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Human Resource Stewardship for Churches

Most clergy graduate from seminary or divinity school without coursework, training, or exposure to church administration, church management, or human resource management. Clergy commonly presume most of their time will be spent preaching, presiding at liturgies, forming their congregation in the Christian faith, ensuring the pastoral care of their congregations, and doing good work for those in need in the community. Church leaders are often surprised to find out how much of their time is spent managing staff and volunteers and handling personnel issues.

This third course in the Duke Divinity+ Church Administration series is designed to enable clergy and lay leaders serving the church in congregational settings or in other church-related venues to develop healthy frameworks and practices for human resource management.

While as church leaders you rely first and foremost upon God to successfully perform your ministries, this work is accomplished through human resources—staff and volunteers. It is your responsibility, as one entrusted to minister in God’s name, to steward those human resources in the best manner possible.

In this course, you will connect human resource management to theological principles, and we will provide real-life examples and case studies of what to do and not do as a manager, all while learning the basics of human resource management in a church-related setting.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Creating a Theology of Human Resource Management

This week, we will discuss how a church setting is a distinctive type of organization that requires sound human resource management. Coursera defines human resource management as “organizing, coordinating, and managing an organization’s current employees to carry out an organization’s mission, vision, and goals. This includes recruiting, hiring, training, compensating, retaining, and motivating employees.” We will explore how established secular principles of human resource management should apply to the church, and how scripture molds best practice into human resource stewardship, a distinctive theology of human resource management.

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Develops a practical approach to human resource management for church leaders

Provides real-life examples and case studies to illustrate key concepts

Taught by Russell Elmayan, an experienced instructor in church administration

In-depth coverage of important topics such as hiring, performance evaluation, and employee misconduct

Applicable to a wide range of church leaders, including both clergy and lay leaders

Provides a solid foundation for managing human resources in church settings

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Reviews summary

Hr stewardship for church leaders

According to learners, this course is a critically valuable resource that uniquely blends human resource management with theological principles, effectively filling a significant gap in ministry training. Students widely praise its practical guidance and real-life examples and case studies, which are deemed immediately applicable to their work managing church staff and volunteers. While recognized as an excellent foundational course, some reviewers note it can feel basic for those with prior HR experience or lacks deeper legal specificity for complex situations. Overall, it is highly recommended for its targeted relevance.

Serves as an excellent starting point for HR in churches.

"It filled a huge gap in my seminary education."

"Very solid introduction to HR for church settings."

"It's a good starting point, but not comprehensive for complex situations."

Offers actionable insights and real-life scenarios.

"The case studies were particularly helpful and I could immediately apply what I learned."

"I appreciated the practical guidance on creating job descriptions and handling difficult conversations."

"The real-life examples make the concepts tangible."

Uniquely blends spiritual stewardship with practical HR.

"The integration of theological principles with practical HR strategies was brilliant."

"The course tackles HR from a unique, faith-based perspective, which is precisely what I needed."

"The blend of spiritual stewardship and practical HR was perfectly balanced."

Some aspects of content might feel slightly outdated.

"I also noticed some of the content on compensation felt a little outdated."

"I wish there were more advanced modules for those who want to dive deeper into specific areas like benefits or labor law..."

May not cover advanced or complex HR issues in detail.

"Some parts felt a bit basic if you already have some HR exposure..."

"While the intention is good, I found the course lacked the depth I needed."

"I was hoping for more detailed legal guidance specific to religious organizations..."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Human Resource Stewardship for Churches with these activities:

Review 'The Employee Experience Advantage'

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Reading this book provides valuable insights into the importance of creating a positive employee experience, which is crucial for attracting and retaining talent in HR.

View The Employee Experience Advantage: How to Win... on Amazon

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Read the book carefully, taking notes on key concepts like employee motivation, organizational culture, and employee engagement.
Reflect on how these concepts can be applied to your role in HR.

Categorize and Summarize Course Resources

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Organizing and summarizing course materials enhance knowledge retention, facilitates knowledge retrieval, and streamlines the learning process.

Browse courses on Compilation

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Gather all course materials, including lectures, notes, readings, and assignments.
Review and identify key concepts, topics, and themes in each material.
Categorize the materials into logical groups or sections based on related topics.
Create summaries for each category, highlighting key takeaways and insights.

Learn Active Listening

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Active listening is essential in human resource management for understanding the needs of employees and volunteers, resolving conflicts, and building relationships.

Browse courses on Active Listening

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Enroll in online courses or workshops on active listening.
Practice active listening in daily interactions with colleagues.
Seek feedback from trusted peers or mentors to improve active listening skills.

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Develop an HR Policy Toolkit

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Creating an HR policy toolkit ensures clarity and consistency in HR practices, streamlines employee management, and minimizes legal risks.

Browse courses on Human Resource Management

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Review existing HR policies and identify areas for improvement or gaps.
Conduct research on industry best practices and legal compliance to inform policy development.
Draft well-written, concise, and easy-to-understand policies, ensuring they align with organizational values and legal requirements.
Organize policies into a comprehensive toolkit for easy reference and distribution.

Compile Case Studies

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Reviewing case studies provides insights into real-world HR challenges and helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Browse courses on Case Studies

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Identify and collect case studies relevant to HR management, such as managing performance, resolving conflicts, or promoting employee well-being.
Organize and categorize the case studies based on topics or themes to facilitate analysis.
Summarize key findings and lessons learned from each case study for future reference.

Attend an HR Management Conference

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HR conferences offer opportunities to stay updated on industry trends, learn from experts, network with peers, and gain new perspectives on HR practices.

Browse courses on Human Resource Management

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Research and identify HR conferences that align with your interests and career goals.
Register for the conference and review the agenda to plan your attendance.
Prepare questions and discussion points to actively engage in sessions and networking opportunities.
Attend sessions, take notes, and participate in discussions to enhance your knowledge and skills.
Follow up with connections made at the conference to expand your professional network.

Host Team Collaboration Workshop

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Facilitating a workshop on team collaboration enhances interpersonal skills, promotes teamwork, and improves employee morale, which are essential for effective HR practices.

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Identify key principles and best practices for team collaboration.
Develop engaging activities and exercises to illustrate these principles.
Invite team members to participate in the workshop and foster open discussion.
Gather feedback and evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop for future improvements.

Contribute to the HR Open Source Community

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Participating in the HR open source community provides opportunities for continuous learning, networking, and contributing to the advancement of HR practices.

Browse courses on Human Resource Management

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Identify relevant HR open source projects or initiatives.
Review project documentation and codebase to understand the project's goals and scope.
Contribute to the project by reporting bugs, suggesting improvements, or writing code.
Engage with the community, ask questions, and share knowledge to enhance your understanding.

Career center

Learners who complete Human Resource Stewardship for Churches will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Human Resource Stewardship for Churches.

Cultural Humility

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Offers a practical framework for therapists to integrate cultural identities into their work, emphasizing self-reflection and navigating cultural differences. It provides case examples and exercises, making it a valuable resource for both students and practitioners in mental health and helping professions. It is commonly used as a textbook in academic settings.

Human Resource Stewardship for Churches

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Hr stewardship for church leaders

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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