When Ministry Workers Have A Bad Day

A man having a bad day.

What happens when your staff or volunteers have a bad day?  Every now and then we all have a bad day, but everyone is not able to play it off.  There are some people who are pleasant and greet you with a smile no matter what kind of day they are having.  They have the ability to separate the task at hand from their personal issues.  On the other hand, there are people who wear their personal problems and feelings on their faces and in their attitudes.

When your ministry workers (paid staff or volunteers) are on duty and out front, they should leave their problems at home.  If they cannot leave their problems at home, then you have to implement Plan B.  Plan B says move them to work behind the scenes and put someone else to work in their place out front.

A few days ago I was at the grocery store.  I enjoy shopping at this store because the workers are very friendly and helpful.  This particular day when I got to the cashier, she didn’t speak, she didn’t make eye contact, she didn’t smile and she never acknowledged my presence.  After she rung up my items she just turned around and started bagging my groceries.  She didn’t give me the total, she never said a word.  So I asked her, “Are you going to say anything?”  She looked at me as if to say, “What’s the problem?”  She was having a bad day.

Not only was this cashier rude, but she did not provide good customer service. A similar scenario can play out at your church.  Just like at the store, when people are offended or annoyed at your church, you should want it reported to someone in authority.  You want it reported so the problem can be addressed.  Problems that go un-addressed become bigger problems and can cause you to lose members or cause visitors to not come back again.

So, what should you do about ministry workers who have a bad day?  A few suggestions are:

• During their initial training, advise them of Plan B
• Minister to them and see if there’s anything you or the ministry can do to help
• Remove them from the front line and assign them a task working behind the scene
• Explain why they have temporarily been moved to a different position
• Acknowledge them when they do a good job or go beyond the call of duty

Even though the church is like a business in many ways, it is also unique in many ways.  One of those ways is how quickly the church can turn people off and drive them away.  When visitors who are looking for a church home, come to worship at your church and they feel ignored or offended in some way, they will not come back.  I know because I’ve been there.  One of the things that you must keep in mind is that you only get one chance to make a first impression.  Make it a good one.

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Tags: church, first impressions, having a bad day, Hospitality, ministry