At my church we have a months leadership class called Bethel 401. Bethel 401 is a leadership class. One of the sessions is called The Art of Self Leadership. In this lesson we cover seven questions to help determine how well you are leading yourself. Over the next several posts we’re going to talk about each of these questions. All of the questions are valuable, but I think one stands out above the rest.
In ministry there can be a lot of uncertainty. Let’s be honest, I think at some point, everyone has considered quitting. I know I’ve had brief moments when I’ve wondered (typically in an exceptionally stressful time) “is there some other job I could do?” There’s no question that ministry can be difficult. Really, life in general can be hard. I don’t think it matters if you are full time minister, volunteer leader, stay at home mom, or employed outside of the church we all face times when doubt sets in and we think quitting may be easier.
So, what’s the first question we ask in The Art of Self-leadership? It’s a foundational question. It’s the question you should ask first. It’s the question you have to ask everyday–especially when it’s hard…“Is my calling sure?”
The power of this question is immediately clear.
If you’re calling isn’t sure, you begin questioning all of it… Jim Wideman has a great post if you are questioning the clarity of your present ministry called “Should I stay or should I go?” Let me encourage you to read it if you’re struggling.
If your calling is clear, then you know with certainty, no matter what the problem, you have to press through. You have to trust God to take care of you. You must have the faith to accept that the difficulties, trials, and challenges you face serve a purpose. Clarity of calling allows you to endure. Plain and simple. Ministry is not a sprint, life is not a sprint, Christianity is not a sprint. It is all a marathon.
With clarity of your calling, you endure. Pastoral challenges, volunteers quitting, parents yelling, arguments with leaders…if you’re calling is sure, you endure. You endure because you know God has placed you in your place of ministry. You endure because you have confidence you are sustained by certainty in your calling–the calling God has placed on your life. This is the faith that is spoken about in Hebrews 11 and 12. The confidence and strength drawn from faith. Faith in God and his calling for you!
Check out CHILDREN’S MINISTRY BRAIN TRUSTwww.cmbraintrust.com, the newest Children’s Ministry Website. CMBT provides a singular location for all knowledge and wisdom relating to Children’s Ministry. Everything they do within the Children’s Ministry Brain Trust is created with the specific purpose of assisting you in being the best Children’s Ministry Professional you can be.
CMBT can be defined as follows:
“A collective of children’s ministry experts sharing insights and best practices to assist in the wisdom and knowledge of all who are called to Children’s Ministry.”
Knowledge: this refers to all practical information that relates to Children’s Ministry. Sources of information include but are not limited to products, services, administration, leadership, teaching, recruiting, policies and procedures, resources, etc relating to Children’s Ministry.
Wisdom: this refers to wisdom gained by Children’s Ministry professionals who have been in the field for many years and are willing to share it freely, with those who could benefit from it.
CMBT’s Mission is to assist those who have dedicated themselves to seeing children accept Jesus as their personal savior and nurture their spiritual growth as outlined in the Holy Bible by creating the largest, daily useful and relevant, information database of knowledge and wisdom in the world.
Plus this month all who register with CMBT are automatically entered in the Laptop giveaway.
It’s no secret (for anyone who has talked to me about Children’s Ministry for more than 5 minutes) that I learn a lot from Bro. Jim. Even before Infuse I had been learning from him for years via conferences, books, and The Club; but mentoring is different than just information download. I was thinking this morning about how much I enjoy being a part of Infuse…It’s such a privilege to help mentor and coach these wonderful leaders. Bro. Jim isn’t the only mentor I have in life – I have a few others. I learned several years ago the real benefit to having a mentor so I started finding folks who would be good mentors. With that in mind I wanted to share some thoughts…
So here are some good keys to finding a mentor and being mentored:
- Realize you need a mentor: I don’t care how long you’ve been doing something – there’s an area in your life where you need to grow. There’s somebody out there who can help you. Start looking.
- A Mentor is not just a Teacher: Lots of people can give you information, but mentoring is as much about the relationship as it is about the information received. If all you’re looking for is info, go to a conference or read a book.
- Pursue a Mentor: The mentors worth having are folks you’re going to have to pursue. Find someone who is a person you can learn from and ask if they’ll mentor you.
- Shut Up: If you learn to listen you might have a better opportunity to learn something.
- Be Transparent: Mentoring is about a relationship – so when your mentor asks you a question answer it completely and honestly. It doesn’t help you in your journey to hold back…how is someone going to help you grow if you aren’t honest?
- Ask questions: Don’t just wait for someone to tell you something. Ask questions. If you don’t have any questions, think harder; because you should have questions.
- Build a relationship: If you’re transparent, ask questions, and pursue the right individual you should build a relationship with them. If you’re investing time and money to learn then you should put an effort into relationship. The two main mentors in my life have gone from mentors to friends and to me that’s a successful relationship.
- Continue to press in: It easy once things get comfortable to slide into a routine, but as with anything you get out what you put in…put more in effort and you get more out. Continue to pursue information, relationship and learning and you’ll get more out of the efforts you put in…
This is by no means a definitive list of things to consider – but if you take some of this into mind you can really benefit from being mentored.
May
Well, the New Year is here! Who made a New Year’s Resolution? Who has broken it already? Everyone loves to make new commitments at the first of the year and almost without fail we break those commitments. Some commitments may last only a couple of days–while others make it months…very few make it through the whole year.
Personally I really identify with Paul in Romans 7.
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
We want to do right and we have so much trouble actually doing it…we often end up feeling like failures. Does it mean you’re a failure? Does it mean you’re a bad person? Nope..it probably just means you’re crazy. As a lefty I like to joke that Left-handers are the only people in their right mind (get it?). The reality we face is that we are all out of our mind and that’s the problem.
Paul continues of in Romans 8 to talk about living by the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
To quote the movie “Cool Hand Luke” we’ve got to get our minds right…1 Corinthians 2 tells us what a right mind is.
15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”But we have the mind of Christ.
If we strive to get the mind of Christ then we learn to walk as one directed by the Spirit and we’ll find out that life isn’t about a bunch of commitments made at the beginning of the year; life is about learning to walk in the Spirit daily, following the activity of God, and living that out everyday. Goals are good (you can be reminded how to set good goals here) but if the goal isn’t a God driven goal then chances are you won’t follow through on it. Learn first how to find the mind of Christ and then set goals…then maybe you’ll be a little less crazy in the end.
