THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE HEALTHY OF LIFE IN VOCATIONAL MINISTRY

“The life of the minister is the life of his ministry.” Albert Martin

We recently sat down with small groups of young ministers from across America and talked life in vocational ministry. Our discussion focused on three subjects: 

1. What are the best parts of life in vocational ministry?

2. What are the hardest parts of life in vocational ministry?

3. What are the essential elements of a healthy life in vocational ministry? 

In this, the first of a two-part series, we share the results of these conversations: first, the question, followed by ministers’ responses. I think you’ll be struck by their insights, impressed with their wisdom. I have allowed duplicate answers by our respondents to remain in place. 

In two weeks, we’ll look more carefully at Question Three: What are the essential elements of a healthy life in vocational ministry?

WHAT ARE THE BEST PARTS OF LIFE IN VOCATIONAL MINISTRY

1. My “job” is giving myself to the presence of God for His glory and the good of others.
2. Being used by God to help meet people’s needs. 
3. Connecting people with God and each other. 
4. God reaching through me, touching others. 
5. The access people give me into their lives: personal emotions, family, and spiritual.
6. A realization: I can’t believe I get paid to do this – be a pastor for God’s people. 
7. Watching God build a church – a family of families – that loves Him and each other. 
8. Seeing long-term growth in people and having the privilege of being a part of it. 
9. Receiving people’s trust as someone they can depend on. 
10. Divine appointments when God does the miraculous.
11. Seeing growth in people’s lives, recognizing where they were, but now where they are. 
12. My job is being a serious student of the word of God and praying for people.
13. Discipleship: making disciples who make disciples.
14. Being a shepherd, a living parable of Jesus before my people. Scary but awesome.
15. Seeing people transformed by God from every kind of bondage to become disciples.
16. The blending of my own family into my church family is a unique privilege as a pastor.
17. The ease of non-performance: leading people from my personhood first. 
18. Reaching people who live on the margins of life, seeing them become a part of the church.
19. Mentoring leaders who mentor others. 
20. My children love the church – PK life is special. 
21. Being used by God to build a body of worshippers and disciples. 
22. Pastoring people who are in the process of transformation. 
23. Leading people in living in the kingdom of God now in this broken world. 
24. Leading people to places with God where I no longer have to lead them; they are strong.
25. Discipleship: I get to help people grow as disciples of Jesus. 
26. Watching people grow strong in Christ and pastoring them in that journey. 
27. Just knowing I am a pastor; I have the privilege of being a pastor for God.
28. Raising my children in a ministry life and ministry family. 
29. Seeing people set free from the things that enslave or bind them.
30. Preaching and teaching God’s word, preceded by the study and prayer required.
31. Being able to give my life to the study of God’s word and prayer. 
32. Being a minister uniquely grows me as a disciple so I can make disciples of Jesus.  
33. To be in a position where daily the Holy Spirit rejuvenates me as a son and a servant.
34. Living a life of daily consecration to God and his ministry. 
35. I love preaching and teaching God’s Word. 
36. Hearing someone call me “Pastor.” This always calls me to Jesus. 
37. Being a shepherd to God’s people, walking with them in the hills and valleys of life.
38. Preaching and teaching God’s Word to his people. 
39. From the perspective of being the pastor, seeing God lead our church.
40. The privilege of inspiring people to worship and serve God. 
41. Bringing people into the church and seeing them come to love the church. 
42. Working with God’s people to bring what we believe into real life, making our faith real. 
43. Enjoying life and having fun with God’s people as a family.

WHAT ARE THE HARDEST PARTS OF LIFE IN VOCATIONAL MINISTRY?

1. Being hurt by people I have invested in.
2. Been pulled on by people all the time.
3. The challenge of living a sabbath life. Not just a day off each week, but a sabbath life. 
4. Always having to be “on.” 
5. Being bi-vocational: my week is just too full and busy.
6. Fighting selfish ambitions.
7. The expectations of people I pastor, leaders in the church world, and even myself.
8. The absence of prayer in the church – how to stir hearts for God. 
9. Preaching and teaching without results.
10. Fighting against the American church gospel of church growth at any cost, even the Gospel.
11. The fatigue factor – mental, emotional, physical, relational.
12. Trying to pastor people who openly oppose me. 
13. Struggling with my reluctance to speak to important issues as a pastor.
14. Watching people we poured the gospel into walk away; the self-recrimination that follows.
15. Trying to pastor apathetic or lukewarm Christians.
16. Refusing to play the game of seeking celebrity and status. 
17. Being compared to others and comparing myself to others. 
18. Because I am bi-vocational, my energy is so often drained.   
19. Seeing the American church seem to abandon biblical preaching and doctrine. Christians don’t believe the Bible anymore and it’s because pastors preach their own ideas, not the Bible
20. The American church leadership model – it’s all about performance and production.
21. The responsibility we carry pastoring people with burdens; we can feel responsible to fix them. 
22. As a bi-vocational pastor, I don’t have the time or the bandwidth to disciple people as I should.
23. Recognizing and accepting that I am not sufficient to meet people’s needs.
24. Pastoring Christians who are not interested in really growing in Christ. 
25. The shallow preaching in the church world today; it tells my people that Jesus-lite is enough.  
26. The challenge of trusting people when being hurt by people is such a part of vocational ministry.
27. The mega-church across town with all its consumer Christianity programs. 
28. My denomination’s obsession with celebrity preachers and performing churches – they make it hard to pastor people. 
29. Trying to pastor people who are not intentional or interested in discipleship.
30. The financial and time strain that come with being bi-vocational. 
31. What to say and what not to say when the church and culture have become so overtly sensitive and super-charged to being offended?
32. What really is my role as a pastor? The Bible says one thing but the church culture says another. 
33. Being rejected by people. 
34. Wrestling with myself when people I pastor lack a desire for discipleship.
35. The details of church administration. 
36. Decision fatigue. 
37. Not seeing people grow in Christ as disciples. 
38. Trying to walk with people who seem to want to be opponents, either of me or of the church.
39. Pastoring imperfect people knowing that I too am imperfect. 
40. Receiving negative response to my ministry.
41. Church conflicts.
42. How to successfully lead my church and its families through LGBTQ+ issues.

