Basics - Day Two
What Every Ministry Assistant Should Know...a little more on the basics. Don't let me fool you; these do not come easy. It takes work to keep on track.
Know Your God. Time in the Word is key. Knowing God is a life-long process and some days I just plain fail at serving Him well. A pure heart and participation in spiritual disciplines set us up for success; not "doing". We often hear that leaders of the church have targets on their back. Well, guess what? You sit awfully close to that target. While we are blessed with a "job" that doesn't feel like work, there are going to be days where the burden is heavy. Some days you know why and some you do not. Your strength, your energy and your value will be found in God alone.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.- Ephesians 6:10-20
Know Your People. That's why you are there. All of the paperwork in the world will not affect the heart of the Church like your relationship to the people will. Listen when they call, take these people seriously (even when you are bolting out for a meeting), give hugs when it is appropriate and pray with them. These are people. They may know God or may be far from Him. Treat them like you'd wish to be treated. This means that some days your "to do list" doesn't have a single check-mark on it. You and those you work with can deal with that.
Not only do you have office visitors that may need your service or a listening ear. You have regular volunteers that devote their time and energy to helping you. And because of that, you love them. Take the time in and out of the office to develop relationships with them. Always think of new areas that can be delegated to a volunteer. Remember, serving is one way we find purpose. You never know who is searching for their purpose in life.
Know Forgiveness. You are going to get hurt. Most of the time it isn’t intentional. Give the hurt to God. Keep quiet and forgive. If you are the ill party, seek forgiveness. We all know the busyness of the workplace and quick wits or tactless comments. It does hurt; I’m not trying to be insensitive. God knows about your situation and wants to help you through it. You are responsible to take care of yourself, and only you can do that.
Know Your Boundaries. You are only one woman. (If there's a man assistant out there...you get my drift.) There's only so much that can be done in a day. Know when to pack it up. Know when you need to focus on your family more than your ministry. Think about what is appropriate office talk and what is not. Live accordingly. (This is easier said than done for women!!)
I'm a firm believer that appearance matters. And I'm not talking about how we look on this one. There should never be any appearance of evil. Know your spacial boundaries with your co-workers. Offices with open doors and/or windows are a must. There should never be a reason for anyone to wonder. Ever.
Know How to Dress. Okay, there it is. Think wisely about what you wear to the office. Looking good is important to everyone. My momma told me two things about this area..."If you don't know what to wear; wear something nice." and "Dress for what you do or what you'd like to do." First impressions really do matter. So, when someone walks into the church office and you are the first person they see; what impression do you leave?
There's so much more on basics...knowledge of basic software, customer service, managing emotions and keeping confidences. All I know, is that I couldn't do it with out God. Let's thank Him for the opportunity to help others in such a significant way. It's humbling when we stop to think about it.
