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35 Ministry Skills You’ll Need in the 21st Century
Orginally published on Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 1:38 PM
by Todd Rhoades
[Pastors.com by Sam Simmons] Ministry requires skill. Every ministry position, whether vocational or volunteer, carries with it the expectation of proficiency, often beyond the specific ministry functions related to the position.
For instance, Bible study teachers would need the skill of interpreting the biblical text and applying its truth to life situations, but might also be expected to have the skills of helping to resolve conflict, listening to class members who are hurting, providing pastoral care to someone who is sick, and helping someone become a follower of Christ.
A church family expects a pastor to communicate spiritual truth in a way that is life-transforming, but might also expect their pastor to have the skills of assessing the needs of the surrounding community, building an effective ministry team, and leading the church in conducting cross-cultural missions.
Many professions, like medicine, law, and teaching, recognize the importance of skills by requiring updates through an annual certification process. According to Reggie McNeal, ministry skills are not immune to becoming outdated and ineffective over time:
Many men and women who entered the ministry with a clear sense of call to make a difference feel overwhelmed, bewildered, defeated, and generally underprepared for the challenges they face. Having packed their bags for the journey of the church age, they now have no idea what should be in their leadership backpack for the current excursion. The portfolio of skills that once gave them standing in the community of faith no longer distinguishes them, ensures their effectiveness, or guarantees their continued leadership position. (The Present Future, pp. 7-8)
Do your ministry skills need updating? Are your ministry skills out of balance? Does your calling require you to focus your development in certain areas? Below is a list of skills helpful for ministry in the 21st century. You can use the list as a personal assessment tool or as a development guide for those you mentor.
You can read Sam's 35 essential ministry skills here...
Which skills do you feel are most important? Least important?
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Posted by Anthony D. Coppedge
Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 3:21 PM
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Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 3:30 PM
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Friday, May 26, 2006 at 11:49 PM
Post Your Comments:Media & Communications Pastors are not included in his list. I think this is a major oversight (he, like many, tosses it under “Worship Ministry") as the church as a whole has shown a serious lack of skills and forethought in this area.
I would definitely agree, Anthony!
Todd
A couple of the skills I was particularly pleased with a couple of the skills Simmons notes:
[Leads the church in developing a process for connecting new members into the life and purposes of the church.]
Absolutely!! We often come up with great programming that fosters relationships and discipleship but leave people to find their own way to our programming. This works great for people who know how to “navigate church� but leaves the unchurched without a map (unless they come with a friend who can be a guide).
[Leads in developing, EVALUATING (emphasis added), and administering curriculum plans; functions as resource person in discipleship curriculum.]
We’re pretty good a developing and implementing, but not very good at evaluating and assessing whether or not we’re realizing our objectives and goals. We avoid this because, among other things, we find it too corporate. But . . . IMO it makes us sloppy and pretty ineffective sometimes.
[Recruits, trains, and SUPERVISES (emphasis added again) individuals to fulfill the purposes of the church.]
Our tendency is to get the slots filled, even train the slot fillers, and then move on to the next recruitment. Supervising is equipping – it’s ongoing and regular investment in people (forever!!) – which much more personal than an appreciation banquet once a year.
[Assesses the needs of the ministry community, designs appropriate actions to meet those needs, and effectively markets the church’s ministry in the community.]
AMEN! Exegeting our community and ministering uniquely to its needs. If our community is 65% Hispanic, we’d better reflect that. If 40% of 8th graders at the school next to us reads at a 4th grade level, it becomes an issue for us. If our immediate demographic has 25% unemployment, we’d better address that . . .
Wendi
Feeling a little behind...I just figured out what a blog was last month. Now I’ve heard the term “emergent church” for the first time tonight. I think I like the sound of it.
Anyway...the emergent church...hmmm, sounds an awful lot like Christian brothers and sisters functioning in unity and brother-sisterhood instead of a divided, dysfunctional business model of a church. What’s with all the critisicm? Why do we have to divide it and dissect it and analyze it into theological compartments? Has there not been enough division in the past? Are these the same scholars who created my daughter’s cute little “Precious Moments” Bible...all in the ever timeless and yet so very vague King James so that she could take one look at it when she learns to read and then return it to the shelf and say, “forget it!”??? (sorry, had to get that in there!)
All I want to know about the Emergent Church is...are people getting SAVED and being MENTORED (which I believe is the true meaning of discipleship) and becoming more like Christ? If so, then I’m in.
I wonder what the average age group is in this church? I know that my generation (Genx) has had just about enough of the sad suited sunday mornings with a cookie cutter order of service and the “smile like you mean it” handshakes. Just burning for something real here folks. I’ve seen it peek through sometimes in the last few years but my soul still longs for radical reformation and a deeper understanding of WORSHIP (not the music that we call worship but the life that is worship) in the Body of Christ. Could this be the beginning???
I shouldn’t write these things past midnight...tending to ramble. I hope that was all respectful enough. Sometimes when you’re passionate people don’t understand the heart that’s behind it. Maybe I need my own blog so I will have plenty of space to ramble in all my extra free time as a pastor’s wife. Haha.
Kate.
Skills? What skills? LOL!
At 8:00 a.m. I am going to pick up our participants to take them to have their done at a salon. The salon happens to be the one where I get my hair done. It also happens to be gated community in which we live. To our participants, this area seems completely off limits to them for more reasons than just the gates and security guards. The woman who is doing their hair moved here back in the fall. She is the same woman who does my hair. (The participants all make a huge to-do over my hair. LOL!) Anyways, the woman, Naomi, is looking for ways to get involved in the town and suurounding areas. She has a HUGE heart for ministry and she is also hispanic. She is providing her services today for free. While the participants are getting their hair done, I will be talking with them about all they have learned while being a part of our ministry. The owner of the salon visited our church a couple of Wednesday nights ago. She “happened” to have heard my hubby teach that night. She will be at the salon today as well. She called on Tuesday wanting more information about our church and this ministry involving the participants where I am on staff at. As a side note: I am also on the Women’s Ministry Team at our church.
Why are the participants getting their hair done? Today at 1:00 p.m. is “Graduation.” They have hung in there for 10 long weeks. If you could see the looks on their faces now as opposed to when they first dawned our doors - well, it is the look of HOPE!
One of the main things I see as necessary in the place in which God has brought me? The need to connect women with other women. To help disspell the notion that some women are better than other women just because of where they live, what they look like, and etc. In an area like ours, that is even more pronounced than others.
I have been trained and will continue to be trained in the areas of poverty and cross-cultural ministering just to name a few.
What I believe is necessary in the 21st century? Lifestyle Ministry Skills. Connecting others with Christ and each other by walking through life together.
That is a long list of skills.
I think the skills you need are just total surrender to God’s will, a broken heart for the lost, and God’s call on your life. He will fill in the rest.
Maybe that is just me.
“Chicks dig guys with skills...”
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