ORGANIZATIONAL CHART F.A.M.M.I.L.Y.
PASTOR
STAFF
DEACON
Sunday Food Finance/Personnel All Worship Offering Sunday School Visitation Teaching
Benevolent Committee Youth Education Wednesday Night Follow-up Training
Funerals Land Search Children Mission Trips Training Outreach Activities
Sickness Committee Cantata Ministry Discipleship Flyer Distribution Middle School
Activities Mission Committee Sound System Opportunities Preschool Advertising High School
Committee Counting Committee Worship Center Worship Welcome Centers Parents
Food-Wed. Night F.A.M.M.I.L.Y. Choirs Nursery Phone Calls Youth Mission
Stacking Paper Office Ushers Deaf Ministry Greeters Trips
Goods Organization Retreats
Weddings Set-up Teams Counseling
Gabriel Building Discipleship
Anything Administrative
Newsletter
Cleaning
1. Meet Monthly - then moves to bi-monthly 7. Pastor talks with each member weekly
2. Serves as Nominating Committee 8. Each FAMMILY leader is responsible to supply and oversee
3. Plans Calendar people doing the functions that he or she is overseeing.
4. Solves Problems 9. Each church places its own ministries under the FAMMILY headings. Small churches
5. Give Directions may double up leadership at first, i.e. Pastor is Fellowship or Administration@ etc.
6. Each person treated as staff 10. Deacons would fall under “Fellowship” (Chairman of Deacons would be “F” in FAMMILY.
F.A.M.M.I.L.Y.
The F.A.M.M.I.L.Y. Organizational structure has evolved from an initial C.A.M.E.O. Model that I became aware of in 1992. I have taken an already existing concept and adapted it to a Southern Baptist Mission Church with much success. This structure will not be for everyone, but I think it will solve some problems faced by pastors of new and existing missions. The major problems that it addresses are Leadership usage and development, and the decision making process of the Pastor (the pastor does not have to make all the minor decisions which he often forgets or makes wrong, not knowing the whole story).
This model has been adapted at Pines Baptist Church in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The Church began with a core group of 36 people (very little leadership) and 10 years kater currently had 350 in Morning Worship and 190 in Sunday School. This has been the organizational framework since 6 months after its inception.
The whole premise is that each letter stands for one basic area of church life.
F= FELLOWSHIP
A= ADMINISTRATION
M= MUSIC
M= MISSION
I=INSTRUCTION
L= LIGHT
Y= YOUTH
There is a lay person or staff member who is responsible for each of these areas of church life. Everything that you see in the chart is the responsibility of the person assigned to that category. They do not have to do all that is under them, but they are to answer for all of it and train those under them to perform with excellence. The pastor now only (ideally) relates to six or seven people instead of trying to answer everyone's questions and to make all the decisions about everything.
This model has proven to be effective until the church runs about 350 in attendance. After this number is reached and possibly before, there seems to be too much pressure on the Lay people. (they have the heart which has been proven, but they do not have the time.) Multiple staff is needed to move to the next level of effectiveness.
QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED
1. What do all the letters relate to?
This will become obvious when the organizational chart is studied. However, two categories might give you a hard time. The first is Fellowship. This would include your caring ministry and inreach. This would be anything done to minister to the body and promote body life. The second is Light. This would include anything that involved outreach and evangelism, thus being the light of the world. The other categories are really self-explanatory.
2. What if something seems to fit in two categories?
Then, keep it in one so someone knows what is going on and will coordinate it with the other leader.
3. What if you do not have 7 qualified leaders?
Then, train the missing ones as soon as possible. This sounds impossible, but it is easier to train one than to train 100. (You train the 7 and allow them to affect the 100) Also, one person can double up in a category if necessary, i.e. the Pastor taking Administration and Fellowship, etc.
4. Where do committees or teams fit?
Committees are under their appropriate category. They meet at the appointed time (preferably once a month or as needed.) The Pastor is ex-officio on all committees and works with them if he so chooses.
5. Some questions:
A. What about Deacons? Where do they fit in?
Deacons fit in Fellowship with the chairman of the Deacons ideally being the person representing 'Fellowship' in the meetings.
B. How large a church can this structure accommodate?
As stated there seems to be a ceiling of about 350 in attendance.
A. Can this really work?
Yes, in quite a few places.
6. How it has aided the Pastor and developed lay leadership:
A. It reduces the Pastor's decision making workload. This is carried by other men and women with the church's authority to act.
B. It reduces the Pastor's problem solving hours.
C. It reduces the Pastor's administrative focus to 7 people who are responsible for all that happens under their influence.
D. It develops leadership skills in those who God has placed in our congregation.
Please be reminded that this is not a 'brand-new' structure. It is being adapted for our purposes which we believe is in line with God's purpose for us.
Steve Nerger
Baptist Convention of New England