Performance Review

I have been in my new job for 8 months after 15 years of practicing law. Here is my 10 point self-performance review, which includes assessments, admissions and self-incriminations.

1. I am the Director of Membership, and yet I struggle with what the word "membership" means. It is a slight comfort to learn that apparently most/many/all churches struggle with this question. Turns out there are electronic tomes out there in cyberspace about this very issue. I continue to study what it means, or should mean, at Nativity.

2. I was raised in law to believe that meetings were bad and a huge waste of time. So we never had them. I now know that was wrong. Yes, meetings can be poorly run, but you need them to function as a team.

3. I work harder at this job than I did at practicing law (at least during my law partner years) and I was not known as a light or even a moderate worker at my law firm. I am always thinking, assessing, what could or should be done differently. My To Do List keeps growing. In a good way.

4. Like all work, there are aspects of church work that aren't engaging or entertaining, but they need to be done. Like returning phone calls, only to have to leave another message. Which I hate. Returning phone calls is usually the first thing I do, simply to get it over with. If you need me, by the way, please email me.

5. I am still an obsessive list and chart maker. I thought that would stop with the job change, but it didn't. I keep a chart of every phone call I get, the subject, and when I returned it. It's a sickness.

6. My favorite weekday is Monday. Really. Lunch meeting!

7. It's hard to find the kind of pro bono legal work that I would like to do. I've switched from foreclosure law to adult guardianship. We'll see.

8. I am not nearly as good at this job as I thought I would be. There is a lot to learn and unlearn. I can't be self-sufficient and rely only on myself for results.

9. Don't write in the Church Calendar in pen. You'll regret it.

10. I'm embarrassed to admit that it's easy to forget God in the equation even at church sometimes. After an hour or so, when I'm spinning my wheels, it occurs to me that I need to pray and invite Someone else into the work.

Speaking of prayer, time to get ready for this morning's staff prayer meeting. More thoughts later.