Creating Job Descriptions in the Church

Job Descriptions in Christian Drama

This manual gives you a starting point for creating job descriptions for both drama and other ministries within the church and, YES, JOB DESCRIPTIONS ARE WORKABLE AND QUITE NECESSARY FOR VOLUNTEER CHURCH WORKERS. In fact, it is even more important for a volunteer to have a written job description than for a paid staff member.

We need to be very aware that volunteers are a scarce commodity and we need to keep them as happy and productive as possible. As is proven every day in business, a position without an up-to-date written job description will result in employees who are unclear as to their function, authority, and responsibility.

A key to a smooth-running church is ensuring everyone knows what is expected of him and to whom he is answerable. No church worker (staff or volunteer) should have any doubt as to his job function, guidelines, and limits of authority. Suppose a particular person believes she has full authority over a certain Drama project. She takes the initiative to order materials for the project only to find (after the fact) that she was expected to have prior approval from the Senior Pastor. This span of authority makes good sense, but all parties must be aware of the guidelines in advance, no surprises.

Many church leaders have a great problem with formal, written job descriptions:

• Some because they don't use them (and thereby allow all workers in the church to flounder with lack of clear-cut statement as to function and authority of the job)
  
• Others because they use vague job descriptions, not up-to-date, or not an accurate statement of the reality of the job and its the relationship to others in the church (and therefore create friction, conflict, and lack of productivity).

Written job descriptions, in the same way as good organizational charts, are mandatory for the smooth, harmonious operation of the church. This kind of statement sometimes brings a heated response. There seems to be a feeling that somehow church members, being in God's service, shouldn't need the types of safeguards used in the secular workplace. This kind of logic simply doesn't make sense. As workers in God's vineyards, it is our responsibility to do all we can to ensure and promote the harmony of the body of Christ.

Leaving things to chance only encourages conflict, which is sure to result.