Although there are many factors that enable a church to grow, one common factor you will find in nearly every growing church is that it is being led by a growing leader. Leaders who become satisfied with where they are in their personal lives are unlikely to ever grow a church because they have stopped growing themselves. These non-growing pastors are easy to identify. Their sermons become stale and they show no passion for ministry. They merely go through the motions doing the minimum required to keep their job. Such leaders lose their vision for the church and are willing to settle for a maintenance mindset. If you want to lead a growing church you must first be committed to personal growth and pursue that growth each and every day. How can you do that?
Like anything else you want to achieve in life, personal growth requires a plan. It isn't going to just happen; you have to prepare for it and create a plan that will allow growth to occur in your life. Do you have such a plan? What are you doing intentionally that will result in your personal and professional growth in 2009?
What books are you reading this year? Do you have a list of books that you will read between now and the end of the year? Is there a reason you selected those books? For my devotional reading right now I am reading books on prayer in order to deepen my prayer life and my personal devotion time. As a result of my reading I have changed some things in my prayer life that I believe have improved it. This year I have also read a number of good books on leadership as a way to improve as a leader. Perhaps I am prejudiced because of my love for reading, but I believe a person who doesn't read good books cannot grow.
What workshops have you attended or plan to attend this year? Every minister receives countless invitations to workshops and seminars every year, and many of these are excellent opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge. In addition to leading several workshops this year, I have also attended several. At a recent gathering I led a workshop on the first day of the conference and attended workshops led by other presenters on the other two days. When I walked in one workshop someone who had attended mine the day before said, "Well look, he also goes to workshops!" You owe it to yourself and to others to attend at least one quality workshop each year. Even as a bivocational pastor I could find time to attend one or two, and each workshop I attended contributed to my growth.
Who have you invited alongside to help you grow? Mentors and coaches are essential at various times in our lives. Every minister has found times when he or she just felt stuck. Nothing seems to be happening in their lives or ministry and they have run out of ideas to try to reverse that. It is during such times that we need to invite a coach or mentor to walk with us through those dry valleys to help reach the other side much quicker. More than once I have gone to an experienced pastor when I just couldn't find the answer to my problems myself. More recently I have turned to a personal coach. It is amazing how much clarity a good coach can bring to a person in only a few sessions. Some people think having a coach is an expense they probably can't afford, but it is really an investment in your life and ministry. To put it in business terms, a good coach will provide you with an excellent return on investment.
There are more factors leading to personal growth than these three, but they are a good place to start. Let me ask the questions again. How have you planned to grow this year? What books are you reading this year? What workshops have you attended or plan to attend in 2009? Who have you invited to walk alongside you to help you grow as an individual and as a minister?
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