Advice for Pastors

I’ve been doing this 25 years.  With a Master of Divinity degree in 1988, I was called to serve as pastor of Coolidge Memorial Baptist Church in Coolidge, GA.  My home church, Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, ordained me in November 1988.  I had no idea what I was doing.  I have served three churches over this quarter century, and I may still not know what I'm doing. 

For what it’s worth, here are a few of my observations:

• You don’t do this for the money. 

• Ministry will take over your life (if you let it), and you won’t have a life.

• Ministry gets real when you get real.

• Ministry gets fun when you stop taking yourself so seriously.

• God is hammering away at you.  He always will be.

• Truth is more important than any planning tool or strategy.

• You are in this for truth, not accomplishment.

• God will take care of you.

• Don’t fake vision.  It won’t work.

• You know God’s ultimate vision:  reconciliation through the cross.

• Keep vision simple and let God bring out the details over time.

• The silver bullet is the cross.

• You can’t do it all, but you can try.  Trying to do it all will steal your soul.

• Trust God to be at work.

• Your sin of avoiding Sabbath is destroying your soul and your ministry.

• Keep it in perspective.  Most problems are not that big a deal.

• Jesus cares more about your soul than your ministry.

• Keep a good attitude.  Your joy means more than your most inspired plans.

• Give it up.  Let God have a turn.

• Don’t give up.  You are doing more good than you realize.

• Laugh.   At yourself, at your first-world problems.

• Have fun on purpose.  Make it a priority.

• The joy of the Lord is your strength. 

 

Here’s to the next 25 years of ministry!