Getting & Doing the Job

How do you actually get your first ministry job? And once somebody finally hires you, what are you supposed to do all week?

This week, Andrew, Tim, Delmar, Jeff, and returning guest Frank Gil tackle two questions from opposite sides of the same ministry journey.

First, a 29-year-old recent graduate with a degree in ministerial leadership is struggling to find a full-time ministry position. The guys talk about how slow church hiring can be, why a handful of applications may not be enough, when to broaden your geographic search, whether you might be applying one level too high, and why bivocational or smaller ministry roles should not be viewed as failures.

Frank talks about networking without becoming transactional, Tim shares what he actually looks for when hiring inexperienced staff, and the guys discuss résumés, references, theological alignment, ministry experience, and the importance of having your calling affirmed by people who know you well.

Then they turn to a brand-new solo pastor at a small church who has almost complete control over his weekly schedule and is asking the question seminary never answered: what do pastors actually do all week?

The conversation gets very practical: building a weekly rhythm, protecting sermon prep, scheduling visits, creating external systems for ADHD, managing office hours, staying reachable without becoming available 24/7, building boundaries as a single pastor, and learning to leave margin for the unexpected.

The big takeaway: before you get the job, ministry can feel idealized. After you get the job, much of ministry feels ordinary. Faithfulness looks like serving, studying, visiting, planning, returning calls, building relationships, and knowing when to go home.

Join more than 1,500 pastors and ministry leaders in the Practically Pastoring Facebook Community to ask questions, share ideas, and connect with other people who understand ministry life.

Don’t do ministry alone.

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