“Whom Shall I Fear”, Chris Tomlin, Worship Songs and Changing Circumstances

You hear me when I call, You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night, It cannot hide the light

Whom shall I fear

You crush the enemy, Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield, Though troubles linger still

Whom shall I fear

I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies, Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies, Is always by my side

My strength is in Your name, For You alone can save
You will deliver me, Yours is the victory

Whom shall I fear

And nothing formed against me shall stand, You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding on to Your promises

You are faithful
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)
By Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Scott Cash, EMI

Tonight at church I sang a song I hadn’t sung in almost a year. I posted the lyrics above. A little over a year ago Chris Tomlin released a new record, and this was one of the songs from it that churches began to sing in worship. I liked it, catchy tune. Easy to sing.

Not too long after that my work world was rocked by the abrupt explosion of my main freelance gig. In one swoop I lost half my income. I was forced to dive into my corporate AV gig, working too many hours for not enough pay. As I watched my time with family shrink at the same time our savings dwindled, listening to this song was hard.

The one who goes before me? Who stands behind? Who walks beside me? Where was he when my employment took a dive? I take my responsibilities to provide for my family very seriously. I felt like I had been left open on this one.

I knew, of course, that things could be much worse. I had a home, food, and even full medical from my place of under-employment. But I still had some issues with the situation. This was a new experience for me. I was frustrated.

I knew that God was with us. I believed that he had plans for our good (Jer 29:11) and that all of this would somehow work together for our good (Rom 8:28). But I wasn’t feeling that at all. It was hard to see it in day to day life. The song would come on the radio or up in my playlist, and I would listen and feel frustrated.

Fast forward to tonight. In three days I travel to Texas to start the next chapter of my life. I’m going to be doing something I love at a great church. We really feel God brought us to this place, at the time. So when that song started tonight, I had a totally different experience.

If the events of last year never happened, the likelihood of us ever moving to Texas would have been greatly reduced. The things I have learned while trusting God to provide this past year… I’m not saying you should run out and take a job that pays half what you need to live, but you really learn to trust him in this kind of thing. God really was going before, behind, and beside us.

I’m always amazed at the way you experience worship based on where you are in life, and how God is dealing with you at that time.

How do your circumstances effect your worship experiences?

Ministry Job Searches: 3 Things Churches Should Do When Looking to Hire Staff

I haven’t updated much about our job search recently. Can’t go into details, of course, but we have been talking to some folks. God is working, he is moving. He’s got the timing. I fully believe he will answer the prayer of petition we have been praying. He will bring us a job in ministry that will allow us to do the things God has called us to do.

If I was in charge, I would have already moved us. There were a couple of openings I was sure would be right for me. I just knew I would be the candidate. Guess no one told them. Over the past few months these things came up and faded away. There is some promise on the horizon, though. Pretty excited about the possibilities.

But I wanted to give some advice to churches and ministries who are searching for new staff.

1. Send rejection letters. No one likes to get a letter that says you weren’t selected for the job. it’s no fun. It’s a kick in the gut, every time. Know what’s worse than getting a letter? Not getting a letter or call for weeks. You’re left wondering if they even got your resume. Or left with false hope, when in reality the job is already filled. For the sake of everyone involved, once you’ve eliminated an applicant, send out a letter.

2. Don’t initiate contact and then drop off the face of the planet. More than one church emailed me, asked to set up a phone interview or something. Then just dropped away. There is something satisfying about getting that first contact. You feel good, they chose you out of all the applicants. It’s natural to have high hopes. It’s not fun when those are dashed.

Churches, if you initiate contact with a potential candidate, follow through. Even if the decision is a “no” you need to complete the conversation. Say you email someone, and then life intervenes and you can no longer pursue the candidate or the position. Tell the people involved. Knowing is so much better than not knowing.

3. Give salary ranges up front. Go ahead and post the general range right in the job description. At least indicate whether it’s an entry level position or not. That is a huge clue to what the position pays. This will be a major time saver for you and anyone who applies. 

