Scott Williams is the Campus Pastor of the Northwest Oklahoma City Campus of LifeChurch.tv, which launched three years ago and already has an average weekly worship attendance of over 3,500. To connect with Williams, read his blog, watch him on YouTube, follow him on Twitter, or friend him on Facebook. Previously, I have written posts based on or inspired by Williams on the topics of effective leadership and tweeting in worship (here and here).
Last week Williams shared a list of five common mistakes he observes in ministry leaders:
- Blame It On Ministry- Ministry leaders will blame their unwillingness to make tough decisions on the fact that “It’s Ministry” or “I know they are not doing so and so, but we are a church.”
- Copy Cat- Often times ministry leaders try to replicate what they see popular churches, ministries or pastors doing.
- Only Learn From Within Christian/Ministry Circles– Ministry leaders make the mistake of limiting their learning circles; they only learn from other christian leaders, christian books, other pastors, church leaders etc.
- Hire The Wrong People– Just because Johnny was successful at so and so church and has so and so seminary degree; doesn’t mean he or she is the person that is going to take your ministry to the next level.
- Don’t Seek God- This one should be common sense; however many times a leader will make a huge decision without taking any time to seek God. Seeking God Should Always Be Part Of The Equation!
So What?
All ministry leaders make mistakes. While our goal should not be to stop taking risks in order to minimize failure, we cannot use experimentation as an excuse for mistakes. Review the list and determine which of the five you struggle with most. How can an increased awareness be a first step toward overcoming it? What other steps do you need to implement?
If you were crafting a list of the most common ministry mistakes you have observed what would be on it? What does your congregation do to help keep all of its leaders on track? What are some of the more successful ways your congregation equips leaders for continued growth while providing accountability?