Not the Fun Guy on Staff
Hey Fletch … I’m not the fun guy on staff. Do you have any ideas or resources for doing some fun or creative or helpful activities together that might help us? I’m thinking eating and […]
Hey Fletch … I’m not the fun guy on staff. Do you have any ideas or resources for doing some fun or creative or helpful activities together that might help us? I’m thinking eating and […]
Bring your salary questions. This special episode is devoted to the issues that you raise. Bring your biggest headache, the hardest question or a common issue. See if Fletch can answer it. Our money is […]
Hey Fletch—Why do you utilize teacher compensation data for comparison data? I don’t necessarily believe they are compensated very well on average.
Fletch—Some folks don’t think teachers are paid a fair and living wage. During the […]
Fletch knows church salaries! He will walk you and Mike through how to set compensation for your church staff. This will feature the just released Salary Forecaster 2025. The Forecaster is free and has […]
Hey Fletch—We have a lot of people who visit our church but they don’t come back. We send out letters and emails to newcomers. Apparently these are not working. Any thoughts?
Fletch—I stumbled on an interesting […]
William Vanderbloemen
William Vanderbloemen’s latest book, Be the Unicorn: Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest, is a goldmine of information. He gets right […]
My title may seem a little off-putting, perhaps even negative. Why do I need a guardrail? Or better, what is a guardrail for a pastor? This brings another question, If our church incorporated guardrails, what […]
Hey Fletch … A woman wanted to start an outreach ministry activity. She has good character and a right heart for the target audience. Now she’s drowning under the weight of being at the helm […]
Hey Fletch … I am an elder in a church plant. Sadly, a couple who joined our church at the beginning is now in divorce proceedings. The wife and four children attend church faithfully. The […]
Hey Fletch … Our elders developed a sabbatical policy that provides our pastors with benefits that includes normal salary and benefits. There is additional pay for activities like meeting with mentors, studying, developing relationships with […]
The main segment in most worship services is the sermon. It receives the most time and is pivotal for teaching biblical truth. Yet, almost everyone listening to the sermon forgets it by Wednesday. Church leaders […]
Hey Fletch … Should our church have a policy on the use of cannabidiol or CBD oil? Our Lead Pastor is concerned about this. This stuff is legal in our state. We have a youth […]
Hey Fletch … We don’t have a policy for selling church property. Some staff have given furniture away, sold equipment, or sold things to family members. Do you have a recommendation on the sale or […]
Hey Fletch … Why should people become members of a church and what are the tangible benefits of doing so? I need to give people a good reason, other than the spiritual ones, to become […]
Pastors and church leaders are biblically aware that predators will prey on their church. One of the biblical roles for the pastor is to be a shepherd and guard the lambs. What pastors generally miss […]
Enjoy this sample role description for a Finance Director. Note that it has percentages of time for each area. Always include percentages so that everyone is aware of time expectations. When doing an annual review, […]
The line from the Apollo 13 movie comes to mind: Houston, we have a problem. Many high-profile minister failings can be traced back to the board not holding the senior pastor accountable. This isn’t just an […]
Live and streaming worship continues to morph and change. Join us for a discussion of big ideas to consider in audio-visual design. The past year has taught us that we need flexibility, but what does […]
Hey Fletch … This week we had a leadership discussion around the Equality Act. Our senior pastor brought this topic up in an elder meeting. It raised some questions worth answering or trying to answer. Our […]
Hey Fletch … I would like to bring our staff through some type of sexual harassment training and share our sexual harassment policy. Are you aware of any videos, articles or resources that you would […]
Hey Fletch … I have an excellent black and white style business resume but I’m not getting much response. After looking at the Great Resumes on XPastor, I may know why. Are churches really […]
Hey Fletch … We are hiring a part-timer in the tech area. The candidate is a great person, well qualified and a new believer. The issue is that I think he is living with his […]
For years you’ve imagined that irresistible coffee hot-spot on the corner of your property that lures the community to your campus and increases the bottom line. But, you’re not sure how to pull that off […]
There is a bane in having a good church policy for your facilities. Here is what happens. A church leader plans an event on your church campus and turns in a facility request. The request […]
