Real talk from 10+ years on the team - Central Team Leader Life.Church Employee Review

It's a mission centric workplace God is uniquely using to model what a healthy large church can be. Projects are unique and feedback and new ideas are listened to and processed. The talent that is attracted is diverse and passionate about the mission. Leadership is theologically conservative and knows that the preaching of sin and repentance are necessary Holy Spirit-led convictions which continue to lead thousands annually at Life.Church towards the salvation Jesus brings. Multiple touch points through the year for staff appreciation including the big Family Reunion. Benefits are the best you'll get working at a church. Leadership is accessible for a convo if you're not a jerk. Hard work is rewarded, sometimes slowly. You're cared about as a person made in the image of God, and as much as an employer can be expected to, they work to make sure you are supported personally going beyond the standard benefits if needed and approved by your leader. Working here asks more of your personal and family life than a non church job, and I think it should.

Some teams with high effectiveness are under-staffed and over evaluated. Some teams with low effectiveness are over-staffed and under evaluated. Biblical education and ministerial qualification upholding is thin, sometimes out of an abundance of worry to take a stance, or bias of leadership culture over pastoral qualifications that are outlined in Gods word. This should be the biggest long term red-flag for the health of the church. Some central staffers get entitled and forget what our pastors at campuses actually endure and provide for our church every week. The central team talent needed to build the next generation of the church inevitably has to have pay scales that closer compete with enterprise companies. Great leaders who should be promoted hit their cap because 1) of tenured leaders whose career no longer depends on performance, or 2) fixed org structures leadership doesn't want to touch.

One of the biggest advantages of working at LIFE Church was the work environment. The location was comfortable, the dress code was casual, and for the most part, the work hours offered a good amount of flexibility. The organization also ensured that employees had the tools, equipment, and resources they needed to do their jobs well, and if something was needed, it was generally available or could be purchased. Those are definite benefits of working for a large, well-funded church that is committed to providing its staff with the resources necessary to succeed.

The biggest downside of working at LIFE Church, at least in my experience, was the internal culture. It took me a long time to find the right words for how I felt after leaving. If you’re someone who feels deeply called to pastoral ministry and has a strong sense of your own leadership and gifting, I would encourage you to think carefully before pursuing a role there. I came in confident in my calling and identity as a pastor. I left carrying a great deal of anxiety, with my confidence shaken, constantly questioning whether I had done something wrong. Looking back, I believe there is an unhealthy aspect to the work culture. Rather than helping staff grow into who God has uniquely created them to be, it often felt like there was pressure to conform to a very specific mold. Individuality in leadership seemed less valued than fitting into an established system. When people ask me what it was like working there, I’ve often described it this way: if you’re comfortable being one part of a very large machine, you’ll probably do well. LIFE Church is an incredibly organized and effective organization, and there’s no denying the impact it has. But that same system can also come at a cost. In my experience, the culture sometimes prioritizes maintaining the machine over developing healthy, confident leaders. Before joining the staff, I had admired Pastor Craig for years. I read his books in seminary and respected the ministry he had built. I also learned a tremendous amount while I was there—about leadership, systems, excellence, and organizational health. Those lessons have been valuable. At the same time, I also learned what kind of culture I never want to create for the people I lead. For me, the experience was both educational and deeply painful, and it took time after leaving to rebuild my confidence and rediscover the freedom and joy I had once felt in ministry.