparked a lot of great discussion. There are several good reasons why Senior Pastors should take semi-regular breaks from teaching, and David (who was a Lead Pastor for 15 years) wisely outlines six of those reasons. This is an important perspective for every pastor to consider.