I had just finished praying, I sat back against the pew, ready for Mass with my family when I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find a parent of one of my students, she said, “Hey Chris, sorry to bother you but do you have minute to chat about my son?”
I had a choice, leave my family and Mass to go talk to the parent or tell the parent I was busy. What would you do in that situation?
There have been times when I’ve chosen the parent over my family and times when I’ve chosen family over the parent. I’ve been burned and blessed by those decisions. It’s not an easy place to be, but will happen if you choose to worship at the church that currently employs you.
While there is the option of worshipping elsewhere I think the benefits to worshipping at the church that employees you outweigh going someplace else. Here are 3 of my reasons why it matters:
More people walk through your church on the weekends then any other time during the week. And if you are going off campus during the week to invite people to church, chances are they are going to look for you on Sunday. By being present on the weekend you’ll have higher success in recruiting volunteers, interacting with parents and advocating your youth ministry.
When you work at a church you are a part of a community. All of your efforts drive towards the weekend. Even if you do not have a major role in planning the liturgy your presence at Mass says you are 100% behind your coworkers, volunteers and the families you serve. A church body that worships together also works well together because you are all bought into the mission of that local church.
Accessibility leads to more personal interactions which leads to stronger relationships. When you have those strong relationships you gain trust which leads to buy-in. If you want people supporting your ministry they need to know who you are and that they can talk with you.
At the same time being more accessible means being more susceptible to interruptions while you worship. While you might not be able to handle the tension on your own you can handle it by:
We all need someone asking us, “How’s your soul?” If you find it a challenge to worship where you work make sure you have someone walking with you through the journey. That can be a coach, a spiritual director or a fellow church worker. Invite them to ask you about your relationship with Christ and your job. Allow them to guide you through the tension.
While Mass might be the source and summit of our Catholic faith, there are additional ways to strengthen our relationship with Christ. Whether it’s daily Mass, adoration or quiet time prayer make sure you aren’t just looking to grow on Sunday. You need to constantly be working out your faith and embracing new spiritual habits.
Focus On Boundaries And Communicate Them
Creating boundaries allows you to discern when you should invest in your personal spiritual growth and when you need to get to work. That means having days off where you can rest and refuel. It’s knowing when to say, yes and no to family and work. Then it’s about communicating it with your pastor, coworkers, familly members, friends and key volunteers. They’ll hold you accountable but also help you protect those boundaries. Just keep the conversation flowing.
There will be tension but don’t forget your presence on the weekend matters. When you worship where you work you are telling others that you are invested in the place they call their church home. They’ll appreciate your sacrifice and look at ways of investing in you.