The Best Job I Ever Had: 10 Things I Didn’t Tell You About Working At Sandals Church

Elena Zanone Kunkel
Sep 5, 2018 · 4 min read
One of my favorite designers and friends, Andrew H.

So, here’s what we know: Sandals Church is one of the fastest growing churches in America and beyond, joined by over 15,000 people across nine locations and all over the world online, each trying to figure out what it means to be real with self, God and others every single week. The church has over seven microbrands with a workplace environment that publications like the Press-Enterprise recognize year after year.

It’s a big church with a big vision, heart, soul and strategy. You’ve read or heard all of this somewhere before.

And after nearly two years of telling this story to people all over the world, this week will close the chapter on my time heading up the marketing department — it was a big job that required big vision, heart, soul and strategy. Here’s what I learned that wasn’t in your social feeds, inbox, landing pages, videos and other channels you consume…

  1. You will learn new definitions of what it means to lead and to love. There are thousands of places that tote “incredible work culture” and “personal growth development incentives” but those are just natural side effects of working at Sandals Church (without the jargon I might add). Everyone around you deserves a study, and you should take notes from every single person from accounting to youth ministry. Shoutout to a few people who love as hard as they lead: Vivi Diaz, Merea Price, Bethany Cordes and so many, many more…
This is Merea Price. She’s good people.

2. There will be people who will leave a deep mark, in gorgeous and slightly grueling ways. You let people in and they will transform your story, and it will feel at times both positive and negative — but it’s all imperative.

3. You will need to remember that “it’s easy to avoid earth when you’re just talking about heaven.” Friend more than boss, Executive Creative Director Dex Alexander said this at a creative retreat we had when it was high time to push pause on the chaos the creative team was experiencing. This is taken out of context, but the statement holds boundless truth no matter the setting. There’s a unique tension in ministry: when you’re so focused on the “work” it is easy to lose sight of the reality around you and that is the true ministry.

That’s Dex.

4. People are difficult everywhere. That includes yourself. Working in ministry reveals the brokenness of people in glorious ways, especially yours. The good news is that God uses all of those pieces to tell a redemptive story, but it will get messy and you are part of that beautiful mess. Just remember that being self-aware is the best self-care (shoutout to the Enneagram, I guess).

Some other people that are great.

5. You will need to check your motives daily because “the dark side of ambition is a deep lack of satisfaction.” Another quote I noted in a conversation with Dex. Don’t lose sight of why “in the name of Jesus.” It’s one thing to be goal-oriented, but if it is at the cost of “why,” your what becomes less and less meaningful, influential and impactful.

6. It will be one of the most challenging jobs you’ll ever have. When all of your life stuff is packed into one figurative room, especially if it’s an open office (ha), you can feel a bit exposed, overwhelmed and overcapacity (mind, body and soul). Although, to say “it’s worth it” is an understatement.

Sometimes the work can make you a little funny.

7. You will need to get over yourself. You may have been hired because you have the skill, capacity or “woo” but when it’s time to pick up a paintbrush or move a pew, that’s your new job title for the moment. That’s the gift of the whole job.

This is Steph and PRD.

8. You will need to set boundaries and learn to say “no.” It is a 24-hour job, the work is never done. Be kind, gracious and patient with yourself, God is.

9. Get ready to do your life’s most creative work. Something happens when authenticity is baked into everything you do: It unlocks truth in marketing, truth in design, truth in copy… it’s a hell of a good time with people who are truly in love with what they do.

10. It will hurt like hell to leave. Thank you Sandals Church for teaching more over these 21 months than I have learned in most of my adult life. “Sandals Church Happens Here” has never held more truth and this vision of real will be boldly live out in Los Angeles. Love you, family. Sandals Church Los Angeles sounds like a good next place to be real…

PS. I LOVE YOU ALL AND WISH I HAD PHOTOS OF EVERYONE.

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