Advice to a Young Pastor

(By Pastor Mark Fontecchio)

The Ten Most Important Lessons Learned

1. Put the most significant people in your life first.
Your spouse, family, close friends, and mentors should be put into your calendar first.

2. Never stop growing in your knowledge of the Scriptures and in your faith in Jesus Christ.

Sustain your own faith in Christ. You can only lead the people as far as you have gone yourself.

3. Always keep in mind you will have to relinquish your role in ministry and at some point, slip away into obscurity.

4. Prepare for occasions when you will suffer, fail, face conflict, or experience some sort of loss.

5. Be trustworthy and dependable.
Be a person who keeps their word. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

6. Be a spiritual father to teachable people who may someday inherit your responsibilities.

7. Live modestly.
Stay free of debt, be generous, develop a financial strategy, and always be wary of those who try to buy your favor.

8. Receive compliments, criticism, and counsel with humility.
Avoid whining, complaining, and self-pity. Assume that there is at least a grain of truth in everything your critics say about you and your work.

9. Stay alert to all evil and temptations around you.

10. Be quick to say with sincerity, these five things: “Thank you; Well done; I am sorry; I forgive you; How can I help you?”

(Download Article Here)