Originally Posted by Michael Phelps
I spent several years in the engineering business while in the ministry, but all of my time was in the automotive tooling field - designing, building and installing automotive assembly lines.
When I was laid off in 1999, I went into the ministry full time until 2005.
When I resigned the church, I spent some time recruiting engineers, and I placed several engineers with the company that now employs me, Jacobs Engineering.
Well, long story short, Jacobs offered me a job with their company, supporting Kellogg's.
I explained that I didn't have an engineering degree, and had absolutely NO food and beverage experience, but they liked my management skills and hired me anyway.
On my first day, my boss said, "I can give you two options - I can hand you this huge procedure manual to read for a month, or I can give you a project to manage, and look over your shoulder and guide you".
I said, "Give me the project!!!!!!!"
I was fortunate, because he mentored me while I was actually working on a project, instead of making me sit at a desk for month and read documentation that I didn't even really understand yet.
My point is that many churches have "new converts training", but it mainly consists of sitting in class rooms, trying to absorb a ton of information, but not being allowed to actually "DO" anything in the church until they've completed a certain number of courses, which by the way, usually takes weeks or months.
I realize that most Apostolic churches have standards that must be met before one can be involved in platform ministry, but I still think we would retain many more people if we actually let them get involved SOMEWHERE in our churches right off the bat, and just look over their shoulder.
THey may make mistakes along the way, and they may not look like the more seasoned saints, but a mature congregation will understand and nurture the new converts thru their foibles and follies.
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