I've tried to reframe those five habits of effective ministers in terms of evangelical effectiveness. In one sense it's just a change of words; but I'm trying to avoid mere pragmatism, and make the gospel - the message of Christ crucified and risen - more obviously central.So, here's my five habits of Evangelically effective ministers:
1. All their life, they broaden and deepen their understanding of the gospel ("committed to lifelong learning");
2. They actively seek good examples of Christ-centered ministry, and seek to pass the gospel on to the next generation ("make leadership selection and mentoring a priority");
3. They regularly and deliberately analyse their life and ministry, to examine how effectively they are advancing the gospel ("have a dynamic ministry philosophy");
4. They deliberately evangelise themselves, realising that they are basically no different to those they minister to, but are themselves sinners, forgiven by Christ, and called to live under Christ ("repeatedly and regularly renew their personal life with God");
5. They see their life, ministry, indeed all of their being, is a unified testimony to, and service of, Christ. Ministry is not a "job", it's a state of being. Evangelically effective ministers see themselves, with all of their person, and in all of their relationships, as set apart wholly for Christ ("see their ministry in terms of their whole life").
What do you think?
1 comment:
Good on you Kamal. You have picked up the five points of effective leadership of Robert J. Clinton (and Terry Walling) and made them into gospel points. A nice angle.
I would want to say however, that though the gospel is central to our ministry - the beginning and end of ministry and giving shape to the journey along the way - we should not become gospel reductionists. It would be a mistake (which I don't imagine you are making,) to 'reduce' everything to 'just' the gospel.
Thus for example, consider your point 2. ('actively seek good examples of Christ-centered ministry, and seek to pass the gospel on to the next generation'.) I would say that there are aspects of mentoring that are helpfully expressed beyond these two subpoints. Clinton's original point ('effective leaders recognise leadership selection and mentoring as a priority') talks about more than 'just' looking for models of gospel ministry and passing the gospel on - it makes explicit the task of choosing the right potential leaders and shaping them wholistically, lest 'passing the gospel on' be seen as merely being conduits of information or education.
Probably similar points could be made about your other gospel angles to Clinton's ideas.
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