Learning Center Contents:

Current Highlights

Resources
- Most Popular
- Leaders on Leadership
- Descriptions of Best Christian Workplaces
- Executive Briefs
- Additional Christianity Today Articles

Current Highlights

Best Christian Workplaces Institute has conducted extensive research from the annual Best Christian Workplaces Survey. Browse down and sample our research and publications.

Strong People Practices Lead to Healthy, Growing Churches Three churches, finalists of the 2007 Best Christian Workplaces Employee Survey, are described with the intent of sharing approaches that might be used by other congregations who want to improve their morale and work practices.

2007 Best Christian Places to Work Finalists: Trends and Triumphs in the Christian Workplace The 2007 Employee Survey revealed a number of things, including an exciting trend in increased levels of employee engagement. This is even more meaningful because research has shown that increased engagement is correlated to increased levels of ministry growth. Learn more about survey highlights and see a comprehensive list of the 2007 Best Workplaces.

Church Organizations If you have ever been disappointed with the performance and the fruit your church has produced or frustrated trying to make your church more efficient, maybe the factor holding you back comes from your organizational design. A close look at some of the academic literature on organizational theory may help you understand your church organization and how you can make it more effective.
by Kevin Scheid

Employee Engagement Index Employee engagement is determined by questions surrounding issues that are of most importance to employees. We analyze these issues to determine the highest statistical correlations and discover which issues have the highest impact on overall workplace satisfaction.

Five Languages of Apology in the Workplace There is more to saying "I'm sorry" to repair an injured relationship with a co-worker or customer. Try this easy guide. For more information, vist www.FiveLoveLanguages.com
by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas

2007 Demographic Results Click to view a summary of the 2007 Demographic Findings in relation to Employee Commitment

Resources

Most Popular in Order

1. Five Languages of Apology in the Workplace There is more to saying "I'm sorry" to repair an injured relationship with a co-worker or customer. Try this easy guide. For more information, visit www.FiveLoveLanguages.com
   by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas
2. New: Money Can't Buy Me Love: Staff Satisfaction of Pay and Benefits in Christian Organizations 5/2008
   by Kevin Scheid
3. New: Biblical Perspectives on Pay and Benefits
   by Carrie Cavanaugh

Leaders on Leadership

• New: Outstanding Leader: Dan Dupee Dan Dupee is an outstanding leader according to the staff at Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When describing their workplace, they say there is an atmosphere of innovative freedom, leadership development and positive supervision. Comments like these and the very high levels of employee commitment and engagement from the BCWI survey are strong indicators that we could all learn from Dan's leadership. How high were their results? Their overall score on the BCW survey was a whopping 4.38 on a 5.0 scale, thus qualifying them as a certified Best Christian Workplace for 2008. 6/2008
  by Dan Dupee
• New: Money Can't Buy Me Love: Staff Satisfaction of Pay and Benefits in Christian Organizations 5/2008
  by Kevin Scheid
• New: Action Steps to Developing a Total Compensation Philosophy 5/2008
  by Al Lopus
• Action Steps to Build a Culture of Accountability 4/2008
  by Al Lopus, Kevin Scheid and Carrie Cavanaugh
• Accountability in Christian Organizations 4/2008
  by Kevin Scheid, VP, Best Christian Workplaces Institute
• Outstanding Leader: Rick Lukianuk Rick Lukianuk is a remarkable leader according to the faculty and staff at Christian Heritage Academy, north of Chicago. When describing their workplace, they say it's Christ - centered, has an incredible spirit of teamwork, high levels of energy and a commitment to excellence. Comments like these and the very high levels of employee commitment and engagement from the BCWI survey are strong indicators that we could all learn from Rick. How high were their results? A remarkable 89% of all faculty and staff averaged a 4.0 score or above on our BCWI survey. 4/2008
  by Rick Lukianuk, Christian Heritage Academy
  
  
• Apartment Life is a ministry that sends teams to live in apartment complexes to inculcate community. Since we all long for community, this leads to lower turnover rates, increasing the bottom line for apartment complex owners. Apartment Life is under great demand to send out new teams because of the success of their strategy and as their Best Christian Workplaces Survey scores attest, their organizational culture is also infused with Christian Community. Listen to the podcast or read the interview to learn more about their perspective on Christian Community in the workplace. 3/2008
  by Stan Dobbs, CEO, and Tina Hansen, VP Persons, Apartment Life
  
