Monday, June 27, 2011

Churches Looking For Pastors Should Follow These Guidelines

If your church is one of the many churches looking for pastors, you are not alone! It is estimated that most youth pastors only stay in their position for 18 months! Statistics show that senior pastors have been in their position an average of 7.8 years. Most people hate change, but change is a normal part of life in churches and ministries. If your youth pastor is leaving the church after serving for several years, he has already served longer than most pastors! While the transitional period is difficult, remember that God is in charge! I believe the Lord has someone that he has selected to help you lead your church into the next season of God’s blessings.

Here are a few tips for churches looking for pastors to lead the congregation, the youth group, or other ministry in the church:

Consider hiring a transitional pastor while you are looking for a new pastor.

Transitional pastors are often hired by churches while they look for a new pastor. They can provide your church with direction and focus while the search committee reviews candidates for the senior pastor vacancy. Statistics show that the average senior pastor vacancy in a church lasts 9 to 18 months. This means you should expect to be without a lead minister for many months.

You do not want to rush the process of finding a new lead minister for your congregation. If you have a transitional pastor in place during this time, it buys your search committee some time to find the right minister for the job. Churches looking for pastors need time to find and interview candidates. They need time to pray and seek the Lord’s direction during this vital season of the congregation.

Interview other pastors on staff, but don’t assume they are supposed to lead the church.

If your church has multiple pastors, then the existing staff should be interviewed. An existing youth pastor probably has aspirations of leading a church in the future, so they should be considered for the lead pastor job. Associate pastors should be considered for the job too. Make sure that the pastor you hire is qualified for the job. Do not promote an associate pastor or youth pastor to the lead pastor position simply because he is a nice guy! Most denominations have a set of bylaws or constitution to follow when it comes to hiring the senior pastor. Churches looking for pastors should seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom first. Do not let your emotions guide your decisions!

When it is time to hire a youth pastor, the senior pastor should lead the search committee.

The lead preacher or minister will work with the youth pastor as much as anyone in the congregation. He should lead the search for the new youth minister. Many senior pastors are former youth ministers, so they probably are best qualified to lead the youth into the next season of God’s faithfulness. Churches looking for pastors should allow the head preacher to make most of the decisions regarding the youth ministry.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Catholic Job Online - The Needs Are Many and the Workers Are Few


There are many catholic job online opportunities available for anyone looking to find a job today.  There are many hurting people living all over the world, and a Catholic job will help you minister to people who are in need.  When it comes to a Christian job search online, most people do not know where to begin.  There are literally thousands of websites where you can go to look for a job, but it can be difficult to search through all the junk to find the perfect job that suits your career interests.

Here are a few ways you can find a catholic job online or through more traditional methods:

Visit the Catholic churches directly
In today’s day and age of smart phones, laptops, and fax machines, many people are afraid to talk to anyone about job opportunities.  The art of approaching people in person about a job has been lost.  Larger churches have full-time staff members you can approach outside of Sunday mass.  Visit the church during regular office hours and inquire about ministry jobs and opportunities.  Most people will not take the time to visit a church in person, so you will stand out if they get to meet you face to face.  Most jobs and opportunities are not advertised, and this holds true in many churches too. 

Attend a Catholic School
Catholic schools are a great place to make networking connections for future ministry opportunities.  If you think you want to pursue a career in clergy work, then you should attend a Catholic school.  Most of the professors and administration at the school can give you guidance and direction on the proper path you should take based on your background and qualifications.

Speak with your local priest
A priest has many responsibilities, and they often know many people in the community.  The Catholic priest should be one of the first people you speak with when you are looking for a Catholic job online.  If anyone knows about potential job opportunities with Catholic ministries, the Priest will know about it.

Volunteer at your local church or Catholic school
Full-time ministry opportunities are often given to people who are already active in the church.  If you know that you want to do church work, begin volunteering for different ministry functions. Volunteer to work with the food pantry.  Work with other people in the homeless ministry.  Get involved with the local youth group.  You will have a much opportunity to get a Catholic job online if you have previous experience doing volunteer work for a local ministry.

Visit Catholic job online websites
There are several Catholic job online websites where you can view Christian jobs online or other ministry jobs.  The advantage to looking for a job online is that you can apply for a lot of jobs in a short period of time.   Many decision makers will see your resume when you apply for a lot of Christian jobs.  

There are many Catholic job online opportunities available today.  There are a lot of people that need to hear the good news of the Gospel, and you can serve in full time ministry by finding a Catholic job online.