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I had a great phone conversation with two very sharp youth leaders from the same church today. I asked them the question that I’m asking lots of folks these days, “How is the economy affecting you?”
Their church is responding in a very innovative way. They’ve had to lay off some staff and they are using their shortage of staff as a catalyst to mobilize their volunteers.
And they’ve moved beyond rhetoric.
They’ve shifted their staff work schedules on Mondays and Wednesdays to 1-9 pm. That way, their paid staff can more easily meet at night with volunteers and convene gatherings for volunteers at the church campus.
I think it’s intriguing. I realize it might be costly for staff who are married and/or parents. As a parent of 3 kids, I would grieve over giving up 2 nights with my family per week. Plus how would I be a soccer coach for my son, Nathan, if I was working at church in the evening?
So it might not be a great idea for your church, or for you as an individual. But I love the spirit behind the idea. I’m mourning over what the current economic downturns means for people, businesses, and ministries. Yet in the midst of my sadness, I think some of these questions/changes that our economy is forcing on us are probably overdue.
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March 10th, 2009 at 9:33 am
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