Thoughts from an Assistant 1 (of 4)
Gatekeeper
A lot of people ask me how to develop great partnerships with an assistant. Instead of giving you my thoughts, I asked my assistant, Sarah, to give you her insight. This week Sarah will share four posts on assisting in ministry.
Sarah writes…
In ancient and medieval times, gatehouses of cities and castles were heavily defended and equipped to prevent violation of the gates. Often the gate would consist of several pairs of doors and iron gates along a tunnel through a gatehouse. Standing outside the gates were the gatekeepers, monitoring and guarding anyone passing through the gates.
An important part of my role is to protect Craig. I’m his gatekeeper. So many people want to meet with him, but our church family is so large, it’s literally impossible for him. I’m sure many of you can relate. My job is to help people understand Craig’s heart, but explain why he’s not able to meet with them.
I offer to help them, but if they’re still insistent on meeting with Craig, I try to connect them either with their campus pastor or with someone else on staff who can best meet their need. For the most part, people are very understanding.
I also monitor all the mail and email activity. Craig has enough on his mind, so I filter what I think is necessary for him to see. He doesn’t need to see hate mail or someone venting their personal frustration. If something comes through that I feel is a valid concern, then I’ll share it with Craig or our Directional Leadership Team for further consideration.
Craig trusts my judgment, so he’s confident in my decisions to determine what he does and doesn’t see. It’s been very helpful for him.
What about your assistant? Have you given them legitimate authority to be your gatekeeper?
Visit 
