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I’ve had a deep passion for serving the church from a relatively young age and was fortunate enough to have great leaders invest in me early on. Perhaps the most beneficial experience at the very beginning of my ministerial journey was a pastoral internship I received in college.

I am a loud and proud introvert (okay, not really loud per se). Recently I read the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, and if I were actually loud, I would shout about this book from the rooftops.

In my opinion, everyone should read this book, introverts and extroverts alike. It goes through many studies and theories examining and discussing introversion at its core, laying out ideas on how to tell from an early age whether a child is an introvert or extrovert, as well as the way culture can shape this trait.

There is probably nothing more exciting to a job seeker than getting “the call.” You know the call I’m talking about: the call from the company you've been tirelessly applying to, interviewing for, and obsessing over for the last several weeks, and maybe even months. This is the long-awaited call where you’re offered a job!

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new offer, especially if the job has been in your sights for a while. Before you accept it, ensure this is the right next step for you by doing your research and spending time in reflection. Consider these four things (if you haven’t already).

Even in a vocation like ministry (which is more of a calling than mere employment), the job search can be frustrating, confusing, and exhausting. I’ve not only personally experienced how soul-draining it can be to send out hundreds of resumes, seemingly into the void, but I’ve also encountered many pastors going through the same, sometimes-defeating process. Along the way, I’ve learned a few things that would have made my own job search much easier.

Here are 4 tips to keep you motivated and encouraged in your job search:

Student pastors have one of the highest turnover rates in churches. Some people consider the role to be an “entry level” point for individuals who are called to full-time ministry, so many candidates are not committed to a long-term position in student ministry. More often though, turnover stems from simply having the wrong person in the role.

I’m one of those millennials. You know – one of those millennials that job hops and can’t commit to any job for more than a year.

I’m one of those, except that I just celebrated my fifith anniversary – or "Vanderversary" – here at Vanderbloemen last week. 

How am I millennial yet have stayed at one organization for five years?

Your search team has prayed, reviewed, and vetted numerous candidates, and it’s now time to begin the crucial interview process.

Here at Vanderbloemen, we walk alongside our clients throughout the process to help see their search to a successful closing. With hundreds of searches under our belt, we know that every church is unique, so there is no one right way to do final interviews. That being said, here are some best interview practices of churches that we’ve seen through the years as they seek who God is calling as their next pastor.

Click here to download our free Pastor Search Prayer Calendar for your search committee

At Vanderbloemen, we work with churches of many different sizes, denominations, and staff hiring needs. While each church is unique and looking for something specific in their next hire, we do see a handful of common traits that employers are looking for in every candidate that applies. 

One of the key elements in the hiring process is reference -checking. The reference check is designed to give a 360-degree view of the candidate.

As our Background Specialist, Gail Mayes, has written on our blog before, "A misconception about conducting church background checks is that they are intended to 'dig up dirt' on a potential hire. This is not the case. The process of conducting church background checks are intended for you to get to know your potential new team member better and gain clarity on whether they would be a good fit for your team or not."

If you find yourself listed as a reference as a former or current employer, supervisor, or manager, there are some steps you can take to be prepared.

If you're a hiring manager who conducts background checks regularly, download our guide to effective ministry reference checks.

Here are 6 helpful tips to help you maneuver the upcoming reference call: