Tuesday, August 14, 2012

If I were a new pastor . . . Part 2

5.  Speaking of survival.  It is true you don't have to survive, you must simply follow the will of God. However, the interpretation of God's will is often not as rigid, at least in some areas as in others.  Wisdom will dictate a course based on love for the people, passion for God (which is essentially the same thing) and only then projects based out of your gifts, desires, etc.  if you get this backwards your effectiveness will be diminished possibly to the point that you will find staying at that church unacceptable, or worse, not possible.  Of course you can blame the hard hearts of the congregation, but you will know deep in your soul that you mixed up your priorities.

6.  You will likely be responsible for preaching at least weekly if not more often.  This is a primary responsibility which demands your full attention.  The more effective you are here the greater your credibility in affecting change in other arenas.  Preaching that connects with the congregation is the goal.  They should always leave with a clear idea of the core message from the sermon, along with an action step.

7.  Don't neglect to keep growing by exposing yourself to reading new books and talking with your peers and mentors about your personal development.  You should always be reading at least 4 books at a time:  a leadership book, a devotional, a novel, and a book devoted to some aspect of ministry.   Never, never, never ignore your own intellectual growth.

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