Christianity Today’s Church Law & Tax recently launched ReopeningYourChurch. This is free website curating important content from Church Law & Tax and other sister websites, including Preaching Today and Small Groups. The goal: A trusted […]
Vision is more than one short statement. Your church needs that short statement but it also needs much more. The vision statement is the tip of the iceberg. Vision statements set out far-reaching goals and values. […]
Cass Commercial Bank has shown tremendous help to its clients during the pandemic. The following note demonstrates their concern. It begins with the important question of “how you are doing?” It then acknowledges the workload […]
Don’t pop the champagne yet, but … Yesterday on April 22, the rate of growth of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. was its lowest ever at 1.9%. I was hoping in my estimate that this would happen 4 […]
Greg Love and Kimberlee Norris of MinistrySafe have created a five page document on Virtual Instruction–Navigating Online Resources and Child Safety. This is both an analysis and a collection of best practices. The document is […]
Churches will reopen for public worship but the timing of that remains uncertain. It could be late May or in June. There are many questions about reopening, especially about safety protocols for a facility. We […]
Fletch and Warren Bird talk about how church looks differently right now for all of us during the coronavirus pandemic. On this podcast, we cover finances, outreach, and other key insights to keep your church […]
COVID-19 has brought culture shock and angst to us all. David Fletcher and Mike Gould explain our discomfort at home, in the home-office, shopping and family life. Experience a one-minute street scene of India to […]
The good news is very good. By Sunday, April 19, the daily growth rate of COVID-19 in the United States should be at 1%. This is a sharp decrease from the 76% daily growth rate […]
This crazy chart is hard to read, at first.
The orange bars are the number of COVID-19 cases. They rise from 13,677 on March 19 to an estimated 367,408 for today, April 6. These are the […]
When 60 million Christians began to gave up in-person worship on Streaming Sunday, they helped slow the growth of Covid-19. Although there is tremendous economic loss in the Stay-at-Home orders, this helped reduce the growing […]
Cass Commercial Bank has prepared preliminary information on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered through the SBA 7(a) program. Things may change some as the program works itself out on website and lenders. Thanks to […]
There are many free resources on XPastor about Covid-19. There is a wealth of free information on the web. Here is just a smattering of those that we follow. Beware of information overload. There are […]
Chemistry Staffing led a recent webinar on the “The Nuts and Bolts of Virtual Leadership.” This conversation with church leaders is about how to make the shift from in-person ministry to leading a remote ministry […]
Fellowship Bible Church of Winchester, Virginia has developed a 12-step procedure for Care Response Volunteers. These volunteers delivery grocery and medicine to those who are unable to travel to a grocery store or pharmacy. Special […]
It is always a good idea to stay in touch with your insurance carrier in a time of crisis. Brotherhood Mutual is a sponsor of XPastor and has provided a free resource guide for the […]
As Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads across the globe, so does the misinformation on the internet. So, who can you trust? It is especially important that church (nonprofit) leaders are using credible information sources, such […]
Coronavirus data is readily available in the news. For example, Italy has more than 5,800 cases and 233 were fatal. That’s an increase of 800 cases and 49 deaths over the day before. In response, […]
Churches used to be able to handle a crisis or major event on their own. The current scenario is complicated by publicity on social media, a tangle of laws and regulations and the prevalence of […]
In Fletch’s book, Predators—The Case of the Church Embezzler, uses a fictional case study of WheatFields Good News Church. Executive Pastor Dan Black created a report card to evaluate how the church is doing in […]
In Fletch’s book, Predators—The Case of the Church Embezzler, he uses a fictional case study of WheatFields Good News Church. Executive Pastor Dan Black created a report card to evaluate how the church is doing […]
We have brought together material from Mike Batts and from Brother Mutual to see the scope of risk management. Mike Batts is the managing partner of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee. He has more than […]
In Fletch’s book, Predators—The Case of the Church Embezzler, uses a fictional case study of WheatFields Good News Church. Executive Pastor Dan Black created a report card to evaluate how the church is doing in […]
In Fletch’s book, Predators—The Case of the Church Embezzler, uses a fictional case study of WheatFields Good News Church. Executive Pastor Dan Black created a report card to evaluate […]
Depending on the nature of the crisis, there are various levels of communication necessary.
