What To Say When the Rector Calls
By Lyle Gibbons
Like many of you, I have served on quite a few weekends now, but having just experienced the honor of serving as Rector last weekend, I have gained a new perspective on what your new or prospective Rector looks for.
The phone rings……you’ve been aware that the Rector has called some of your friends… and you’ve been waiting for your call. What do you say? How do you respond?
From the perspective of a former Rector, he is starting to make the team worksheets and fill in some blanks for both Head Positions, and those who want to serve in a “non” head position. God’s direction has been sought for each position because as Rector, they are under the direction of God and know that the Lord is the real Rector of the weekend. Your Rector has diligently prayed over who should fill what role, supported by the Spiritual DiRector’s prayers as well.
So the Rector has done his/her homework before starting to call each member of the team. The Rector will call, chat a bit, give you the dates, which you probably already know and ask the question, “Would you be available to serve? That’s really the only answer the Rector needs to know in this phone call. Based on your answer of “Yes, I’d love to.” Or another very positive response is ” Let me pray about serving on the team, and I’ll get back to you in less than a week”. It is the Rector’s choice to tell you the position that he/she has been praying about for you, or there may be a need to hold off while other positions are being settled.
Here is the way I choose to respond to the Rectors who call me….” Yes I want to serve”. In honor of those who have served before me, and I totally appreciate everything about Midwest Kansas City Tres Dias, when a position is presented, I always say yes, automatically. Because I know the level of prayer that has been done, and the focus that God gives the Rector when selecting the team. There have been several jobs where I simply asked “Do I know enough to DO this job”? As I got into those jobs, if I felt like I didn’t know how be successful in that position, I would simply ask someone who has done that job, and every time, they helped me out. I would also ask my Rector for guidance and instruction and on the weekend there was always someone around who had served in that position and were willing to coached me.
There are many reasons to not serve on a weekend (schedule probably being number one) but there are only a few good reasons to turn down the position the Rector has asked me to do, but only a few. Maybe you are physically unable to do the job (requires heavy lifting and you have a bad back or perhaps you cannot be on your feet as much as is required in serving as a kitchen cha.) In that case you should let the Rector know that you really want to serve, but you are not physically able to do that. There may be another cha position that the Rector and God could agree on for me to do or there may be accommodations that can be made so I may serve in the chosen position.
A discouraging response to the Rector would be ” No, I just don’t feel comfortable doing that, but I’d really like be on the ________ team.” So what you are really saying to the Rector and to God is that you didn’t get the position you wanted, and you think you may not serve this time.
Date conflicts really do happen, when that occurs as it does nearly every weekend, it is ok to say that our family has a conflict that weekend, but I’ll catch that during the next weekend.
So these are just a few things to seek God’s heart about serving the next time your Rector calls. If you’ve been praying about it, and God’s been talking to your Rector about it, it’s never inappropriate to respond in a manner that brings glory to God……”Let me pray about that, and I’ll get back to you in a few days.” Be open to what God says to you, it may not be the position you want, but it could be the position He wants you in.
Lyle Gibbons is the Chairman for Midwest Kansas City Tres Dias. The post was used from the community’s 2016 Spring Newsletter.
The phone rings……you’ve been aware that the Rector has called some of your friends… and you’ve been waiting for your call. What do you say? How do you respond?
From the perspective of a former Rector, he is starting to make the team worksheets and fill in some blanks for both Head Positions, and those who want to serve in a “non” head position. God’s direction has been sought for each position because as Rector, they are under the direction of God and know that the Lord is the real Rector of the weekend. Your Rector has diligently prayed over who should fill what role, supported by the Spiritual DiRector’s prayers as well.
So the Rector has done his/her homework before starting to call each member of the team. The Rector will call, chat a bit, give you the dates, which you probably already know and ask the question, “Would you be available to serve? That’s really the only answer the Rector needs to know in this phone call. Based on your answer of “Yes, I’d love to.” Or another very positive response is ” Let me pray about serving on the team, and I’ll get back to you in less than a week”. It is the Rector’s choice to tell you the position that he/she has been praying about for you, or there may be a need to hold off while other positions are being settled.
Here is the way I choose to respond to the Rectors who call me….” Yes I want to serve”. In honor of those who have served before me, and I totally appreciate everything about Midwest Kansas City Tres Dias, when a position is presented, I always say yes, automatically. Because I know the level of prayer that has been done, and the focus that God gives the Rector when selecting the team. There have been several jobs where I simply asked “Do I know enough to DO this job”? As I got into those jobs, if I felt like I didn’t know how be successful in that position, I would simply ask someone who has done that job, and every time, they helped me out. I would also ask my Rector for guidance and instruction and on the weekend there was always someone around who had served in that position and were willing to coached me.
There are many reasons to not serve on a weekend (schedule probably being number one) but there are only a few good reasons to turn down the position the Rector has asked me to do, but only a few. Maybe you are physically unable to do the job (requires heavy lifting and you have a bad back or perhaps you cannot be on your feet as much as is required in serving as a kitchen cha.) In that case you should let the Rector know that you really want to serve, but you are not physically able to do that. There may be another cha position that the Rector and God could agree on for me to do or there may be accommodations that can be made so I may serve in the chosen position.
A discouraging response to the Rector would be ” No, I just don’t feel comfortable doing that, but I’d really like be on the ________ team.” So what you are really saying to the Rector and to God is that you didn’t get the position you wanted, and you think you may not serve this time.
Date conflicts really do happen, when that occurs as it does nearly every weekend, it is ok to say that our family has a conflict that weekend, but I’ll catch that during the next weekend.
So these are just a few things to seek God’s heart about serving the next time your Rector calls. If you’ve been praying about it, and God’s been talking to your Rector about it, it’s never inappropriate to respond in a manner that brings glory to God……”Let me pray about that, and I’ll get back to you in a few days.” Be open to what God says to you, it may not be the position you want, but it could be the position He wants you in.
Lyle Gibbons is the Chairman for Midwest Kansas City Tres Dias. The post was used from the community’s 2016 Spring Newsletter.