J. Mark Jordan offers tips for the new pastor.
- Strategic planning is vitally important.
Lay out a two-to-five-year plan for the church. Think about revivals, seminars, celebrations, workshops, conferences, and even vacations. Coordinate everything in one master plan.
Altering these early plans is much better than cobbling something together at the last minute. Take another look at the title of this paragraph—I’m not kidding. Ignore it at your own peril.
- Pay close attention to details.
Take the time to plod through boring facts. You will pay dearly for overlooking something you thought was insignificant. The finer points you missed because you were focused on the bigger picture will be exactly what some bureaucrat, inspector, bank official, or attorney wants to know.
- Always know exactly where the church is legally and financially.
Do not be too busy with the spiritual program to take care of the church’s business. Corporation papers, mortgage and balloon payments, insurance coverage, tax assessments, fire and safety regulations, vehicle inspections and licensing are just a few things that demand promptness. Penalties, loss of privileges, and a damaged reputation may result from being inattentive to duty. Even if you can delegate these tasks to an assistant, the burden still falls on your shoulders.
Vision casting belongs to the pastor and dreaming about the future is probably the most exciting and energizing role you will play. Click To Tweet- Dream big with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
Vision casting belongs to the pastor and dreaming about the future is probably the most exciting and energizing role you will play. Unrealistic goals, however, can destroy your dreams. Get a good idea where you are and understand the path the church must take to reach stage ten.
- Listen to critics without being affected by their spirit.
Learn the difference between responding and reacting. It is a huge mistake to react to the claims of critics without examining them for elements of truth. While some may be driven by pessimism, don’t cut them off without hearing them out.
- Love the kids and mentor young people.
You must place the highest value possible on the children and youth of your church.
You must place the highest value possible on the children and youth of your church.
Let the kids run up to you and hug you. Let them climb up on your lap and jabber about their puppy, their new toy, or something that you can’t quite translate. Invest in young people. Make sure they go to camps and youth conferences, involve them in ministry, support their projects, and attend their functions. Pour yourself into these groups. Try to be the most influential person who speaks into their lives.
The dividends produced will keep coming for the remainder of your ministry, and that’s only the personal benefit. Do these things even if it costs you substantial sums of money. You have a much greater chance to affect your youth than your own generation or your peers.
(We offer more by J. Mark Jordan in Part 2.)
J. Mark Jordan is an honorary board member of the UPCI.
A version of this content originally appeared in Forward. For more by J. Mark Jordan, click here.