41 Things to Know

At his blog, A Place for the God-Hungry, the Rev. Jim Martin has posted 41 Things Ministers Ought to Know. His points are good ones and seem as though many readily translate into other places of work. Here are the top five:

1. Don’t go on and on talking about your church! Learn from other people. Maybe God is working in their church as well. Ask them questions.

2. Forget trying to be a big name. Most of that stuff is about who you know, anyway. Stop playing the game.

3. It’s all about relationships. If you don’t treat people right, it really doesn’t matter what else you do.

4. Someone else can teach you something. Pay attention. Don’t overlook those who are much older or much younger than you.

5. Be careful about what you say. If you say, “Let’s go to lunch. I’ll get back with you,” you need to do just that. Avoid making promises you don’t intend to keep.

and here are a selection of others from down the list:

8. Pay attention to the invisible people. I mean the quiet, unassuming people in your church.

14. Know that you are dispensable. Don’t take yourself too serious. After all, if you are hit by a Dr. Pepper truck today, the church will soon replace you.

18. Play to your strengths. No one can do everything well. What do you do particularly well?

27. Thank people. Consider about all of the people around you who need to be thanked. In far too many churches, there is a critical shortage of people who express gratitude to others.

32. Nurture your prayer life. I came across this line the other day, “Pray is not the only thing we do…but it is the most important thing we do.” Nothing is more important than paying attention to one's own interior life before the Lord.

Here is the full text in four parts: Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.