Fletch takes questions live from webinar participants about a wide range of church ministry. Mike Gould hosts the time as questions come in about how to run a church, staffing, compensation and more!
Fletch founded […]
Dan Black, Executive Pastor of WheatFields Good News Church, thought on what had been said at the Risk Management Team meeting. “Maybe I need a better handle on what risk […]
Hey Fletch … Are there any limits to the questions we can ask in a reference call? I ask because I used to work for […]
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Hey Fletch … Our finances have trended downward and we borrowed $20,000 from the unused balances of restricted funds. This caused some controversy on the church board. What is your counsel?
DRF—I have […]
Hey Fletch … I have a question about hiring a new staff member. I am the lead pastor at my church and have never been […]
Hey Fletch … Do you have benchmark data that documents total compensation as a percent of total revenue (restricted and unrestricted), not just of the […]
Hey Fletch … We occasionally receive love offerings for our senior pastor and other staff members. How should we handle these gifts?
DRF—There are so many […]
Hey Fletch … I would like to say that the XPastor website is awesome! My church has changed the treasurer for the church. Is it […]
Hey Fletch … We have some serious problems at the church and are also […]
Hey Fletch … Two years ago we launched a building campaign for our church, but we fell short of our goals. Now the board has […]
Hey Fletch … After 60 years of our church’s history, 28 years on the pastoral staff, our leadership has granted a 12-week sabbatical for our […]
Hey Fletch … I’m a millennial and thinking about the call to prioritize and pursue discipleship in my own life, both upwards and downwards. Do […]
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Hey Fletch … Our church provides direct support to several international missionaries. What are the issues we should look at to provide this support with the utmost integrity?
DRF—There are so many questions […]
Hey Fletch … We have a senior pastor candidate who will be visiting our church this weekend, Thursday-Monday. I am attaching a list of questions […]
Monday, April 1, 2019
Hey Fletch … How long do you suggest keeping video footage from church cameras?
DRF—As you are in the process of getting bids on surveillance cameras (CCTV), you are asking a million dollar […]
Friday, March 29, 2019
Hey Fletch … I found your site on a Google search and was impressed with all of the resources and tools to help pastors. You’re awesome! I have a question you may […]
Hey Fletch … I am interviewing for an XP role in a church in another city in Europe. I am part of the shortlist of […]
Hey Fletch … Some of my fellow XPs have a variety of polices regarding mileage reimbursement for staff. I am wondering about best practices regarding this issue. Any help?
DRF—Check the current IRS mileage reimbursement rate for business […]
Hey Fletch … An article on XPastor mentions a doctoral dissertation by Dr. Art Hunt, I Never […]
Monday, March 25, 2019
Fletch is back from his research break, writing Predators in the Church
Hey Fletch … I’ve been tracking with Dan Busby’s comments in the Hey Fletch column. I know gifts to the church […]
Friday, March 1, 2019
Hey Fletch … Do you have any thoughts on putting security cameras in children’s ministry classrooms? If this is something you recommend, do you have any recommendations as to companies to get […]
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Hey Fletch … I am trying to find information about the legalities of requiring our church staff to install software on cell phones and laptops such as Covenant Eyes. We reimburse $100/month […]
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Hey Fletch … I read the Hey Fletch column on February 12 about the 45 minute meetings. This just won’t work. How am I supposed to do an annual review in that […]
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Hey Fletch… We have a widow in our church that is going through serious medical challenges. She has exhausted her financial resources. Several wealthy members of the congregation want to financially support […]
Monday, February 25, 2019
Hey Fletch … I am super excited to take your courses on XPastor! I am a worship pastor of 30 years who is looking to make a change in leadership. Is […]
Friday, February 22, 2019
Hey Fletch … I am a new executive pastor at our church and recently took over this position. I have been a youth and family pastor for many years. I would like […]
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Hey Fletch … I am wondering if you have any suggestions on books that show the importance of “Knowing Your Numbers.” I have found that keeping my finger on the pulse of […]
Hey Fletch … I heard you say once that you often limit meetings with staff to 45 minutes. Can you explain that to me?
