Recruiting Office-Bearers in Challenging Times
Featured Image: Photo by Vie Studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-letters-4439421/
Have you ever had to make that phone call? The one where you ask someone to let their name stand for elder or deacon? I have. It’s the one phone call I dread to make. While I would like to say I spent a good amount of time preparing for the call – include a friendly greeting, introduce myself, explain the reason for my call, share why I think he/she would be a great fit for this role, offer him/her time to pray and think on it – why does it seem to fall flat 90% of the time?
Among the list of reasons given to not let their name stand, I’ve heard…
-I just don’t feel gifted to be in this role.
-I am way too busy right now.
-My work schedule won’t allow this kind of commitment.
-Three years is just too long for me to commit.
-I feel more called to this or that role in the church.
-I don’t “do” meetings.
-I’m more suited to work in the background.
-I am more than willing to help with anything you need – just not this.
Any of these sound familiar?
Or perhaps of late, you’ve been hearing some different, more complex responses, due to some of the recent decisions of Synod, various cultural shifts, and/or increases in ministry demands.
Part of our commitment here at Diaconal Ministries Canada is to provide deacons with relevant and up-to-date resources and even more importantly, what we call “just in time” learning. Just in time learning emphasizes relevance, immediacy, and adaptability, making it suitable for ever-changing environments like church and ministry. Our agency does not work in a vacuum and we aim to address the challenges deacons are facing RIGHT NOW.
So to help your diaconate – and entire council – we’ve put together a brand new resource called “Recruiting Office-Bearers in Challenging Times”.
We hope this resource will offer helpful, creative, and faithful ways your church can navigate recruitment challenges in your church while still honouring the integrity of the office and deacon and elder.
Tell us what you think and/or see our other resources on Recruitment and Onboarding.
