Photo by J. Kelly Brito on Unsplash
Where it all started...
I had just finished school. I did not know what God had for me. I just knew I did not want to spend my time after school sitting around and twiddling my thumbs. I knew that God did not have college life in store for me in the sense of leaving home and going away to college. What did He want me to do? For the first year, I did not do any college courses. I always wanted to write, and one day marry and be a mommy. What would I do until then? God has a way of working things out in His own time. Not our time, for it would surely be the wrong time.
I do not know exactly when it happened. Our church was probably just over one year's old. Back then, the preacher's office was my parents bedroom. That was where the church computer was. (Now the office has moved to Josh's old room. Quite a big move!:) ) For the first year, Dad had been writing all the checks, logging all the giving into the computer, and all that sort of church work. He knew that he did not necessarily need to be the one to log in the giving. He as the pastor, did not want to see all that the people gave. He needed a church secretary. Who did he call? Me, of all people. At first I was thinking, are you sure about this? I never dreamed of being a church secretary. It was just something I was never interested in. I never liked math, and I did not care for talking on the phone. But, as a dutiful daughter I pulled up a chair when my preacher/father said "You are going to learn how to do this." It was a lot to take in at first, but before long, I was starting to get the hang of it. Before I knew it, I was even writing checks. It seemed like a big responsibility, and it is. For a while, though, I just thought it was a dad-called thing, not exactly a God-called thing. He has a way of working through others, however. It was not until a year later that I recognized it was really a God-called thing. He wanted me to be a secretary for my father/preacher. I am definitely no expert, that is for certain. I still have much to learn.
College Life
A year passed since I finished school. I had taken the year off. I guess the Lord knew I needed that break from school. The fall semester was drawing nigh. It was less than a month before college life would begin for most young people. We had talked of doing online college before, but it just had not worked out. Somehow, somewhere, my parents heard of an online college. It would be inexpensive, for federal aid would pay for most of it. My parents talked to me and Brenna about doing college. They did not force us. With some thought and prayer, I pensively decided yes, though still a little unsure of myself and what I was getting into. College started, and it was a little difficult for me. I had been out of school for a year. Now I was back in. I had to learn to juggle school, work, and life. There were times I got stressed, frustrated, and ready to quit, but I got through it with the Lord's help. As one song says, "If God brought you to it, then God will lead you through it." There were some trials along the way. I will just leave it at that. School always took a little longer for me and that carried into college. It took me three years to get a two years associates degree, but I am glad I did it. The Lord had much to teach me those three years, all while staying at home, in my church, where God had called me. Two years into it, I started getting paid for what God called me to do. Hey, $50 a month is $50, and I was thankful for it.
The job after college...
Now was the time to put what I had learned into practice. There were some things I wish I had been taught, but I learned them while on the job. I am still learning. It was amazing to see how God just started providing. I got a pay raise a year ago, and then another pay raise this year. I was so surprised when they told me what I would be getting for just serving the Lord. It may not be a lot, but to me it is a big blessing. And it was earned by just serving the Lord. As one of our favorite preacher's, Pastor Dave McCoy, likes to say, "It pays to serve God."
5 Things a New Secretary Should Know
I am by no means an expert. I still have so much to learn about being a church secretary, but God has taught me a few things along the way.
1.) Faithfulness is needed.
No, it is required. First Corinthians 4:1 says, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man" or woman "be found faithful." Before you can be a faithful church secretary, you must be faithful to the Lord. You cannot be a secretary if you are not faithful to church.
2.) It requires diligence.
It takes diligence to get all the work done. It takes diligence to get the work done on time, and to pay the bills on time. Yes, that is a lesson I had to learn quite a few times. My dad had to be VERY patient with me. I could not imagine if I had started being a secretary under someone who was not my dad. I would have cried at the drop of a hat. Well, sometimes, I actually did. But one rebuke from the preacher about not doing something right, I would have run home in tears saying, "I give up. I quit!"
3.) Respect the pastor's wishes.
I love and respect my father, but at times, I have found it a little tricky balancing being his daughter and being his secretary. I hate to say it, but I fear that at times, I see him too much as my dad, that I fail to respect him as my preacher. That is not something every secretary has to deal with. I am just thankful that my dad has been very patient with me. I really want to please him. I hate it when I mess up, or forget. Ultimately, I need and want to please the Lord. Even though I have only worked for one preacher, I realize that every preacher is different. Different preachers may want their secretary to handle things in a different way. A secretary has to learn how that preacher likes things done so there will be understanding.
4.) Keep things in confidence.
Being my dad's secretary and working at the same time, in the same room, there have been some things that I heard while working, that I had to keep in confidence. Basically, a secretary should not be a gossip. I do not share what one person gives to the Lord with the next person. I do not even tell my dad how much each person gives, or gossip about who does not give. He does not want to know that. He wants to be able to preach freely. I hope I worded this right, and that it makes sense.
5.) The job is rewarding.
"It pays to serve God more than anything I know." Like any job, there may be some difficulties along the way, but it can be very rewarding. Not just in money. Though it is nice getting paid for what I do, that is not the only reward. One of the rewards is seeing God's people give faithfully. Another reward/blessing is helping my preacher and taking a load off his shoulders. Another blessing is seeing how God provides the finances for the church. Yet another reward is having a part in paying the missionaries. I have given to faith promise missions since I was at least nine, but there is something special in writing out and sending them their checks each month.
I never saw church secretarial work in my future, but God did. He has a way of leading us to His will and giving us what we need to do it. I am still learning, but when I remember the rewards, it makes me want to keep on going for the Lord.
Keeping my heart while serving Him
Elisabeth Kristine
