Over the last five years I have had the opportunity to serve, in some capacity of ministry, in five different churches. Some experiances were absolutely incredible and I honestly never wanted them to end, others I was relieved when they were over. But in all of them there are things to learn.
I have been called to a life of full time ministry, eventually as a senior pastor, and as I move towards that I take the things I have seen and experianced in these churches into account. I look at the positive things that worked, the things that seemed good but weren't fruitful, and the things that totally flooped. All of these were things to learn from.
I look at people, leadership and ministry styles, how they work with people, how the lead and empower people. What they do that works and what doesn't.
While I've learned a lot about how to pastor and how not to, and how to work with staff, and the congregation, I think leading a church all comes down to one thing, vision.
Vision is the most crucial thing, after being centered on Christ, to the survival of a church. Proverbs 29.18a, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained" Where there is no vison there is no unity, and where there is no unity a kingdom can't survive. "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." Matthew 12.25b, even the Kingdom of God.
I look at the churches I've served in that have thrived, and it's because of vision that is gronded in Christ, and the leadership and congregation are united behind it.
I have come to realize just how crucial vision is to the survival of church.
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