3 Simple Ministry Reminders

There are times when ministry and leadership in the church can be incredibly difficult. And then there are times where we as leaders make it more difficult than it actually is. With that in mind, I wanted to pass along 3 simple reminders that have helped me in the past few months to simplify my ministry leadership.

3 Simple Ministry Reminders

#1: Remember Your Mission. As a church planter, pastor or leader in the church, our mission is what should drive everything we do. And in a culture obsessed with catchy vision statements and overloaded with the next new way to convey your mission to your team, our mission really is very simple. In Luke 19:10, Jesus lays out His mission, the reason why he came and lived among us with this statement: "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." That's the simple, clarifying mission of Jesus. And if we're following Him, it ought to be our mission as well.

#2: Remember Your Calling. Before you were ever called to a ministry, a church, or a mission, you were called to Jesus. Our primary calling is not something to do, but something to be: Children of God. One of the fastest ways to lose sight of this calling is to begin to listen to all of the criticism and complaints about your ministry/church/program/whatever. I've heard it said that listening to what others say about you is the fastest way to forget what God thinks about you. And that simply sidetracks us from the calling God's placed on our lives. Remember who you are and whose you are.

#3: Remember Romans 12:15. In Romans 12:15, Paul simply states: "Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn." There are tons of helpful ministry tips, tricks, and tools of the trade available in our culture. The opportunity for growing in your skills and ability to minister to, lead, and reach people are endless in the Western church framework. But don't miss out on the basics. If you'll learn to practice Romans 12:15 with the families and people God gives you to steward, you'll make ministry investments that are life-changing and kingdom-impacting. It sounds simple, but it's incredibly powerful.

As church leaders, our battle is fierce and our enemy is relentless. Let's not make it more difficult by missing the basics. I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment and share your top simple ministry reminder!