  
• Outstanding Leader: Mark DeMoss President of Best Christian Workplace DeMoss Group, Inc. 3/2008
  by Mark DeMoss, DeMoss Group, Inc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Outstanding Leader: John Howard President of Best Christian Workplace Howard Publishing 2/2008
  by John Howard, Howard Publishing
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Leadership: Helping Others Flourish CMR, 4/2006
  by Phil Eaton, President, Seattle Pacific University
• Leading From Among CMR, 2/2006
  by Bill Robinson, President, Whitworth College
• Organizational Identity CMR, 6/2005
  by Dan Dupee, President, Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO)
• Investing in Your Employees CMR, 4/2005
  by Mark Holbrook, President, ECCU
• The Fabric of Leadership CMR, 2/2005
  by Joe Stowell, President Emeritus, Moody Bible Institute
• Working from the Inside Out CMR, 12/2004
  Bill Robinson, President, Whitworth College's perspectives, recorded by Sarah Loehndorf
• Five Steps to Creating a High Trust Organization CMR, 12/2003
  by Kevin Scheid, VP, Best Christian Workplaces Institute
• Eight Ways to Accelerate Your Organization's Effectiveness CMR, 6/2003
  by Al Lopus, President, Best Christian Workplaces Institute

Descriptions of Best Christian Workplaces

• The 2006 Best Christian Workplaces CMR, 4/2006
  by Emily Jamieson
• The Ten Best Christian Places to Work in Canada Faith Today, 11-12/2004
  by Karen Stiller
• The Role Managers Play in Creating the Best Workplaces CMR, 6/2005
  by Kevin Scheid
• The 40 Best Christian Places to Work Christianity Today, 4/2005
  by Agnieszka Tennant
• The 2004 Best Places to Work CMR, 6/2004
  by Helen Lee and Kevin Scheid
• The 50 Best Christian Places to Work Christianity Today, 2/2004
  by Helen Lee
• Like a Swiss Watch CMR, 2/2004
  by Kevin Scheid
• The 40 Best Christian Places to Work What makes them so good? (Hint: Not money), Christianity Today, 4/1/2003
  by Helen Lee
• The Seven Best Practices that Define Great Christian Workplaces! Christian Management Report, 5/2003
  by Al Lopus

Executive Briefs

• New: Book Review: The Little Red Book of Wisdom
  by Carrie Cavanaugh
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• New: Biblical Perspectives on Pay and Benefits
  by Carrie Cavanaugh
• Book Review: Human Sigma
  by Carrie Cavanaugh
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Biblical Perspectives on Accountability in the Workplace
  by Carrie Cavanaugh
• Book Review: Created for Community
  by Carrie Cavanaugh
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Biblical Perspectives on Christian Community
  by Carrie Cavanaugh
• Biblical Perspectives on Organizational Communication
  by Carrie Dyk
• Biblical Perspectives on Faithfulness in the Workplace
  by Carrie Dyk
• Vision Defined Summarized from "Building Your Company’s Vision” by Collins and Porras, Harvard Business Review Sept-Oct 1996
• Examples of Vision, Mission and Values held by various Best Christian Workplaces Finalists

Additional Christianity Today Articles

• The Complete List & A Closer Look at the Top Finalists Christianity Today salutes four finalists in ten categories. Christianity Today, 5/1/2004
• Co-CEO Synergy Sharing leadership works at Christian Medical and Dental Associations. Christianity Today, 03/03/2003
  by Helen Lee
• Rigorous Hiring Group Publishing places importance on the quality of the product and its staff. Christianity Today, 03/04/2003
  by Helen Lee
• People of the Hugs Howard Publishing's pajama day, adoption support, and National Hugging Day celebrations create a family-like ambiance. Christianity Today, 03/05/2003 by Helen Lee
• Freedom and Grace Covenant Christian High School teachers and staff are encouraged to be creative, lead classes in innovative ways, and take initiative. Christianity Today, 03/06/2003
  by Helen Lee
• Lives in Balance At Evangelical Christian Credit Union, professional development is not just a nice bonus but also a spiritual responsibility. Christianity Today, 03/07/2003
  by Helen Lee
• What Burnout? The Coalition for Christian Outreach takes seriously its responsibility to care for employees. Christianity Today, 03/10/2003
  by Helen Lee
• No Prayer, No Results Medical Ambassadors International's emphasis on praying creates a strong sense of commitment. Christianity Today, 03/11/2003
  by Helen Lee
• President in Sweats Leadership's informal style reflects an atmosphere of openness on the Whitworth College campus. Christianity Today, 03/12/2003
  by Helen Lee
• Practicing What They Teach Dallas Theological Seminary and Multnomah Bible College and Seminary share a philosophy on managing employees. Christianity Today, 03/13/2003
  by Helen Lee
• Shepherding Hearts Phoenix Seminary focuses on mentoring the balance of head knowledge with character development. Christianity Today, 03/14/2003
  by Helen Lee
• Inside CT: Great Places to Work There is indeed much to praise and imitate in the Christian companies. Christianity Today, 4/1/2003
  by David Neff