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Author Topic: Tom Short is Recruiting....  (Read 31577 times)
Jason Stauffacher
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« on: May 17, 2008, 11:15:09 am »

See the email I received:  
Quote

Use Your Skills --
Join the Tom Short Campus Ministries Team

Dear Jason,

    * Do you have talents and skills you would like to utilize in Christian ministry?
    * Do you believe in the work of Tom Short Campus Ministries and
      would you like to see this ministry expand and multiply?
    * Do you feel working directly with Tom and other believers would be
      beneficial to your growth and spiritual maturity?

If you answered "yes" to the above questions (or know of someone
else who you think would answer yes and whom you would like to
refer to TSCM), read on to learn about some exciting opportunities
that just might change the course of your life!

Tom Short Campus Ministries is seeking to take advantage
of new and exciting opportunities and is, therefore, seeking
to hire people who can work in the following positions:

Administrative Assistant:

    * Works directly with Tom to help in scheduling, planning, correspondence, etc.
    * Qualities needed: Organizational and time management skills, writing and communication skills, initiative, flexibility, proficient in use of a computer

Audio / Video

    * Produce audio recordings and videos of Tom's messages
    * Qualities needed: Technical skills in recording, camera, editing,
      production and posting on the internet; creativity; self-motivated.

Writer / Editor / Webmaster

    * Help create and maintain the TSCM website, ShortNotes e-mail and
      books / pamphlets Tom will write
    * Qualities needed: Writing, researching and editing skills;
      ability to manage website and desire to implement latest
      web technologies; good organizational skills; solid understanding
      of theology and Christian worldview.

Campus Preacher

    * Be trained by Tom to preach in his personal style on college
      campuses. This is a long-term commitment to be thoroughly
      trained over a period of several years, including theological
      training, character development and the skills necessary to
      effectively minister as a campus preacher.
    * Qualities needed: The list is too long for this brief e-mail, but
      would include a willingness to learn; heart for lost people; love
      of God's word; genuine faith; sharp mind; strong voice; willing
      to spend a great deal of time on the road (i.e. willing to live a
      sacrificial and uncomfortable life); genuine prayer life; servant's
      attitude toward others, etc.

Details:

1. Each of these are "pioneering" positions - meaning if you are hired,
you will be the first one employed by TSCM in this area. This means
there will be plenty of room for YOU to develop this position in a way you
feel best, but also means you will need to have personal initiative and creativity.

2. These positions will include a salary and benefits. However, one of your responsibilities will include recruiting supporters of TSCM whose contributions
will cover the expense of your employment. We will provide training,
encouragement and personal support in this process.

3. Being hired for one of these positions will require you to live in Columbus, OH.
 However, most of these positions will also require at least some travel
and, in some cases, a great deal of travel. This can be quite exciting and
allow you to see what God is doing around the nation and the world, but
you should take this into consideration if you are married with responsibilities
in your home and family.

4. While we are looking for people who can fill these positions permanently,
some of these positions may be open for a short-term intern position

(potentially even for this summer). Also, while it would not be our first
choice, we might be interested in working with qualified people who would
like to volunteer their time and talents on an "as available" basis even if
they did not live in Columbus.

5. Anyone who fills one of these positions will be expected to be a
committed Christian living a lifestyle that is above reproach as God's
servant. I'd also expect you to uphold the basic doctrine and core values
of our organization.

6. If you are hired for one of these positions, you will be part of an
exciting and growing evangelistic ministry that is now reaching throughout
the world. Therefore, we are looking for people of faith with a sincere
Christian commitment. We expect these positions to produce fruit in
the kingdom of God, but we also believe YOU will grow by working
as a part of this team.

