Change.
I have never really liked change; unless it meant the next better, faster, smaller, cooler tech gadget. Change usually means learning something new. I like learning new things. It can mean the beginning of a great new friendship, or a raise, or a new family member, or the ability to do new wonderful things. I like all of that. So, why do I not like change? It also means facing the uncertain. It means giving up my false sense of control and security. I have, what I consider to be, one of the best jobs I have ever had. I work at my church, a place I love full of people I love. Working there has always seemed to be a win win for me. I like going to church. I like helping other people. I like teaching people to do new things. That is exactly what I have been able to do for five years now. They even pay me! Like I said... win win.
Change.
My church has spent the last 18 months moving from a great location, that was getting too small; to an even greater building that has plenty of room to grow. God painted this beautiful picture, where we bought an abandoned building, a smaller church bought our previous location, and a church based private school bought theirs to expand the school campus. This was a win, win, win!
Change.
I am a salaried property manager. Before the move, I managed a custodial department of around 20 people, a maintenance department with 2 people, a grounds/snow/ice removal crew of 6 people, the security of the building and grounds of our 90,000 square foot building on 12 acres, as well as the upkeep of our van/bus equipment. Oh, yeah, and a partridge in a pear tree. During the transition I morphed into a gopher for the contractors, a transporter for people and stuff between buildings, a demo "expert" for remodel at the new 150,000 square foot building on 25 acres, an installer for dispensers of anything one might need in a public bathroom, and a professional meeting attender (with a specialty in last minute unplanned ones). My weekly hours changed from an average of 45 to 50, to an average of 80 to 90. I became accustomed to a "second paycheck" in the form of my monthly mileage reimbursement checks. I learned to eat "fast food" three times a day so I could save enough time to sleep six hours that night. As crazy as that all sounds, I actually enjoyed most of it.
Change.
Most of the dust has settled. People in all areas of ministry are finding their new norm and developing new patterns to their days and weeks at work. The realization that the move/remodel actually cost 20% more than originally planned is sinking in. The reality that we have expanded our congregation 20 to 25% is a sign that growth has only begun. The truth that our offerings, in spite of the growth are down from numbers compared to those before our move; and our monthly expenses are almost double now are hard to avoid. All this while our national economic nose-dive screams at us.
Change.
The church board is faced with making some very tough decisions. Where can we save money? What can be changed, delayed, or cut that will have minimal impact on our reaching people for Christ? Can jobs be cut? Can programs be cut? Can events be canceled? These are all questions they have to ask AND answer. I do not envy them. I DO pray for them every day.
Change.
I have, over the last few months, become more and more aware that some of these cuts could very well mean my job will completely change, or possibly even be eliminated.
Change.
I am old enough to know, my "job" is to take care of my family foremost. This means looking for a new job. Whether I find one or not, will ultimately be up to God. Whether I need one or not, will also be up to my Lord. As my friends and family are so painfully aware, my opinion in matters like these is plainly, "My job is to do my best, then (and only then) God will take care of all the rest!". So I am putting together a new resume. I am becoming a member of all those employment websites that I never thought I would need. I am calling in favors for job interviews, and soon I will even be "cold-calling". I am in a unique spot. I have 20+ years of retail management experience, with almost half of that being in HR. I have five years of property management experience. I have a personal ministry of building and repairing PC's for people that cannot afford to go buy a new one, or have a "professional" fix there current one; that has spanned a decade. I am a Mac nut that "evangelizes" the Apple OS over Windows at every opportunity (and have done so since 1988). Yes, I'm a Mac guy that fixes PC's. (That's where I got the name for this blog, another story for another time.)
That being said, if anyone out there know of any job leads in Fort Wayne, Indiana; whether in HR, Property Management (building, maintenance, etc.), or the ever elusive "Wow he can do a lot of stuff with computers, even though he has no certification. I would love to hire him and train him to be our tech/installer/IT guy!" position; please leave a comment here or email/call me!
