Your relentless positivity might be hurting your church team more than it's helping them. When positivity becomes a requirement rather than a byproduct of church health, it creates pressure for staff to hide negative emotions like grief, disappointment, and burnout.
• Toxic positivity often arises when leaders use positivity as a shield to protect themselves from uncomfortable truths
• Brushing off concerns with phrases like "God's got this" or "let's just be grateful" can make staff feel unseen and unheard
• Scripture never avoids lament, so church leaders shouldn't either
• There's a huge difference between hope (acknowledging reality while trusting God) and hype (denying reality and labeling it faith)
• Create space for both celebration and confession in your team culture
• Try phrases like "it's okay to be honest here" or "let's walk through this together" instead of dismissing concerns
• Model vulnerability from the top by admitting when you're struggling
• Normalize real emotions in meetings and staff evaluations
• Your staff doesn't need perfect leadership—they need honest leadership
If you're navigating a tricky church staff situation or want to build a healthier team, reach out to me at podcast@chemistrystaffing.com. We're here to help you build a healthy team that can become a healthy church.
Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com
Be sure to subscribe to The Healthy Church Staff Podcast wherever you regularly listen to podcasts.
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