Your Job...

Your job means different things for different people, and while there are many interpretations of the same thing, a job description is meant to help focus a minister for the betterment of the church. The same is true for department heads and committee chairmen they need only look at the vision statement for their ministries. If you don’t have a vision statement for your ministries, now is the time to write one.

A great many people seem to think that the job description is more about control than direction. Though some situations may prove that statement to be true, the elements of a good job description will help to assess, and produce ministry opportunities for your church. Your job description is the very thing that your church created to make you ready for your job. To neglect such a document is the same as telling your church that their desires don’t matter and that you are a better judge of ministry than they. The validity of that argument is not the issue, the call on your life that was placed by your new church and the Holy Spirit provoked your move to your current situation. Therefore, the validity of the document and expectations from your current church are valid points for the ministry you hope to do in partnership with this church. Until you and your church adopt a new description of duties your interdependence rests on the assimilation of your current job description in your everyday life.

My suggestion is that you would acquire a job description from your trusty secretary and laminate it. In the event that you don’t have a secretary, get your fingers dirty by opening the files in that back closet…you know the one. At the onset of your day, you should put it in front of you and begin to pray about the items that you see. Pray that the Lord grant you the ability and forethought to assimilate the items you see throughout the day. Remember, this exercise is not meant to validate the authority of the job description, but is intended to validate the relationship you have with your church through the services you provide. When the church sees you working to accomplish the items they value most, they will see the heart that brought you to this job in the first place.

Supporting your church in every possible way also means that you will create peace when whenever possible. Peace can come, at least in part, due to a humble attitude of service from the staff; and humble service is the seed that bears leadership.