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From Podium to Pulpit |
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As is the case with most graduates, it has been a quick sprint for me from the graduation podium to the church pulpit. Within a few months of graduation, Kristy and I had eagerly jumped into ministry at Pathway Wesleyan in Bangor where we currently serve. Looking back on my very recent transition from lifetime student to first-time pastor, it has been helpful for me to establish some of the following habits in the last few months: 1. I VIEW THE SERMON AS MY WEEKLY RESEARCH PAPER While some vets may boast minimal prep time for their sermons, as a young guy I have found it necessary to dig deep into each preached passage and study it extensively. Currently, I tend to approach each sermon like I would a 2000-3000 word paper…albeit, ideally a little more engaging to the listener! I sense it has been helpful for me to establish a three-month preaching schedule so I’m not wrestling from week-to-week with what I’ll preach on. 2. I USE MY OLD SCHOOL NOTES/PAPERS AS MY ALLIES I am benefiting quite a lot from regular review of my most recent schoolwork. In hindsight, I’m glad now that I established a file folder system as a student to help organize the madness. Without this stuff, I think I might have sunk early on here. I’ve recently begun a small group study of 1 Corinthians that is mostly work from a seminary class I took last year. Shhhh. 3. I KEEP LEARNING A PRIORITY It has been helpful to force myself to keep reading as if I still had regular collateral reading reports due. In that sense, I’ve tried to frequently glance over old textbooks (Yes, they can be your friends too!) and read as broadly as possible. Being an ignorant Canadian on new soil, I’ve tried to relax a bit by reading some books on American history. Some of those Founding Father characters lived inspiring and intriguing lives! 4. I PRIORITIZE MY TIME As a student, my schedule was far more static and constant. I’m learning early on that I need to expect surprises in ministry. In that sense, it’s been important for me to get used to living with a little less sleep and a lot more demands. Still, it’s been my goal to prioritize what must get done and what can wait. That’s been a struggle with the recent World Series on! 5. I WORK TO PROCESS THE UNFINISHED SCHOOL WORK IN MY HEAD Like most recent grads, I have far more head knowledge than practical experience. The challenge before me is to package the cesspool of information in a way that is practical and applicable to those I’ve begun to minister to. Some of the skills I’ve learned in classes seem mechanical at this stage in the ministry. I’m optimistic that with more experience, this will improve. 6. I INVEST IN PEOPLE
Most of all, I’m trying to constantly remind myself that the purpose for my
schooling has been for the people I’m currently ministering to. With this in
mind, I make it a goal to recognize that these are real people, with real
stories. In grad school, it was my tendency to see people as case studies and
projects. Now, these case studies have faces and names at Pathway. Not
surprisingly, our new church family seems a lot less interested in learning
about the degree I took, and a lot more interested in whether or not I have a
life raft for them. |
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