Finish Strong, Start Fresh: Part 3 – Empower Your Team for a Successful Start in 2025

In this season you and your team are probably spending a lot of time, energy, and resources preparing for your Christmas services. However, we want to remind you of another important opportunity you should balance in the mix.

After  you’ve reviewed the past year, set a clear vision, and aligned your resources and goals, it’s time to bring your team fully into the process. The best vision and plans will go nowhere if your leadership team isn’t equipped, motivated, and accountable. In this final part of our series, we’ll outline a checklist to ensure that your staff and volunteer leaders have the clarity, support, and accountability they need to make 2025 your church’s best year yet.

1. Set Expectations and Accountability Structures

What it is: Clear expectations and regular check-ins are the backbone of effective teamwork and accountability. When everyone knows what they’re working toward and how they’ll be held accountable, your ministry can move forward with focus and unity.

Checklist:

• Establish Clear Goals for Each Leader: Schedule individual meetings with key staff members to set specific, measurable goals for 2024. These goals should align with the church’s broader vision and mission while addressing each leader’s unique area of responsibility.
• Create a Rhythm of Check-ins: Decide on a regular schedule for check-ins (weekly, monthly, or quarterly) to review progress on goals. This provides opportunities for support, feedback, and course correction.
• Identify Accountability Partners: For multisite churches, consider appointing an accountability partner or “go-to” person at each campus. This person can help ensure consistency in vision execution and provide a touchpoint for you as the senior leader.

Pro Tip: Use a shared tool (like Bloom Growth, Asana, Trello, or a simple Google Doc) to track goals and progress. This allows everyone to stay informed and makes accountability easy to maintain. We have found Bloom Growth helpful in both our church and business.

These structures and rhythms are things we can help you and your team develop or refine. 

2. Equip and Empower Your Leaders

What it is: To turn vision into reality, your leaders need training, encouragement, and practical resources. Empowered leaders feel valued, supported, and motivated to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

Checklist:

• Host a Leadership Vision Kickoff Event: Start the new year with an all-staff retreat or a leadership kickoff event to inspire your team around the 2025 vision. This is a chance to set a positive tone, build excitement, and provide key updates.
• Offer Ongoing Development Opportunities: Invest in your leaders with training opportunities, whether through conferences, workshops, or online courses. Leadership development not only benefits your team but also strengthens the church as a whole.
• Address Emotional and Spiritual Health Needs: Ministry can be draining, and burnout is real. Encourage leaders to prioritize their spiritual health and personal boundaries. Consider providing resources for personal renewal, such as counseling, spiritual direction, or time off.

Pro Tip: Ask each leader to share one personal development goal for 2025. This will help you support their growth and show your investment in their well-being.

We specialize in leadership coaching for leaders in multisite churches. This past year we've coached executive level leaders and numerous directors. We can help you and your team as well. Interested? Let's talk.

3. Implement a Communication Plan for Vision Buy-In

What it is: For your vision to take root in your church, it needs to be consistently communicated. A well-planned communication strategy will keep the vision in front of your staff, volunteers, and congregation, creating unity and excitement for what’s ahead.

Checklist:

• Plan a Vision-Casting Series or Sermon: Start the new year with a special sermon series that unpacks your church’s 2024 vision. This gives you a platform to communicate key goals and inspire the congregation toward a shared mission.
• Use Multi-Channel Communication: Reinforce the vision through various channels—weekly emails, social media, video updates, and in-service announcements. Repetition across multiple platforms will help it stick.
• Equip Campus Pastors with Key Talking Points: Ensure that each campus pastor has a clear, consistent message to share with their campus. Provide them with talking points, vision documents, or visual aids that they can use to reinforce the vision with their own teams.

Pro Tip: Use stories to make the vision come alive. Share testimonies from the past year and stories that illustrate how the vision impacts real people. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for gaining buy-in.

This too is something ministryengine can partner with you in. One of our partners is a Senior Executive-level communications specialist and we have one of the best capital campaign experts on our team. Let's jump on a call.

4. Encourage Rest and Renewal for Staff

What it is: After the intense holiday season, many staff members feel exhausted. Encouraging rest at the beginning of the year helps your team start strong and sets the tone for a sustainable, healthy pace throughout the year. Anticipate this.

Checklist:

• Set an Example by Taking Rest Seriously: As the senior leader, model rest and balance by taking some time off yourself. Your team will follow your lead if they see you prioritizing your own health and boundaries.
• Consider a “Sabbath Week” for Staff: If possible, implement a week of limited work after Christmas or Easter to allow your team to recharge. This can be as simple as reducing non-essential meetings and giving staff a few days to rest.
• Encourage Personal Renewal Practices: Recommend personal renewal practices for your team, such as journaling, prayer retreats, or a digital Sabbath. Consider providing resources or reimbursements for these activities.

Pro Tip: A rested team is a resilient team. If you can afford it, offer a small stipend for staff to use toward a retreat or personal renewal activity. It shows that you care about their well-being beyond their work.

5. Strengthen Team Culture and Build Momentum

What it is: A healthy team culture is essential for sustainable ministry. Creating moments for your team to connect, celebrate wins, and stay aligned builds unity and keeps motivation high throughout the year.

Checklist:

• Establish Regular Moments of Connection and Celebration: Schedule regular team gatherings to celebrate wins, share updates, and reconnect with the vision. These could be monthly staff meetings, quarterly retreats, or informal team lunches.
• Share “Quick Wins” Early in the Year: Identify some “quick wins” that your team can accomplish in the first quarter. These early successes will help build confidence and momentum for bigger initiatives.
• Foster a Culture of Open Feedback: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, challenges, and concerns. Schedule regular feedback sessions or have an open-door policy to show that you value their input.

Pro Tip: Consider implementing a simple “highs and lows” exercise during team meetings. This allows everyone to celebrate what’s going well and express challenges in a supportive environment.

In this past year we've done Team Dynamics workshops for senior executive teams, whole ministry departments, and individual teams at multisite churches. We can help your team build trust, awareness, and alignment at a retreat or onsite. 

Wrapping Up Part 3

Empowering your team is the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to finishing the year strong and setting up for success in 2025. By setting clear expectations, equipping leaders with the right resources, fostering open communication, and encouraging rest and renewal, you’re building a strong and resilient team that’s ready to bring your church’s vision to life.

The work of ministry is never done, but when your team is healthy, aligned, and empowered, you’re able to move forward with confidence and joy. As you put these steps into practice, may you and your team experience the fulfillment of seeing lives transformed and communities impacted in new and meaningful ways.

Thank you for following along with our 3-part series. Here’s to a fruitful 2025 as you lead your church with clarity, purpose, and passion.