7. Do Reverse Mentoring
There are young people in your church who are called to ministry—at least lay leadership, if not full-time clergy. But we sometimes miss it, because the ministry they’re called to doesn’t look like the ministry we’re used to.
So, instead of spurring them on to follow God where he’s leading them, many of us stifle their creativity by forcing them into our old molds while calling it discipleship. Or mentoring.
What we need is some reverse mentoring. Old coots like me need to take the time not just to impart our wisdom and experience to the next generation, but to listen, too. Let’s turn that teaching into dialog. We might like what we hear.
I haven’t come up with a great, new ministry idea in decades. But our church is filled with great ideas, because I’ve learned to listen. Then, after listening, I’ve learned to …
8. Say Yes a Lot—Even to Ideas That Didn’t Work Before
I love saying yes to crazy ideas. Even to ideas that failed before.
After all, the flip-side of “what worked then won’t work now” is “what didn’t work then, might work now.”
Pastors who keep a foot on the brakes don’t inspire anyone. Pastors with a listening ear and a hand on the steering wheel can nudge good ideas to become great ones.
That’s where innovative churches come from. And that’s how we keep ourselves and our churches fresh for a long time to come.
So what do you think? Do you have any other ideas about how to stay fresh for the long term?
