11 – Network
– If you leave a conference without a minimum of five other names, email addresses and business cards, you weren’t trying.
– We are all on the same team. Why are we not sharing ideas, solutions, struggles, prayer requests, praises, etc?
***Make it a goal to leave your next conference with at least five new names and contact info. Then make it a priority to connect with them when you return home.
12 – Be mentored and mentor.
– Who has gone ahead of you that is speaking truth into you?
– Who is behind you that you need to encourage and challenge?
*** Do you have someone in your life whom you have given permission to call you out on sin, encourage your spiritual growth, and cheer you on?
*** Who is praying for you and who in ministry are you praying for?
13 – A safe place to vent
– Find a safe person outside your office and church to vent to in confidence.
– Get emotion out in a safe place so you don’t bring it to the meeting.
– Let it out, then let it go!
14 – Don’t break policy just to please.
– If it is important enough to make into a policy, it is important enough to apply it.
– Policy protects the whole, pleasing often satisfies a few.
*** Are there polices you have that serve no real purpose?
15 – Keep your mouth shut.
– Confidentiality in ministry is a must.
– Don’t have meetings after meetings. If you need to say it, say it in the meeting.
– No triangulation—talk to the person you have a problem with, not a third party.
16 – Silos don’t make teams.
– God’s truths deserve our age group collaboration.
– In age group ministries, we have to work together to help develop and support a Christ-centered 18-year-old.
*** Where in your ministry team are there barriers and resistance to teamwork?
17 – Be who God called and gifted you to be.
– You are who you are and where you are because God created you and put you there.
– Quit trying to be another ministry leader or ministry. Be who God created you to be.
– Comparison steals joy.
18 – Grow in the valley.
– Some of your hardest ministry moments are your best teachers.
– Give yourself grace from failures, so you can grow.
– Allow conflict to build character so you don’t get stuck in the valley.
*** Where have you seen God in a ministry valley?
19 – Yield to and leave room for the Holy Spirit.
– You can’t program every moment. Allow room for God to show up.
– Sometimes unplanned interruptions make an eternal impact.
*** When is the last time you made room for and experienced a Holy Spirit interruption?
20 – Humility goes a long way.
– You don’t have to pretend to have all the answers. Some people just want you to listen.
– If you can’t clean a toilet with no one watching, are you really ready to serve?
– Get beyond yourself, so people remember Jesus and not you.
This article about ministry lessons learned originally appeared here.
