Your View of Work is Terrible

"I don't want to sit behind a desk 40 hours a week!"

One recurring error I see when talking to pastors who want to find new jobs or go Covo is this... they think that all jobs are those punch-in-punch-out, on the clock 40 hours a week with a 30 minute lunch break and there's no freedom or flexibility. 

Every job is just a cog in a machine and I don't want to be stuck working a job like that so I need a job where I can work whenever I want and no one will ever tell me when I have to be in the office. (I swear we pastors are so entitled sometimes). 

Listen, I've worked jobs like that. I've worked in factories and warehouses. I've worked in the restaurant industry and customer service. There are jobs like that, I am not going to act like there aren't and to be honest, I have hated them too.

BUT all jobs that I recommend for pastors aren't in the manufacturing, service or food industry, they're in the knowledge economy. The definition of a knowledge economy job varies but the short answer is: you're paid for your expertise, not your time.

Think of it like this: There was a man who kept hearing a strange sound on his boat engine and could not figure it out. He called a boat mechanic who drove to the dock and listened to the sound. He then reached into his toolbox, squeezed tight into the engine, reached his hand down and gently tapped a small lever back into place.

He told the owner to fire up the boat and sound magically stopped. The boat owner was delighted and asked, "How much?" The man replied, "$200." The boat owner was shocked, "200?! You were here for less than 5 minutes!"

The boat mechanic replied, "You're not paying me for the time it took me to fix your engine, you're paying me for the time it took me to learn how to fix your engine."

I love this story because when you break into the knowledge economy, you're not tied to a desk 40 hours a week, you're paid for your expertise, which thankfully as a pastor, you have tons.

That's right, you are smart and capable and could handle more than you think. Have some faith in yourself and the real skills that ministry has prepared you for.

When you're ready to "make the leap" to a new job, let me know.

Thanks for reading,
Eric