Why You're Struggling With Staff in Ministry—and What You Can Do About It

One of the most challenging parts of ministry is that people don’t come in and apply to positions.

Let’s sit with that truth for a moment.

In most traditional job environments, you post a role, receive applications, host interviews, and onboard candidates with professional expectations. But in the ministry arena, it's rarely that simple. You’re called to build something eternal—while many around you are still deciding if they’re even supposed to be walking with you. Most of the time, there is very little training available on how to develop an effective ministry or non-profit staff.

One of the most challenging reasons for this? You must find people who work for honor more than they work for money.

Let that settle in your spirit.

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” – 1 Timothy 5:17 (ESV)

In ministry, honor is currency. In the marketplace, that same currency is often integrity and ethics. In either space, you’re looking for the kind of people who will not just work with you but walk with you. These are people who will not compromise your mission, your message, or your mantle.

Whether you're in the ministry or marketplace sector, staying safe—emotionally, spiritually, and structurally—looks different. Here are some key pain points you may already be facing:

Pain Point 1: People Say They’re With You, Until They’re Not
Trust is broken when the first sign of pressure reveals they were never called to your side.

“Two are better than one… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

Pain Point 2: Lack of Clarity and Capacity
Most ministries operate in ambiguity—no role clarity, no job descriptions, just good intentions. But good intentions aren’t a strategy.

Pain Point 3: No Transformation or Training Plan
Your people can’t grow if you don’t give them room to. You must build not just roles, but roads for your team to develop.

Pain Point 4: You’re Doing Everything Yourself
Moses had to be told by Jethro to appoint leaders over tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands (Exodus 18:13–26). Even the great Moses needed a staff structure.

Let’s go deeper.

Here’s why a staff matters—biblically, practically, and prophetically:

A STAFF HELPS YOU TO STAND
When you are tired, when you’re under spiritual attack, when the journey is long—your staff keeps you standing upright.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4

A STAFF EXTENDS YOUR REACH
You can’t be everywhere at once. But with the right staff, your influence multiplies, your message travels, and your mission grows.

A STAFF TRANSFORMS INTO WHAT YOU NEED IT TO BE
In Moses’ hand, the staff became a serpent. In battle, it became a banner. In the wilderness, it became a water-releasing weapon. God breathes on what you hold with honor.

“What is that in your hand?” – Exodus 4:2

A STAFF WALKS WITH YOU ON LONG JOURNEYS
They don’t disappear at the first detour. They are steady, consistent, and present when the crowd isn’t.

A STAFF DEFENDS WHEN OPTIONS LOOK LIKE ATTACKS
Staff aren’t just assistants. They are armor-bearers. They don’t just serve—they protect.

“Aaron and Hur held up [Moses’] hands… so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” – Exodus 17:12

And here’s the truth I learned from Bishop T.D. Jakes that changed my life:

"They are not your staff if you lean on them and they move or break."

• You can't keep calling everyone "staff" who hasn't been tested by your leaning.
• You can't keep trying to build altars with unstable stones.
• And you must stop trying to carry vision with people who only show up for vibes.

Get the Book: Staying Staff
This is not just a book—it’s a prophetic blueprint. It’s for every leader, pastor, founder, and visionary who has ever been left holding the weight of the work alone. If you're serious about building a team that won't break when you lean, this is the resource you've been praying for.

Buy Staying Staff today.
Because your next level requires more than gifted people—it requires grounded ones.
Because your call is too big to carry alone.
Because you’ve leaned long enough on what wasn’t stable.

Click here to get the book now — don’t wait another season to build with strength.