OnlineRev - Partnering With Pastors:
New Job Descriptions for the emerging Church

by Leonard Sweet

This isn't an easy time to pastor a congregation. I have utmost sympathy for those who are having trouble making the transition to ministry in the emerging culture.

Once something sinks into the skull, it's hard to get it out and embrace a contrary idea. New modes of worship come easier for some than others. This suggested list of “worship positions” in the emerging church is no doubt old hat to those of you who've been moving in these directions for years. But for some of us, it will be a stretch to transition our ministry to embrace these possibilities:

Ushers—an usher used to escort people to their seats, where they were enjoined to sit down, be still, and keep silent. But a true usher has the sacred role of ushering people into the presence of God. An usher is the name of every member of the worship design team. The “head usher” is who used to be called the worship leader, who's now less a moderator of order or a human metronome keeping everybody together than a participation artist.
Curators—a new position which is already manifesting itself in what the English call alt.worship (alternative worship) circles. A curator is a servant of the people who curates (not leads) worship by functioning as an “installer of art and creator of an environment that is conducive to experiencing God” (see Andrew Jones, “Is This the Next New Worship?” FaithWorks).
Concierges—experts in the art of hospitality, replacing what used to be called the church host or hostess. George Hunter's right when he says that the presence of church visitors is “the most misperceived signal in local churches today, and the church's most neglected opportunity” (The Celtic Way of Evangelism). But concierges need to be employed for members as well, resolving problems, handling complaints, and managing “moments of truth.”
Servers—people who put the service in “worship service.” Instead of bringing people to their pews, servers bring coffee, handouts, artworks, and other necessary instruments to the people, who are increasingly at tables or in other conducive seating arrangements to fit the worship experience. Servers build a service culture in the church at every point of contact (starting in the parking lot), and mentor others in service training.
Sommelier—more than a fancy name for “wine steward,” this is a person whose ministry is to know each member of the congregation intimately, and find creative and original ways to personalize the church's ministries and make people feel at home.

Instead of lumping everyone together as nameless “volunteers” (how I hate that word) or “unpaid servants” or even “ministers,” the church needs a vocabulary of respect and nuance that names people's ministries. What other ones would you suggest?

Great article! I like the position of liturgist that Brian McLaren has often discussed. Good Friday services are a great example of the opportunity and need for liturgists.

Here in Wray, we had a Good Friday service at the Presbyterian church. We included readings from Jesus The Son of Man by Kahlil Gibran. It's a great book with fictionalized readings from the perspectives of people who witnessed Jesus and Good Friday. We incorporated these readings with Scripture readings which introduced each character. Then we sang one verse and the chorus responsively to "Were You There". It was a powerful service. I will try to post the entire service soon.