8. Make it about serving others.
You need to continually check your motives.
A few years ago, I just decided that I had to go into every commitment with a towel over my arm and the heart of a servant. It’s not about being served, but about serving Christ and others (Jesus said something about that, didn’t he?).
Whenever I go help leaders, I want to make sure that they have been served and that their ministry is better for it.
9. Learn from it.
It’s not about what you can teach others, but about what they can teach you. I have learned a ton from other people and experiences, and I’m always anxious to integrate those learnings not just into my personal leadership, but also into our team and our ministry back at Connexus.
10. When in doubt, ask.
You are your own worst judge when it comes to potential conflicts of interest or questions of judgment about things that stand to benefit you.
Having an open dialogue with elders and key people is not only refreshing, but it also means you’ll never have any secrets or nagging suspicion something might not be right. If you’re not sure something is the very best for you or the organization, just ask. Everyone will be better for it.
Outside work and ministry isn’t for everyone, but I can only believe that organizations that attract and keep people with a desire to learn, grow, contribute, and serve are often better for it.
What are you learning about doing ‘outside’ ministry? What guidelines do you find helpful?
