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Dan Hotchkiss

Church and synagogue consulting in the Alban Institute tradition

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Resource Chapter: Ch. 5: Staff-Led Ministry

The Staff-led Congregation

In larger congregations, paid staff increasingly carry out the work of ministry. How governance must adapt when a congregation transitions to a staff-led model.

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Staffing When You Can’t Afford to Staff

Practical strategies for congregations that need more staff capacity but cannot afford to hire — using volunteers, part-time staff, and creative role structures.

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Leading Paid and Unpaid Ministry Staff

One unified leadership structure to lead both paid staff and volunteers effectively. Volunteers need the same goal-setting, supervision, and feedback as paid employees.

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Teams Made Simple

A simple framework for organizing staff and volunteer groups into effective teams. The difference between a team and a committee, and how clear goals make teams work.

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Expert support for leaders

Dan Hotchkiss, a long-time senior consultant for the Alban Institute, now works independently with congregations and other mission-driven groups from his home near Boston. Dan's best-selling Alban book Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, now in an expanded and revised second edition, has helped hundreds of churches, synagogues, and non-profit organizations to streamline their structure and become more mission-focused and effective.

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