Introducing Employment Essentials: A New Resource for Churches

Thrive is excited to share a new resource designed to support churches in the important work of employing and caring for staff. Employment Essentials provides practical tools and guidance for every stage of the employment journey—from writing job descriptions and hiring, to onboarding, conducting evaluations, and much more. Our hope is that this resource will help your congregation approach staffing with confidence and clarity.

The resource consists of six guides:

• Sustaining Essentials offers a checklist to help you take stock of your current employment practices and ensure that nothing essential has been overlooked (e.g., job descriptions, reporting structures, staff meetings).
   
• Hiring and Calling Essentials outline the necessary steps to hire a non-ordained staff person or call an ordained minister (e.g., checking references, setting pay and benefits).
   
• Endings Essentials guides churches through the delicate process of ending a person’s employment—whether an ordained pastor is retiring or a non-ordained staff member is being let go (e.g., severance, exit interviews, farewells).
   
• Crisis Essentials helps churches prepare for and respond to employment crises that can derail leadership teams and divide congregations (e.g., communication protocols, abuse prevention, handling complaints and critical feedback). 

We encourage pastors, councils, and church leaders to explore Employment Essentials and share it with others who might benefit.

Discover all six guides at: crcna.org/ChurchStaffing