Every Pastor's First 180 Days: How to Start and Stay Strong in a New Church Job

by Charles Stone

180 days--that's the critical time every pastor has to establish their role in a new church position to onboard successfully. That first six months can make an enormous difference and give them a powerful foundation to impact the Kingdom of God in a positive way, or it can present them with growing challenges that linger for years to come.
Pastor Charles Stone draws on 40 years of ministry service to present an easy-to-read guide for new and seasoned pastors alike who want to make the most of those first 180 days.

178 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2019

About the author

I've been a pastor for 40 years in both the U.S. and Canada, and have authored six books and blogs at www.charlesstone.com. A lifelong learner, I have earned four degrees and pursued postgraduate study
in the intersection of Biblical truth with neuroscience insight. I've been married to the love of my life, Sherryl, for 39 years and have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Reviews

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is probably more suited for a senior pastor, though there are helpful points throughout. It's certainly more for type-A and vision-driven pastors to be sure. Lots of structures and plans.

[Donna Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The overall focus of this book is a guide for a pastor to begin a new ministry with a plan for the first 180 days. Stone recognized that churches move much more slowly than businesses and doing a 6-month plan is wiser than just 90 days. Businesses can implement plans much faster because they are producing a product or providing a service. Churches engage and develop people and the people are the church’s “product.” It operates in a specific culture and geographical environment that impacts its strategy. This is why a ministry-focused book like this is more adaptable than one written for the business environment like Neff & Citrin’s You’re In Charge, Now What?

Stone provides extra resources online that could be adapted by anyone beginning a ministry. His plans are quite detailed and involved as described in the book, but a new pastor could adapt them to his situation with intentionality as he onboards and provide some tools to use the content more easily. This book could also be used by those in ministry who are not the senior pastor. Most ministers leading a particular ministry could use it in their area onboarding into a new ministry position. I think any minister who would like to do an imaginary start over for a renewal in their present place of service could adapt its’ plans, even though that is not the “first audience” of the book.

Stone rightly emphasizes the importance of all the “firsts” in a minister’s new place of work and how they will create an impression, good or bad, in the minds of the people that will impact their ability to succeed. People who come under the leadership of a new pastor they do not know may have a fear of the unknown. The pastor’s ability to listen, observe, and learn in the early days will build trust and allay those fears.

Stone rightly recognized that leading the church staff team is perhaps the most important responsibility he faces in the early days. As a church staff member of several churches, I can attest to the anxiety that occurs with the introduction of a new senior pastor. His attitude, style, priorities, and much more will impact how well those on his team will react and respond. He also reminded leaders to not focus on the “squawkers and naysayers.” These people are in every church and can waste a leader’s time who instead should focus on those who can make a positive difference and help create “wins” in the early days of ministry.

The advice to celebrate early wins is solid. Church leadership and members often go through the calendar year almost by rote if they have been there a long time. Stopping to celebrate is a way that gives a sense of accomplishment and helps the newcomer pastor earn some ministry credibility. It also provides a chance for the new pastor to thank the church for their role in whatever “win” is being celebrated. People want to be noticed so this inclusion is a plus for the entire church, not just the pastor. He reminded that it is not necessary or likely that a new pastor can create a big “win” early on, but to focus on goals that show progress but are not out of reach. If you are beginning a new ministry position, it is worth the read.

I smiled when Stone gave a simple list of basic good advice to the new pastor. Observing these tips like avoiding edgy humor, adhering to a dress code already in place, or being prompt for meetings are useful. The advice to not speak ill of your previous boss or place of ministry and not talking too much about yourself or previous experience is also golden.

I received a complimentary copy from the author in return for writing an honest review.

[Deven K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific, helpful, and well put together book. Author and pastor Charles Stone does a great service to all ministry leaders and pastors in transition. I'll be sure to keep a few copies on hand to give away.

By combining psychology, brain function, leadership theory, and his wealth of pastoral experience, he presents a framework that is clear and practical. This book will save you a lot of headache.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review

[Ben Clouston · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book is a bit misleading:

1) It is not for “EVERY” pastor. If, like me, you are a small town church pastor you will skip much of the information as its for larger multi-staffed churches.

2) Quite a bit of what the author recommends to help onboard well starts months before your first 180 days. You would want to start reading the book while looking for your new pastoral position to be able to use all the information/advice.

Also, a lot of the information in this book can be found in other popular secular books, so if you have done any other reading in the leadership genre you be seeing a lot of similar material.

