8 Keys to Ministry Success

photo by Andreas Cappell

I recently read an excellent post by Lori Randall over at Social Media Examiner. The title was “8 Keys to Blogging Success“. As I read it, I couldn’t help thinking about a similar application to success in ministry leadership. Unless we continually growth and stretch, we’ll become bored or disillusioned and wind up burning out.  Here’s my take on Lori’s list:

1)  Are You Passionate? Do you have the opportunity to spend most of your waking hours engaged in what is aligned with your passion?

2)  Are You Patient?Ministry has its up’s and down’s. Some down seasons seem eternal. But do you have the kind of patience that waits on God to provide?

3)  Are You Clear?  Do you have a firm grasp on what God’s vision is for your life and the life of your ministry? If you do, you know how energizing it is.

4)  Are You Brave?  Are you willing to stand up for the Truth even if it’s wildly unpopular, even with the big donors to your ministry? Remember: Only God grants the kind of bravery that ministry demands.

5)  Are You Seasoned?  Do you immerse yourself in the Word? Do you take your ministry responsibilities seriously enough to sink your teeth into the content? Are you always learning, always growing in your field?

6)  Are You Helpful?  Do you really enjoy helping people? Or are you so concerned with the delivery of your sermon that you don’t have time to bother with anyone?

7)  Are You Organized?  Are you organized enough to be able to consistently pour value into the lives of those you are called to serve? If you are not organized by nature, do you have a structure or framework to compensate?

8)  Are You Focused?  Distraction rules the world. Are you able to hold steady in the face of these distractions and continue delivering God-sized servanthood to your span of care?

Ministry leadership deals in the eternal. How you approach your ministry and your personal life will determine how effective you are with the time God gives you.

Okay, who has #9…?