« Back to Issue 39

An Informal Termly Review

By Paul Beasley-Murray and Alun Brookfield.

Almost all of us in ministry rely on the work, paid or volunteer, of a number of other people. One of the most important rewards for all staff is to know that they are valued by their employer, doing a good job and that they are getting better at doing that job from year to year. It’s therefore important regularly to spend time with them, encouraging them to talk about the role they fulfil.

The Ministry Today Chairman, the Revd Dr Paul Beasley-Murray, aims to do this with his staff at the end of each term in church life. Here are the questions he asks them, as a means to identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and also their joys and frustrations in the work they carry out.

1. What do you feel you have achieved since this past term?
2. What did you mean to do, but for various reasons failed to do this past term?
3. What did you feel you had done well?
4. What did you feel you could have done better?
5. What has given you satisfaction?
6. What has frustrated you?
7. What new insights have you had this past term?
8. What are your goals and plans are for the coming term?
9. How might others help you achieve your goals and plans?

We offer this outline as a discussion starter. Please feel free to send us an article on how you manage your paid and/or volunteer staff, or use the interactive parts of this website to offer your thoughts.