Tuesday #10: Mistakes Ministers Make

I interviewed Jason Stephens on March 29th. The mistakes new staff persons make at a church are:

1. Trying to make too much change- He admitted that while change is not bad, and every church needs to change. A new pastor is a great way to bring about change, but if he or she does so too severely or too fast he is setting himself up for failure. People are resistant to change, and if one does not bring about change correctly they will find themselves in trouble.

2. Assuming they know it all- Nothing turns a people off of a new minister than having an individual assume he or she knows everything. If a pastor is new to the area, he needs to see the people of the church as a resource, and one of the fastest ways to gain the support of members is to come to them in an attitude of humility and ask them to help him.

3. Hiding- Any new staff person needs to get involved in the church in a hurry. If the new minister shows up to the office everyday and comes to church on Sunday morning, he will soon be left spiritually empty from not being connected to a local body, as well as disengaged from the body to whom he is trying to minister.