From The Pastor

I have started putting a little article each week in our church bulliten that I call, "From The Pastor". This week I shared with the church "40 Tips For Young Pators" by Craig Groeshel. I thought they were great (and some were just funny), but that they could apply to others in ministry, not just pastors. The more I thought about them, I realized that several could apply to christians in general, and so I thought I would share the tips with you. Here they are. I've included some comments of my own in brackets. Enjoy.

40 Leadership Tips For Young Pastors

1. Life is short. Make every day count for God’s glory.

2. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

3. Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Jesus cares more about the church than you do. (I really need to remember this
one)

5. You can’t please everyone…so why try? (A trap that is easy to get caught up in)

6. People will criticize you. Quit whining. Get used to it. (Hoo-boy...need to
remember this one too!)

7. Three months from now, you won’t even remember most of the
things that are bothering you now.

8. You can’t do it all. Stop trying.

9. God called you because He is good, not because you are. (That is the truth!!)

10. If you blame yourself for the bad results in ministry, you’ll likely also take credit for the good results.

11. Become close friends with other pastors in your town (as many as you can).

12. Your kids will be grown before you know it. Don’t sacrifice them on the altar
of ministry. (I've seen this happen far too often)

13. Your ministry isn’t your god. God is your God.

14. You know how to give and how to minister to others. If you don’t learn how to
receive, you'll burn out and/or die. (Why is this so hard for pastors to do?)

15. Studying for sermons doesn’t replace your personal time with God and in His Word.

16. Err on the side of generosity.

17. Believe in people that others overlook.

18. If you’re going to reach people that others aren’t, you’ll have to do things
that others won't. (This is one for each beleiver, each local church)

19. Your integrity matters more than you can imagine.

20. Hire staff members that you like.

21. When you have a tough decision to make, but you know it’s right, make it
immediately. Like pulling off a Band-Aid: do it fast, and all at once.

22. Hire slowly. Fire quickly.

23. You can’t change people. Only God can.

24. Don’t criticize others’ ministries. Yours isn’t nearly as perfect as you think
it is. (I laughed out loud at this one)

25. Take care of yourself. Eat right. Rest. Exercise. Take time off. No one else can do that for you.

26. If you don’t take much time off, it’s because you’re proud, and you think
you’re more necessary than you really are. (Ouch!)

27. Don’t just delegate responsibility. Delegate authority.

28. Laugh frequently.

29. People will leave your church. People you love and trust will leave your church. Don’t take it personally. (It's hard not too...often the rest of the church
blames the pastor)

30. When you suffer and hurt because of ministry, worship Jesus all the more.

31. Talk about Jesus every time you preach.

32. Be careful what you say. You’re being watched-and recorded.

33. Don’t return emails when you’re angry.

34. Check to make sure your microphone is turned off before you use the bathroom.
Double-check. (This is funny....because I've done this)

35. Check to make sure your zipper is zipped every time before you preach.
Double-check. (And I've done this too)

36. Love your wife more than you love the church. The church is Jesus’ bride, not
yours. (I've seen too many abandon their wives for the church)

37. Always be caught speaking well of others.

38. Compliment, encourage, and build up your staff and volunteers.

39. Hand write thank you notes.

40. Smile and look people in the eyes when you talk to them.


Ok, so there's that.

Pastor Dave