This may be a surprising point, but it is a common administrative mistake to hire Christians. I am not referring here to hiring Christians in spiritual leadership roles, such as pastors or worship leaders, but rather to hiring or employing non-professional Christians in fields like construction or renovation, for example, in order to save money. While it is true that money may sometimes be saved, people can be lost in the process.

Not only should the Christian being hired be a professional, but their actual skills should also be verified. Additionally, if a clear contract is not signed with the contractor, problems are inevitable. In fact, based on experience, even when a properly signed contract is in place, the church often ends up at a disadvantage. Therefore, one thing is certain: a verbal agreement is not enough!

When problems arise, what will our argument be based on? Statements like, “Oh yes, I said that,” “No, you said this,” or “No, I clearly heard that” will not resolve anything. Be careful not to experience what the Corinthians went through:

“Instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!“ (1 Corinthians 6:6)

I have always found it wonderful to work among Christians. Nearly 15 years ago, I wanted to create a website that would list Christian experts from various fields. It would be great to know the Christian professionals in one’s area. I love going to restaurants owned by Christians. But there is a difference between having a meal at a restaurant and renovating a church building.

I have seen and heard of so many problems arising because, out of kindness or to save money, people wanted to “work among Christians.” Sometimes, the Christian who is hired puts their whole heart into the work but lacks performance and experience. This leaves the association leader in a difficult situation: Should they ask the hired Christian to redo all the work and cover the repair costs themselves?

Unfortunately, many pastors no longer want to work with Christians because they have had experiences with less competent or less excellent Christian workers, which created problems. Or simply because it is much harder to handle unexpected issues relationally when dealing with people from within the faith community. And if the leader requests a repair or compensation for the damage caused, won’t that often lead to relational discomfort? And what if the church no longer has the funds? Or if both parties misunderstood the project or contract terms? And if… and if… and if…!

Working among Christians? Yes, but only after thorough discussion, the establishment of a clear contract, and full awareness of the risks involved in such hiring (or service provision)…

This text is an excerpt from the book Walk in Love 2 written by Jérémy Sourdril.

We invite you to read the next article: “CHARACTER MISTAKES“.

WORKING AMONG CHRISTIANS. WORKING AMONG CHRISTIANS.