3 ministry tips
I have learned my greatest lessons through failure. Although I'd say it is a wise choice to learn from the negligence of others, I believe there is still some value in learning lessons from your own. I have failed many times in the many roles I have in my life. Husband, Father, Friend, Pastor, Leader, and Christian.
I remember leading a Young Adults Ministry a few years ago. My wife Jessica and I absolutely loved the people in our group, and we were honored to lead them! But I often look back and wish I could change the ways we were leading. I made many mistakes and missed simple things I could've done to be a better leader. So today, I want to teach you what I learned from my mistakes.
Have you ever played video games? Sometimes, you get lead to a side mission that doesn't really have anything to do with the MAIN mission. And it can become distracting and take up a lot of your time. This can happen in our ministry if we aren't careful. We can get so caught up in the tiny side missions that we take our eyes and our efforts off the primary assignment. If we are not constantly in the proper fight, we create an opportunity for personal failure. It's more than just where you're ministry is going; it's about where your heart is going. We can become distracted by trying to win the approval of others or trying to grow for the sake of our own pride that we end up stumbling over our own fleshly motives and fall. So my first bit of advice would be, don't become distracted, stay focused.
As we navigate through our own callings and responsibilities, we must have Godly peers and mentors around us to guide us through difficult times. As a young leader, I remember thinking that I knew it all. That I was there to give advice to my friends but never to receive it. WHAT A FOOLISH THOUGHT. My pride would cause me to miss out on extraordinary mentors because I thought I could go independently. One of my biggest regrets in ministry is the friends I didn't invest in or allow in my life. A good friend will challenge you, point out your blind spots, and encourage you to never quit even when times get tough. Don't be so prideful, get some GOOD and GODLY friends.
My last bit of advice for you is this when you make a mistake, OWN up, don't try to cover up. Yes, you may be a leader, but that doesn't mean your perfect. I feel we try too hard to create a false idea of ourselves. We don't want people to know we failed and messed up. Now, I'm not saying you have to announce it to the WORLD, but you should always confide in the right people. I dealt with things in my life for years and never told a soul. The problem is that the secret began to affect my life and my ministry. The truth about our sin is that it will find us out. We cannot hide our mistakes forever. I learned this, you either confess your sins from a repentant heart or get caught in your sin with a shameful heart. Don't excuse all your mistakes, don't blame everyone else for your failures. Take responsibility and own up so you can receive the right help.
You are called to do great things! God is with you, and He is leading you. Don't cause unnecessary failures in your ministry. Stay focused, stay close to good friends, and own up to your mistakes.