When You Go Into Ministry…

I started in full time ministry 15 years ago.  It was a really exciting time for me.  I remember setting up my first office.  The church I worked in was very small and couldn’t afford a decent desk for me so I refinished an old oak army desk a friend gave me.  I loved the fact that I got paid to do what I love but I wasn’t prepared to face some of the difficulties that come along with the occupation.  In fact, six people left the church in my first month there because they didn’t like me.  Here are a few things I wish I would have been told.  Maybe they’ll help you if your in the beginning phases of your ministry.

You’re going to fail.  Not every idea you have is going to be a success.  You’re going to fall on your butt.  Get used to it.

Not everyone is going to like you.  It’s true, you’re going to rub some people the wrong way.  Some people won’t be able to stand looking at you.  You’re working with people now and not every personality meshes well with every other personality.

You’re going to struggle with pride.  I’m not sure what it is, but it only takes a little bit of momentum before many ministers are drinking their own cool aid and taking on a rock star attitude.  Pride will be one of your worst enemies.

You’re going to make some big sacrifices.  As hard as you try to protect your family, there will be seasons when you miss having dinner with them.  If you have dreams of owning a big house and a boat, don’t count on it.  You might as well get used to feeling lonely a lot too.  Believe me, there will be times when you YEARN for a “normal life”.

However…

Your ministry will have a profound impact on people.  Testimonies are going to come out of the times you allowed God to pour you out and lives are going to change.

You’re going to develop some incredible relationships.  As you work to develop your leadership team, you’ll become like family as you pray, plan, work, and bleed together.

You’ll experience God’s mercy as He humbles you time after time.  You will learn that, without God’s help, your ministry is useless and it will draw you into a beautiful relationship with Him.

You will love what you do.  Seriously, you’re going to have the time of your life!  You’ll find that it charges you.  Your passion will grow as you see lives changed.  The fruit produced from your labor will be worth it!

What are some things you wish you would have been told when starting in ministry?

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A Common Leadership Thread

“Have you ever read this book?” I asked with way too much enthusiasm.  He just looked at me with an expression that said, “Yeah, right.”  He was a youth pastor that already knew all the answers.  His youth ministry was slightly above average in size and he was very comfortable in his position.  Normally something like that wouldn’t phase me but, at the time, I’d always been around leaders who loved to read.  It was unthinkable to me that someone in church leadership would frown on books (other than the Bible).  He was fired a few months later.  His pastor’s threshold for arrogant leadership found its limit.

In sharp contrast, I had a conversation once that went like this: “Can you recommend any good books?”  I began to list some of my favorites on leadership and ministry.  “Where can I get those?”  I listed a couple of my favorite places to get books cheap.  I had the pleasure of watching this guy take his ministry to great places.

I know, you’re thinking, “Thanks for the cheesy replay of your mentoring conversation Lee.”  But it really is that simpleThe one common thread I’ve found among leaders that make a sustainable difference, who know how to lead and inspire, who can stick it out for the long haul is a continued commitment to keep learning.  They never stop reading, studying, or growing.  They don’t rest on what they learned back in the day or what worked for them 10 years ago.  In fact, they don’t rest on what they learned only 3 years ago.

This tends to be an even greater problem for someone who has been in the ministry for many years.  They believe that tenure equals wisdom, but just because you’ve been doing a mediocre job for the last 20 years doesn’t mean you know a whole lot.  In my opinion experience is highly overrated unless you’re learning from it and should never be a substitute for continuing your education as a leader.

So that’s the common thread I find among great leaders.  They keep learning.  Like an old friend of mine used to say, “Leaders are readers and readers lead.”

What are some other threads you find in good leadership?

The Toxic Trio

Let’s face it, if you’re doing effective ministry, the devil hates it.  In fact, he hates YOU.  Leaders have a whole gang of enemies they must face in order to keep moving forward.  It’s not an easy job and there are perils around every corner.

If the enemy can’t get you to throw in the towel, he’ll find ways of rendering you fruitless.  Oftentimes leaders aren’t even aware of their impotence until it’s too late.  It’s a subtle, crafty tactic for sure but highly effective.  I wrote in an earlier post about The Deadly Duo of pride and insecurity.  Today I’d like to expose a few more of these nasties.  I call them the Toxic Trio.

Self Preservation – The enemy of vision.  When times seem lean, the temptation is to program to keep people comfortable and coming back.  Instead of taking risks, and dreaming big, we filter our decisions to keep the money happy. Afraid of losing people (and finances and favor), we start thinking inward instead of reaching outward.  This is downright deadly because we forfeit the future when we stop having faith.

Routine – The enemy of innovation.  Don’t get me wrong.  Some routine is good.  The problem arises when we elevate our routine to a place that robs us of opportunity.  For example, we skip a great training opportunity because it falls on sermon prep day or during the time when we normally do hospital visitation.

We also have a tendency to lather, rinse, and repeat our programming long past the expiration dateListen to those around you when they start suggesting new ideas.  It usually means your program is losing it’s impact, even if it is still fun for you to do.

Control – The enemy of empowering leadership.  This one is huge and really deserves its own post.  We really like to be in control and some leaders like to make sure everyone knows they’re in control.  They ignore suggestions, hold on to roles they should have let go of a long time ago, and obsess over certain tasks for fear they won’t get done right.

Controlling leaders may get what they want, but before long they’re getting it alone.  This demoralizing style of leadership usually drives away a lot of quality team members.

Have you ever seen yourself tackling one of these toxic traits?  I know I have, many times.  What’s a leader to do?  Well, rather than giving you the old 1, 2, 3 bullet points, I just have one word for you, “TRUST“.

It’s important that we learn to trust God when times are tough.  Keep dreaming, don’t sink inward.  Believe that where God guides, He provides.  Trust that He’ll help to redeem the time when we step out of the routine to grow and try new things.  You were made to grow, not simply maintain.  Trust your team to do their best when they take a project.  If God put you together, He really did know what He was doing.  Trusting those serving with you empowers them and helps them to grow.  That’s worth the risk of a job not getting done right any day!

Just trust!

“those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” – Psalm 34:10b

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