On the flip side, don’t assume you can’t afford the applicant. One church who contacted me and asked for some more material did the disappearing act. I heard through a mutual acquaintance that it wasn’t that they didn’t want me. I was qualified, and they were interested. But they decided that they couldn’t afford me, without ever asking. People who apply for ministry jobs can figure out pretty quickly what a fair salary package would be. We know that smaller churches and ministries can’t compensate the same way larger ones can. It’s not about the money.

I always tell any church I interview with that I need a salary that allows me to support my family in their community. They know how much it costs to live there. They know what they can afford. Smart applicants have taken the time to find out what it costs to live in the community. Both parties should be free to communicate those realities.

These are just a few things I’ve run into in our current job search. What other things should a church do when looking for staff?

Into the New Year: Without a Net

Today marks the first day I am completely self employed. There is no net anymore.

Back in June I wrote about the change in my employment. I left my position as Media Pastor at First Baptist Orlando to work on new TV and video projects that appeal to people under age 50. Specifically, I produced 5 more episodes of a series called “Peculiar“. And I took on contract/freelance work.

Sometimes I am asked why the church didn’t help me with my new ministry project? I always quickly reply that they did very much help me. They allowed me to remain employed at a significantly reduced pay doing even more significantly reduced work. I worked the equivalent of a part time job, and they still paid me a salary (Which included benefits). That “net” allowed my family to have some certainty about finances. It didn’t pay all of our bills, but knowing that those checks were coming every 2 weeks helped. Our arrangement, as was agreed back in June, expired at the end of the year. There was some conversation about extending it, but things didn’t work out.

I cannot express just how thankful I am for First Orlando and their support of my new venture. While they did not write a check to the actual show, they did write me many checks, which helped tremendously. Yes, I worked there, but they were very generous with compensation. Blessed doesn’t begin to describe it.

I must admit that when I found out for sure that things were not going to be extended at the church, I had a few moments of fear. I have a family of 5. We have bills. Health insurance is expensive.

That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of ways to make money with my skill set. And we have been preparing. We have eliminated almost all our debt, and even refinanced the house in preparation for this time. God blessed us with a good bit of freelance work on top of this, so we have a few months of expenses in the bank.

Still, it’s scary. There are lots of options out there, and knowing which to choose is hard.

The next day I was up early, reading the Bible, and I came across this passage in James:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 (ESV)

That certainly applied to me in this situation. I lack much wisdom in self employment, generating enough revenue to pay my bills and accomplish the ministry God has set before me.

It’s easy to see how doubting that God will direct you can lead to instability and worry and generally, not being at peace.

So, I asked God to give me wisdom in this area. To show me what to do, who to talk to, and which direction to go.

I trust he will.

Making the Hire

Hiring for a new position is one of the most critical things you can do.

Hire the wrong person and you will pay for it for a long time. Hire the right person and you will reap the benefits.

It’s really easy to hire the wrong person. You just hire someone for the job you wish you were hiring for. Or just hire a friend simply because they are your friend. You could hire someone that has all the right qualification but has no chemistry with your team. Hiring the wrong person is easy, especially in the time when you know so ay people out of work. You might be tempted to hire a friend who really needs a job. But if they are not the right person for the job, that is a recipe for heartache later.

Once hired, if you realize it’s not working out, the best thing you can do is cut them loose quicker rather than later. That is such a hard decision, especially if they have moved their family. If you don’t realize it isn’t working out until any trial period has passed, firing someone isn’t easy. Your organization probably has a process, and that process can take time.

It’s much better to make the right hire right out of the box.

I have heard the three “C’s” of hiring. You hire based on character, chemistry, and competence. Those three things must be present. Even if you have two of the three, you pass. I’ve seen people hire based on character and chemistry, only to find that the great guy they brought on cannot do the work. I once passed over hiring someone because of character.

On the other hand, if you can find a candidate that has character, great chemistry with the team, and the competence to do the job, most of the time it will be a great hire.