KenPetrus.com

Executive Pastor @ North Side Baptist Church

Archive for June, 2009

Sonshine Service

Jun 30

Posted by ken in Sonshine (Special Needs) Ministry

One of the privileges that I have in serving here at North Side is leading our Sonshine Service. It started a couple of years ago with me meeting a need. Now God has developed a burden within me for those with special needs as well as their care givers. The Sonshine service is held at 10:10am in the Chapel each Sunday morning. It is a unique service in that participation is encouraged in all aspects of the service including prayer, offering, songs, and Scripture reading. Additionally, there is an intentional time of encouragement for the care givers. Here are some pictures…

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Greg and Tammy singing “A Long Black Train”


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Greg leading Praise and Worship


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Ken leading the Teaching Time

Come join us at 10:10 am in the Chapel at North Side Baptist Church

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More on Decision Making in Church

Jun 28

Posted by ken in General, Leadership, Transitions

Our Elders have been working through a Biblical Elder study project using Alexander Staunch and Richard Swartley’s “Biblical Eldership – Mentor’s Guide” In the guide they list the key steps church leaders must take in order to lead the congregation in good decision making…

  1. Understand the problem and prioritize the components.
  2. Pray about solutions and encourage corporate prayer.
  3. Teach the congregation the applicable scriptural principles.
  4. Encourage and consider congregational input.
  5. Propose the wisest solution.
  6. Encourage the congregation’s agreement and acceptance.
  7. Oversee church members as they implement the plan.

Good stuff!

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Assess…Identifying and Understanding the D.N.A. of Your Church

Jun 25

Posted by ken in General, Leadership, Transitions

Just completed the draft of the DNA workbook for church leaders. The workbook is a tool to help pastors and church leaders identify the DNA of their church. It is a step by step process to help them determine the makeup of their church. Hopefully, this process will help them answers some questions such as:

  • Why does our church exist?
  • How are we doing?
  • What are we here for?
  • What are the needs?
  • Are we winning?
  • What is our DNA?

This process will givepastors and church leaders great insight in determining the DNA of their church.

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Career Care – CNA Jobs in Demand…Quick Training Available

Jun 25

Posted by ken in Career Care Ministry, General

If you are unemployed and looking for a job, consider this option…

CNA Jobs in Demand, Quick Jobs Training Available
Posted on 25.JUN.09 on Greenwoodtoday.com

Today’s economy continues to leave many competent, qualified people out of work. Going back to school is always an option, but time and money are often major concerns for those who have been out of work for an extended period of time.  For this reason, Piedmont Technical College is offering a new series of courses called Quick Jobs designed to equip students with the skills needed to get back to work fast.

This series provides students with course offerings in areas that are still growing despite the tough times. One of the many courses in the series, Certified Nursing Assistant, prepares students for a job that is in high demand, says Gwen Brocklehurst, CNA instructor.

The home health area is one that is just exploding,  said Brocklehurst.  I am seeing many of my students getting jobs in that field.

Burder Nixon, a current CNA student, is hoping to be one of those students soon. Nixon has been a displaced worker since August 2004 after working at Milliken Company for many years.

I really needed to get back to work, she said, and the CNA program at Piedmont Tech seemed like a quick way to do that. She says she is enjoying the course and is surprised at everything she has learned and been able to do.

Nixon is one of many PTC students who are taking advantage of Workforce Investment Act scholarship money to take courses.

CNA and many other Quick Jobs offerings are WIA-approved and focus on getting students prepared for a job quickly and with little investment. All courses in the Quick Jobs series are brief and geared toward getting the unemployed ahead of the heavy competition in the marketplace when searching for a job. In addition to providing necessary skills quickly, the Quick Jobs CNA course can be used to enter the practical nursing and associate degree nursing programs at PTC if further education is desired.

Quick Jobs courses are being offered in many areas that are still full of opportunities for employment. Certified Nursing Assistant is just one of many options students are able to choose from at PTC. Other Quick Jobs courses are offered in health care, computers, business, manufacturing, construction and more. For more information about the CNA course or to register for a class, contact Continuing Education at (864) 941-8400.
Career Care meets on Monday mornings at 8:00 at North Side Baptist Church. All are welcome.

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Top Job Search Sites

Jun 23

Posted by ken in Career Care Ministry, General, Leadership, Staffing

Following is a listing of both national and state job site listings. Once again, put together by Ron Damer.

NATIONAL JOB SITES

JOB SITE

REMARKS
Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com

Post Jobs & Search Resumes Reach Millions of Job Seekers

Sponsored by: www.Monster.com/ • Found on Ads by Google

 One of the top job sites on the Internet.  Search by state or industry.
CareerBuilder.com Jobs – The Largest Job Search, Employment …

Find new employment or work. Fresh job listings posted daily. Have jobs emailed to you. Explore career opportunities. Search and apply online today.

www.careerbuilder.com/ • Found on Google, Windows Live, Ask.com

 Another top job site on the Internet. Search with keywords, location or browse by categories (many!).  Many other job search articles and tools.  Set up automatic alerts when a job meeting your skills is posted.
Yahoo! HotJobs – Thousands of jobs. Find the right one.

