17 Things I Learned from My First Year in Ministry

1. One year isn’t long enough to do/change much.
2. Most people are appreciative of anything that you do to help them and they will notice when you help others too.
3. You can never please everyone. Be careful not to try.
4. Writing skills are very important and very much appreciated.
5. No matter how careful you are in your communication, someone will either misunderstand or be out of the loop…and it’s still your fault.
6. You will never have every position filled with the right person.
7. A lot of people know more than I do and are much more mature in their faith. Learn from them.
8. It’s a difficult thing to be someone’s confidante and it’s even more difficult to find someone to be yours.
9. People really want to see you succeed. We’re all in this together.
10. The children’s ministry is the youth ministry’s minor league. Small investments of time there can and will pay future dividends.
11. It’s hard not to second guess the decisions that you make, even when they go well. Remember the past, but don’t live there.
12. Be prepared for anything and be flexible.
13. Sometimes, the easiest solution is the best one, but don’t be afraid to take risks.
14. At the end of the day, there is still another 10 hours of work to do…you can never get it all done.
15. Put your wife first and make sure she knows it.
16. Make the most of every opportunity; you never know when a door might close.
17. Showing appreciation for what people do goes a long way.