This ministry guide has been written to provide information about how to provide support ministry to the people with whom you work. This guide is also for people who work in many different ministry settings, a church or denominational administrative office, a small or medium size church, a parachurch or missions focused organization, and large churches. It will assist them with how they look at their ministry, and the level of support that is needed for their particular setting. A call to ministry is an important thing to understand for an administrative assistant; your heart and the way you deal with people and tasks are different if you understand your position as a call to ministry rather than a job for a paycheck. If you understand that you represent not just your pastor and your church, but Christ to every person who calls, stops by, e-mails, etc., you approach your tasks and people differently. Working as the assistant to a pastor, or any person in ministry, you have to approach your tasks with an understanding of who you are serving, and you are serving Christ and his people. The position of Administrative Assistant is a vital part of the over-all ministry of your church and the congregation. You are the gate-keeper, bridge-builder, keeper of the “information”, soother of wounded feelings, and the deliverer of unwanted news. You are the person who has your finger on the pulse of your congregation and your community. You are the person people will come to for answers. You will handle thousands of details related to dozens of different projects and commitments for your pastor. You will help make your pastor’s ministry seamless. While all of these descriptions may make your head spin, this is a part of the ministry of being an assistant. You can look at each day as a challenge or an adventure. If you understand your job as a ministry and understand your call to this ministry you are ready for a great adventure. Begin each day with a prayer for wisdom and strength, surrender your mind and will to God, and prepare yourself to work with the heart of a servant. As Christ walks alongside you in your daily life, you will learn to walk along side your pastor and to be a partner in their ministry.

The Ministry of Administrative Assistants

By Adam Hamilton

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2008 The United Methodist Publishing House
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-687-64709-5

Chapter One

The Ministry of Administration

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.—I Corinthians 12:27-28 (NIV)

More than ten years ago I was about to re-enter the workforce; I was attending a local community college and was near completion of a professional certificate in paralegal studies. One Sunday the attendance notebooks were being passed in church, and I noticed an ad on the front page that indicated The Church of the Resurrection was looking for an administrative assistant for the senior pastor. I was drawn to the ad with some interest, even though it wasn't paralegal work.

I had no formal administrative support experience, but I did have a long list of volunteer experiences that demonstrated my abilities to organize things and people, manage projects, maintain a schedule, communicate by phone and letter (e-mail was not as prevalent at that time), maintain files, and all of those other tasks it takes to support a person in a business office. Also on my resume was the information about different church projects and mission trips in which I had participated.

The initial interview went well, and I was asked back to interview with the senior pastor and two members of the staff parish committee who were interviewing eight candidates. Not much later I received a phone call from the senior pastor extending an invitation for me to join the staff at The Church of the Resurrection as his administrative assistant. I had wanted to be a paralegal, not someone's assistant, but I felt a strong prompting to accept this position.

From this I would advise that it's important when you are interviewing for a support position in a church or ministry setting to go through a discernment process to aid you in making a decision. Time in prayer, a closer look at the job description, and a good understanding of the church organization can help you in making your decision. And don't ever be surprised at where God leads you.

A Job Versus a Calling

A call to ministry is an important thing to understand for an administrative assistant; your heart and the way you deal with people and tasks are different if you understand your position as a call to ministry rather than a job for a paycheck. If you understand that you represent not just your pastor and your church but Christ to every person who calls, stops by, e-mails, and so forth, you approach tasks and people differently. Working as the assistant to a pastor, or any person in ministry, you have to approach your tasks with an understanding of whom you are serving—and you are serving Christ and his people. You need to be able to discern the concern or pain in someone's voice as you talk on the phone. You need to listen and graciously direct callers and guests to the proper person or ministry that can meet their need. You will welcome first-time visitors, potential donors, and people in need. For the people who call or stop by your office, you are the face of your pastor and your church. You need to be able to look at what needs to be done and take the proper action and not wait to be told. You need to understand the impact on the different ministries of the church of any task you undertake. You need to understand how what you do will free up the person you assist to truly focus on the ministry to which he or she is called. This is much more than a job for a paycheck—it is a ministry.

Spiritual Gifts

The role of an administrative assistant has evolved from what used to be the role of a secretary—answering phones, greeting people who came to the office, perhaps managing the boss's calendar, and assembling the church newsletter. Over time and with the development of technology, the role of a secretary has become more of a middle management role. The assistant manages projects, makes decisions, and helps control the flow of work and deadlines. In a church this role has become an integral part of the overall ministry, working to manage information and free up pastors to provide leadership and do the hands-on work of the ministry.

MAKE TIME FOR THIS

Being an assistant, particularly in ministry, is a challenging position and to be successful the person needs to have a good understanding of the position and how individual gifts can enhance it. This will help the administrative assistant feel successful and fulfilled and ultimately help the ministries of the church flourish. I encourage people who want to serve as an assistant to take a spiritual gifts class and assessment. A good spiritual gifts tool will help you assess your strengths. (See Carol Cartmill and Yvonne Gentile, Serving from the Heart [(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003]). As part of your discernment process, reflect on your life: • What activities and interests have brought you the most joy and fulfillment? • Do you enjoy serving, being the member of the team who organizes the details and assists people with the resources they need? • Do you have strong gifts in the areas of administration and help?

The Ministry of Being an Assistant

The position of administrative assistant is a vital part of the overall ministry of your church and the congregation. You are the gatekeeper, bridge-builder, keeper of the "information," soother of wounded feelings, and deliverer of unwanted news. You are the person who has your finger on the pulse of your congregation and your community. You are the person people will come to for answers. You will handle thousands of details related to dozens of different projects and commitments for your pastor. You will help make the pastor's ministry seamless.

