Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission
Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and a Biblical Perspective to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. Our tools constantly change; our task doesn’t; Effective Church Communications can help.
The position of church secretary or ministry assistant is one of the most important in the church and one with a great history!
Ed. note: In other posts published this week ( CLICK HERE & HERE to go to them) I've wanted to encourage all of you who do church communications. As we all know it is only in very large churches that communications is the only work you do. In most churches, communications is part of the incredibly demanding work of the church secretary, administrative assistant, or church office administrator. Though one of the most vital positions in the church, it is also one of the most invisible—until the person doing the work is sick for a week and the church almost closes down.
Below Gayle Hilligoss wrote an interesting story about the First Ministry Assistant and in addition to sharing that, I also wanted to share what she enclosed with it that she put into her church newsletter, along with publishing the piece about the First Ministry Assistant. I wanted to highlight this because I think it is a very gracious, yet effective way to point out the essential work being done. Also in talking about the professional group, it shows how people who do this work take their work seriously and are involved in continuing education.
Think of some way you might do something like this in your church—not to simply promote yourself, but to encourage people to pray for and respect the vital ministry you work so hard on each week. With that introduction, enjoy the two articles from Gayle Hilligoss:
Who Was the First Ministry Assistant?
Although I can’t say with certainty who the first scribe who assisted in ministry was, ministry assistants have been around a long time.
Jeremiah 36 reads, “…this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Take a scroll and write on it every word I have spoken to you… Then Jeremiah called Baruch, son of Neriah, and he wrote on the scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words which the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah.”
Throughout religious history, the secretary’s role has been a significant one. Although work is often done in the background, these vital support tasks allow the more visible ministries to succeed. [Read more...]
Because so many ministry assistants work alone, it is even more important that you take time to evaluate the work you do.
One of the absolutely best things about being a ministry assistant is the opportunity the position gives to serve—and by your service to make a real difference in the lives of people. Your work has the potential to be more than a fulfilling job. Because working in the church requires skills beyond spelling and grammar, it really can be ministry in the best sense of the word.
While your work is more than managing records, fielding phone calls, scheduling events, and producing publications, how you manage those routine tasks is the heart of your responsibilities. Being involved in ministry does not justify being less than professional in your performance.
Your technical and organizational skills are vitally important.
One meaningful way to show people how much you care for them is to be conscientious in your service to them, to deliver excellence. And yet, in too many offices no one is evaluating administrative effectiveness.
A recent discussion turned to annual job evaluations. “I think I am doing a good job,” remarked one office professional, “but I suppose I don’t really know. We’ve talked about doing evaluations in our office, but no one is interested enough to set them up.” [Read more...]
The start of a new year is a good time both to reflect and to project—a time to look back and consider what you’ve experienced and learned, a time to look ahead to where you will go next. One sure sign of personal progress is the realization that you not only know smart things, but that you do those smart things. You will know, feel, when it happens. The difference is beyond measure.
• Put first things first.
Sometimes we stay so busy doing the good that we neglect the best. Pray for wisdom to know what is truly important to you. Then give your time, energy, and love to those things first. Unless you make a deliberate effort to set priorities and to stick with them, your days will be filled with other people’s priorities and not your own.
• Respect time.
Understand that time is the most precious resource you have; without it you have nothing. Spend your hours and your minutes wisely. Plan your days rather than just letting them happen.• Stay calm.
Know what matters—and be passionate about those things. Know what doesn’t matter—and don’t let those things get you down. You know you are becoming more mature when you control your emotions instead of allowing them to control you.
• Take care of yourself.
Your body is a gift from God; being as fit as you can be is a testimony in itself. Eat wisely, exercise, get suffcient rest, schedule regular checkups. Don’t allow lesser activities to keep you from a daily walk. Commit to some healthy extras: swimming, biking, whatever you like. Few of us do all we could or should. But we can!
• Nourish your mind.
God’s world is a wondrous place. Learn something new every single day. Today, look at a flower and be amazed. Tonight, go outside and gaze at the stars. Tomorrow, visit the library and check out books on a subject you know nothing about. Or use the Internet to travel a new part of the world. Talk with someone—and not on a cell phone. Think new thoughts. Grow wise.
Now you know smart things. And you can do them!
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To read the three more tips, click here.
Here are some ways to minimize stress this holiday season--read and relax.
Over-focusing on responsibilities, tasks, chores, and pressures is especially common during the holidays. Often “you” is who gets lost in the process. As a result, all that running, all that concern, has no positive payoff. Instead of the blessed time you hoped for, the holidays become a stressful time of bad tempers and tired tootsies.
Ideas for a tranquil season—
• First things first.
Resolve not to allow busy-ness interfere with your daily prayer time. In the final analysis, most of us find time to do what is really important to us. This season brings opportunities for sharing like no other does; there is nothing wrong with jumping in with both feet. You can try out cbd oils to help you feel better. Check out discovermagazine.com for more information. Ooze carries the ultimate smoking accessories. Choose from the best selection of water pipes, hand pipes, glass attachments, and the best smoking accessory prices online, also you can get an Ooze discount code. [Read more...]
