Young at Heart

Most people say that age is just a number. However, when considering two candidates for a job with roughly equal experience, who would you chose--one who is forty years old, or one who is sixty? Enough said. If you are forty-five or older, employment experts suggest that you attempt to make your age less obvious on written materials that you use to apply for a job.  They suggest things such as removing graduation dates, cutting off previous employment that is more than 20 years ago (unless you've had only one job in that time) and the like. It is important not to lie about these things, of course, but it is also important to make these things less obvious so that they are less likely to loom large in the minds of potential employers. You may think that forty years of work experience sounds better than twenty, but most people think it means you are ready for retirement. The bottom line is this: churches and religious organizations are generally held to be exempt from discrimination laws due to the current legal understanding of the First Amendment.

The other thing you need to do, if you are part of the AARP crowd (or if you are beginning to look like it), is  try and freshen up your image. Do an online search of yourself and take down or untag any images that are unflattering or that make you look old. On social media sites use a flattering photo that is more or less current for your profile photo. (Some experts say you should have a professional photo for job searching.)  If you feel you are a poor judge on these matters, ask your spouse or a stylish friend to help you. Update your hairstyle and get some more stylish (though still conservative) clothes for your job interview. Dress in age-appropriate clothing, of course, but make sure it reflects current style trends. First impressions count a great deal with some people. Consider coloring your hair--even if you are a man, and even if you've never done it before. (If you have never done it before and are afraid it will look fake, get it done professionally. If you are unemployed and money is tight, go to a local beauty school.) If you are a woman, consider getting a makeover (again, a local beauty school can help, or ask a stylish friend who looks young for her age to assist you.) Consider having your teeth whitened, or at least use over the counter whitening strips. If you are lucky enough to get a job interview, make sure you are well rested and exhibit energy and enthusiasm when you first enter the interview. If you tend to have a more low-key personality you can tone it down after the first few minutes. Just pay attention to your posture during the interview.

You may find this advice upsetting. Maybe you feel it is unnecessary. You must understand that you ignore this advice at your own peril. I personally know of a woman who was turned down to replace me because she seemed "tired" to the search committee. She also had white hair. An older friend was told point-blank by a search committee member to disguise his age when applying for clergy positions. The committee had decided to interview him over the objection of some committee members, who were worried about his age. The good news is, once they interviewed him, they decided they wanted to hire him. He learned his lesson through a close call and has been warning other clergy about this potential pitfall ever since.

I blog, therefore I am. If you liked this post and want some food for thought about church ministry, check out http://creativityinchurch.blogspot.com/. If you or anyone you know is looking to hire a new Pastor, check out my professional profile blog at http://dclapsaddle.blogspot.com/.
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Family Matters

Steve Urkel (as played by Jaleel White) from the TV series "Family Matters"

A clergy job change can be a strain on the family members of a clergy person, even in the best-case scenario. If the Pastor in question is quietly searching for a new job, the children in the family might be asked to keep that a secret. That can be tough, as the children of Pastors often have friends within the congregation. If a clergy person quits a job before finding a new one, financial woes can materialize. A new job often requires relocation, and all the disruption involved in that.  And even if a job search results in a much-wanted new position that doesn't require the family to move or the clergy spouse to change jobs and the kids to change schools, getting used to one of the adult family members being in a new Pastoral position is disruptive to family life.  These factors also apply to career changes in other fields as well, but clergy folk are often described as living "in a fishbowl" for good reason. Sometimes they even live in a house owned by the church. Any job change is bound to result in stresses and strains in a family--there are nearly always some raised voices and acting out by kids involved--but if you work at GE, your employer doesn't bear witness to it very often.

As a clergy woman married to a non-clergy man, I've found it best not to pretend to the congregation that things are perfect in my marriage and family life, and not to pressure my husband and kids to act a certain way. On the other hand, I've also learned not to involve the congregation too much in family business. If the whole job search process or the acceptance of a new job is putting a strain on you as a Pastor, it is important to find some place other than through the people who employ you at your Pastoral job to help you sort through your problems. On the one hand, they are likely to outwardly offer sympathy, but on the other hand, they may start questioning your leadership abilities, e.g., "The Pastor can't even handle his own kids. How can we expect him to take handle conflict within the congregation?"

I blog, therefore I am. If you liked this post and want some food for thought about church ministry, check out http://creativityinchurch.blogspot.com/. If you or anyone you know is looking to hire a new Pastor, check out my professional profile blog at http://dclapsaddle.blogspot.com/.

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Should I stay or should I go?

In the beginning, I loved my job as the Pastor of the Riverton Church. I also loved it in the middle, but at some point in the middle I began to understand that I had fulfilled my calling to this particular church. As much as I still loved the people and the job, I needed to move on, so I initiated a job search and submitted my resignation.

Now, the conventional wisdom about job searching is that there are pluses and minuses to resigning before securing a new position, but the minuses usually outweigh the pluses.

The minuses mostly involve the financial pain of losing a steady paycheck.

The pluses are many--if, and this is a very big if--you, like me, feel able to take on the huge risk of losing a regular income and all the potential repercussions of that.

Here are what I see as the pluses of searching for a position as a pastor while you are not currently serving a church.

You have time for discernment. Let's be real--discerning what God wants for your life takes some effort. When you take the energy you have spent discerning what God is calling you to do in relation to the church that you serve out of the equation and put that energy into discerning what God requires of you, period, that is a powerful thing.

You can be totally open about your search. This is a big deal for most pastors--especially in my denomination, because we rely on references from people in congregations we have served in order to find a new position. It doesn't feel very fair--or even very smart--to tell people in our home church that we are searching for a position in a job market in which many searches end in rejection.

You can "take your act out on the road" and preach at other churches to see how your message comes across in a variety of contexts. The longer you serve in a particular church, the more likely you are to fall into a habit of preaching in a style that suits them. A really good preacher needs to connect with an audience, and if you have the same audience every week, you may come to rely too much on established relationships to make that connection.

You are free on Sunday mornings. Successful clergy job searches often come down to a few candidates, and at that point the hopefuls have to preach in a "neutral pulpit"--that is, in a congregation that is neither the one you serve nor the one you hope to serve.  This is a difficult thing to manage if you currently serve as a pastor that preaches almost every Sunday.

The ultimate decision of whether you stay in a ministry position or resign is between you and God, but because it effects so many other people, the discernment process that goes into that decision can feel pretty burdensome. Do not be afraid to ask for support before, during, and after the decision. Where I serve the denomination makes available free counseling and some financial support. In some states, if your income dips below a certain level, you may qualify for governmental help with health insurance premiums or SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps.)  In addition, you may find that family, friends and colleagues can help you by providing referrals for work that bridge the gap. Through local denominational officials you should try to get on lists of supply Pastors--pastors who fill pulpit vacancies during a vacation or extended absence of a Pastor. (In some states it is possible and advisable to get on supply lists for multiple denominations and/or clergy associations.)  You may feel too proud to ask for this sort of help, but before you reject the idea out of hand, take that to God as well. Accepting help when you are in a difficult period can be an important life lesson. It can help you learn what it is really like to be in the position of the people who have come to you as a Pastor and asked you for help over the years. That's not a bad thing.

I blog, therefore I am. If you liked this post and want some food for thought about church ministry, check out http://creativityinchurch.blogspot.com/. If you or anyone you know is looking to hire a new Pastor, check out my professional profile blog at http://dclapsaddle.blogspot.com/.
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