Articles . Michael Catt . Volume 03 | Issue 17

Ministry Thoughts Worth Considering

While I would not call this an article, it is a collection of ideas, thoughts and theories that I’ve compiled. Read it and apply it. You’ll be a better leader for it.

Steps To Grow Thicker Skin:

  1. PRAY that God will give you courage, boldness and that you will not be trapped by the fear of man.

  2. TRUST That God will give you what you need.

  3. KNOW that most ministers never get to this point. It’s the difference between a winner and a whiner, a leader and a loser.

  4. PRAY that God will change the hearts of those who might oppose what you are trying to do.

  5. PREPARE to pay the price if you are going to lead. There is no movement without opposition, no forward progress without friction.

  6. DIE to self. Real leaders are dead to flattery and flattening. Too often we think ministry is about ‘me’ and forget it’s about Jesus.

  7. GET OVER YOURSELF. Don’t take every criticism as someone trying to hurt you. They may have been sent by God to reveal a blind spot and to help you.

  8. MOVE ON when things don’t go your way. Too many ‘leaders’ start sending out resumes the first time their ideas are shot down. Remember, ministry is team work. If you want to be a Lone Ranger, don’t be a part of a multiple staff situation. If you want to call all the shots, make all the decisions, always get your way, you aren’t much of a Christian or a leader. Give and take is what ministry and teamwork is all about.

Appearance Is Everything:

  1. Make sure your clothes are pressed. There is nothing more unprofessional than pants that are wrinkled or look like they were wadded up in the bottom of the drawer.

  2. Let the event dictate what you are going to wear. Don’t go to the hospital dressed like you are on your way to the gym or golf course. Keep a nice change of clothes on hand in case you are called out to a funeral, the hospital or a meeting with folks who are dressed up, not dressed down.

  3. Keep your office and desk clean. Someone has said, “Your office is a good indicator of how important your ministry and service is to you.” Others think a clean office is the sign of a sick mind. The bottom line is, if you are in ministry, you are a professional. Your office should look like a professional office. If it doesn’t, make it that way.

  4. You don’t have to spend big bucks to dress well. I buy 90% of my clothes, including my suits on sale or at Outlet Malls. Learn to buy clothes that mix and match and thus expand your wardrobe. Buy clothes that fit – nothing looks as bad as a minister in an outfit that looks like he wore it in high school or borrowed it from a Triple X friend.

  5. Polish your shoes. Scuffed shoes will never earn you respect from those in the military. They are spit and polish, we should be too.

  6. Keep your car clean. It doesn’t need to look like your office. If you have someone riding with you, you don’t need to take 10 minutes shuffling the piles in your car.

How You Come Across Makes A Difference:

  1. Speak to people. We are in the people business. There is no excuse for not speaking to people when you pass them in the hallway. You may be preoccupied, but don’t be a snob – a smile, a wave, a simple hello will make a world of difference.

  2. Walk slowly through the crowd. Look for opportunities to minister.

  3. When people ask you to pray for them, do it, right then and there. Don’t tell them you will and then walk off, you’ll forget.

  4. Don’t stand around in a holy staff huddle. We have all week to get together and talk – Sunday’s and Wednesdays are our days to ‘press the flesh’ and get among our people. We serve them and should always be available to them without them having to interrupt what appears to them to be a staff meeting.

  5. Be early, stay late. We should be on campus, in the room before the people start arriving. They learn by our example. If we are always walking into the room at the last minute, they will do the same. Also, stay late. We should be some of the last to leave. If you hit the door when the event is over, you’ve blown multiple opportunities for ministry.

  6. Take the initiative. In conversations. At the Invitation. One of my pet peeves is staff members who wait for a lost person to walk all the way to the front before they engage during the invitation. We should be giving the impression through our body language and actions that we are excited they are coming forward. Speak to them first, don’t make them have to say the first words.

  7. Remember, some stumps are to be blown up, others you should go around. Don’t make mountains out of mole hills. A bulldog can whip a skunk but it’s not worth it. Choose your battles wisely, you’ve only got so much ammunition and then you are a dead duck.

When To Pray About Something:

  1. Before you announce it or share it with anyone. In a prayer environment God refines our ideas, kills them or affirms them.

  2. Before you present it to the Pastor or your supervisor. Ask God to give you favor if this is His idea for this time and place. It may be a good idea but the wrong time.

  3. After the idea has been rejected or accepted. Remember, God gave you favor. You’re not all that. He birthed the idea, gave you the wisdom, give Him the credit for it.

  4. After the event or process. Whether it succeeds or not is not your responsibility. You are called to be faithful. God is responsible for the results. I am to do my best, work hard and trust the results to God.

What To Do While The Pastor Is Preaching:

  1. Try to stay awake. It doesn’t look good for the staff to be nodding off when the pastor is preaching. It’s not good for job security and doesn’t set a good example for the deacons who are struggling to stay awake.

  2. Take notes. You’re going to be asked by someone what the pastor meant. If you didn’t take notes, you probably won’t remember.

  3. Seek the Lord about how the message applies to you. The sermon is not just for the church, it’s also for the staff. We are called to obey the Word and even respond at the invitation if we are convicted by God.

  4. Pray for those around you. Bathe the room in prayer. Ask God’s Spirit to move and touch the hearts of people. Pray for carnal people who need to get right with God. Pray for lost people who need to be saved.

  5. Give it more than the staff nod. Staff members can nod in agreement with their heads and not even be thinking of the consequences in their lives. If the pastor is calling the church to greater accountability, that call demands more than an ‘Amen’ – it demands that the staff lead out in setting the example.

  6. Remember, people are watching you. How you react, your body language, etc; They are looking for signals to see if you are on the same page. The critics will look at you instead of looking within themselves.

  7. Have a ‘Yes Lord’ attitude. Whatever God says, you are willing to do it. You’ll pay whatever price, go the second mile, do whatever it takes and then some…