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A HEALTHY LIFE IN VOCATIONAL MINISTRY?

1. A serious life in the study of God’s Word and in prayer. (Offered many times by respondents.)
2. Be sure to include an element of joy and laughter. 
3. Focus on why we do what we do and who we are doing it for: Jesus. Always for Jesus. 
4. Ask questions of others. Never stop learning. 
5. Be able to say no.  
6. Take risks: don’t be afraid to try new ministries and approaches. 
7. Take financial worry off the table by working on healthy finances. Get help if you need to. 
8. Have a healthy attitude about failure. 
9. Focusing on the present and the future: the joy of it now and the joy of things yet to come.
10. Beware of comparing yourself to other ministers. 
11. Recognize my giftings as the will of God and really being content with them. 
12. Be a lifelong learner. 
13. Set boundaries – not just for what others expect of you, but for yourself. 
14. Look for others’ wins and when they win, rejoice with them. 
15. Don’t be afraid to fail. Learn from it, get up, and go again. 
16. Your life is your ministry so bring healthy and wise people into your life. 
17. Set your identity in Christ, not your position or your performance.
18. Live a disciplined life, one ordered by values.  
19. Set your agenda and your calendar or others will set it for you.
20. You need to have a wise mentor in your life that you talk to a lot. 
21. Realize you don’t have all the answers and its ok. 
22. Get outside the daily grind of life and do something different.  
23. Do ministry in teams as much as possible. Just like Jesus. 
24. Read God’s Word and then sit quietly, focusing on Him. 
25. Focus on growing your family as a healthy family.
26. Live to fulfill the Great Commission personally, pastorally, and in team with others. 
27. Learn to delegate and then do it. 
28. Intentionality: be intentional in every area of your life: spiritual, family, health, financial, missional.
29. Boundaries: set firm boundaries in essential areas.
30. Support others’ ministries. 
31. You have to learn to meditate on God’s Word every day. Not just read, but meditate.
32. Be careful with the expectations of others: define the healthy and deny the unhealthy.
33. Give yourself grace by learning to live in God’s grace. 
34. Say no to good things so you can say yes to God things.
35. Develop a ministry team.
36. Make Thanksgiving more than a day; make it a way of life. 
37. Celebrate every victory and, to make it really count, invite others into all your celebrations.
38. Refuse unrealistic expectations as if they are some kind of false eleventh commandment. 
39. Control your emotions; don’t let them control you or they will kill you. 
40. See yourself as Jesus’ 13^th disciple, every day a day to follow and serve in. 
41. Learn to live in Sabbath rest – not just one day off each week, but a life of resting in God. 
42. Don’t take your work home. Give your family the gift of a present spouse and parent. 
43. Anxiety is not God’s will for your life. Learn to give it to God. 
44. Be disciplined in delighting in God, his character, and his works. 
45. Work hard to become and stay emotionally healthy. 
46. Break the places of isolation in your life. 
47. Learn to live with disappointment but never be defined by it. Every hit is a help to health. 
48. Fruitfulness is not found in activity but in rest and trusting God. 
49. Develop healthy friendships. 
50. No Superman Syndrome: let go of control because it is Jesus’ church and He is its real pastor. 
51. No more “There’s a hole, I have to personally fill or fix it;” we are the body of Christ. 
52. Set a goal of stewarding your life and ministry well. 
53. Be with Jesus more than trying do for Him: being in Christ does more for Him than you can in your own strength. 

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, and of life in vocational ministry, the conclusion is this:

The best part of life in vocational ministry:

is the joy of serving God, knowing that as we faithfully fulfil our creation and calling,

we are pleasing Him. 

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3.23-24

The hardest part of life in vocational ministry:

is failing in the best part: knowing we sometimes do not please our Lord.

But even here we return to the best part. For when we realize we have displeased our Master, we then fall into His grace: we confess, repent, and so, know again the riches of His love, acceptance, and forgiveness. This is always pleasing the One who has called us, the One who is our life. 

In my next article, I’ll share what I believe to be essential elements of a healthy life in vocational ministry, elements that, in my opinion, require the attention of young ministers in America today.  I hope you’ll check back for these thoughts.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13.20-21

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Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.

We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry. 

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“Of all vocations, surely the gospel ministry is the one whose paradigm is most radically formed by the dynamics of godly mentorship.” 

Stephen Baldwin