The leadership team at Victory Life Church in Michigan is on a mission to develop their staff of thirty to live out their values: faithful, teachable, and honoring. Just like any busy, growing church, Victory Life was feeling the tensions that come with communication and staff engagement as new members are added to the team.
A vision for staff development in need of structure and consistency
Victory Life Church is a growing congregation and community based in Battle Creek, Michigan. Victory Life’s core values for staff development are directed towards creating faithful, teachable, and honoring staff members. The leadership team believes that equipping their staff will allow these values to trickle down to their congregation and, eventually, their local community.
The leadership team at Victory Life Church has been dedicated to this mission for several years, but has not always seen the growth and development for which they were hoping. When the team would launch a new staff initiative or expectation, they found that it was a constant struggle to maintain, measure, and sustain results. Victory Life realized that they needed a tool to help them better live out the mission of their church.
A disconnected relationship between staff members and their managers
The biggest pain point for Victory Life Church was a disconnect between staff members and their managers. After the pandemic began, the entire staff started working from home for an extended period. The church launched an online campus for the first time, which was difficult for a team that loved hanging out with each other in person, and enjoyed time spent outside of the workplace. The transition to Zoom meetings and hybrid online/in-person schedules only added to the disconnect the staff had been experiencing for years in their meetings, feedback approach, and follow-up process.
Victory Life’s goal of staff development was going unrealized because the team did not have a streamlined way of knowing and sharing the giftings and talents of their staff.
Leaders would assign a book, podcast, or teaching to staff members, but had no efficient way to consistently check-in with their staff to discuss progress, takeaways, and questions. Over time, the leadership team realized that they were meeting with some staff members too often, and meeting with others not often enough.
The leadership team recognized that their goal of developing everyone, from the entry level position to the lead pastor, was impossible when they realized that they were not even aware of the giftings and abilities of about half of their staff. The executive pastors did not know answers to questions about their staff like, “What do you love to do? What do you not like to do? What makes your heart come alive?”
Leadr provides a software tool to bridge the gap
After experiencing this staff disconnect for years, Victory Life Church decided to try the Leadr software. Within the first weeks of the onboarding process, Victory Life was impressed by the capabilities and simplicity of the Leadr tool, which has allowed them to efficiently record and understand the giftings of their staff. For the first time in years, the leadership team feels they are making strides towards achieving the heart of their staff mission.
“If you are a church out there and you want to grow, Leadr is the place to do it… it is an easy process from day one to implementation day… we’re blessed to be able to be a part of it.”
— Jon Major - Executive Pastor, Victory Life Church
According to the leadership team, the Leadr software has been, by far, their most important tool to accomplish leadership development.
The entire staff bought in and adopted the tool in their everyday meetings. According to the executive pastors, many managers have provided feedback that they feel the software has truly allowed them to develop their teams. Meetings are no longer discussions of task lists; instead, they have become discussions of giftings and callings, which allow staff members to be utilized most effectively in the church and community.
A breakthrough of open communication and intentionality throughout the organization
Victory Life Church has experienced a transformation in the way they communicate since adopting Leadr. There is now an established system through which feedback can freely travel between staff members. The Victory Life staff has seen a complete renewal of open communication and buy-in across the team.
According to the executive pastors, some employees have reported that for the first time they feel they have a voice because for the first time they feel like there is an effective process which invites them to bounce ideas off of the leadership team.
Victory Life has found that “Leadr isn't just about task implementation--it's about relationships.”
Leadr has not just helped the team at Victory Life to get to know their staff in a deeper way and help them grow, Leadr has also allowed them to better focus on projects.
“Leadr has made us more intentional to our staff, to help them grow both project-wise and also relationship-wise.”
— Jon Major - Executive Pastor, Victory Life Church
Giftings realized and optimized in pursuit of achieving church values
Victory Life Church wanted to prioritize development of their staff to pursue the mission of their church. The Leadr tool allowed them to better understand the God-given giftings and talents of their staff members through an efficient and simple tool. The leadership team has understood from the beginning that the congregation and community would be best served by a staff dedicated to the faithful, teaching, and honoring values. Leadr helped play a crucial role in supporting Victory Life’s staff development so that their team can pursue the greater goal of winning people to Christ in their congregation and community.