DRF—Your memory […]
Hey Fletch … It’s been one month after I got your answer to my question. I still don’t have my head wrapped around this issue […]
Hey Fletch … I’m been on staff at our megachurch for many years. Every year, I have to worry about the budget for my area […]
Friday, February 15, 2019
Hey Fletch … I read the Hey Fletch column of January 28 and was intrigued about the potential of a residency program. I’d love to be in one to learn how to […]
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Hey Fletch … no names or cities on this one … Few in our church know this and it might be disturbing to many if it leaked out. I just learned that […]
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Hey Fletch! First off, thank you so much for bringing such an informative and fun workshop to Hawaii. It was such a pleasure to see you and we look forward to next […]
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Hey Fletch…our church envelopes and website allow donors to make designations. There are words that say, “The board has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds.” Can our […]
Monday, February 11, 2019
Hey Fletch … Can you give some thoughts about bonuses for staff? We are toying with the idea and don’t know what to make of it.
DRF—There isn’t must hard research data on […]
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Hey Fletch … Thank you for all you are doing in the will of God. Matthew 4:17 says, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom […]
Hey Fletch … I send out emails to our staff and don’t get a response. What should I do?
DRF—First, make sure that your emails ask […]
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Hey Fletch … I have admired you from afar and the work you do! We are a multisite church with over 3,000 people. We need some creative strategies for future campus expansion. […]
Monday, February 4, 2019
Hey Fletch … We are wanting to come up with a new url for our church. What are your thoughts on what would be effective?
DRF—Many churches go with the name of their […]
Friday, February 1, 2019
Hey Fletch … What kind of policy do we need for people that drive our church vans?
DRF—It’s a good idea to have a transportation policy that covers expectations when it comes to […]
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Hey Fletch … I am looking to make a career change and looking for Executive Pastor positions. I was referred to you and thought I’d reach out to see if we could […]
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’ve been posting some of my articles on social media. Out of the blue, Facebook blocked my account. They said that the content was inappropriate by their standards. This […]
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Hey Fletch … What are our obligations in handling donor designations? These come either verbally during a church service, on our website, or by text. They can also be formally given in […]
Monday, January 28, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’m looking for a church that could train me as an XP. I’d like to get hands on training about how to be an XP. While I have a […]
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Starbucks Is Cheaper than Shoes
A problem in many marriages is that men don’t give their wives what they want. My wife thoroughly enjoys a Trenta Black Iced Tea from Starbucks. If possible, […]
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Hey Fletch … I have done an excellent job of procrastinating and haven’t enrolled in the XP-Seminar. Do you have room for one more?
DRF—You are cutting it close, so very close. […]
Hey Fletch … Our church is processing what I learned at the workshop on Smart Money […]
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Hey Fletch … We are seeking some consulting regarding our church and a school we have. We are trying to make strategic decisions regarding the school and looking for a consultant with […]
Hey Fletch … I’ve been asked to take on the role of XP at our church. Would you be willing to review this job description […]
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Acknowledge Your Good Work: Happy Birthday to “Hey Fletch”
It’s easy to get down and depressed when reading the newspaper. Sometimes things in our spheres of work don’t go well and can become […]
Hey Fletch … I have taken the XP-Indicator […]