Hiring the right staff member isn’t just about filling an open position. It’s about building a team that will strengthen your church’s disciple-making culture for years to come.
In this episode of the Disciple Making Leader Podcast , Ben Borgman and Craig Etheredge continue their coaching series by exploring one of the greatest challenges pastors face: hiring leaders who don’t simply perform well, but who naturally invest in others and multiply disciples.
Craig shares practical lessons from nearly two decades of leading CrossCreek Church, including the dangers of hiring out of urgency, how to identify true disciple-makers during the interview process, the Seven C’s of Hiring, and why developing leaders from within is almost always the healthiest long-term strategy.
Whether you’re preparing to hire your next staff member or building a leadership pipeline for the future, this conversation will help you create a team that advances the mission of making disciples.
Ovreview:
- 00:00 Discussing common church challenges
- 04:53 Assessing cultural fit in hiring
- 09:39 Feeling like a superstar pastor
- 12:15 Mentorship and personal growth
- 14:12 Setting up hiring protocols
- 18:06 Hiring for leadership qualities
- 21:45 Improving interview techniques
- 26:14 Identifying interview red flags
- 28:52 Evaluating pastoral calling and character
- 32:15 Assessing leadership capacity and roles
- 34:11 Defining and enforcing company values
- 38:37 Raising leaders from within the church
- 41:59 Finding the right worship leader
- 46:37 Creating a Long-Term Growth Plan
- 47:50 Planning for staffing changes
Discussion Questions:
- What unique challenges arise when hiring staff for a disciple-making church, and how do these differ from hiring in a traditional church or business setting?
- Craig Etheredge discusses the “tyranny of the urgent” in staffing decisions. How can leaders resist the urge to “just plug a hole” and instead focus on finding the right fit?
- Reflecting on the concept of the “L2 leader” or superstar leader, what are the potential dangers of hiring individuals based solely on talent or skills rather than disciple-making ability?
- Why is it important to seek outside help (consultants, Culture Index, church members with hiring experience) during the hiring process, and how can this improve hiring outcomes?
- What are the 7 Cs outlined by Craig Etheredge for assessing a candidate, and which do you think is most often overlooked in church hiring?
- How can multi-layered interviews and involving more team members in the hiring process help to better reveal a candidate’s character and fit?
- Discuss the importance of asking about a candidate’s past ministry experiences. What cues should interviewers listen for that might present red flags?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of raising up leaders from within the church compared to hiring from the outside?
- In what ways can church leaders proactively prepare for future staffing needs rather than waiting until a crisis arises?
- Craig Etheredge described the residency program as a “1-year interview.” How might this kind of approach change your perspective on leader development and staff hiring?
