Enjoy The Work: Christ is Beautifying His Bride
Here is my final piece of advice in this series, though I could easily go on: enjoy the work God has given you to do. Far too many ministers limp through their calling weighed down by burdens, frustrations, and complaints. But step back for a moment and remember what you’ve been entrusted with — there is no higher, richer, or more rewarding task in all the world.
Preach Grace: The Gift Only God Can Give
Here is my next piece of advice, particularly to those (often younger) leaders with much zeal—preach grace. You cannot give your people what they most desperately need. Only Christ can. What is the resolution? Preach grace!
Seek Association: The Necessity of Inter-Church Communion
As I continue this series, my next piece of advice is simple, but often overlooked: be associational. In a time when ministry is increasingly privatized, isolated, and self-contained, this counsel may seem almost counterintuitive. But it’s not optional. It’s necessary. If you want to endure in gospel ministry—and help your church do the same—then seek association.
Sharing the Load: Build a Biblical Eldership
The ministry is a shared calling, and a faithful pastor commits to building a plural, biblical eldership to carry the load together.
Be Prepared For Anything: The Ministry is Unpredictable
The ministry is a wild, unpredictable calling, and you need to brace yourself for the unexpected—both the routine joys and the freight train challenges.
Stay Humble: Flee From a Prideful Ministry
The article emphasizes the crucial importance of humility for gospel ministers, warning against the dangers of pride from both success and struggle. It advocates anchoring ministry in historic confessions of faith and giving glory to God for any spiritual fruit. A humble approach leads to effective preaching and genuine reliance on Christ.
Be Confessional: Preach the Whole Counsel of God
Young ministers should avoid seeking a singular doctrine or method to achieve church transformation, as no “golden key” exists. Instead, they are encouraged to anchor their ministry in comprehensive biblical truth, particularly historic confessions like the Second London Confession, ensuring balanced preaching that shapes their congregations faithfully.
Reformation is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Young ministers should approach church reformation with patience and humility, understanding it as a long-term endeavor rather than a quick fix. It is essential to diagnose issues thoroughly and foster trust within the congregation. Ministry focuses on Christ’s work and requires perseverance, emphasizing the need for personal growth alongside congregational development.
Remember Your Family: They Bear the Cost as Well
The Pastor’s family is not called into the ministry with him, but they often bear many of the burdens. Ministers should protect, nurture, and value their families, ensuring that responsibilities at home and church are balanced to avoid failure in either sphere. We serve Christ in the church, but must be consistent in our service to him in the home as well.
At the Start: Embracing the Cost of Ministry
When people give advice to new ministers, it often sounds grandiose, filled with soaring theology and lofty rhetoric. Though we must never undermine its theological profundity, I want to be honest with you about the practical reality; to be a Minister of the Gospel is serious hard graft. If you’re thinking about stepping into it, understand what you’re signing up for, because it will put demands on every corner of your life.