10 things I would do differently

10 things I would do differently if I actively involved in student ministry again

----------Adapted from HisMethod, blog by Bruce Chant, pastor of Northshore Church, Australia, on June 16th, 2006

1. Pray more:
Jesus is the one who builds the ministry, not me. The more you pray, the more you expose your heart to the truth that you can’t do it, but only Jesus can. You can’t pray enough!

2. Care less about pleasing people:
Let’s be honest, caring more about people than God is an idol for a lot of people. Life is just too short to worry if everyone is happy. Look at Jesus. You don’t need to be harsh or abusive - but being up front, honest, and forthright helps everyone.

3. Invest in people who are on board:
People who are on mission with you, regardless of gifting, are golden to our ministry. If you are not what someone is looking for, or they have another agenda, that won’t change.

4. Accept other people will not love the ministry as much as you:
Or care for it as much as you. It’s your call, and your job, and you’ll be accountable for it finally! You need to set the tone with this. Having others set the tone for your ministry could get you in trouble.

5. Have more lead-in time for the launch team!
I think building the core team (first); getting everyone clear on the distinctives of the ministry (second); and then impacting others (third) would have been invaluable in hindsight.

6. Spend less time thinking ‘deconstruct.’
If things don’t work according to plan immediately, my natural inclination is to blow it up and start again from scratch. History tells me tearing stuff down to rebuild is not often the way to go. Tweaking, refocusing, and training are usually far better options.

7. Pay more attention to how things are at the local ministry level, not how I’d like them to be:
You need to be attuned to the needs, values, culture, and strongholds of the people / community to which you’ve been sent. Copying “cool” is a waste of time. You need vision, but first and foremost, you also need to know where you’re starting off at the ground level.

8. Don’t define anything by what you are not!
Don’t be crude in your opinions - So long as you stay in ‘deconstruction’ mode, you will never see anything happen for the kingdom of God while the student community around you goes to hell. Michael Angelo said “critique by creating”.

9. Enjoy the ride!
Yes, it’s a roller coaster ride with ups and downs. Praise God for the highs; see the lows as the grace of God shaping you for the road ahead. Run to Jesus and enjoy the adventure along with Him.

10. Pray more
Yes, I already said this one. But it’s worth repeating. Seriously!

NOTE: But don’t be put off working with students; we need more men and women willing to lay it on the line to win students for Christ in this nation. If ever you were looking for a challenge, this is it!

Keep reading southprayerhotline.blogspot.com for new and innovative ways to reach the students around you for Jesus.