10 Jobs I’d Consider Taking Now that I Don’t Work at a Church
Emily and I have had this running joke through the years of all the jobs I might consider doing if I wasn’t in ministry (and previously if I wasn’t a city manager). The list is long. But, given my current circumstances, Emily and spent a few moments on the plane the other day narrowing all of the possibilities to this list. Just so you know, we were a little giddy at the time.
With that, here are the:
10 Jobs I’d Consider Taking Now that I Don’t Work at a Church
- Used car salesman
- Hotel manager
- Coffee barista
- Ryan Seacrest’s role as host of American Idol
- White House Chief-of-Staff
- Chaplain for the PGA
- College professor
- Radio talk show host
- Ghost writer
- Advertising executive
Yes, the list is a little bit far-fetched. But, sadly enough, there’s a little bit of me in every one of those roles. So, if you can do a little psychoanalysis and tell me what the combination of those roles means for my future, I’d really appreciate it.
Just out of curiosity, what role would you consider if you didn’t work for a church?
Making the little claymation figures for Aardman Productions (of Wallace & Grommit fame). I mean, seriously, imagine calling home and saying, “I have to work late tonight. I’m seriously behind on bunny production.” :)
Its sounds like you are a great fit for something that combines consulting with interviewing while engaging people.
As for me if it was not ministry, it would be the military
I don’t understand. That all sounds like ministry to me: car salesman, ad man, Ryan Seacrest.
And, I had you pegged as the next Seth Godin.
i think i can only be what i was created for.
Before working in ministry as a Service Programming Director. I was a media specialist and trial technician for an Investigations and Legal Services company. I worked for an attorney as a media assistant for a while as well. I would consider doing it again. A few more:
Final Cut Pro Editor
Advertising or Marketing Director
Small/Medium Business Tech. Admin.
Graphic Designer
Deposition Videographer
Wedding Videographer
etc…
My analysis? You want to influence people & share all the valuable things you have learned in ministry. You still want to be a leader. But you also want some time for simple encounters, acts of service, and humble ministry in places that are not typical ministry areas. Which in essence is still leadership. :)
Maybe you could own a coffee shop and let it be the central place to implement more than one thing from that list? Hehe, that’s what I would like to do.
You could ghost write after hours, host a radio show from the coffee shop and call it “cockroach and coffee with tony morgan”, host open mics for local talent, play golf on the weekends to promote your coffee shop (so you can minister to the golfers when they come), come up with other creative ways to promote your shop (advertising manager), have a bulletin board for used cars for sale, ….ok i could go on. LOL
I’ve been wrestling with an idea similar to this one. Could I be more effective in ministry if I was an employed minister? For me, I have made my living working with students and using my gifts in that way. Lately, I have been considering if I could make more of an impact as a teacher and a coach, who has way more contact and opportunity to touch lives.
Hey, Tony–
I work for our church (plant), but it’s “half-time”, so I DO have another job and it’s on your list: college professor. I teach economics…
I would be a butcher.
I would be a bullpen catcher for the Boston Redsox
I could see you as the Hotel Manager or Radio Host, but please not on Christian radio!
For me I would be a NASCAR driver… at least I can do it in the video games :-)
Sounds like you’re a pastor. Don’t let anyone but God define what your leadership style will look like. You know you don’t have to follow any pre-set model except for the basic biblical mandates.
i’d become a professional origami folder.
Definitely teaching at the college or high school level and coaching baseball or basketball.
I spent the fall of 06 writing really nasty attack ads for the Democratic Party and flipped a congressional seat and as well as teh state house and state senate. I loved it, but I am not sure God did (politics aside).
But if I could do anything other than ministry, I would coach Texas High School Football. Southlake Carroll, Midland Lee, Tyler John Tyler, Celina- only the big boys where 45,000 people come to the playoff games. That is my dream job.
I can totally see the Ryan Seacrest thing working for you. But You would outlast American Idol and then what.
I think there needs to be a not for profit company out there thats like the “Kitchen Nightmares” of churches. Except that you probably don’t drop the F bomb enough – you could be the Gordon Ramsay of churches that are struggling and you go in and help them turn it around. Make a few pastors cry, tell them how stupid they are for doing things wrong (in a nice tony sort of way) and help the church be more “strategic” and effective.
you can do it.
On a broader scale, I’ve categorized your wish list into the following categories.
Education
Sales & Marketing
I work, worked, and enjoy both fields. Now, how do you transition from non-profit to for profit? I think with your credentials and creativity, you’d be a great candidate for an ad agency. Perhaps the top role being an account exec or creative director.
