I think it is safe to say that I am no longer a novice to ministry. I am no expert as of yet, but I feel that I can at least encourage 'younger' minister's with this list of things to be mindful.
TOP 10 GOALS OF YOUNG MINISTERS ( in no particular order)
1. Get to know the Janitor of the church and love him to death. He will be your bread and butter.
2. People are typically not easy to read when you first get to a church/Duty Station. Don't show your cards completely.
3. Love your wife, more than your congregation. This is a safe-guard for later, and also helps establish a 'help-mate' in ministry. She will relax, if she knows your heart.
4. Give all money and financial responsibilities to a trusted elder/adult. Never pass money to anyone, simply defer, "I don't take care of that, Mrs. Smith is our financial secretary."
5. If you work with a staff, which you probably will, encourage them. Visit them in their office. Talk with them regarding their spiritual walk. See everything you do in light of the 'overall' goal/mission of the church. Don't be a lonewolf.
6. Read. Read. Read. Never forsake your daily reading of Scripture. Its called, "A Pastor's Study", for a reason. STUDY. Order books and surround yourself with them.
7. Get a calendar on your desk, on your computer, and a daily planner. Constantly, sync them. Always know whats going on in the church, not just your ministry.
8. Go to a conference once a year with your wife, no church people. I encourage you go to a Pastor's Conference. You will be surprised when you surround yourself with other ministers who are in the same boat you are. Always Refreshing.
9. Preach Teach Expositionally or on a rigid schedule. The reason here is simple. When you get frustrated, you will typically say things from the pulpit that sounds like 'ranting' if you haven't been forced to stay with a passage of Scripture. This will be a great guard for any pastor.
10. Take a vacation and forget your cell phone. LEAVE IT. TURN IT OFF. GO OFF THE GRID. Don't Facebook/Email/Blog/whatever. Go get a sabbatical rest somewhere with your family.
**11. Visit people by taking them to lunch or coffee. Bring them to your house. Show them you that your human.
This list could go on and on, but those are definitely my top 10.
(note: The ranting preacher, is mild in comparison to what I have been known to do when I am not staging photos)
Considering my current Sitz im Leben (John I am sure you will do fine with the German) I greatly appreciate number one. I also think that should be number one if you put these in order.
ReplyDeleteHi John! Saw you on FB today and thought I'd pop over to your blog. I'm probably gonna have to join the ranks {no pun intended} and become a follower. You've reeled me in and so there you have it.
ReplyDeleteTell me about your adoption! I'd love to know more! Not sure if you knew it or not...but Jase and I adopted a son from Thailand last September. Actually, we were flying there 5 months ago today! Time is flying by! We blogged the entire time we were there. Praise the Lord for Blogger and Skype! It kept us connected from across the world. I'm sure you can relate!
We are doing well, loving life and enjoying this season of parenthood. Our Kennedy is 9, Sydney is 7 and Joel is 3. Church is great. Our pastor is wonderful {reformed and so doctrinally sound}. He has been here 21 years and we are about to celebrate 7 in March. God is good.
Oh, have you read "Adopted for Life" by Russell Moore? Holy cats! That is a book for you! Parallels spiritual adoption with the adoption of children. AMAZING. You can find it on Amazon. I devoured it. Sooooo good.
Well, this is an uber long comment. Sorry about that. Hope you are great and I'd love to hear from you!
Love and hugs~
Kam
Never under estimate the janitor.
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