Next Steps

If you are interested in one of these positions, here's what you should do:

1. Pray and ask God for His guidance as to your potential
     employment with TSCM.

2. Write me an e-mail at tomshort@columbus.rr.com telling me

    * Which position(s) you are interested in
    * What experience / qualifications you have
    * How you know me (if you do) and when you have ever heard me speak before
    * What is your Christian experience and commitment
    * When you would be available to start (if you know)
    * Include your name, address, phone and where you attend church

If we feel you might be a good fit for TSCM, we will contact you for an
interview and send you a formal application.

3. I am a strong believer in the importance of the local church, so I would
    require you to have the full support of your pastor and would need a
    recommendation from him.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for TSCM as we make these important additions to our team.
I have very little experience in hiring and it is vitally important that we make
the proper decisions in these expansion efforts.

Thanks for your prayers and for standing with me in ministry.

Taking the Truth to their Turf,

Tom Short


Tom Short
PO Box 224
Worthington, OH 43235

www.shortreport.com
tomshort@columbus.rr.com
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exshep
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« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2008, 07:08:18 pm »

I am on the mailing list too.  It was an interesting read.   There is  also a video on Google. It is essentially how to play the crowds when he comes to town.  I found it balanced and well thought out. There were things I did not agree,  but overall a good production.  

When Tom came to UNT in fall  2006, his  focus was on preaching as opposed getting bodies for GC.  Of course, for him, it would have been nice if people came to Hope Fellowship, but he was content that the word was being preached.   Baptist Student Union and a couple of independent churches were out witnessing  as a complement rather than competition.

I could be in denial.  I felt comfortable with the video and the email --  and this coming from a former cult member with a  sixth sense for trouble.

If others feel differently, please feel free to chime in.
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MidnightRider
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« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2008, 09:17:44 am »

I only heard Tom Short preach a couple of times when I was in college, and it was long ago. So I can't say much about whether this is a great ministry opportunity. But I have read a lot of job ads, and anybody interested in this needs to be able to translate job-ad-ese into English. Here is my attempt...

Quote from: "Tom Short's letter"
1. Each of these are "pioneering" positions - meaning if you are hired,
you will be the first one employed by TSCM in this area. This means
there will be plenty of room for YOU to develop this position in a way you
feel best, but also means you will need to have personal initiative and creativity.

Translation: Your job description will change on a daily basis. Expect new responsibilities to be added at any time.

Quote
2. These positions will include a salary and benefits. However,
one of your responsibilities will include recruiting supporters of TSCM whose contributions
will cover the expense of your employment. We will provide training,
encouragement and personal support in this process.

You will have to recruit donors to pay your own salary and benefits. You will, in effect, be competing with the ministry itself and other ministry employees for potential donors.

Do some math. What do you think is a reasonable salary? Don't forget to include withholding taxes. Take a guess at how much your benefits (medical insurance, dental insurance, retirement) will cost. How many donors will you need if they give the very generous amount of $100/month? At best, it will take several months to build up this large a donor list. Until then, expect to be unpaid.

And, by the way, recruiting donors will be in addition to your job responsibilities.

Quote
3. Being hired for one of these positions will require you to live in Columbus, OH.
 However, most of these positions will also require at least some travel
and, in some cases, a great deal of travel. This can be quite exciting and
allow you to see what God is doing around the nation and the world, but
you should take this into consideration if you are married
with responsibilities in your home and family.

You will have to pay your own moving expenses to Ohio.

And that amount you figured in item 2? You forgot to add all the travel expenses that you will have to pay for out of the donations you bring in. So while you are building your donor list, you will be paying your travel expenses out of your own pocket.

So not only could you be unpaid for several months, you may have to front several thousand dollars.

Quote
4. While we are looking for people who can fill these positions permanently,
some of these positions may be open for a short-term intern position (potentially
even for this summer). Also, while it would not be our first choice, we might
be interested in working with qualified people who would like to volunteer their
time and talents on an "as available" basis even if they did not live in Columbus.

If you work as a short-term employee, how will you raise the donations to pay your salary? You may very well end up as an unpaid volunteer.