Find your dream job! Search for jobs, post your resume, compare salaries and … Stimulus Job Watch Follow this blog to learn about new opportunities that …

hotjobs.yahoo.com/ • Found on Google, Windows Live, Yahoo! Search

 A must-see site for all types of job seekers.  Includes diversity, retail, sales, technology, truck driver, “green”, construction, government/military and stimulus job categories.
USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site

USAJOBS is the official job site of the US Federal Government. … There are 46969 U.S. Government job opportunities worldwide …

www.usajobs.gov/ • Found on Google, Yahoo! Search

 What you’d expect – Gov’t jobs.  I searched for anything within 200 miles of Greenwood and found 1 job for a Pharmacist.
Six Figure Jobs :: Executive Career :: UpLadder

Search 45,000 Jobs that Pay Over $100,000. Start Searching Now.

Sponsored by: www.TheLadders.com/Job+Search/ • Found on Ads by Google

 A come-on to get you to pay a monthy fee.  Requires membership/sign-in.
Find Local Jobs & Employment Listings – FlipDog Job Search

www.flipdog.com/ • Found on Ask.com

 Jobs listed by State + other search criteria
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Job openings and careers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Find out about working as an Special Agent, Intelligence Analyst, or other FBI staff member, …

 Don’t laugh.  My daughter’s brother-in-law found a job with the FBI and has a great career now.  He was formerly a Christian school teacher and Tree Trimmer.
JobBank.com – The Job Bank

Post resumes, search jobs, post jobs, search resumes, career tools.

Sponsored by: www.jobbank.com • Found on Ads by Yahoo!

 Lists several jobs in South Carolina:

Customer Service/Supervisor/ Consultant-SC www.moneystayinghome.com SC::baldwin Financial Advisors Smart Connections Inc SC::Aiken Warehouse Manager Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Columbia Audit Senior Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Charleston Chief CRNA Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Columbia Welding Engineer Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Columbia Production Manager Injection Molding Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Anderson Materials Analyst Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Columbia Production Supervisor Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Columbia Cutting Tooling Engineer Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Columbia REGULATORY AFFAIRS MANAGER Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Greenville Sales Representative – Medical Capital E Executive Placement & Career Management SC::Charleston
job search | JMJ Media | jobbank.com – the job bank

1000′s Of Jobs By You – Great Pay: $15-40+ /hr Plus Benefits & Bonus.

Sponsored by: PerfectLocalJobs.com • Found on Ads by Yahoo!

 Search jobs by state, keyword, etc.

Requires registering to access results – including birth date (Be Cautious!)

JOB SITES SPECIALIZING IN SOUTH CAROLINA POSITIONS

·  South Carolina SC Jobs Directory

The most comprehensive directory of South Carolina employment information on the Internet. Includes more than 500 links to SC employer Web pages.

A good resource for SC job searching, and includes many SC government offices that can help.

·  South Carolina Jobs

Find the best South Carolina jobs and careers on SCJobMarket.com. Search current jobs posted by South Carolina’s top employers.

Produced 12 pages of SC jobs when I searched.  Give it a try.

·  South Carolina Office of Human Resources

View openings or apply online for positions with government agencies throughout the state.

You must fill out an on-line application (30 minutes or more).  You cannot just submit a resume’.

·  Jobs in South Carolina | JobCentral

Search Jobs in South Carolina, find South Carolina employers, browse South Carolina career links and resources.

Listed over 500 jobs in SC.

·  South Carolina Jobs, Jobs in South Carolina, South Carolina Job …

South Carolina job search and employment resources center – find jobs in South Carolina business, education, healthcare, banking, and government from an …

Found 4,092 jobs within 50 miles of Greenwood.

·  South Carolina Jobs | South Carolina Careers | South Carolina …

South Carolina Jobs and Careers: Search South Carolina jobs from specialized job search engines. All South Carolina jobs updated daily.

States there are 17,327 jobs available in SC.

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Tips for a Cover Letter

Jun 23

Posted by ken in Career Care Ministry, General, Leadership, Staffing

Here are some great tips for preparing a cover letter when submitting your resume. These were prepared by Ron Damer.

Cover Letters

Should one be with each resume submitted?

Purpose of the Cover Letter

  • To Get An Interview
  • Summary
  • Introduction/Personalize
  • States My Goals
  • One-on-One (Targets One Select Person)
  • Explanation of Breaks in Employment (Anomalies)
  • Ultimately To Sell Myself
  • To Get The Hiring Manager to Read My Resume, Rather Than Set It Aside To Look At Another

Content of the Cover Letter

  • Experience as Related to the Job
  • How I Can Apply My Skills in Another Job Area
  • Make a Connection – Network
  • Explores Who I Am
  • Explores What I Am Looking For
  • Explores Why I Am Looking For a Job
  • Asks For An Interview; May End With A Line Which Assumes That I Will be Called
  • Personalize Using Someone’s Name, When Possible
  • States Why I Am Suited For This Job
  • Sells What I Can Do For The Company
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My Mulch Pile

Jun 22

Posted by ken in General, Leadership

Let me tell you about a pile of mulch that I have in my back yard. I was one of those deals, that I could not refuse…it was FREE!. Yes, what a great deal…free mulch…delivered! All I had to do was move the pile of mulch from one location to another. Man, what a deal. It was such a deal, that before I could move the entire pile…I called and had a second load delivered. Why not? It is free. How could I refuse free mulch?

