2) Your business career is not going well.
I’ve had hundreds of conversations with well-meaning and wonderful people who were in a difficult season at work and concluded that maybe they should “get a job in the church.” That is a big mistake.
A job at the church you love is not the solution to your career not going well, or being out of work. The best transitions are made from a platform of success in the marketplace to full time work in the church.
3) You believe that working in a church is the best way to increase your ministry impact.
It’s true that full time ministry can produce extraordinary Kingdom results. But equally true, with potential for a much larger scale, is substantial Kingdom advancement from the millions of Christians worldwide who volunteer in a local church, and serve out in the community where they live and work.
The church needs highly gifted, talented and committed leaders in business and social sectors. You have an incredible opportunity to:
- Spread the grace of God in environments pastors can’t get to easily.
- Model the life of Christ to dozens of non-Christians on a daily basis.
- Invite more people to church.
- See needs and meet them with love, grace and compassion.
- Represent the church in a positive light.
- Pray for your church staff.
- Demonstrate generosity as the Holy Spirit prompts you.
- Pray for lost and hurting people, who don’t know Jesus or attend a church.
This list just barely scratches the surface.
As a Christian, you have a desire to serve and make a difference. That’s good. God put that in you. That might be on a local church staff, but I want to encourage you that your role in the advancement of God’s Kingdom from a marketplace position is fantastic, maybe even larger than from inside the church.
If you are not serving, ask your pastor how you can get involved and make a difference!
The partnership between pastors, church staff and all of you out in the community is powerful! Let’s move the ball down the field!
This article originally appeared here.
