When targeting specific church jobs (such as pastor, administrative assistant, youth director, worship director, youth pastor, etc.), it is essential to identify the key skills and traits that churches seek. Although each church may differ in size, theology, denomination, and location, there are consistent traits and abilities that churches seek in candidates for church openings. Although not comprehensive, here are ten traits/skills that churches are seeking in Christian candidates for their church jobs.
- Spiritual Gifts
All Christians have spiritual gifts. Churches want applicants who know their top spiritual gifts and how they relate to the church openings that interest the applicant. Spiritual gifts related to leadership positions might include:
Shepherd/Pastor - Ability to nurture and direct the spiritual growth of a group of believers (Ephesians 4:11).
Teaching - Ability to comprehend and communicate biblical truths, enabling listeners to learn and apply God's word.
Leadership - Ability to set future goals and influence and direct others to accomplish God's work (Romans 12:6,8).
Completing a spiritual gifts assessment such as ones found online or in our book Live Your Calling will help you target the right church jobs and answer interview questions related to your strengths.
- A Vibrant Faith
Churches want staff members who are faithful followers of Jesus. They are not looking for perfection; instead, they are seeking applicants with an authentic faith that has been developed through the highs and lows of life. Congregations want to follow leaders who have experienced spiritual doubt, fear, and failure and yet have trusted God throughout their lives. An authentic faith is a faith that can empathize with church members and lead them into a richer faith.
A vibrant faith also means that church staff members are known for practicing spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, and others) that help the pastor to grow in their relationship with Christ. This type of faith is contagious and will encourage those attending church.
- Personal Skills
Personal skills, also known as “soft skills,” are more inborn than developed. Most churches seek candidates for pastor positions who are warm, friendly, empathetic, good listeners, problem solvers, enthusiastic, gentle, persistent, ethical, and trustworthy. These personal skills relate to working with people individually and in groups.
Churches need candidates who already have the personal skills required for the job. For example, when hiring an executive pastor, churches don’t want to try to teach a newly hired pastor how to be “detail-oriented and organized” if those skills are needed. Instead, they want an executive pastor who already has these personal skills.
If you are a Christian seeking a church position, look for personal skills in the job description. Then, you can include any of them that are true of you in your resume and cover letter. Of course, during an interview, those hiring for the position will want to see your personal skills on display. So, besides describing how your personal skills help you in the position you are applying for, be sure to demonstrate and give examples of how you have used the needed personal skills in your work.
Demonstrating key personal skills also helps you make a great first impression during an interview. Since first impressions are formed in the first 30 seconds to 2 minutes of meeting you at an interview, your personal skills (such as being reliable, hardworking, warm, and kind) can help you make a great first impression.
- Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are developed at work, school, and life and can be used in different jobs. Depending on the type of church job, transferable skills may include teaching, planning, managing, counseling, leading, and others.
Transferable skill names are action words and typically begin sentences in a church job description, such as “Conduct special training projects for children's workers” or “Organize and oversee an ongoing visitation and evangelism program for children and parents.”
- Content Skills
Content skills are knowledge that helps people do particular jobs, such as being a Christian education director. For this position, content skills might include understanding Christian education, the Bible, spiritual gifts, child development, evangelism, and spiritual growth. Content skills can be learned through formal college education, on the job, and through internships. You can also gain content skills through conferences, online classes, and reading books.
Content skills identify where a person would like to use their personal skills and transferable skills. For example, a Christian Education Director might ideally want to use their personal skills of organization and hard work, transferable skills of planning and teaching, and content skills of knowledge of Christian education and child development within a church setting. Of course, those skills could also be used in other ministry settings, such as mission organizations.
If you need help identifying your personal, transferable, and content skills, CareerFitTest.com offers assessments for all three skill categories. The platform helps you understand your unique skills and provides tools to explore career options, make informed decisions, and craft a compelling resume. Additionally, CareerFitTest.com equips you to confidently answer interview questions, implement effective job search strategies to save time, and excel in the interview and salary negotiation process.