Quote
5. Anyone who fills one of these positions will be expected to be a
committed Christian living a lifestyle that is above reproach as God's
servant. I'd also expect you to uphold the basic doctrine and core values
of our organization.

As soon as we have a doctrinal disagreement, you are out on your ear.

If we make up some lifestyle rule and you don't go along with it, you are done. Ask your GCx friends about some of these rules they have encountered.

Quote
6. If you are hired for one of these positions, you will be part of an
exciting and growing evangelistic ministry that is now reaching throughout
the world. Therefore, we are looking for people of faith with a sincere
Christian commitment. We expect these positions to produce fruit in
the kingdom of God, but we also believe YOU will grow by working
as a part of this team.

Maybe you will.
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anonymoustoday
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« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2008, 06:58:13 pm »

Quote
* Be trained by Tom to preach in his personal style on college
campuses. This is a long-term commitment to be thoroughly
trained over a period of several years, including theological
training, character development and the skills necessary to
effectively minister as a campus preacher.


Got to admit to being a bit surprised that no one yet identified this as an issue.  Most preachers will tell you that "style" is highly personal, if it is genuine.  Style comes more from your personality than your training (style in preaching is reflected in your choice of being loud or soft-spoken, humorous or serious, emotional or poingant, etc.).  There are certain skills that one preacher can pass along to another, but rarely is style one of those.

Just as a matter of plain vanilla fact, the line about getting theological training would cause me some concern here too.  GCM is not known for its abundant quality theological training.  Too few of their leaders are trained in such basics as Greek, Hebrew, hermeneutics, etc.

One item did strike me as being truthful.  No doubt character development will happen for whoever takes the job.
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exshep
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« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2008, 07:46:10 pm »

Touche on questioning the job description. You got me there.  Tongue in cheek, mind you;  but should I submit my resume  :D
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lone gone
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« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2008, 05:29:46 am »

you are probably over-qualified Wink
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Linus
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« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2008, 06:45:44 am »

does anyone know if he's running this through GCM's staff program?
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MidnightRider
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« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2008, 10:36:25 am »

Quote from: "anonymoustoday"
Got to admit to being a bit surprised that no one yet identified this as an issue.  Most preachers will tell you that "style" is highly personal, if it is genuine.  Style comes more from your personality than your training (style in preaching is reflected in your choice of being loud or soft-spoken, humorous or serious, emotional or poingant, etc.).  There are certain skills that one preacher can pass along to another, but rarely is style one of those.

Just as a matter of plain vanilla fact, the line about getting theological training would cause me some concern here too.  GCM is not known for its abundant quality theological training.  Too few of their leaders are trained in such basics as Greek, Hebrew, hermeneutics, etc.

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "style". Remember this is training to be a "campus preacher", not a pastor. So maybe you learn lots of theology, languages, etc. Or maybe you just learn how to draw a crowd and how to recite canned answers to the 100 questions most often asked by college students.

I, too, am curious about what this theological training would consist of. And when would it take place? While you are driving to your next campus, and after you have made your 100 fund-raising calls for the day?
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exshep
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« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2008, 07:04:45 pm »

Quote from: "lone gone"
you are probably over-qualified ;)


I left myself wide open for that  one. Did I not?
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MidnightRider
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« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2008, 06:45:01 am »

Well, did anybody sign up?
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anonymoustoday
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« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2008, 07:58:15 am »

Quote
I suppose it depends on what you mean by "style". Remember this is training to be a "campus preacher", not a pastor. So maybe you learn lots of theology, languages, etc. Or maybe you just learn how to draw a crowd and how to recite canned answers to the 100 questions most often asked by college students.


Yup.  I would have called that "mechanics" and not "style."  The "how to" part tells me the person is learning tools.

Style, now that is a person's own Spirit-driven emotional application of what they learned.  It's not, "how to" but "in a way that."  For example, "he preaches in a way that touches the kid's hearts and makes them think."  