Well, now it is almost two years later and…I am still dealing with the mulch pile. Now, I not only have to move the pile of mulch, but also chop through the weeds and grass that have grown on top of the mulch. That free deal doesn’t feel so free any more. I have spent a lot of time attacking the pile of mulch and it seems to be growing in more ways than one. I am not even going to attempt to tell you the amount of money that I have spent on Aleeve during the past two years…oh, my aching back…and what about my golf game? I am sure this has had a negative effect on my golf swing. Oh yea…it has affected my putting for sure! I will use any excuse to explain my poor game this year.

The mulch pile has great application for many things in our lives. Let me ask you a question; What is your mulch pile? What was the last deal that you could not pass up which turned out to be much more work than you expected? Something that cost you so much more than you anticipated. What was that last “free” deal that cost you a lot more time or money than expected?

How are you dealing with your mulch pile? I must admit, I am at the point of realizing that this job may too big for me. I had an offer today to move it with a front end loader…a lot easier than my plan of a pitch fork and wheel barrel. Some times our “free” mulch piles are too much for us to handle by ourselves. Yes, I will have to swallow a little pride to accept this offer and get the job done. If it doesn’t work out…back to the Aleeve, pitch fork and wheel barrel. That is ok too.

Don’t laugh…I would venture to guess…you may have a mulch pile as well. Let me ask you; what is your mulch pile?

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Workaholic…Who? Me?

Jun 19

Posted by ken in General, Leadership, Personal, Staffing

If you ask my wife Gail,”Is Ken is a workaholic?” She would respond with an unequivocal “YES”!  Boy, that almost hurts. There is no hesitation in her response. A couple of weeks ago, we had a conversation in our C group about workaholics. Actually I found out there are several other men in our group that were workaholics…maybe that is why we get along so well. At least I am not alone.

The term “workaholic” seems a little harsh to me. I actually prefer the term, “full time thinker”…maybe it is a little more politically correct. At least it is more palatable. The term “full time thinker” is a term that Jeff Lethco came up with in our Leadership Team retreat about four years ago. We use it to define those persons in positions of leadership at North Side.

Well, this whole subject came to my mind as I was finishing cutting our grass. I spent a couple hours on the lawn  mower and contemplated my message for the Sonshine service Sunday, a conversation that I had with Jamie this morning about Transitions, the budget for next year, the finance meeting coming up next Monday, the youth Pastor position, the Romania mission trip budget, upcoming employee performance appraisals, VBS stuff for next week, Career Care thoughts for Monday morning and subjects for our Leadership Team meeting on Monday morning.

Well, I must admit…I am a “full time thinker” about my responsibilities at and the future of North Side Baptist Church. So…as hard as it it to say…I am a workaholic!

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Wise Group Decision Making

Jun 18

Posted by ken in General, Leadership

Currently, we are wrestling with some tough decisions. Here are a couple of  my thoughts on making  wise group decisions.

  • Discuss and understand the problem.
  • Pray for direction…seek the Lord.
  • Seek out applicable Biblical principles.
  • Don’t create false deadlines..likewise, don’t procrastinate.
  • Seek wise counsel from Godly people around you.
  • List out possible solutions.
  • List pros and cons of each solution.
  • Discuss possible solutions with the group.
  • Narrow down possible solutions.
  • Allow the Lord to lead your group to a consensus on the decision.
  • If you can not come to a consensus, continue to pray and seek the Lord’s direction.
  • Don’t rush the decision…maybe the Lord is trying to tell you something.
  • Re-evaluate the problem…have you defined it properly? Does everyone in the group understand it?
  • Re-evaluate the solutions…are there other possible solutions?
  • Continue to seek the Lord’s direction as your group reaches a consensus.

I am continuously reminded, the church belong’s to the Lord. He will lead us to the right decision for His bride. My problem is that too many times, I get in His way.

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Position Descriptions

Jun 17

Posted by ken in Finance, Leadership, Staffing

Position or job descriptions can be a real pain for some people…especially, those who do not want to feel “boxed in” or “box in” their employees. However, if prepared and developed correctly, position descriptions can save a lot of pain and heart ache down the road. You see, position descriptions should be used to clearly communicate the responsibilities of the position to the employee and the employer. It keeps both in balance.

A good position should contain the following:

  1. Name: Name of the employee
  2. Title: Title of the position to provide a basis for industry comparisons.
  3. Reports to: Provides a clear chain of authority.
  4. Date: Very important as responsibilities change over time.
  5. Principle Function: Provides a general overview of the position and the expected responsibilities.
  6. Specific Responsibilities: Provides the specific major tasks/duties of the position.

We need to recognize that over time, positions and responsibilites change. That being said, it is prudent to review position descriptions on, at least, a yearly basis to ensure that they are currrent and up to date. Consider this being part of your budgeting process.

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