Things They Don't Teach You in Bible College.

There are a lot of things they don't teach you in Bible College. A lot of it has to be learned from the school of hard knocks. One of course is how to deal with a pandemic.

Other topics such as computer skills, videology, social media, relationships, finances, buildings, and so forth.

Here are some items I've come across the way:

1. What you keep them with is what you win them with. So if gimmicks and games guess what have to continue to do? Thus balance. Tools can be a good thing but not the focus. I remember attending a church that was so glad to be wearing "Football Jerseys" and the focus tended to be on the clothes they wore that Sunday rather than on Jesus.

2. Use Current Available resources. FREE is good. Read a lot. Borrow. Listen to others. Try not to reinvent the wheel, but use it to fit your context. See what others are doing and learn. Waypoint Church Partners puts together webinars that great in this area.

3. Know the "Why?" The questions that go back to elementary school. The Why do we do what we do? We Sunday Morning? How? Who? When? What? Asking questions leads to a better understanding of vision, priorities and goals.

4. Get to know others around you. With the recent at home order, several organizations have put together resources to update on what has been going on looking and as a result things like Hanoverhelps started. A group from forrichmond.com has updates weekly for different areas ...for my context Henrico updates on Zoom on Tuesday with updates from the local county, social services, foster care, and school system and others. A good resource and got me to know different leaders in my community.

5. Don't Hoard. Digitalize. I had binders, and filing cabinets full of "Resources" if not going to use it ..throw away. Don't waste space. I finally went through a lot of the material I've kept for over 20 years ...newsletters, coorespndence. Some I've scanned and saved to a hard drive, others just got rid of.

6. Learn to delegate. Utilize volunteers. You don't have to do everything. I recently have a volunteer that has helped set up our online presence ….why? Cause that's his giftedness. We've gone to streaming live in a matter of days what probably would of taken me months to figure out and do all by myself. Get people smarter than you to do it.

7. Identify, but don't be identical. I remember everyone wanting to adapt Purpose Driven to their church model. You can identify what works, what doesn't but don't try to be "exactly" like church A down the road. Be WHO God created you to be. For me, it is being a successful small church in Henrico County and Central Virginia ...one person at a time.

8. Check your pride. You are not in "charge." There are a lot of leadership podcasts, being the successful this and that, consulting churches to grow seminars etc. Recognize that it comes to ministry to check your ego at the door. The best leaders are those that are found serving first. Stacking the chairs, helping to clean the bathrooms etc.

9. Take time. Seems that is what we have a lot of. Take time to enjoy that favourite movie, book, walk, your family. Build memories. Time management. Be on time, schedule it wisely, and balance it. Learn to say "No" and what to say YES to. Recently I've stepped back on a lot of meetings. I just spent a lot of time helping out our local camp secure "funding" for the future when a local ministry gifted the camo with their property (And after selling, lawyers etc. 1.2 million later) and then another organization mediation of a local pantry and Central Virginia pantry and some concerns ..which our Lakeside Clergy had helped give feedback. The result: lots of time, challenges, and obstacles. It worked out but the big sacrifice: Time. Try to balance it. Use a calendar.

10. Know who YOU are. Know your strengths, weaknesses. Who you are in Christ. The greatest commandment is to love God and love others as yourself. In order to do that you have to love, and know who you are. What are you passionate about? Excited about? Where you came from, where are you going? Not everyone is going to be Wayne Smith, Bob Russell, that African missionary but there is one you. Be that person.

Thoughts? Any other items you would add to things they don't teach you in bible college or seminary but really should?