While all of these things may make your head spin, this is a good description of the ministry of being an assistant. If you understand your job as a ministry and understand your call to this ministry, you will find an interesting position and look forward to going to work each and every day.

RULE OF THUMB

And, knowing that your position of administrative assistant is a ministry, you will each day feel the importance of beginning the day with a prayer for wisdom and strength, surrendering your mind and will to God, and preparing yourself to work with the heart of a servant.

CLOSER LOOK

Being an administrative assistant isn't for everyone. You need to recognize that being an assistant is a "behind-the-scenes" support role. If you are a person who craves being the "out-front" ministry person, this may not be the role for you. Instead, as an administrative assistant, recognize that your work is what helps make possible the ministries that will impact the lives of your congregation. And often that work includes being not quite as visible as other ministries.

As Christ walks alongside you in your daily life, you will learn to walk alongside the pastor and be an indispensable partner in ministry.

Chapter Two

Partners in Ministry

My first day on the job I was handed a job description that had three items on it. I still have this job description and look at it occasionally to remind myself of where Adam and I started. As I was handed my three-line job description Adam said, "We will have to make this up as we go along." The partnership we built has been a process over the past several years and continues to develop today.

Developing this partnership took a great deal of study and observation on my part. I not only had to learn the details of the position but I also had to learn the Big Picture. What did my boss (I'll say "boss" because this idea is important no matter whom you work for) consider his role to be in the Purpose and Mission of our church? What were his priorities in working toward our goals? How could I assist my boss in meeting his priorities?

Whether you are new to your position as an assistant or looking to take your role to the next level there are really just three simple steps to begin the building of a partnership.

Observe, Listen, and Ask

Three important concepts that are so important—especially when first beginning—are observing, listening, and asking.

1. Observe

I had been attending the Church of the Resurrection for only two months when I applied for the position of the senior pastor's assistant. I had no history with this church and did not know the senior pastor. I soon learned that the purpose statement was the driving force of the church.

* Learn how the purpose and mission drive the ministries and programs in your church. How do these help your pastor and coworkers set their priorities regarding their tasks? * Observe how the ministries relate to one another and work together. Learn what your pastor's role is in setting policy and making decisions. Is your pastor involved in the day-to-day decisions or is that the responsibility of each director? * See the work culture in your church. Is it laid back? Full-steam ahead? Get things done early? Does the pressure of the deadline give everyone a rush? You will find that to some extent all of these work styles will exist in your church, and you will need to learn how to balance them. * Know the pastor's priorities. Knowing the priorities is important for everything you do in your office. * Free up the routine tasks the pastor is doing. In my first twelve months as Adam's administrative assistant I looked for things that I could take off his plate in order for him to concentrate on other projects. As he learned my strengths and gifts, he became more comfortable turning many tasks over to me. 2. Listen

Assistants need to be doers—people who carry out the decision and make things happen. But we can't be so busy doing that we don't take time to listen. In beginning this job I learned that I had to stop from time to time and just listen. People do not always articulate exactly what their expectations are or what they want you to do. There are times we hear a request, but don't really listen to what is being asked. This is when mistakes or missteps will occur.

3. Ask

When you are beginning as someone's assistant it is very important to ask questions—a lot of questions. If you are not clear on the big picture or details, it is important to ask for clarification. Do not be afraid to ask the why questions. Understanding why your church does things a certain way can go a long way in getting you on track with the culture and the day-to-day operations. As you begin your role as the assistant, give yourself five days of observation and listening; carry a notebook with you during this time and write down all those things you don't understand or need to have clarified, and then put yourself on your pastor's schedule toward the end of that time to talk about those things you need to understand better. This will go a long way in helping you on those initial steps of building a partnership with the pastor.

The Assistant's Part in Building an Effective Partnership

The administrative assistant helps take over many of the daily tasks that can sap the pastor's time. That being said, there are other items that are critical to having an effective partnership.

Support the pastor

The pastor needs to know that you are supportive in the work of the ministry. Nothing will undermine a ministry or church more quickly than an assistant who publicly disagrees with the pastor. If you have concerns or thoughts about something your pastor is working on, talk with him or her about it, face-to-face. Express your concerns and thoughts and listen carefully to explanations. In our ministry setting, we call this pushing back. There will be times our executive team or perhaps just the pastor and I will have a discussion on a new ministry or a particular challenge we are facing and at times there is disagreement. Through respectful push-back we are able to get different ideas and perspectives on the table. This is a healthy process. But, when you leave the room, it is important that you support your pastor to the staff, congregation, and community.

Maintain confidentiality

This goes hand-in-hand with supporting your pastor. You will deal with and have knowledge of a lot of very sensitive information, such as confidential communication from congregation members, business dealings of your church, staffing issues, and so on. It is critical to your role as a ministry partner to maintain confidences. Speaking about confidential matters to others is the quickest way for people to lose trust in you. Without trust you cannot be effective in your ministry.

POTENTIAL PITFALL

A note of caution is necessary here. Pastors are bound ethically and protected legally—to a certain extent—in keeping the confidences of those people to whom they provide counseling. There are laws governing counseling sessions that include such things as child abuse, crimes, and so forth, which vary from state to state. If your church doesn't have these in written form, you should make sure this is done. It's in the church's best interest that the administrative assistant know exactly what would need to be reported to authorities.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Ministry of Administrative Assistantsby Adam Hamilton Copyright © 2008 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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