When Staff Thrive, the Mission Thrives: How Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Turns Engagement Into Hope

When Scott Chin started as president of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission in 2019, he was determined to lead his team in implementing best practices. Drawing on years in corporate and nonprofit leadership, he set out to adapt proven methods to the work of the rescue mission, confident that rigorous evaluation and thoughtful analysis could drive smarter strategy and lasting improvement.

One of the first steps they took was participating in Best Christian Workplaces’ Employee Engagement Survey. The survey gave leadership a clear picture of both strengths and areas needing attention. Incorporating the Employee Engagement Survey into annual Mission practice helped remove the fear often tied to evaluation, while reinforcing momentum for positive change. The survey has also provided a lens on past strategic priorities, highlighting what’s working and what may need to evolve.

Six years after incorporating survey results into their annual and strategic planning, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s employees describe their workplace as thriving and positive. It has been certified as a Best Christian Workplace every year since 2020—a testament to its commitment to a healthy, values-driven organizational culture. These beliefs and this positive environment extend beyond the employee experience, flowing into Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s programs and bringing joy and hope to the homeless neighbors they serve.

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s leadership team has demonstrated the power of integrating research-based data with an intentional planning process. This combination has produced an environment of organizational health and employee engagement.

“The BCW survey has really become a part of our DNA,” says Scott. “We take the survey each spring, and it provides actionable insights into one of our top priorities — organizational health. The specific insights it provides are fully integrated into our annual strategic-planning process. Every organization has room to improve, and the survey helps us know where to focus our energies to become even better. Honestly, we'd be blind without it. It is such a powerful tool to know what's working and what's not.”

Giselle Jenkins, Consulting Director at Best Christian Workplaces, emphasized the survey’s role in pursuing excellence in mission-driven organizations, providing leaders with the insights they need to strengthen both workplace culture and overall impact:

“Flourishing workplaces such as Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission demonstrate that visionary leadership can organize and marshal their resources strategically. Best practices from the corporate world and top-level nonprofits can be incorporated into any size of organization. A commitment to excellence shows respect for your mission and creates momentum for continuous improvement.”

Building Community Amid Challenges

Best Christian Workplaces serves Ministry Partners in a variety of sectors using the FLOURISH Model, a battery of assessment areas established through more than 20 years of research. The model identifies and measures eight drivers that build a healthy workplace. While these drivers are common across all types of organizations, they are tailored to Christian, nonprofit environments, which involve unique challenges, but benefit from tremendous resources and strengths.

 

At Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, for example, front-line staff experience compassion fatigue and secondary trauma. If not addressed, these issues lead to burnout and turnover — both detrimental to an organization’s effectiveness and bottom line. Moreover, like many nonprofits, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s staff is spread over numerous service sites, making it easy to become siloed or disconnected.

To counteract these challenges, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission builds on its employees’ strong commitment to relationships and shared values to overcome strain and develop a strong community. A monthly chapel and fellowship service is an important connecting point. The time includes a meal to not only demonstrate care for staff, but also to allow people from different ministry sites to connect. This care for staff is multiplied in the lives of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s guests and homeless neighbors.

Other ways Mission leadership equips its staff include:

• Generous Vacation Policy: Employees start with four weeks of vacation a year. This offers the opportunity for rest and rejuvenation, so they can continue to be dedicated and passionate for the long term.
• Manager Training: Every manager receives targeted training to build the skills and confidence needed to lead with care, foster strong teams, and create a positive work environment.
• Specialized Training: Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission has developed specific employee training on key topics such as burnout prevention. Leadership starts by listening to see what the deepest training needs are, and then they bring in resources to meet those needs.

This consistent focus on the FLOURISH drivers has helped Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission rank in the 90th percentile for workplace health among rescue missions. Its top-ranking reflects a clear commitment to manager development and staff care. Employees report that they receive regular feedback on their progress, are encouraged to grow professionally, and understand what is expected in their roles. They value their time off, feel supported by their colleagues, and see the organization actively working to achieve its goals and improve over time.

Resilience and Transformation

Thanks to its engaged employees and excellence in operations, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission is experiencing industry-leading success rates, innovation, and growth despite increasing homelessness, changing city policies, and the continuing impact of addiction and mental health challenges in vulnerable populations.

“Our hope is centered in Jesus,” says Scott. “Taking that first step — to come in from the streets — is not easy. The hope for a new life that we find in Jesus, combined with the grit to finish our year-long recovery program, results in the life transformation that we all want to see. To see someone make that journey is inspiring. And at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, more than 25% of our staff came through the front doors of the mission. In fact, two of our Vice Presidents are program graduates themselves. Hope is real.”

In addition to working with Best Christian Workplaces to support their goal of organizational health, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission participates in Citygate Network. This network equips ministry leaders with the relationships, resources, and support they need to respond with excellence and compassion. Healthy leaders realize that they can draw on a variety of outside resources and expertise to partner with in their pursuit of excellence and flourishing.

While your employees may face different stresses from those in rescue missions, you can learn from the experience of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. By listening to staff, taking intentional action, and embedding best practices into every level of the organization, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission demonstrates how mission-driven organizations can flourish even in the face of complex challenges. This approach — grounded in data, guided by research, and fueled by a culture of care — empowers employees to excel, supports sustainable organizational growth, and brings tangible hope to the community they serve.

By following Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s example of prioritizing engagement, training, and continuous improvement, other organizations can adopt similar strategies to strengthen their teams, enhance impact, and build resilient, thriving workplaces.

Resources

• Assess the health of your organization so you can take steps to improve employee engagement. Best Christian Workplaces’ Employee Engagement Survey is research-based and provides actionable data.
• Read the State of the Christian Workplace 2025 Report to understand the foundation of workplace health and trends in your own sector of ministry or Christian-led business.
• Listen to Scott Chin talk with Al Lopus on the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast: Transforming Lives Through Hope and Grit.