Lessons Learned

Recently, my wife and I were blown away with the love and generosity of our staff and church as we celebrated our 20th year of ministry at Emmanuel Church. The experience was very humbling, and I thank God for the opportunities He’s blessed me with over these years.

Trevon Wax suggests that the average length of time a pastor stays at one church is between 5 and 7 years. Because of this reality, I believe the question we should be asking is, “Is it possible to not only survive but also thrive in ministry for a long period of time?”

Here are 5 lessons that I have learned over the last 20 years:

1. It’s always hard.

Jerry Falwell, founding pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University, once said, “There are no two good days alike in the ministry.” As pastors, we often judge how things are going by whether or not we have a long stretch of good days. The reality is, because of the nature of what we do, the battles we are fighting and helping others to fight, it’s always going to be hard.

So long as you are in ministry, there will always be financial pressures, friends leaving your church, bouts of toxic staff culture, moral failures, tragedies, and resignations. The key is preparing for them and expecting them. Hard doesn’t make it bad. It just makes it hard.

2. Stay clear.

The key to longevity in ministry is to remember the why. Stay clear on why you started in ministry in the first place. Remember your calling. This will keep you focused on your vision so you don’t lose site of the importance of the work God is doing through you.

One way I stay connected to the “why” is by continuing to engage with unbelievers. This reignites the passion for my why and spurs me to keep going. There is nothing that will give me a glimpse into God’s heart any more than to interact with those who are far from Him.

3. Build a farm team.

I once read that leadership is the ability to accomplish an objective through a team. Our success is only as good as our developed farm team. We find this truth in Ephesians 4:12, where Paul says, “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

Our staff should be pouring into and recruiting volunteers so that we can equip them to do the work of the ministry. We can’t do this on our own, or it will quickly lead to burnout.

4. Focus on your soul.

Performance is important, yes, but the most important thing is the condition of our souls. We should never put growth and goal achievement above our relationship with God. We grow, but not at the expense of our souls.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” It seems like this should be intuitive; however, it is so easy to get off track and derailed by things that, on the surface, are extremely important and making a difference. We have to take the initiative and the extra step to prioritize our own spiritual development.

5. Go fast…and slow.

Luke 5:16 gives us the example of Jesus’ leadership during a huge movement of success. “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” Jesus was doing amazing miracles and drawing huge crowds, but in the middle of the chaos, he would retreat away for solitude and prayer.

Many people stay busy and surrounded by noise so that they don’t have to deal with their souls. In the quiet, we have to face ourselves, our motives and our desires. In his book The Way of the Heart, Connecting with God Through Prayer, Wisdom, and Silence, Henri J.M. Nouwen says, “Silence is the furnace of transformation.”

It’s in those moments of silence and solitude that we will also experience a deep gratitude and thankfulness to God for the work He’s doing in and through us. I believe thankfulness is not a luxury, but instead, it’s the fuel that will give us the energy to continue in the work to which we’ve been called.

I believe if you’ll put some of these lessons I’ve learned into your daily rhythm, it will help you thrive in the work God has called you to do.