By George Ross
I”m sitting in a motel a long ways from home with a laptop and a deadline. (I”m on a staff recruiting trip interviewing two guys for two key positions for our ministry leadership team.) I”m wondering if I should acknowledge in this article what I”m struggling with.
So here I sit in the motel facing a big mirror on the wall as I look beyond my computer. I”m OK with the deadline and the risk factor, just not the mirror! A visual of myself at 6:30 am brings no inspiration!
A Specific Sign
In recruiting for a church staff position, our appeal to God many times is similar to the prayer by Abraham”s servant in Genesis 24. He asked God for a very specific sign to help identify a wife for Isaac. Or we might use a variation on Gideon”s famous fleece approach in Judges 6, where he asked God for a sign, not just once, but twice in case the first sign was a fluke.
My typical prayer is, “Lord, make all this clear, and a sign would be nice.”
But many times in my experience he seems to say, “Sure, but it may not be the sign you had in mind.”
One of our elders does a good bit of hiring in his job. His wife”s counsel has become a memorable phrase. “If you want to climb a tree, you can either train a horse or hire a squirrel.” OK, I get it. Make sure the candidate is a good fit for the job. Not just in terms of passion, gifting, and calling, but a true fit so they get to do what really needs to get done.
Huge Implications
Through the years we”ve tried to operate by the tried-and-true three C”s of hiring: character, competency, and chemistry. These three criteria pose the questions: Is there integrity in their lives? Are they capable of doing what you need them to do? And do they fit your church”s ministry DNA? Now the last one seems odd, but believe it or not, there is a learning curve for the staff you hire when it comes to understanding who you are as a church.
I wish I could look in the mirror and feel good about all the decisions I”ve been a part of in this very critical area of hiring and staffing in the church. But honestly, I still have a long way to go in figuring this out.
God seems to be teaching me this lesson: the team we put together will have huge implications for the next season of ministry in the church”s life. It can be exhilarating or it can be excruciating. Hmmm. I guess I see why the prayers of Genesis 24 and Judges 6 read as they do.
So I”m lookin” for squirrels that love to climb trees. Not just any squirrels, but squirrels that love to climb WITH a team and AS a team. Maybe I need flying squirrels like the one that flew out of the tree at Chevy Chase in the movie Christmas Vacation. Or maybe in your situation you don”t need squirrels, but chipmunks that sing! Staffing needs are always diverse!
So my prayer is, “God, please bless these interviews with the guidance of your Spirit. I don”t ask for clarity, because I”ve read Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning, which includes Mother Teresa”s quote about not praying for clarity, but always for trust. So I simply trust that you help us do our part, and that we will sense your leading and not let other agendas get in our way.
“Thanks, Lord, for these two squirrels I get to talk to this weekend and hopefully climb with someday. I”m already nuts about them and their families, or I wouldn”t be this far from home.”
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George Ross serves as senior pastor at Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Indiana.
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