Mission Developer Opening At Luther’s Table

Update as of 2/15/2011 – both the positions listed below have been filled. We’re leaving them posted since so many of you want to know more about Luther’s Table ministry and the vision behind it. Please visit the Luther’s Table website to find the latest about what’s going on.

Luther’s Table is a satellite ministry of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, but is shared with a number of other congregations in the area and supported by both the ELCA and NW WA Synod. It is an alternative style Word and Sacrament ministry, in that Word will be present more often in conversation than in sermon form, and that Sacrament (while intentionally celebrated at times) may more often be discovered in the breaking of bread together. Please read the “Vision for Luther’s Table”  and “Mission/Core Values Draft” to get more of a sense of this ministry.

The Mission Developer (MD) will be the primary person tending to this ministry. She/he will need to partner closely with the Café Manager (you will find a description of that position below.) St. Matthew’s will provide a mentor for the MD, and will also offer some staff and volunteer support in ways shaped by the MD. The MD will face many obstacles, be asked to do the impossible, and expected to depend upon the Holy Spirit and the community. The MD is not being asked to do this work alone.

Mission Developer Job Description

Overview  The primary focus of the mission developer is creating a culture (place/people/experience) around the core values of Luther’s Table.  This person is to prepare the soil where community will grow by knowing and connecting people at every level of Luther’s Table.  Their job will be evaluated overall by this criterion. 

Responsibilities  This person makes sure that whatever needs to be accomplished is handled.  This doesn’t mean they need to do it all themselves.  A large part of this job will be as volunteer coordinator and trainer.  On many levels, the MD is working to train people to be “doulas” – servants who are learning to birth community instead of babies.  

One of the key aspects of Luther’s Table will be maintaining a pastoral presence.  Again, the MD doesn’t need to be the presence all the time.  Many pastors have volunteered to be part of Luther’s Table, and the MD will need to make sure that they are well used and trained.

 Skills  The MD will need skills in development (programs, affinity groups, community opportunities and so on), time and calendar management as well as scheduling, business management, fundraising, and human resources – managing people effectively. Any restaurant/food service management experience this person has would be very welcomed, but not specifically required.

 Characteristics  This person will be a team player who understands organic leadership models. They will be the steward of the core values for the whole organization without being a lone ranger, rather instead a “humble entrepreneur.”

 Church Experience  This person does not have to be ordained, but being ordained would be considered a bonus. Since this position is open to both ordained and lay people, we expect that at a minimum this person will know well the story of faith and Christianity, where they fit into it, and can tell that story in a way that helps others understand how grace has shaped their life.  They will understand that their story happens in community and not flying solo.  If they are a church person, they need to be able to connect with people who are not – someone who gets the tension of being Christian in the world.  This person will need to be able to articulate their faith and their doubt, and be a translator between the church and the world.

Expectations  This person will be mature enough to deal well with bureaucracy, even though we take steps to minimize that aspect of the job. They will commit to at least two years at Luther’s Table in order to establish credibility and consistency for the community that gathers.  The position is salaried, and the MD will put in the amount of time needed for development work. The pay will be less than desirable. The MD should enjoy being yoked to the Café Manager and work together as a team.  The MD will have final say, since this is a ministry served by a café rather than vice versa.

To help understand working relationships, the following information is provided to potential MD’s.

Café Manager Job Description

Overview  The primary role of the Café Manager is to provide food service in support of the ministry of Luther’s Table.  The CM supports community development and the work of the Mission Developer.  At this café, hospitality trumps food, but food is definitely part of the message of hospitality.  (Good food is part of good hospitality, bad food is just bad.)

Responsibilities  While the CM may have the most food service experience, they may not be the one cooking.  It will be key that the CM uses an empowerment model.  The CM makes sure that the food gets cooked.  The CM has the following major responsibilities: managing staff, finances/bookkeeping, ordering, hiring/firing, discipline, permitting and inspections, inventory, and training.  They will understand and value the Triple Bottom Line: social, ecological, economic.

 Skills  In addition to traditional restaurant management skills, the CM will have the following: capacity to work with volunteers, able to give and receive feedback on many different levels within the ministry, work with and value both organic food sources and organic management styles. Preferably the CM will have some background working with non-profit entities.

 Characteristics  The CM must be hospitable, work with the empowerment model, and be a team builder with the ability to train team members.  He/she should be efficient and have good management skills.  The CM must be transparent, honest, and above-board and not be wary of all the extra time and work that is entailed by these characteristics. A background check and references will testify to this.

 Church Experience  This person must value faith, whether they have it or not.  It will be essential that the person have core value alignment with the core values of Luther’s Table.  They need to be willing to learn whatever they need to know about ministry to be able to coordinate their work with that of the MD.

Expectations  This person will be expected to mesh ministry and community service into food service.  We ask that they commit to two years at Luther’s Table in order to establish credibility and consistency.  The pay will be competitive, and the time required will be at least full time.  This person will work in support of and be responsible to the Mission Developer.