I’m nearing the 10-year mark of being a church employee. That practically makes me a veteran. Ten years, four churches, and millions of cups of Starbucks later (I’m convinced that’s the drug of choice for church workers), I’ve had a first hand-look at how the church works (by works, I mean how it functions day-to-day in the church office), and after reading REWORK, I’m convinced we’ve got some things that drive me crazy that need to change.
Before I continue, let me say this: I love what I do. Every single day (except meeting days), I’m excited to be a part of the life of the Church. It’s an immense privilege to be able to do what I do, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything…well, most of the time.
With that…here are 10 Things that Drive Me Crazy About Working for a Church
1. We are really good at burning people out.
For some reason, we feel like working long hours against ridiculous timelines and neglecting our personal lives, health, or families is a good idea…as long as it’s for God.
Not so much.
The average church employee stays at a church for about 2 years before they peace out.
“It doesn’t pay to be a workaholic. Instead of getting more done and being on top of your game, you actually start a chain reaction that results in decreased productivity, poor morale, and lazy decisions. And don’t forget the inevitable crash that’ll hit you soon enough.”
We all need to learn one simple word: NO. Even though something may be for a great cause, it’s not worth losing your soul to make it happen.
2. We focus way too much on what we don’t have.
One of the most common complaints I hear from church staff members has something to do with what they don’t have.
In the Gospel account of the feeding of the 5,000, all they had to start with was 5 loves and 2 fish, but in the end, there was more than enough.
“Constraints are advantages in disguise. Limited resources force you to make do with what you’ve got. There’s no room for waste. And that forces you to be creative.”
Celebrate simplicity. Remember God can take nothing and make it into something.
