By Chris Moon
Lead Pastor, Resurrection Life Church – Northern Michigan

Five years ago, I was called from the corporate world into full-time ministry with little training as to what being a senior pastor of a church entailed.

I want to share the wisdom that I have obtained through my journey with the Lord as He used me to help build His Kingdom in Northern Michigan.

1. Get people around you that do know what they are doing
Seek wisdom from those that have gone before you.  Look at other thriving churches and ask questions.  Find out what works and what doesn’t work for other people’s ministry.  Ideas that work for some churches may not work for yours.  Look for things that other ministries are doing well.  Don’t recreate the wheel.  You have to know your people and culture and what will reach them.

2. Read, Read, Read – Growth Happens in You
Fill yourself with as much knowledge as possible.  A few great resources that have given me a lot of insight are:

Purpose Drive Church by Rick Warren

Developing the Leader within You by John Maxwell

How to Stop the Pain by James Richards

Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge

17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork by John Maxwell

3. Take One Day at a Time
Remember it took God seven days to create the universe, so it is going to take time to build your ministry.  Seek God daily and see what He would have you to do today.  Growth happens one person and one family at a time.

4. Wait for Your Leaders
Start off building your ministry before you begin several different ministries.  Don’t start a youth ministry before you find a leader.  Know that you are called to be a senior pastor, you have a responsibility to minister to the youth and children and for a season you will have to be their pastor.

5. Start Looking for Faithful People to Raise Up
You have to watch/shepherd your people.  Find those people that are faithful with what God has given them in their lives.  It has been my experience that those that are faithful in the small are those that have the greatest potential to raise up.  Look for the people that will go the extra mile.  Stay away from the people who just want more of your time.

6. Teach on Tithing
Many churches stay away from teaching on tithing.  People have to learn that it’s not about you, the church or God wanting their money.  As a senior pastor you have a responsibility to teach people how to get God’s blessings on their life.

These are the ideas that I have found to be effective in our ministry in Northern Michigan.