Lessons on being a minister 1

I’ve been a minister for 10 years now so thought I might post a couple of blogs about being a minister, this one being general reflections and the next one on moving from a ‘smaller’ to a ‘larger’ church. Then, if I get the time, I might blog some more about specific points over the summer. So in no particular order (and some not entirely thought through):

1. The most important things in church life are the ones it is hardest to measure.
2. Because ministry is about ‘who you are’ not ‘what you do’ most criticism about your ministry ends up being personal in some form.
3. Different churches need different types of minister (or more accurately ministers with gifts in various different aspects of ministry): work with your strengths and focus on what is needed in this situation. And if you can, avoid being called to a church which needs you do prioritise aspects that you dislike!
4. There is always more to do than there is time to do it. You have a responsibility for managing your time, no one else is going to do it for you.
5. Ministry is draining spiritually, emotionally and physically. Of the three I’ve come to recognise the emotional drain rather late but it is probably the one which takes the biggest toll on me.
6. People in church worry about being vulnerable or up to the task when they are approached to do something in church. Recognise that whilst you feel like that most of the time, it will not help them for you to point this out! Likewise if they grumble about being put out by something.
7. No matter how brilliant church is someone will always complain about the quality of relationships in the church, the mission effort and the standard of communication.
8. There is always a balance between seeking to build consensus, allowing everyone to have their say and robustly setting out the way forward. With the benefit of hindsight I have nearly always been too diffident and swayed by other people and rarely too strident and dictatorial.
9. If there is no connection between what you believe about God, Church and Ministry you will be condemned to picking up techniques from others based on ‘what works for them’. You need to know why as well as what to do.
10. In one survey 70% of ministers said they had thought of resigning. I reckon the other 30% were lying. But being a minister is the best calling in the world. Who else gets to be involved in seeing people’s lives re-orientated towards God, spending their life as foundational brick in Christ’s body and giving all their best energy to giving God glory?

Comments

[Jane Henderson]

Interesting and insightful Neil. In my experience, what you have here works just as well for leaders in secular organisations if you substitute 'leader' for 'minister' and 'beliefs' for 'values'. The main difference for me is that I would hope in the Christian context the motivation is God's kingdom whereas too often the motivation in the secular world is personal power (or might that be true for some in the Christian World too?!)

[craig gardiner]

Hi Neil i though I left a comment here the other day but it has not appeared. I agreed with much of this except the thing about ministry being the best calling in the world ... it is if you are a minister but not if you are supposed to be something else. When i was a lawyer that was the 'best' calling for me because it was what God wanted at the time ... at the minute its pastorial ministry ... in years to come who knows ... eventually it will be retirement and that wll be the 'best' calling for me then.

Teachers and factory workers and journalists and
politians, full time mums (or dads) and whoever doign wahtever need to know that their calling is as vlaid before God becaue God called them to it

[Neil Brighton]

Hi Jane, it is interesting to note the way that a number of books have taken the work that John Adair, Steven Covey and others have done and sought to apply it to church life: there is a minor publishing empire encouraging 'transformational leadership' in churches. I'm sure that there are many cross over points. Where we need care is in remembering what sort of entity church is. Certainly the dymanics of church will reflect a pattern that is seen in other human movements and institutions, but beyond those human atributes it is the body of Christ.

Hi Craig, 'best' was sloppy language on my part. 'High or noble' might have been better. I'm not wanting to suggest that God doesn't call people to a variety of activities and vocations (each of which might be best for that person) but I am wanting to say that ordained ministry is a calling to be valued, affirmed and encouraged.