Posted on February 17, 2026 by Rev. David Gunderson, tLMFT
Church Worker Wellness
Share
Other Blog Topics
The pastor started the day fixing a leaky faucet in the church’s kitchen. Later, he climbed a ladder to replace a loose shingle on the church’s roof, and by noon he was emptying all the trash from every Sunday school room. Before he began mowing the church’s front lawn, he remembered what his seminary catalog stated: “Your seminary education will not prepare you for all you will do in ministry.”
That humorous story sadly illustrates how many church workers get caught doing tasks that are not part of their call. Many of those tasks could be done by others in the church, allowing the church worker to concentrate on work they were trained and called to do.
A church worker’s main calling is to share God’s good news of salvation in Jesus Christ with others. This is done through sermons, Bible studies, evangelism calls, meetings, visits, and a dozen other ways. One more way for a church worker to do the Lord’s work is delegating work to others.
It implies entrusting someone else with a task or responsibility. Jesus trained and equipped others for ministry and then sent them out. In Luke 10 one reads
The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
In the same way, church workers need to learn to train others to assist in the Lord’s work. Saint Paul, in Ephesians 4:11–12, states,
And God gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
He has called us into a team ministry! In one way, the pastor or church worker is like a coach for a sports team. The coach’s job is not to play every position on the team. The coach’s job is to recruit the right players, train those team members, encourage those team members, and allow the team members to do their job.
To do the Lord’s work well, the pastor or church worker needs to learn to delegate different jobs within the church to others. To aid church workers in delegating with confidence (and as they grow in the art of delegation) here are five helpful steps.
Having folks involved in handling finances, doing property maintenance, or assisting with teaching are some areas members can do — and possibly do better than the church worker. However, there are certain ministries, like leading worship or delivering sermons, that are best left to the church worker. At the same time, training someone to lead the worship service and possibly share an already written sermon can be a good way to cover for the pastor when he is out of town. This is a wise use of delegation.
Preparing a clear job description for the work being delegated is vital for success. This job description should include the goal, what needs to be done to accomplish the goal, what resources will be available — including the training provided. The job description should include the dates and times when the person needs to do the job.
For example: To recruit a Sunday school teacher, one should provide the age of the students they will be teaching, when they will be teaching (every Sunday from September through May), the lesson material provided, training opportunities to help them, and most of all a reminder that the goal in teaching is to help others know about Jesus as their Savior.
When challenges or questions surface, who can they ask for guidance? This person doesn’t have to be the pastor or church worker, but could easily be the congregational president or someone else. If times are challenging, remember to provide words of encouragement. A weekly devotional thought from the pastor or church workers to those volunteers serving in the church can be a way to lift spirits.
People may be slower than us in doing the work. Others may choose to do things their own way. Some will make mistakes. At these times it is tempting to jump in and do it ourselves. (Don’t be like that parent who says, “Oh, I can do it better myself!” only to prevent their child from ever learning how to do something.) A key to delegating is allowing others to make mistakes, forgiving them, and giving them another opportunity to learn through their mistakes. Jesus did this all the time with His disciples!
Churches, like many businesses, need to seek input from their volunteers. Don’t wait until they have finished the job. Seek their input as they are doing their work so changes can be made on the spot. Remember to recognize these servants in some public way. While many are humble servants, it is important to honor these individuals. Maybe during a church service, recognize the Sunday school teachers with a gift card or coffee cup. The key is recognizing them for being “good and faithful servants” for the Lord and His church!
In closing, remember:
Delegating gives the church worker more time to pursue other ministry opportunities, more time for family, and more time for self-care.
Delegating work to others within the church allows those individuals opportunities to do the Lord’s ministry and to grow in their relationship to Christ.
God’s Blessings in Christ,
Pastor David Gunderson
Our church needs healthy workers. Lutheran Family Service knows the importance of proactive wellness and encourages church workers to prioritize mental health just as much as physical health. We have years of experience serving church workers in LCMS congregations and schools. If your congregation, yourself, or a church worker you know would benefit from the support of Lutheran Family Service, refer to or contact us today.
More posts about Church Worker Wellness
