I am going to start a new series of posts (not in a row just at random times) about things that I have learned in ministry.  Some things might be helpful, some funny, some worthless but none the less I think it will be interesting to hear others thoughts on ministry (if people want to share).  So here goes…

1) Ministry is the biggest “odd job” ever.  One minute you will be unfolding some life changing idea to someone and the next you will be moving someones heavy refridgerator and the next you will helping someone get out of jail…

2) If there is another occupation that you would rather be in, go do it.  Full-time ministry done half way is not worth the time, energy, and frustration (for you or the people you are ministry to/with).

3) Have at least 3 friends that are your guides, mentors, advisers.  One should be someone in full time ministry, one should be someone who has similar pursuit of faith as you but not in full time ministry, and the third should be someone who has a different pursuit of faith or lacking faith all together. These can be people in town or out of town but someone you feel you can call, email, text, IM chat with at anytime.  These people will keep you thinking, keep you pursuing, and keep you sane all at the same time.

4) Good wives in ministry enhance the ministry 100 times.  Quality ministry wives are hard to come by.

5) When you are on a date or out to lunch with old friends from high school and they ask what you are doing and you say that you are ministry (youth, campus, pulpit, worship, whatever) they will say “Oh…thats grrrreat”, look at you weird, and conversation will most likely become less because for some reason you become the pope in their eyes…

6) You have to read for your ministry to be enhanced.  Not cookie cutter programing books (sometimes stories of ministries that work are inspiring but if you are just reading to copy it, it WON’T WORK!!!) but all types of books: classics, non-fiction, fiction, theology, philosophy, stuff you agree with, stuff you don’t.

7) You have to get out of the office for your ministry to be enhanced and remember why you got into ministry in the first place.  Schedule time to serve during the week.  This is not just visiting people in the hospital (which can have its place).  This is getting down and serving “the least of these”.  This will put all of your work in prospective.

8 ) You as a ministry leader or minister are a guide to truth.  You can’t drag someone to some idea.  They have to do the work and wrestle with the idea.

9) If the only reason you talk to other ministers is to compare ministries and steal some ideas or to see who has the bigger and better…well…STOP!  It’s annoying.  I hated going to most conferences (unless a few good friends were along) because it always felt like everyone is trying to show whose got the better whatever.  Seriously, just stop and get back to reality.  And if you think you have the best way of doing something and you want to flaunt it to other ministers, I quote Christian Bale on the set of Terminator…”AHHHH GOOOD FOR YOUUUU!!!” because there’s your reward.  It’s like a kid wanting a cookie…

10) If a church doesn’t seem like a good fit for you and your personality, style of ministry, etc. don’t go there.  It will be the biggest frustration for you, your family, for the people, and really it can’t end well.

11) Borders and Barnes and Nobles have a better Theology section than any Christian bookstore.

12) (For the church of Christers) Studying the Restoration Movement is actually a good thing to do.  You will really see what the movement was about and how far we have moved away from it…

13) There is nothing better than to have a eldership and leadership team behind you that stands up for you, trusts you, wants whats best for you, and when you are at rock bottom are willing to work and help you through it.

14) There are 8 slices of pizza and with an even-mixed group of guys and girls you should average about 2.5 slices a person (that’s for all the youth ministers out there).

15) If you are not willing to question what you believe openly how do you expect others to want to wrestle with their faith?  Alot of times they are scared to think a thought that would question there belief.  Faith is here because we have doubts.  Just as difficult times come and go and make us stronger, questioning ideas of belief and really wrestling with them make us stronger.