Tag: Ministry Inside

What causes ministry to be draining? 1. We can lead out of our anxiety (“Did anyone complain this morning?”) instead of our conviction (“How did God work in the life of the congregation this morning?”). Such leaders live in a constant state of reaction. For them, a good Sunday morning is when no one complains.… Continue reading Ministry Inside.72

What is this going to cost? I have a limited amount of money. It does not expand beyond my paycheck each month. Therefore I need to live within our budget and think about what I purchase. After all, if I purchase something today, I may not have the money to purchase something else tomorrow. There… Continue reading Ministry Inside.71

Most Thursdays I write a post especially for church leaders. If you are a pastor, preacher, elder, or simply engaged in some kind of ministry in your congregation, you may find this helpful. 1. You might enjoy Gordon MacDonald’s presentations from Bethel University. MacDonald is the author of a number of books and has been… Continue reading Ministry Inside.70

In her book A Practical Guide to Prayer, Dorothy Haskin tells about a noted concert violinist who was asked about how she mastered this instrument. The violinist answered the question with these two words: “Planned neglect.” Then she explained.   There were many things that used to demand my time. When I went to my room… Continue reading The Power of Planned Neglect

1. Invest the good will that is given to you by the congregation. Don’t waste it. Another way of saying this is, “You only have so much good will to spend in a church. Don’t waste it.” Not everything is worth an argument or a fight. I have known a few ministers who just wear… Continue reading Ministry Inside.69


Does something need to be done? Write it down. Put it on paper, your iPhone, or your iPad. But write it down. That may seem obvious, but many people don’t do this. Most Thursdays I write this post for church leaders. I am amazed at how many church leaders do not write things down. Think… Continue reading Ministry Inside.68

(The following post is written with church leaders, preachers, pastors, and other ministers in mind. However, many of these comments will be useful to others.) 1. Pay attention to the basics. Well-meaning church leaders will sometimes expend great energy and other resources in order to attract guests to their assemblies. Yet, churches sometimes ignore the… Continue reading Ministry Inside.66

Each Thursday, the post is especially for ministers, preachers, pastors, and other church leaders. Whether you identify with any of these roles or not, perhaps you will find the following interesting. 1. Appreciation. I can’t tell you how many ministers are starved to hear a “thank you” or just a genuine word of appreciation from… Continue reading Ministry Inside.65

1. What is your point of view? Very often ministers/preachers/pastors see their church from only their perspective without making the effort to see another’s point of view. I have found it very helpful to listen to others so that I can learn what people in these situations really are experiencing. For example, I might seek… Continue reading Ministry Inside.63