Home Pastors Articles for Pastors Do You Deserve a Higher Wage?

Do You Deserve a Higher Wage?

3. “They don’t understand my value.”

I’ve talked with a lot of “behind the scenes” people at churches, from IT staff to church management administrators to technical arts staff, all of who are in unique roles that are fairly new (even today) for churches.

It is incumbent upon you to help your leadership understand the strategic value you (not your position) bring to the church. This is not your day-to-day responsibilities or task list; that’s the job description. Your value is what you, personally, bring to the team in addition to the role.

My best employees were those who were on-mission, committed to healthy relationships and boundaries, and had an ownership mentality, not an employee mentality.

These people didn’t fit into predetermined salary buckets, but stood out as high-value, high-capacity individuals who added great value to the organization and were compensated for it.

Likewise, I’ve tried to not limit myself to a job description, but instead done my best to bring my best talents, gifts and strengths to the benefit of the team, not a position. I don’t get the balance right all the time and have to be reoriented from time to time as a result, but that’s far preferred to finding ways to ensure an employee is being productive.

If you’re not feeling valued, here are three things to do at this very moment, right now:

First, submit to the Lord.

I’ve asked God for release before only to be told “not yet” or flat out, “I don’t want you asking about that right now.” Wow! He had something else for me to learn, so being obedient and changing my attitude to serve well in spite of, not because of, my circumstances.

Second, take inventory of how you’re approaching your job.

Are you scattered? Overwhelmed? Bored? Frustrated? Look at how you’re managing your attitude, your interpersonal work relationships and your time. Chances are, if you’re like me at all, you’ve got plenty of areas ready for some immediate improvement; improvement that can make a big difference in how you’re viewed by others on the team.

Third, seek counsel.

This is not the same as finding a sympathetic ear of someone who will agree with you. This is seeking wise counsel from a friend who will speak the truth in love and give you objective and biblical input. You need these people in your life beyond this moment, so build intentional relationships where you can be mentored and do the same for others. Healthy employees are valuable, and it’s hard to be healthy when you’re not getting another perspective from another emotionally/spiritually healthy person.

Want to talk about this? Email me. Or ping me on Twitter or Facebook, or even LinkedIn. If necessary, I can even provide a short season of coaching on how to do much of what I’ve described above.

So, do you deserve a higher wage? And if so, what are you going to do about it?  

1
2
Previous articleThe NEW Rules for Church Buildings
Next articleOvercoming Small Groupophobia
anthonycoppedge@churchleaders.com'
Anthony has worked in the secular world of A/V, the ministry world of church staff and the para-church ministry of three companies that serve the church space (Auxano, Fellowship Technologies and Worlds of Wow!). Today, his consultancy focuses on helping churches and para-church ministries leverage appropriate systems, processes and technologies for more effective ministry. Anthony leads out of his strengths of effectively caring for people, efficiently managing resources and enabling scalable growth. He has been consulting, teaching, writing and speaking to church and business leaders for nearly 20 years.