Truth For Rookie Pastors: Reality

This is part of a larger series: Truth for Rookie Pastors.

You will spend a lot of time on non-ministry tasks

Most don’t care about your theology, especially if you don’t connect with them.

Nothing works exactly like the book you read or the speaker you heard said it would.

Life Change doesn’t occur in one sermon

People will get mad at you.

What you thought was an encouragement drastically changed with three little letters: “but”

The reality is that ministry is hard. Rationally Rookie Pastors are aware of this fact, but few of us are prepared to deal with it when it smacks us in the face.

Maybe this takes off some of the shine of ministry. It probably should though. In going into ministry you are going to be faced with much that you aren’t expecting some of which will shake you and cause you to raise questions.

As a youth pastor my goal is to prepare students for life after high school, not necessarily to prepare them for life during high school. To do this I have had to change my approach and be more open and honest with them. Hiding them from what is coming doesn’t serve their long term interests.

Rookie Pastors are also poorly served if we hide some of the ugliness and the certainty that we will encounter it as pastors and leaders in the church.

November 22, 2011 in Challenging, Practical with 6 Comments

About Josh: Josh is a Rookie Pastor who works for a local church that he loves. He coordinates local lunch meet-ups with other Rookie Pastors in the Indianapolis area and loves to connect with other Rookie Pastors on and off line. It is his hope that Rookie Pastor will contribute to the health, longevity, and effectiveness of church leaders.

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6 Responses to “Truth For Rookie Pastors: Reality”

  1. Todd R November 23, 2011 at 6:04 pm #

    What do you mean with that last statement? Is it our desire to give nuance and add the “but” that removes encouragement or is it something the parishioners say to themselves?

    For the rest of these I feel like I can handle them, but #2 makes me a little sad. For the rookie pastor, it’s our strong suit.

    Reply
    • Josh November 26, 2011 at 11:35 am #

      What I was trying to get to was the equation: compliment + encouraging word + “but” and complaint

      You are right about #2 most of us are coming out of seminary ready to change the world through teaching and communicating the truth that has changed us. However one of the biggest and most common mistakes is assuming that we have the ability to speak into people’s life because we have a title or education, and not first establishing a relationship and trust.

      Reply

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