I have just wrapped up my first year working in ministry. It was quite the adventure and I have walked away with many lessons that will stick with me throughout my life.
The truth is I have never really thought about what life in ministry would look like before. I had always come to church, enjoyed the service, went home and came back the next week. Never really stopping to think about what went into the planning of the service, or the ins and outs of the life in ministry, or the daily tasks of serving. I think this is true for many of us.
Some lessons I have learned this year were harder to listen to than others. So today I want to share a few of the lessons I learned with you.
1) Ministry Is An Event Planning Business
I recently heard it said that a church is an event planning business. At first I did not agree that this was true. I was kind of offended at first, but the more I thought about it, and watched those around me the more I started to agree. Each week is spent planning and anticipating the coming Sunday, the event. The pastor plans his sermon, the worship leader plans and practices their music, teachers prepare for their Sunday school lessons, people are lined up to make the coffee, serve the doughnuts and greet at the door. All this and more is in hopes that the big day, Sunday, goes well.
We want people to want to come back. We want them to feel welcome, to feel safe, and feel they can let down their walls. To get people to feel that way takes planning. It does not just happen.
2) More Ministry Happens Outside The Office Than In
Yes we do have office hours, just like any other business does, but unlike other businesses we are called upon more outside the office than in. Everyone takes some of their work home with them, but not all of them take their work with them 24/7. We do.
Whether it be preparing a sermon, praying for someone, making a house call, a text at 10:00 at night because a kid has run away, someone forgot their book at church and wants you to come let them in to get it...The list of things goes on. Ministry is a 24/7 job. It extends way beyond our office hours.
3) The Staff Have Lives Outside Of the Church Walls
This may sound a lot like number two but trust me it's different. ;)
This was hard for me to realize at first. The first few months I started working in youth, I poured everything I had into growing my ministry. I was at the church 8hr days and then when I went home I would still work on things for the church.
I remember when my cousin came to visit, and I was too "busy" to hang out with him. He asked me a simple question that has stuck with me, he asked, "Why are you doing all this now?" Truth was I could not answer him. Everything I was working on could wait till tomorrow at the office. I didn't have to do it right then. It was not time sensitive.
I had never really thought about the fact that I needed to balance ministry with my personal life. That it was not all or nothing, that I needed to set aside time to be with my family and friends. All pastors do, or need to do the same thing. I didn't realize that if a student text and wanted to hang out or wanted to text me that it was okay for me to tell them that I was spending time with family and would get back to them as soon as I could.
I used to look at pastors, or people who serve in ministry, and think that it was their job to serve me and that I deserve access to them any time I need...NOT TRUE. They too deserve to have lives outside the church.
4) Relationships With People Are The MOST Important
I used to think the tasks of ministry were the number one priority of working in ministry. Man was I wrong!!! Building a relationship with people in our church, or community, that is the most important, that is what I am called to do. Not check things off my todo list so I can go home. Jesus did not come to do tasks. He came to build relationships with people, to show them the way to truth. A person does not take the advice of a stranger, they take the advice of a friend. The same is true in ministry.
5) I Am Not Qualified For My Position
There is a saying "God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called" and BOY IS THIS TRUE. No matter the task in-front of me there is always someone better to do my job. Whether it be talking to a student about their home lives, designing a flyer for an event or preaching a sermon, their is always someone more qualified to do my job than me. Realizing that the person next to me may be better at this than I am, causes a lot of self doubt.
Truth is I am not qualified to do this job. That is what keeps me turning to God and His strengths. God did not call the person next to me to do what I do, He called me and I intend to continue to serve Him for many more years and I am sure learn many more lessons.
