Someone once said "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten." If that's true, it only makes sense that pastors can discover some valuable lessons in life and leadership from children's ministry!
In this episode of the More Than a Pastor Show, I share Six Life & Leadership Lessons Pastors Can Learn From Children's Ministry.
I’ll also share a quotation for the day, a free resource to help you find the clarity and confidence you need to go after your greatest calling, and some Q&A. That’s all coming up on today’s episode of the More than a Pastor show.
Before we dive in...
Are you at a crossroads right now in your life and ministry...not sure which direction to go? Are stress, financial strain, or unrealized dreams weighing you down or frustrating you?
How would it feel if you could find the clarity and confidence you need to serve God in a way that actually creates more freedom and fulfillment in your life? What would that mean for you?
If you're ready to take a step forward in living the life you were made for, I invite you to apply now for a FREE Clarity Coaching Session at www.morethanapastor.com/coaching.
Here on the More Than a Pastor Show, I’d love to answer questions submitted by you, the listener, but since the podcast is still new, I’m taking the time to introduce myself so you can get to know me a little more with each episode.
At the beginning of the show, Mr. Announcer said that I've been "More than a pastor for over 20 years…"
It was an executive coach who first introduced me to the idea that I was more than a pastor.
I was in my first year of pastoral ministry - in my late 20’s with three young kids at the time (we added two more a few years later). He was a member of my church, around 65 or 70 years of age. His name was Don.
One day Don reached out to me and shared how he was an executive coach who worked with business leaders and entrepreneurs, and even a few pastors, to help them grow in their life and leadership.
He took the time to ask about the goals and dreams I had for my life, and what kind of plan I had for my own personal growth, to help me grow into the kind of person who could achieve those goals and dreams.
Umm...plan? I didn't have a plan for my own personal growth and development.
Then Don asked if I would like his help in creating a plan to turn my wishes into goals and my goals into reality.
I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. What was this coaching thing about? And why would I, as a pastor, really need a coach, anyway?
"Everyone needs a coach," Don explained. A coach is someone who sees the things that no one else can see, and says the things that no one else will say.
It's no surprise, then, that if you look at a cross-section of high performing individuals - whether athletes, entrepreneurs, business leaders, or even pastors - one of the most common traits you'll find is that each person had a coach!
They made a strategic decision to invest in themselves by investing in someone who could help them see and create the future they desired, and overcome the forces of delay, doubt, and distraction which keep them tethered to the status quo.
And that's why I said yes to Don's coaching invitation. Because if I wasn't willing to invest in myself and my future...who would?
Through my coaching relationship with Don, I was blessed to discover first-hand 6 things that a coach can do for you:
At Don's funeral last year, I had the privilege of sharing a few words about what Don meant to me. As I reflected on the various "gifts" Don had given me through my coaching relationship with him, perhaps the greatest was the development of an abundance mindset, which literally opened up a whole new world to me.
That’s one of the reasons why I’ve committed myself to sharing what I'm learning and experiencing, to help others create personal clarity around the life, impact, and income they were made for.
Do you feel like you’re stuck right now? Not sure which direction to go? Have unfulfilled dreams you’re not sure what to do with? Wish you could find a way to create more income for your family? Have a passion you want to pursue to change the world?
How would it feel if you could have someone to talk things through with? Someone who’s been there. Who understands what it’s like? And someone who believes that you really can live out your greatest calling?
I’d love to get on a free call with you to meet you, listen to your story, and see how we could work together to help you create the life you were made for.
If that sounds good to you, I invite you to apply for a free coaching session at www.morethanapastor.com/coaching.
Our quotation of the day is from Lawrence LeShan, who said:
“Most of us are pretty good at keeping promises to others and pretty bad at keeping promises to ourselves.”
Does this describe any pastor that you know?
Anyone...
Anyone...
Well OK, I know I'm guilty!
As pastors, we’re great at responding to the needs of others, but don’t always take time to care for ourselves, do we?
And sometimes we’re so busy helping our staff and leaders grow in their life and leadership that we’re not helping our own selves grow.
We can neglect important things like our health, or our spouse, until a crisis forces us to change. And then we can only hope and pray we get the chance to make that change before it's too late
Many of us set aside our long-held goals and dreams for “some day.” The problem is that some day just never comes.
Or we pour so much into our work for the church that we neglect other hobbies and interests that feed our hearts, souls and minds.
So, I have two simple questions for you today:
Listen to this episode to find out where in my life this has been true for me. I’d love to hear where it's been true for you! Send me an email at [email protected]. Or how about we discuss it in the More Than a Pastor community on Facebook?
Today I want to share 6 Life & Leadership Lessons I learned from being a Children’s Pastor. Now, if you know me, you know I haven’t been a children’s pastor.
Until now.
I’ve had a few different roles during my 20 years of pastoral ministry so far, including congregational care, small groups, local outreach, campus pastor, and my current role in global outreach.
But in October (of 2020) I also took on the role of interim children’s pastor.
You see, our children’s pastor position has been vacant for about a year. We’ve had a couple of candidates who seemed promising, but ended up not working out.
Another staff member served as the interim pastor for about 10 months, but then she needed to refocus on her main ministry role. So...I volunteered to pitch in.
And I'm actually having fun learning new aspects of ministry, and how to serve our kids and families in this season.
I don't know a lot about children's ministry, but I do know that our kids and families deserve the best experiences and resources that we can provide, as we continue to navigate the health challenges in our community, brought on by the pandemic.
So here are 6 Lessons on Life and Leadership that I've learned from Children’s Ministry...
So let me ask you, how do these 6 life and leadership lessons speak to you? Is there one that stands out as needing more work? Which one and why?
I’d love to get your feedback on this and hear your thoughts over in our private Facebook Group.
I've created a private Facebook group called the More Than a Pastor Online Community. I'd love for you to click the link to join and be one of the 1,000 pastors we're helping over the next five years to reimagine your calling and create the life, impact, and income you were made for!
That’s it for this show. If you enjoyed it, would you please do me a favor and subscribe, and give us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast player? It’s a great way to support the show, and only takes a few seconds.
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And until next time, remember that you are more than a pastor. Saying yes to God’s call doesn’t mean you HAVE to say yes to feeling stuck, broke, and unfulfilled. Let’s work together to create the life, impact, and income you were made for!
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