20 LESSONS IN 20 YEARS: LESSON 18

Lesson 18: I have learned that success in ministry is simple

Sounds unbelievable doesn't it? Most everyone I know in ministry, or who has ever been in ministry, including myself, might first look at this statement and respond: no it's not! But, over these 20 years in ministry, I have truly come to believer that true success in ministry is, actually, simple. I know I need to explain. I haven't always believed that.

No matter how hard I tried over the years to believe that true ministry success was about faithfulness to God and His calling, I think I really believed what I had been told, was reading and heard at conferences: true ministry success is about numerical growth and being considered a large church. Even large churches and "successful" pastors will try to avoid this statement, but by what they say and write; and how they respond to smaller churches, it is the message that comes across loud and clear. It is all about helping a church plant or smaller, more traditional church, turn around and become a growing, larger church. And the pastors that are able to do it, are the ones sought after, to write the books, speak at the conferences, and counsel the unsuccessful pastors how to be successful.

Just in case you think I am against larger churches, or pastors of larger churches, it is not true. I actually am impressed by larger churches that are faithful to God's Word and that are making disciples at home as well as around the world. I love reading and hearing from larger church pastors, that include some of my favorite authors, friends and even an awesome brother! The ones I love and am impressed with are the ones who don't try to make themselves superstars. They make it all about the glory of God and making disciples. If they come across wrongly, it is not because they are intending to. It may just be the way we smaller church pastors hear and perceive things.You can be a growing church and successful at the same time.

But here is what I learned. It has nothing to do with numerical growth. I know the arguments that disagree with that statement, but I am not going to take the time, here, to debunk them. I just believe this is true. I have experienced the pursuit, albeit with a desire just to honor God and make disciples, of trying to read the right books, follow the right counsel, and do everything I could, with God's power and guidance, to grow a church and see it become large for the glory of God. But He didn't allow it to happen. Some might say it because of how sinful I am. Some might say it is because of my lack of leadership skills. I have come to believe that neither of those statements are true. I might be wrong by the way! I believe it is something else.

I believe it is God's will for me and the churches I have led, that our success has not been in the numbers, or incredible growth that would lead anyone to call us a large successful church. Instead, my success, our success, has come from something very simple. Now notice I didn't say success was easy. It is not. It takes a everything you have to invest in it. But, in the end, being successful in God's eyes is very simple. I don't disagree, as other small church pastors have said in the past, that it is all about faithfulness. But, I like to think in different terms, even if it gets to the same meaning.

I believe successful ministry is simple: Doing, at the moment, what God has called you to do.
So, this included all the aspects of ministry, that might or might not lead to numerical growth. It includes seeing ministry from a full biblical perspective rather than from the perspective of the church or other "successful" pastors out there. It is about focusing on God's perspective in His Word. And when I focus on that, I come away with this: Doing, at the moment, what God has called me to do. That includes some tough things like confession of sin, admission of weakness and confrontation, just to name a few. But it also includes some very joyful experiences such as preaching, leadership and investing in people's lives for eternity.

It is a lesson I have learned and am still learning. If I am right and this is true success, than even I have the chance that one day Jesus will look at this small church pastor in the eyes, open His arms and say: Well done, good and faithful servant!