Having two jobs is much in the news just now. It’s not for this column to comment on what MPs do in their ‘spare’ time, and who for, but it’s a fact that in the Church many of us have two, three or even four jobs. There is a keen sense that if we didn’t, essential work to keep going would not get done.
Some jobs, such as church treasurer, require a particular skill set and knowledge, and take up a good deal of the person’s time. Others take less time on average, are arguably less demanding but equally important. The development of church projection and sound systems has created a new range of church jobs that add to the weekly rotas. It can feel on some Sundays that the majority of people there have a job to do!
Last week this column encouraged churches to think about recruiting the next generation of safeguarders. This could apply equally to many other church roles as well. But a rush to recruit at all costs is not always the solution. Practising safe and considered recruitment is essential to ensure that the right person is engaged, and that all the necessary checks the church requires have been carried out. Sadly the Church, along with other organisations, has at times been swept along by the euphoria of finding a new, energetic and willing person to fill a role that no-one else wants to perform, only to find later that the person is not suited, or worse, has joined simply to seek opportunities to abuse.
So the moral of the story is that the nirvana of one person, one church job is probably not easily achievable, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be talent spotting and thinking about how we might re-shape what we do now to attract new people. Being a church safeguarding officer, for example, carries a lot of responsibility, and so any recruitment drive should also design in the available support that will make the job doable.
On the other hand, many of us quite like being busy! Now what’s on my church to do list this week?
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