Fine line difference, I guess.  But if Short is going to teach you "his style," like the ad says, then what he really wants is DVD recorder and projector rather than a person to mentor.  But if he just wants to teach you some tools so that you can go out, directed in your spirit by the Holy Spirit, and use your own personality, words, heart, and mind to reach others, then he is not teaching you his style but rather his tool set.  That would be much more acceptable, I think.
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MidnightRider
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« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2008, 08:28:47 am »

Quote from: "anonymoustoday"
Fine line difference, I guess.  But if Short is going to teach you "his style," like the ad says, then what he really wants is DVD recorder and projector rather than a person to mentor.  But if he just wants to teach you some tools so that you can go out, directed in your spirit by the Holy Spirit, and use your own personality, words, heart, and mind to reach others, then he is not teaching you his style but rather his tool set.  That would be much more acceptable, I think.

Considering what a mentoree is being asked to give up for this mentoring, it had better be one very special tool set. You can buy one of those "Answers to Objections to Christianity" books for $10 and read that.

Even from a GCx mindset, I am having trouble understanding why anyone would be interested in this. What is so special about Tom Short's preaching that someone would want to go spend months or years being mentored by him? Can somebody explain it to me?
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AgathaL'Orange
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« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2008, 01:02:03 pm »

In the teeny tiny GC world which seems ssooooooo BIG to the people belonging to it... Tom Short is a celebrity.  He's nice and a good preacher, but  you're right... he's nothing out of the ordinary when you get right down to it.

I remember being impressed by his ability to think of come backs to hecklers on the spot and his care towards others.  He could also be very obnoxious at times and probably turned off a lot of people.  I think that he's probably pretty effective at getting those "backslidden" types to convert rather than people who truly find evangelical Christianity the most distasteful thing since Hitler.  Those people are not going to be won over by someone like Tom.  They might be even more turned off!

I don't know why they think he's so unique other than the fact that it is pretty unusual to see people shouting and preaching out in the open like that these days.
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wastedyearsthere
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« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2008, 02:03:40 pm »

I think preaching on campus was outlawed in our local college campus.  I think Tom Short was the precipitating force in the reason this came about.
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MidnightRider
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« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2008, 03:11:28 pm »

Quote from: "wastedyearsthere"
I think preaching on campus was outlawed in our local college campus.  I think Tom Short was the precipitating force in the reason this came about.
Maybe, but there are others:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_campus_preachers
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G_Prince
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« Reply #15 on: June 11, 2008, 09:00:55 pm »

My instinctual reaction to Tom's preaching was to run like hell (Or maybe to run to hell from his point of view). He is great at antagonizing a crowed until people can't take it and start yelling back. There is no civil or productive discussion going on. The preaching is mostly for the Christians on hand to feel smug and remember how "right" they are and how blind and hateful the "world" is.
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Here's an easy way to find out if you're in a cult. If you find yourself asking the question, "am I in a cult?" the answer is yes. -Stephen Colbert
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« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2008, 02:20:43 pm »

Mentor?  You have to raise support to be mentored?!  I've seen a lot of definitions of "mentor," but I don't recall ever stumbling upon a legit one that involved anything approaching this.  Frankly, this sounds like one of those bogus job ads on craigslist.  You know, if you have to PAY to WORK, it's probably a scam.  :wink:

Frankly, I'm disgusted that Tom wants people to raise support to do HIS scut work.  If he doesn't have the time or inclination to handle his own administrative responsibilities, then he can do just like everyone else in America-- find a way to pay someone else.  Why can't he raise additional support and then pay/employ the individuals himself? (Hint: having employees is a major paperwork PITA is NOT an acceptable answer.)
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« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2008, 07:38:58 am »

Quote from: "namaste"
Mentor?  You have to raise support to be mentored?!  I've seen a lot of definitions of "mentor," but I don't recall ever stumbling upon a legit one that involved anything approaching this.  Frankly, this sounds like one of those bogus job ads on craigslist.  You know, if you have to PAY to WORK, it's probably a scam.  :wink:

Frankly, I'm disgusted that Tom wants people to raise support to do HIS scut work.  If he doesn't have the time or inclination to handle his own administrative responsibilities, then he can do just like everyone else in America-- find a way to pay someone else.  Why can't he raise additional support and then pay/employ the individuals himself? (Hint: having employees is a major paperwork PITA is NOT an acceptable answer.)


