How to Designate Jobs in a Church

Designating jobs at a church should involve as many people as are willing to help.

Even though working with different personalities in any setting can be challenging, designating jobs in a church doesn't have to be complicated. Instead, focusing on the strengths of the people with whom you are working will not only help you find the perfect people for these jobs, but also help minimize any friction from those who think they are better suited.

Things You'll Need

• List of jobs that need to be filled
• List of the names of people you will be working with, with space to make notes
• Waivers, if needed for certain types of work
• Calendar for schedule-making and time coordination

Instructions

1. Talk to each person to determine where their skills might best be put to use. While some people may enjoy painting or construction work, for example, that doesn't necessarily mean they are good at it. Do they have a background in education? They may make a good Sunday School teacher. Are they skilled in technical elements? They may make a good soundperson.

2. Ask each person if they have a specific interest that might make them a candidate for a certain job. It is important that people are placed as closely as possible in a job they will enjoy because they will be more likely to work efficiently and stay at that job longer. If someone enjoys artwork, for example, they may work well designing bulletin or announcement boards.

3. Designate teams for larger or more time-consuming jobs. There are two approaches to use. You can ask people to volunteer for a certain duty. However, this runs the risk of having too many volunteers for one job and not enough for another. You can also choose a team leader and have her take turns picking a number of people to work with. This will help teams be built more evenly and reinforce the need for teams that work well together.

4. Ensure that each person feels valued for the time and resources they are giving. There will always be chores in any type of church, from cleaning to organizing to leadership roles and interacting with people. Expressing gratitude includes thanking each person for their work, helping them feel they play an important role and validating any issues that arise, which is inevitable when people with different personalities and perspectives work together. Finding ways to best use each person will help minimize conflict and maximize efficiency.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are the person designating jobs at a church, don't be afraid to make a decision and stick with it. Especially in a large group of people, there will be those whose expectations are not met. However, setting clear goals and making people know ahead of time what those goals are and how you need them achieved will help. Make sure to check times and schedules of the people working so that you know when jobs will be tackled. Time management and schedule-making will cut down on an uneven approach to the jobs being done and better manage supplies and resources.

References

• WhiteStag.Org
• Learning for Life

Resources

• WhiteStag.Org