Jaye's tips for landing a Ministry Position

"Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:2-4, NASB).

Last week, it was my joy to be with the ladies of the Seminary Women's Network in Kansas City. This group consists of those who lead the work of women in the Southern Baptist Convention. I have been blessed to be a part of this council since 1996. I was asked to lead a discussion on how we encourage our women in finding ministry positions. Here are the tips i gave to get our discussion started.

To find a ministry position:

1. PRAY. Nothing is more important that personal prayer for God's direction. Also, enlist a team of prayer warriors to pray for you and with you.
2. Be involved in your CHURCH. (a) Make sure your staff knows you personally. (b) Fill the needs of the church (preschool, sec'y help, volunteer for everything). (c) Be joyful and passionate about serving the Lord. A good attitude goes a long way.
3. Meet every person you can within your field of ministry. Personal contacts, emails, and calls will connect you to those who do what you'd like to be doing.
4. Follow up personally after every resume you send and after every interview. If you want a job at a church, find others in the church or know you or know someone you know in that church. Most ministry positions are done by referral, not by submitting resumes through the mail, email, or online.
5. Volunteer for an internship at the church. That means you may not get paid but you will gain valuable experience and they will get to know you. You may end up with a job there or a great referral for a job elsewhere.
6. Be willing to move. Did God call you to stay? Did you commit to go anywhere? Just something to think about.
7. Get a ministry mentor. Find someone who you can connect with who can show you a closer side to ministry and who can mentor you. This will take you light years into the future as well as keep you from making common ministry mistakes.
8. Be teachable. Almost every person who calls me for a reference for a job wants to know if the person is teachable. You want to be confident in the Lord but indicate that you are willing to learn the job and the culture into which you would be walking.

Stay on your face in prayer. Let everyone know you are looking and be willing to take any and every door the Lord opens for you. Decide that every day you will bless the Lord and praise Him. Keep your focus on Him and know that if He called you, He will provide a place of service!