Working at a Newspaper and Working at a Church ...

Derry asked me to blog about the differences and smiliarities between working at a newspaper and working at a church.

First, a little history: I worked at a little local newspaper called the Niles Daily Star for five years after I got out of college, then moved to the much larger South Bend Tribune for a little more than two years before taking my current position at Nappanee Missionary Church.

I'm going to reference only my memories from the South Bend Tribune because working at the Niles Daily Star was not like most newspapers - it was so small that I was a one-man sports department and carried many more responsibilities than I would have at most any other paper.

What's the Same:
1. There is a constant struggle to communicate clearly and effectively to a large audience.

2. I am a little different than most of the people I work with. At the newspaper it was because I am a Christ follower; At the church it is because I've spent several years working outside the church.

3. People love sports. I worked in the sports department at the newspaper, so it was no surprise that the people in that department enjoyed sports. At the church, a lot of my coworkers are also passionate about sports.

What's Different:
1. The pace. The newspaper business is fast-paced and high-pressure; The church is much more laid back.

2. Deadlines. At the newspaper, meeting deadlines is one of the highest priorities. At the church, deadlines are more like something to keep in mind but not worried about.

3. Team spirit. At the newspaper you knew you were on the team, but not necessarily in the running for the MVP award. At the church, I feel like the work I do is very important and the people around me are supporting me, helping me be the best I can be at my position so that the team succeeds.

4. The attitudes. At the newspaper, most people were at least a little bit disgruntled. There was a lot of complaining about the company, the bosses and the coworkers. At the church, there's a strong feeling of job satisfaction and commitment to the team.

5. At the newspaper, everyone had a clearly defined role. At the church, there's flexibility among most of the staff to do whatever is needed.