This month, I celebrated 43 years in full-time ministry. It’s hard to believe I’ve been in this job this long—maybe because most of the years have been great fun. Here are some things I would do differently, though, if I were starting over:
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- I used to pray more and more. To be honest, my current interest in prayer has really increased after I was a pastor for several years. My feathering years would have been different if I had spent more time on my knees.
- I would suggest less. I thought I had to have answers for the members of my church, whatever their problems. Now, I will very quickly refer my members to counselors far more trained than I am.
- I will assign more. I got burned more than once because I was involved everything I couldn’t make sense of things happening without pastors involved, so I stayed involved.
- I used to spend more time outside my office. I tried my best to evangelize, but it was easy to enter the church world. Now, I realize that I can’t reach lost people if I don’t know anyone.
- I will say “thank you” to my wife more often. I worked as a pastor for ten years before I got married, but Pam changed everything for me. I realize more every day that she is God’s gift to me.
- I will study more for my sermon. I really only started digging deeper into sermon preparation a few years into my pastoral ministry. Seminary—in particular, my doctoral work years—were huge for me in this arena.
- I will look for ways to be more connected to my community. During my last year of full-time pastoral ministry, I also served as a substitute English teacher at our local novice school. I would do it again (in addition to other ways to connect) simply so I know what’s going on in my community.
- I would spend more time with senior adults in the church. I think it might be because I understand them better now that I’m 63. . . But I now realize how much wisdom there is in that group.
- I will listen to members smarter than me. These people were usually deacons or other staff members. I look back and see many times when I missed it as a leader because I didn’t listen.
- I used to take days off and always take days off. I rarely did either, especially when I was single. It was not wise.
- I will take a mission trip at least once a year. It wasn’t until the year I stepped away from full-time pastoral ministry that I developed a heart for the nations. I now deeply regret this fact.
- I will not let the criticism confuse and discourage me. Sometimes, criticism eats away at my soul because I have carried the burden rather than giving it to God. I pray I don’t do it now.
Experienced pastors, what would you do differently?
Posted on April 17, 2024
Dr. Chuck Lawless is a leading expert in spiritual counseling, discipleship and mentoring. As a former pastor, he understands the presentation challenges of ministry and works with Church Answers to advise and counsel church leaders.
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