Here are 3 ministry lessons you need to know beyond doubt to lead well and be all God has called you to be.
1. The grass is not greener on the other side.
It always seems greener, but the grass on the other side also needs watering.
I have known many pastors who left for greener pastures only to realize too late that it wasn’t a good fit. They were led by personal aspirations and not the heart of God.
Stop dreaming of bigger and better. Maybe God will use you in a huge way; perhaps He won’t. The question is: Would you be satisfied in Him if you spent your entire pastoral career in an average size church or smaller? Maybe, God has you where He wants you, and you are to stay and be faithful. Selah 🙂
2. Plant HIS kingdom and not YOUR church.
Getting God’s heart about church planting within your community and context is vital. Stop comparing yourself and your church to mega-churches that are actually the rarity. What if your community is more rural?
Don’t limit your thinking to what you know or have experienced. I know some reasonably new networks that aren’t thinking of “bigger congregations” but a multiplication of churches of 250 people. With this in mind, they are always in church planting mode.
Micro churches and house churches are on the rise. But have you ever considered if this might be the best way to reach your community?
Remember, this isn’t about you or your preferred way or style. This is all about Jesus and His kingdom.
3. Your family really does come first after God.
My heart breaks every time I read about another pastor falling.
I want to believe that all of these started with good hearts and motivations. I wonder, however, how many came in with the thought of success, which means bigger.
As you set out to plant a church to “reach” people, is there a potentially hidden agenda: to get recognized and to be “on the radar?
A church planter that is a self-starter and driven can be a good thing. Taken to the extreme, however, it can lead to many problems.
We state our priorities as 1) God, 2) our spouse, and 3) our family.
Do we live this out? Does what we proclaim match what we are living out?
Do your wife and children know they are more important than the ministry?
Make sure they do. They are your first and most important ministry.