Not a day goes by where each project is the same, which is why I loved working w/ agencies. It was also nice being on the other side, when agencies worked for me.
I’m not on paid staff, but I put in about 10/15 hours of church volunteering. I wouldnt’ know what else I’d do if I weren’t helping the local church apart from my day job.
All the best!
OOh, I forgot, I saw that your reading list included triiibes. Are you in that social network already? I think it’s a great spot for you to meet like minded folks…
You could always go work for the Detroit Red Wings as their Social Networking Coordinator. Not sure how you feel about hockey, but this is a job I’d take in a heartbeat.
http://hockeyjobs.nhl.com/teamwork/jobs/jobskey.cfm?s=detroit#23893
Prior to 10 years of youth ministry/ worship leader I built cabinets. Afterward I returned to my “tentmaking.” Does it make me “come alive”? No, but the company I work for is really good to me so I make the best of it while trying to launch our dream business…slowly. If it were not for the pursuit of the dream, I think I’d shrivel and die. Without a vision…
Hope is a beautiful thing.
You are so right man. If I wasn’t called into the church ministry there are so many other things of interest.
Starbucks Employee, Semi-Truck driver, Nascar Racer (driving fast is always fun). Secret Service. Elvis Impersonator (just for kicks)
Who knows… So many opportunities! haha
Several more.
I’d be an Imagineer at Disney
You could go to work for Dabo as there Chaplain, make their hotel arrangements and help the kids buy their cars. You could also hook them up with Joe so they learn about how to save and spend money. And you could arrange all of their endorsements.
I have done one of those jobs. I won’t say which one, but I will say that I was employed for about three days which was long enough to hook up a friend with a killer deal on a used Saab.
1) Ever see the movie Used Cars ?
2) Like the cool guy in Pretty Woman?
3) Drinking the profits
4) And maybe become the “NEW” Dick Clark
5) You are over qualified
6) Do you have to wear those funny pants and a collar?
7) Or maybe the dean of a school
8) Live on talk radio it’s Tonyyyyyyyyyy Morgannnnnn
9)What exactly do ghosts write about ( beetlejuice ? )
10) Could you could top “Got Milk?”
I would definitely be a college professor. I love teaching.
Radio talk show host. Tony, you’ve got such a great voice. Maybe you could hook up the Leo Laporte on the Twit (This Week in Tech) network. He’s always looking for new shows. TWiC – This Week in Church. A podcast about using technology and new media to grow the church.
how about going to work for James Bond?
007 is the pastor at http://www.countrysidebible.com
all joking aside… praying for you and your family
Start your own web company…you’re ready!
massage therapist for a cruise line – except the ones that go to Mexico.
Novelist
College Instructor in Philosophy-Community College
Furniture maker/woodworker
I would like to be a paper salesman at Dunder Mifflin Paper company.
I’m totally down with the “Church Nightmares” idea, I even dominate my church for the pilot episode.
Dream job – poet/Christian musician
I’m with Brad (paper salesman)… although I’d definitely want the esteemed title of Assistant (to the) Regional Manager…
Tony, I think you’d be a great transition coach. I think there are a ton of churches that God will send leaders into to transition into healthy, vibrant communities, and you could coach those leaders and their teams. You could also have a training bank of guys who want to do that and then be the connecting point (like your job ads on your site) between them and churches looking for a transition leader.
Just my .02.
Professional taste-tester specializing in junk food.
My psychoanalysis of your combination = President of US(Used Car Salesman is the key component)
a pastry chef
If you find out who to talk to about being the ghost writer… please pass that information along! :)
Most definitely something involving photography. That or Legos. Maybe a ninja… that’d be fun but there’s probably not that much money in any of these. Not that money is… well you know.
If working days, nights, weekends, holidays, 7am to 3pm, 3pm to 11pm, 11pm to 7am, front desk when someone calls in sick, cleaning rooms when your housekeeper doesnt show up, get woken up at midnight when your night auditor can’t figure out how to close the credit card machine and those drunk annoying guests that wont go to sleep, then being a hotel manager is just up your alley. If not, welcome to my world :)
i want to build a soup kitchen / food pantry. you know, after i find a money tree. there aren’t any food pantries within 20 minutes of our community.
cage fighter, history teacher, spy
Professional Club Designer/Image Makeover Consultant
It fits right?
i have my own consulting gig now which is a mix of all of that
a bartender in some far off place :)
Ryan Seacrest has a cush job!
All those rolled together sound like Mr. Roarke to me. You don’t happen to own an island do you?