If I Could Do It Again
Posted By Aaron Marcelli on July 1, 2009
Just weeks after being released from my first church ministry position in August of 2007, I sat outside the Art Institute in Atlanta and made this record of observations on how I would do that ministry differently knowing and seeing what I do now.
Don’t be so organized! I planned to do so many things that I never ended up doing, most of them because I did not think I had the time. Now many of those things have been done like they were no big deal by volunteers. I made things harder and more drawn out by doing too much planning and not enough doing.
Deal with people! It’s about relationships. Spend time with people. I have little to show for 10 hour days in the office. I received the most satisfaction by being with people, so why not do more of that. Take people out to eat, invite them along for everyday life. I was there to impact, teach, and help people, not programs, papers, computers, or meetings. Talk to people in person instead of writing letters. ALWAYS MAKE TIME FOR PEOPLE! Get out more. Be there for people. Everything I thought had to be done that got in the way of having more time for just being with people is not even being done now and everything is going just fine, in some ways even better than before.
Be Simple! Don’t make it so complex. Don’t offer 101 things to do. DO WHAT IS IMPORTANT. DO WHAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Other than that, only do the other stuff if I have time and it does not take the place of something more important.
Think big picture
Think eternal things
Make sure I take time to do well what I feel is the strength of my ministry (speaking)
Involve the students more. Make things rely on them. If they don’t do it, it does not happen. Not that if they don’t do it, I will just so it gets done (youth newsletter).
Have stuff for my secretary, volunteers, and leaders to do. Not everything has to be done by me – not everything can be done by me.
Quit making future plans. If it is that important, do it now!
It’s always easier when looking back, for after all hindsight is 20/20. There is no way I could have been expected to predict the future or always be able to foresee what events, games, lessons, meetings, and styles would work or not work. Honestly, I would say that I feel I was a pretty good youth pastor, especially considering I fell into a very large youth group and was given sole control all while being barely old enough to drink. But being forcefully removed from that position allowed me to view it from as an outsider, something I was unable to do when I was so deep into it that it was near impossible to escape from doing things out or routine, easiness, and the desire for approval.
If you’re in ministry, perhaps the above epiphanies I experienced will help you step back and evaluate. Perhaps we all should slow down from time to time and in as honest and unbiased way as possible evaluate how we perform and behave at work, at home, with friends, with family, and with strangers. I hope never to have to be unwillingly released from a position again in order to see how I could have done it better.
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4 Responses to “If I Could Do It Again”
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I am so glad you feel led to write. I love reading your blogs, and this one in particular was interesting for me to read. I have always desired to know what thoughts went on in your mind in that time; this allowed me a glimpse. Thanks you, Christi
Tom Hogsed used to say that only 2 things last forever: God, and people. That’s what we should be focused on. The simple lines “Think big picture” and “Think eternal things” brought it to mind.
Wow, brother…. Great advice. I needed that myself this morning! It is so hard to battle the “to do” list, but it’s so much better when people are my focus, and where I spend my time.
The be with people advice is great advice. I need to do that more.
I think that you do need to plan, but be flexible in how it turns out. Most times things don’t work out how you had planned, but we just need to be grateful that they worked out.