I understand your disgust. I am just sitting here thinking.

Essentially an evangelist is an independent contractor  like an insurance agent.  (Needless to say that is why I got out of it in short order)  Tom.  if you pardon the analogy is running his own business.  So he would have to raise his own support as well as anyone wanting to travel with him.  

Why he went from GCM to being an independent is still unclear to me. I am still having trouble trying to sort out the particulars.

Missionaries, even in the most reputable churches. still have to raise their own support. In that respect, the request of Tom does not sound that unusual.  On the other hand, the GC baggage I could do without

Namaste, good post. Thanks for posting. It did raise some great questions.
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namaste
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« Reply #18 on: June 30, 2008, 09:35:48 am »

exshep-
That's the thing that gets me about it.  For what appears to be the majority of the positions available, the individuals would be stretching the bounds of credulity to claim that they're raising support to do missions work.  In actuality, they'd be raising support to build and maintain Tom's website and be his secretary, respectively.

I get asked to donate to a number of very worthy causes.  I've had to say no on occasion (the other day I called the police when some magazine scammer came knocking), but I've never laughed out loud at someone asking for money.  If I got a letter from someone asking for me to pay their salary to be someone else's secretary, I'd laugh out loud.  The entire notion is that absurd.  

The other day, I saw an individual "panhandling" at a busy intersection.  He displayed a sign about being "genuinely homeless, wife has ovarian cancer, just plain hungry."  I thought about giving the guy what I had in my wallet...until I noticed that he was listening to an Ipod and had a blinged-out cellphone holstered on his belt.

The whole "raise support to do the stuff I don't want to do myself" thing reminds me of the panhandler.  What's next?  Raise support to be my nanny, clean my house, or mow my yard?  This is an entry level opportunity, so you get to define just how shiny the floors will be!  And just think- you get to empty TOM SHORT's garbage!   :lol:

To be clear, the last paragraph is entirely tongue 'n cheek.  I just found the entire "work for Tom!" email to be a bit...grandiose and self-important. :wink:
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« Reply #19 on: June 30, 2008, 09:55:00 am »

In all fairness, there are other missions organizations who have "auxillary" staff paid for by supporters.  Campus Crusade does this.  That said, I have been very discouraged by some Campus Crusade staff members lately and have stopped supporting all of them.  There is one staff member in particular that seems to be living "the dream" on everyone else's dime.  She's always shopping, snorkeling, climbing, travelling, socializing.  I don't know... it just sort of bothers me when "missionaries" have nicer cars, computers, clothes than their supporters.  It seems wrong in some way.  I know people who support CCC and GC staff who wear the same clothes they've had for 6-8 years because they can't afford new ones, while the people they are supporting buy new things all the time!  It just doesn't seem right... especially if the "missionaries" ARE doing something that doesn't seem to really make a big impact like, I don't know, working at an orphanage, putting a well in an impoverished village, working with disadvantaged youth, actively pastoring, doing tribal missions, etc.  Obviously, there will be "auxillary" staff... they are important too, but I think that probably most people who would even dream of supporting Tom Short or people learning from him come from within GC.  Just a hunch, I could be wrong.

Am I just selfish, or does this sort of support of missionaries with questionable missions seem wrong?  Am I horrible in thinking that those living off the hard work of others should live VERY modestly?  Am I a curmudgeon?  Smiley  Don't answer that last question... I'm afraid of what y'all might say!
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