How to Train Your Board Members

Churches have boards or councils to help them navigate the many leadership challenges they'll face in a year. These board members are selected from within the congregation and usually serve a term at the helm of key decision-making moments in that church season. These board members are volunteers. Most of them never went to Bible College or engaged in any level of vocational ministry. They are good Christian folk who have given themselves to assist in the church's leadership. Unfortunately, we have expectations on these individuals that they rarely live up to:

We expect them to care about the church leadership as much as we do. As pastors, we care deeply for the direction and future of the church. That isn't always the case with board members. It's not that they don't care at all; they just don't care as much.

We expect them to be spiritually mature. This is a big one because many board members are elected because they've been in the church a while or their family name is notable. However, these should not be markers of spiritual maturity. We need to have clarity around spiritual maturity and a pathway to help them become spiritually mature.

We expect them to know what to do. We often expect board members to come ready to go and know what to do, how to read a Profit and Loss statement, how to have a healthy discussion, how to work with congregants, and how to make decisions they don't fully subscribe to. But most board members don't know what to do. They need to be trained.

And so here we are. We've got a leadership team that doesn't quite meet our expectations; what can we do? Here are some tips on ongoing training for your board to lead them to success.

1. Get to know their story. Every time a new board member comes on, have them share their story with both you (privately) and the rest of the board (publicly). Knowing their story will help you lead them effectively.

2. Share your vision/passion/heart constantly. You've heard it said, "vision leaks," and that is so true. Your board needs to hear what you're passionate about, what the vision is and what the heart behind your decisions/motivations are every time you meet. These folks should know you inside and out.

3. Overcommunicate. You can help your board care as much about the church as you do by communicating as much as you can about what is happening or the thought process that has led you to the decisions you recommend. The best way for them to be in the know is to keep them in the know.

4. Pray together. Get your board praying for each other every time they gather. Small groups, large groups. Change it up. Praying together is a great way to share the load and connect on a spiritual level with one another.

5. Disciple your board. Don't just expect your board to be spiritually mature. Take it upon yourself to disciple them. Study the word together, challenge one another, pray, and grow spiritually together. Imagine that each of these board members will have to go and plant a church in 24 months. What would they need to know? How can you train them?

6. Teach Leadership Principles. You can take a few minutes to train your board on leadership principles every time you meet. Using John Maxwell's material is a great way to impart practical and time-tested leadership principles to your board.

7. Train them to be effective board members. Use blogs, training materials and weekend retreats for ongoing training on how to be a good board member. Take time throughout the year to train them on how to do the good work of a board member. Don't wait until something negative happens, be proactive and train them now. Here is a great board training with Coach John Albiston.

Don't leave your board members alone to try and figure it out themselves. Start intentionally training them NOW. You'll need to keep doing this as new board members come and go. Remember, the success and effectiveness of this leadership team will benefit your church for years to come.

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