Chapter 10

Church/Religious Organization Practice

Negotiating Office Agreements

In this part of our discussion, I will explain how I wrote the proposal, the contract/agreement and the renewal system for agreements for the church where I currently have my practice. You may use this format as a model that you can modify for your own use. We will start by your initial agreement with the church pastor and/or leadership of a church or religious facility.  You're probably going to have an initial meeting with the pastor, and you're trying to sell them basically on the possibility of their providing at no cost to you as far as overhead, at least an office space. You have looked at the facility, and we've talked about what you want, as far as where the entrances and the exits are, and the use of the office equipment, and the right to use the facility as you see fit, as you need to. And let's say that you've negotiated that, and that's pretty much established and worked out that, yeah, this has possibilities, but now you're actually coming up with what you would need. 

By analyzing the potential counseling and remodeling needs, remember, you're the professional so you're basically saying, here's what it takes to establish a professional counseling ministry that will meet the needs of what we want to do. That's yourself in the church that will establish Biblical counseling through a professional counseling ministry in this church. You will state the items that need to be present, in order to make this happen. So don’t be bashful, you need to confidently ask for necessary items to counsel individuals at their facility. They're going to spend money. If you hedge, stutter or sound ambivalent, they'll either give you less or you will appear to be unstable, wimpy, mushy, wishy washy. They want to have confidence in you, otherwise your relationship with the leadership will not work. 

So, look at the room, and remember the things we've talked about or review them, the size of the desk, the type of chairs, the colors in the office, the exits, the entrances, privacy, all that stuff. Here's where you have to say what you want, and you have to establish boundaries or minimums that you're going to get. Do not try to bear the brunt of the expense yourself. In most cases, you can't, and if you do, it's no good, because you'll set yourself up. In some situations, you'll set yourself up to lose the edge that you get by being here. In other words, they may start to say you need to pay some rent or some other things. And I'm not trying to be negative about churches or church boards or elders or anything, I'm just saying you have to establish the boundaries first. And if you don't, someone or some group of people will establish them for you, and you'll end up losing your monetary gain here. Then you’ll literally end up paying $400 a month in rent, and it's going to cut into your profit, and you're not going to be able to make wages and pay bills, and the whole thing is going to fall apart. 

So, you have to get this fixed up front, in writing, in a contract. And that's what this is. It's the initiation of a proposal for a binding contract upon yourself and the church. For some offices, a fresh coat of paint, window treatments, lighting, a better version of a bookshelf and flooring can go a long way in a fresh appearance.  Be clear, spell out to the leader(s) what a client, couple, family see as they walk into the office and will need to feel comfortable and safe. Talk about what is acceptable and nice about their facility with a voice of gratitude and value for their facility. You're trying to be as cost conscious as you can be and work with them, and so this was a place where you could compromise, which they will appreciate. 

If possible, increase the amount of soft lighting in the room to an acceptable level.  Avoid the use of fluorescent lights, more use of lamps or soft lights in several corners. For most people, the atmosphere of a home rather than an office can help clients to relax.  That leads to the next item of office furniture.  In some church facilities, the room that is offered can have used office furniture, sometimes outdated. If possible, observe what type of furniture is in the pastor’s office and draw comparisons if so desired.  Help the leader(s) to visualize what is needed and possible for the office space they are offering you.  Such as observing their entry way lobby and drawing more comparisons may help.  These observations may give you indication of their willingness to purchase your office furniture for you or give it to you for a whole year with no payments, and then to allow you to pay it off during the second year.  That happened at one of the church offices I used, their willingness to allow me to pay the church back and not have to pay any interest on the loan. It was exceptionally kind, and it was about $1,200 so they said, why don't you go over to this place which rents and sells office furniture and buy some stuff that's good quality, new or used?

The leaders told me, you can buy used equipment reasonably and at a good quality at this particular furniture store. So, I was able to purchase the things that are listed here. One light oak executive desk with a locking file drawer. The desk is two and a half feet by five. Make sure you get a way to lock the drawer, either if you keep your just office supplies in it, or some files. Even the potential is that your office, like mine, may be one that is or isn't used by others. My office becomes a Sunday school class on Wednesday or Sunday, and it's just fine with me.  I locked up my file drawer and my desk drawers. The teens used it. They get a kick out of it. They'll leave me notes or ding around. 

Sometimes it's a good thing too for the church, at least in some of them, because then they feel like they're getting double duty out of the room.  This option gives them a sense of being good stewards of the church and of maximizing their use and also says that you as the counselor, are workable, realistic, supportive, caring those sorts of things. Just as an aside there, if you're in a church, pay attention to the life of the church. If they have an event like at the church I'm at, they're going to have their 28th year anniversary with a dinner, you need to make it a point to go. You don't have to go to all of them, really, very few, but you need to say to them, I'm committed to you folks. I appreciate you folks. What goes on is of importance to me in the life of this church and its people. And just showing up, putting an appearance, saying that you're caring and committed, does a tremendous amount to endear these people to you, to them.  You need that, because you're going to see as you renew your contract, once they accept it, you continually come back to them, telling them what you think about the working relationship.  You’re asking them to extend their caring, their support, their financial support, because they pay the utility bill each month. It is to you and to your ministry. So, there is a reality here, a sense of salesmanship, caring about these people, letting them see that you're supportive. Being genuine in your appearances is necessary to enable you to have the kind of spiritual relationship that's crucial to the success of your ministry in the church, because you don't want discord or hassles or problems.  

Continuing with the discussion of furniture, office furniture includes three client chairs to accommodate normal counseling needs or a family setting. When appropriate, I have three padded chairs, padded arms, two of them sitting in front of my desk.  A third chair sits beside a setting table under a lamp. If I need it, I bring in a fourth chair when needed. There are many times I've had families, two, three or four people at a time, who need their own chair. Another thing is rotate that third chair in and out with the other two. That way nothing becomes worn to any degree. They all wear evenly. The third chair helps you minimize the wear on your chairs. 

Be sure to include your desk chair, such as an executive chair of the same fabric as the side chairs, to be utilized with the executive desk. In other words, it's nice if they match. Make sure you get one that's comfortable, high back, usually contour, form fitting, lumbar support, because you're going to be in it probably at least 30 or 40 hours a week. Once you get into a full-time practice, check them out, look at them, and read the literature. Get something that's good the first time, that's tasteful, that isn't bright or flashy, that matches the others, that has a sturdy fabric that will withstand your setting in it for hours at a time. 

This furniture and the nominal office remodeling should meet both the church's needs, your needs in relation to establishing an effective and professionally based Counseling Center that is effective, efficient, professional and Biblically based. You have to set this in their minds, that's what you are, so that once that is set, then it will maintain itself.  Then both your contact and the numbers of people coming into the counseling center will promote goodwill.  The church will see the effectiveness and care of your counseling practice, and the times that you talk with people at different hours of the night.  Also, your conversations with leadership about families being served and restored, or even at times, they ask to pray for you or for a potential case. Don't give them details of cases, but just say, I have this need. There's a family coming. Would you pray for them? People get a tremendous sense of ownership and of doing something and of pleasure out of being supportive that way, and they want to pray with you and for you.