If your church is anything like mine, you'll almost certainly have a current list of jobs that need people to do them, a list of roles that need to be filled and probably a couple of paid vacancies that you are hoping and praying that someone (anyone) will apply for!
Recruitment is a big part of what we do in our roles: Whether that's building volunteer teams, appointing people to key roles, or advertising for a new staff appointment.
But what do we look for in any new role?
It's likely that top of your list will be someone who's brilliant at the job. Someone with all the necessary skills, experience and gifts to jump into the role headfirst and just get on with it.
And to get there, you've probably spent ages on the Person Spec: Agonising over which elements are essential and which are desirable.
Yes, they definitely must have a degree in theology, be a fantastic bible teacher, a great pastor, and a brilliant team builder. They must be great at chairing meetings, must know ChurchSuite inside out, can design anything on Canva and have a working knowledge of Microsoft 365. They must be good with children, teenagers and old ladies, can bake fantastic cakes and have a direct prophetic hotline to God. Ok, maybe that's a bit OTT for the new church cleaner? Let's leave out the ChurchSuite thing and then get the advert out.
In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel has been given a big recruitment job. The Lord has sent him to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, to find the next King of Israel. It's a big responsibility. The last recruitment round turned out badly, with King Saul failing his probation, so Samuel needs to get this one right, he starts to put his person spec together.
It's obvious, isn't it?! The King has to be big and strong, able to lead an army into battle and command the respect of all the people. He has to be good looking. And he has to be one of Jesse's sons.
Samuel arrives at Jesse's place where he has all his son's lined up, so Samuel can take a look. He starts with number one son, who seems to fit the bill nicely. Big, strong and handsome. Just the ticket to be the next King. Job done. He's the man!
Not so, say's God! "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7)
At this point, Samuel is confused. He signed off on the person spec in God's presence so he can't see what the problem is. He moves on to the next son, and the next one, and the next. And each time God says "no". Until he runs out of sons.
Why is God being so picky? Doesn't he know how hard it is to recruit staff at the moment?
Now, if you know the story, you'll know that there's one more son left. The youngest, the insignificant one. He's not even made it onto the shortlist – instead he's out in the fields tending the sheep.
"Go and get him", says Samuel, so Jesse sends for him. And as soon as he arrives the Lord say's "that's the one…arise and anoint him".
I find it interesting that although the Lord made it so clear that He's not interested in outward appearances, when David is brought before Samuel the author describes him as "glowing with health" and having "a fine appearance and handsome features"! If that's not a focus on outward appearance, then what is? Have they learned nothing?
So, what's going on? I don't think it's that the person spec is irrelevant. The new King needed to be healthy and handsome. He needed to be someone who can survive the battle and command respect – the basic requirements for any king. But there was something else the new King needed as well. Something that was much more important. Something that would ensure he could really do the job well. And it's something we don't often see in a person spec:
The new king needed to be a man after God's own heart.
Just listen to Samuel's condemnation of David's predecessor in 1 Samuel 13:13-14 "You have done a foolish thing," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
Not what you want to hear in a probationary interview, is it?
So, when you are looking for a new team member, a new volunteer or a new member of staff, by all means work on the person spec, but don't miss out the most important quality of all: To be someone who loves the Lord and put's him first. To be a person after God's own heart.
And finally, what about you (or me for that matter)? Is that line in our person spec? Is it listed on our job description? Probably not! But if it was, would we make it onto the shortlist?
Mark Parsons
Director, UK Church Administrators Network