10 Years on as a church staff…

Today is 22 July 2013. It marks my 10th year working in City Harvest Church (CHC). Yeah!!!!

Much have been said about how CHC is My Church, My Life. And I would say, I love this place where I built my faith, had encounters with God and made many close friends.

I was thinking hard what to say in this post. Part of me want to go on the defensive to explain and reason out all the supposedly clever insinuations and accusations listed in Facebook. And I figured it would never end. The people (those named and those anonymously hiding behind) who made these posts never intended to hear the other side of the story. They never wanted to hear or to reason. So I figured there’s really no point arguing.

10 years to many is a long time to stay in an organisation, especially in this generation, which honours job mobility. The HR companies say it gives one a cutting edge, shows flexibility and ability to thrive in any industry. So why am I not moving? Or why didn’t I move?

Here’s why I’m staying!

• I love what I do
• I love my bosses and colleagues
• I love the organisation

I get tremendous perks as a working mother. There is a nursery here in the office, with staff to help take care of babies and toddlers up to 3 years old. There’s no reading or singing programme for them, but the staff help feed the babies, put them to sleep, and basically, it’s a wonderful child care service in the office.

When my kids were older, I appreciate the flexible working hours that, we have, the organisation is open to mummies clocking in hours from home, and during school holidays, it is not uncommon to find primary school kids spending time in the office! The support we get is so tremendous that my kids know many of my colleagues, and vice versa!

It would be very narrow minded of me to say I love the organisation simply because of the perks. There are of course other reasons. Recently, I found an old friend from college in Facebook. We lost touch for nearly 20 years. When he found out I was working in church, his immediate response: “Why am I not surprised you are working in church?” I was quite amused with his response. Guess I really had my destiny laid out all this while!

I am in Operations. Yes, me, the History student, the one who reads all the time, the one who wears 3 inch wedges to work, the only female in my department… the list goes on. Clearly, I’m not exactly in my ‘element’. Yet, 10 years have honed the arts & feminine in me to be very comfortable in Operations. My boss has extended much grace and understanding these years, and I’m now really quite proud to say I do Operations, and I do it quite well! hehehehe.

And here are the guys I work with! Super super great bunch of people. They make work fun, worth every effort and together we make a difference!

And the other staff in church, they are the BEST! Most, if not all the staff, work in church because we have a common desire to serve God with the talents & abilities we have. The culture at work is thus very different from a regular company. There is no need for any selfish ambitions, back-stabbing, vying for promotions etc. It really is a family working together.

But the naysayers would say, but things ain’t that rosy now because there are staff who are terribly unhappy. Well, my personal opinion: the very ones who are so unhappy working in CHC should leave. I cannot understand why one would stay on if there’s so much to nit-pick about, and what’s worse, if they feel they have a noble duty to stay on to protect the organisation.

I’m here because I am happy. Despite the trials that CHC is going through now, I’m still here because I love this family. I have colleagues and bosses who genuinely love each other, love the church and love God.

When I started work here, I was in awe to be given the opportunity to work in church. It’s been 10 years, and every day I still thank God for the privilege to serve Him in His house.

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