I did appreciate the chapter on communication and some the “freebies” were be useful. Yet overall I found the book hard to get through and not “as advertised”.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with many insights and practical tips for ministers that are beginning a new job or those that are looking to make a fresh start in their current position. I highly recommend it.

[Tim S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every Pastor's First 180 Days," is a fantastic onboarding book that is a must-read for any pastor making a move. However, it is also a valuable book for pastors in any stage of ministry, as it is filled with teachings that are applicable to church revitalization, leading change, and general leadership principles. I work with pastors who are making transitions to new roles, as well as pastors who are leading church revitalization, and I am planning to recommend it to all of them.

Charles has a unique way of integrating Biblical teaching, leadership principles, and insights from neuroscience that impact pastoral leadership. The book is Biblically grounded and filled with practical steps to take, and Charles has provided a host of free online tools to help with implementing its teachings. These tools are noted throughout the book and summarized in the final chapter for easy reference.

I want to add that I know Charles and have spent time at WestPark Church, which serves as the setting for the book. It is exciting to see what the Lord is doing through the leadership of Charles and his team, with multiple congregations holding services in different languages every Sunday. They are reaching out in their community and seeing many people baptized. "Every Pastor's First 180 Days" is based in Charles' real life ministry that is transforming many lives.

I wholeheartedly recommend "Every Pastors First 180 Days." It earned every one of the five stars I gave it!!

Tim Strickland
Leadership Development Director, FEB Central (the association of churches to which WestPark Church belongs)

PS: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Richard Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains amazingly helpful advice for every pastor who is just starting out in a new ministry field. Charles Stone has done the church a great service providing this resource. He pulls out principles he's learned from planting a church in Atlanta and from pastoring in California, Chicagoland, and, more recently, in Canada. His multifaceted and multicultural ministry experiences, his knowledge of how neuroscience impacts leadership, and his ability to collect the very best leadership practices and principles have given him wisdom and insight that he graciously shares. This book is super-practical. Charles is a leader who lives with authenticity. He's actually lived with and applied the principles, practices, and techniques he's shared in this book. He is particularly candid about sharing his first 180 days experience at his current church in Canada. Charles gives the reader access to very many online tools that he has used to great benefit. Personally, I think this tool is not only excellent for newly called pastors, but can be read with great benefit by someone who may have been pastoring the same church for 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years.

[John Vonhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Pastor’s First 180 Days by Dr. Charles Stone is an excellent book. If possible get it and read it before making a career move. Anytime you are moving into a new ministry position, it’s timely. Stone talks a lot about onboarding. In short, it’s about what you can do early in a new job to get off to a good start. He describes his four core principles that provide a solid foundation for onboarding using the acronym PALM: Prioritize self and family care, Avidly overcommunicate, Listen and learn, and Manage change wisely. His SADDLE plan helps readers design a six-part plan that fits your unique ministry setting. Another valuable component is the chapter on avoiding seven common pitfalls. He goes into detail with real-life examples. Dr. Stone is also the author of a book on the brain, Brain Savvy Leaders, so this book makes reference to some of this valuable material. This book will help you in the important first 180 days in your new ministry—in your get-to-know-each-other period. If you are like me, you’ll mark up this book as you read.

[Blake Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth the read. Charles Stone drew together from years of pastoral experience and practical resources in this book 176 pages that can't but help as you in ministry. The book by itself is worth the money but Charles has provided links throughout the book to even more practical resources online. I've been lead pastor for more than 20 years and have already passed this on to new and experienced pastors as a great tool. I was given my copy from the author for review but regardless of that I would still highly recommend it. Rev. Blake Wagner

[Anthony Parrott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The downloads and final chapter are worth the cost of the book

This book contains a lot of excellent information. It condenses down a lot of what you can find in other leadership and onboarding books into an easy-to-use, easy-to-follow format. It probably is a bit simplistic or reductionistic; and I wish that the author had pulled from more experiences than his own. That said, with the downloadable templates available, it should make for an excellent tool.

[Bruce C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazingly practical tool for onboarding new leaders in churches, nonprofits and business organizations. Dr. Stone’s ability to weave in his expertise on the human brain with the fundamental needs of both the leader and his/her team is powerful. Whether you’re the new staff member, the new leader or the person hiring them, Every Pastor’s First 180 Days is for you!

[Todd Mckeever · Rating 4 out of 5]

180 day game plan

I did enjoy this book. I found several helpful ideas, great practical ideas, and numerous resources are mentioned.

Thanks for a job well down and keeping this as a practical book.

[Patrick Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good and up-to-date overview of this process. The downloadable information that Charles Stone offers is worth the price of the book.