- An Understanding of Weaknesses
Those hiring for church openings seek candidates mature enough to recognize their weaknesses and wise enough to ask for help when needed. A candidate applying for a pastor position may also commit to improving particular weaker areas to enhance their ministry.
While a pastor needs to be competent in using personal, transferable, and content skills required for the job, they don’t need to be adept at all the necessary skills to run a church.
- An Understanding of Primary and Secondary Callings
While all of mankind has a primary calling to salvation and discipleship (following Jesus), we also have secondary callings. Secondary callings are life roles such as being a husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother, father, mother, neighbor, and worker. The worker role, also a secondary calling, is what we describe as one’s “vocational calling.” A candidate for a church position needs to feel that God has called them to be a pastor, administrative assistant, or worship leader.
A church will want to see that a candidate strives to keep their primary calling primary through intentional personal spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, worship, and fellowship. They want candidates who “seek first the kingdom of God” to keep their primary calling primary.
If the “vocational calling” is to be a pastor, this role should be confirmed by a candidate's references and by the answers to interview questions. Those seeking pastor openings should be able to clearly describe a mission statement for following Christ (primary calling) and for being a pastor (secondary calling). They should also be able to explain their other secondary callings (husband, father, neighbor, etc.) and how they intentionally live out these callings. God doesn’t call any of us to be workaholics but instead calls us to various secondary callings.
Churches want candidates who can clearly describe the needs that they feel called to meet. If you are applying for pastor openings, you can more effectively communicate your primary and secondary callings by writing mission statements that include the top skills (transferable, personal, and content skills) needed for the work and the needs you feel called to meet as a pastor.
- A Passion to Share the Gospel
Churches want staff members who are intentional about sharing the Gospel. They want pastors who don’t see the Great Commission as an abstract concept or something others should do. The right staff members are Christians who are intentional about personal witnessing and sharing the good news in their “vocational calling” at work.
- A Visionary Servant – Leader
Everyone on staff at a church can be a leader. And Scripture teaches us that the word “servant” should be added to any church leadership position. Jesus modeled “servant leadership” as he humbled himself to serve mankind, even to the extent of dying on the cross for our sins.
Some church positions emphasize leading by example or expertise. An example of this type of position could be an executive pastor who is often behind the scenes, helping the church to be a wise steward of its financial resources. Other church positions, such as a senior pastor, lead more by directly overseeing other staff members and helping to create a vision based on the church’s mission. A visionary servant leader pastor ensures that the church's vision is translated into clear goals as a part of a strategic plan for achieving those goals and dreams. The pastor needs to equip, empower, and encourage each member to take action at an individual level and as part of the body of Christ so that the church can achieve its mission and purpose.
- Excellent Verbal and Written Communication Skills
Whether the church job is an administrative assistant or a senior pastor, each staff member needs to have excellent verbal and written communication skills. These skills will allow church staff members to influence and motivate a congregation to live out the church’s mission and goals individually and as the Body of Christ. For example, a volunteer coordinator position would require the right person to communicate effectively to motivate small and large volunteer groups for fundraising, charity work, and various community outreach efforts.
Summary
These are key traits that churches seek in the right candidates. As you search for church jobs, note the traits individual churches seek for their church job openings. If you have these traits, describe them in your resume, cover letter, and any other requested candidate materials. When asked to interview, remind yourself of the personal, transferable, and content skills you want to communicate and the stories that prove you have those skills. This will help those hiring to see who you are and how your skills and experiences make you the right person to hire.
If you are interested in career counseling and/or job search assistance (including resume writing, LinkedIn development, interview coaching) check out our services and schedule a free career services consultation.
If your church has openings and wants to find great candidates, learn more about our unique job posting opportunities at ChurchJobsOnline.com and PastorJobs.Net.
© Article copyright by Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck, www.ChurchJobsOnline.com, www.PastorJobs.net, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com, www.ChristianJobFair.com, and www.LiveYourCalling.com