Church leadership has always been a partnership of administration and proclamation, of ideas and the execution of those ideas which usually involves a whole team of people.  One of the key people at Saint Michael has been the Office Administrator, the role Joyce Uber recently retired from and the role Debbie Bogue filled for so long.  The question many people have of course, is who is going to be the “new Joyce”?   But that question is not easily answered because like all always, the world is changing and the church must change in response.

When Joyce notified us of her retirement, the church council and I believed this was an opportunity to examine how the current job description for the Office Administrator at Saint Michael Lutheran might need to be changed or even rewritten given the year we had experienced and the years that lie ahead of us.  What kinds of skills are needed to communicate in the ever increasing digital world we are living in?  Is there one person who possesses all of those skills or do we need to think about shifting and reallocating responsibilities among a variety of people?

A sub team of council members who are experienced in staffing and management went to work exploring those questions.  They brought their suggestions to the full council who approved the framework and we are currently finishing up the job descriptions and compensation parameters.  In addition to adding some specialized skill sets, this framework also allow a great deal of flexibility for our staff, which is one of the key benefits we can offer:

We are currently operating under a transition plan, giving more hours to Jodi Colgan to carry out many of the daily office administrative duties. Deacon Coco and a student from Midland continue to cover essential communications responsibilities.  However, moving forward, we will be adding a dedicated communications specialist and after some reshuffling of duties, the staff will be composed of:

  • A half-time(ish) Office Coordinator who handles most of the daily administrative tasks
  • A half-time Communications Specialist who manages the website, social media, newsletters, electronic communications, advertising, branding and video production.
  • A part time front desk receptionist who will fill gaps when needed.

All of this fits within our current budget and we will be posting more information about filling these roles in the near future.  I give thanks for all the ways God has enabled ministry in this congregation throughout our 40 years and I look forward to all of the new and exciting ways God will continue to do so.  I ask you to join me in praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the partnership of proclamation and administration continues to evolve and meet the needs of an ever changing world.  P.  Tim