It’s a fine line. Pastors and other paid Church workers can either become workaholics and neglect their families, or they determine to put their families first and stick to a forty hour work week.
We all know the dangers of pastors who put the church before their families. Their top priority is the church and often there is little left over for home life. Spouses feel neglected and children feel resentful to the parent, to the church and sometimes to God.
Then there are those who insist that they will put family first and not work over their forty hours a week.
I also have a problem with this attitude.
The church asks and even expects its members to volunteer their time. They teach Sunday School, youth group, serve on the worship team, plan events and much more. These jobs require not only time during Sunday services but all the preparation time as well. Many put twenty hours or more a week into serving at church. They do this out of love for God and commitment to their local congregation; never resenting the time they spent serving.
If the church expects its members to volunteer their time, after putting in forty to fifty hours in at their own jobs, how can their staff not do the same? I think church staff should be required to volunteer hours as well as their ‘paid’ hours at the church.
Servant leadership involves leading by example. We cannot expect our people to do anything that we are not willing to do ourselves.
I realize that most church staff falls into the first category but this is still an issue that needs to be addressed.
Let’s provide examples on how to put family first, while still serving the church as volunteers.
Linking with Ann, I thank God for:
two days with no migraines
being able to exercise today
the elders at my church who anointing me with oil and prayed for healing from migraines
the sweet elder's wives who prayed with me afterwards, affirming their love for me
God's presence and power as I spoke at a Women's Tea on Saturday
a new friend who asked to go with me and for three hours spent sharing and bonding
my daughter who fixed Mother's Day dinner for me
my sweet mother who has been such a godly example in my life
my daughter and her sweet girlfriends who cleaned the house after their party
so so many who affirm their love and friendship and their support of my ministry