Finding People and Interviewing

Where to look

Start close and work outward.

1. Inside your church. Who is already doing part of this job as a volunteer?
2. People your leaders know. Ask your staff, elders and team leads for names.
3. Your network. Other pastors, your denomination, your church planting network.
4. Public posting. Last, not first.

We put the reason for looking inside first this way:

"There's always someone waiting to be empowered, it's our responsibility to ask and believe in others."

Hiring from inside the church

• You already know their character. That is worth a lot.
• You also risk a friendship and a church member if it goes badly. Say that out loud to them before you start.
• Run the same process you would run for a stranger. Do not skip steps because you like them.
• Decide ahead of time what happens to their volunteer role if they are not hired.

What to send a candidate first

• The job description (Resource 1).
• Your mission, values and leader expectations (Resource 2).
• Your statement of faith.
• A plain note on the steps, the timeline and who makes the final decision.

The steps

Decide ahead of time how many steps you will run and who is in each. A common shape:

1. A short first call. Twenty to thirty minutes. Their story, their call, why this role.
2. A longer interview with the person they will report to.
3. A conversation with a few others: a staff member, an elder, a volunteer they would lead.
4. A working visit. Let them see a Sunday and do a small piece of the real job.
5. References and checks.
6. A decision, made by the people you named at the start.

Have every interviewer write down what they saw before they talk to each other. It keeps the loudest voice from setting the verdict.

Before any interview: the legal note

Some questions are off limits in an interview, and which ones depends on your state and on whether the role is ministerial. The same is true of background checks and how you may use what they show. Check with an employment lawyer or your denomination before you interview anyone. Ask every candidate for the same role the same core questions.

Questions on calling and faith

• Tell me how you came to follow Jesus.
• How did you come to believe God was calling you to ministry?
• What does your time with God look like in an ordinary week?
• Read our statement of faith. Where do you agree most strongly? Is there anything you would say differently?
• Who knows you well enough to tell you hard things, and when did they last do it?

For pastoral roles, read 1 Timothy 3:1-13 (opens the passage on Bible.com) and Titus 1:5-9 (opens the passage on Bible.com) together and talk about them.

Questions on the leadership values

Our leader handbook gives each leadership value a question a leader asks themselves. Turned around, they become interview questions.

• Show Up. Tell me about a season when it was hard to be consistent and available. What did you do? What does showing up mentally, emotionally and physically look like for you?
• Take Ownership. Tell me about a problem that was not in your area that you made your problem. What happened?
• Pursue Excellence. Tell me about something you led that you made better over time. How did you get feedback on it?
• Replace Yourself. Who have you led on purpose? Where are they now? Who could do your current job because of you?
• Stay Healthy. How do you take care of yourself physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally? How do you rest?
• Celebrate Constantly. Tell me about the last time you stopped to celebrate what God was doing on your team. What did you do?
• Work Together. Tell me about something you tried to do alone and should not have. Whose gifts do you lean on?
• Protect Unity. Tell me about a time you had a problem with someone you worked with. Who did you talk to first, and what did you say?

What you are listening for

The handbook's practical responses give you a short list of what a yes sounds like:

• They follow through.
• They do not say "that's not my area."
• They take ownership of the bad things too.
• They make space for feedback and evaluation.
• They are always coaching someone.
• They ask their team questions and do not dictate.
• They choose collaboration over isolation.

Listen for "we" and "they" as much as "I". Listen for names of people they developed. Listen for how they talk about the last church they served.

The working visit

• Have them attend a Sunday as a guest first. Ask what they noticed.
• Give them one small, real piece of the job. Teach, lead a meeting, plan an event on paper.
• Let them meet the volunteers they would lead, without you in the room.
• If they are married, decide ahead of time how you include their spouse.

Afterward, ask your team the handbook's own review question:

"Each team makes a SWOT analysis after every event or gathering. This allows for healthy dialogue and quick feedback."

References and checks

• Call references. Do not email them.
• Ask each one: "Would you hire them again? What would you want me to know if you were in my seat?"
• Ask for one reference the candidate did not list, with their permission.
• Run background checks the same way for every finalist. The rules on consent and on how you may use the results vary by state. Check with an employment lawyer or your denomination first.
• Anyone who will work with children or students goes through your child safety process before they start. No exceptions for staff.

When the answer is no

• Tell them yourself, by phone, quickly.
• Be kind and be clear. Do not leave the door half open if it is closed.
• If they are in your church, follow up in person within a week.