The Ultimate Guide for ministry leaders: Inspiring, Leading & Reaching People in ministry and in missions.
Characteristics for thriving in missions and ministry as a leader can be natural, learned, and practiced so you can reach those you are serving with the message of love and hope no matter where you go.
I have worked in ministry for thirty years and almost all of those were on the mission field.
Living in 7 countries.
I’ve led teams from Mega churches to churches of just 50 people.
Traveling to over 27 countries.
From short-term missions to years on the mission field, I received teams, sent and led teams, and organized outreach from my home state of Texas.
After all of that experience, I noticed certain characteristics or character qualities that helped the outreaches be successful and reach the community.
I will share them with you so that if you are in ministry or mission, you can develop these characteristics to help connect with those you are serving.
Key characteristics for thriving in missions and ministry are to,
Be flexible
This is one of the most important characteristics of people in missions.
And one you need to develop before you start in ministry.
Flexibility: for some, this is really hard, and for others, it’s easy.
Here is my personal example of the need for flexibility.
I was leading a team in Thailand to teach job and life skills to survivors of exploitation.
I created a schedule and gave it to the team members.
I handed out the schedule.
Then explained that in the culture, it will be more of a suggestion than a schedule.
And everyone would need to be flexible.
Sure, as the sun rises, the schedule changed, then changed again.
It was frustrating for some.
And I explained again the need for flexibility.
If you are not flexible in the mission field, you will live in a state of frustration.
So learn it before you go.
Practice it before you leave, and remember the lives of those who went before us.
Exercise mental flexibility
If you consider physical flexibility, you know you need to exercise and stretch to be more flexible.
Well, mental flexibility is the same.
Sometimes, you will need to practice it.
Do something you have never done before; try something different.
Challenge yourself to become more flexible.
Another way to be a good ministry leader and missionary.
Be joyful with a sense of humor.
When the Bible says the “joy of the Lord is our strength” on the mission field or in ministry, it’s necessary.
Cultivating an attitude of joy in your life and missions can help you face the challenges of culture shock and adapt to a new life.
Joy: Pray for it, seek it, and choose it.
Life in missions can be hard, but choosing joy can help you in difficult times.
When I started working with victims of human trafficking, the oppression was so great.
It was awful what these young girls had been through, and as I heard their stories and tried to get them to help in a broken system, it was an uphill battle.
Then, I felt the Lord impress on me to see the cross before I see them and their challenges and problems.
Seeing what Jesus will do in their lives, no matter their circumstances.
For a while, I had to constantly remind myself they were in a safe place now.
They will get through the current struggles, they will live healed and free.
I also made choices to help myself, I stopped reading and watching anything violent or anything related to injustice.
If I watched something, it would be “no drama” or really funny.
Most importantly, I would be grateful and choose that as my perspective.
This helped my mental health so much.
My focus shifted from problem-focused to grateful.
Another aspect of having joy in the mission field is
A sense of humor.
Looking back, the teams that were funny and had a good sense of humor always had a better response from the community.
Teams who would take a joke and didn’t let the language barriers stop them from sharing Christ’s love always left an positive impact.
Those who would jump in for games and laugh at themselves if something funny happened.
Anywhere I have led or received teams that did this, they were always received with open arms.
Another characteristic of missions and important in ministry.
Be Empathetic
Understanding another person’s point of view.
Relating to them in some ways without being in the same situation helps to share God’s love.
Here is an article about developing empathy.
Most people I know in ministry and missions have empathy.
Being called to both of these fields means you already have a level of compassion and mercy in your life, as Paul says in
“To the weak, I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
This verse is about being empathetic to those we serve and are around.
As you live in missions or ministry, don’t let your empathy run out because of the life, stories, or difficulties you might face.
There is also a cost of someone empathetic that needs to be watched for, burn out.
If you feel you are getting tired or burnt out, it’s time to change things.
If you are already in ministry or missions, here are some signs to watch out for from Positive Psychology
The next characteristic for thriving in missions and ministry is,
Be vulnerable
The importance of vulnerability in missions and ministry is the key to really impacting the lives of those you serve.
Sharing honest testimonies of the things God has changed in your life is important.
If you want to learn more about sharing your testimony, here is an article about how to share your story.
When training teams to teach programs for the prevention of human trafficking with children and teens in inner-city Dallas, the only way to reach them was through showing up and being vulnerable.
The girls in the program could tell when the teams were being vulnerable and being phony.
Immediately, if the teams would go their putting on a Christian front, the girls would ignore them and write them off.
These teams faced a culture shock, girls are expected to start dating at 10 or 11.
Many moms want there 18 year daughters to have kids by the time their 19.
It’s different.
Our wonderful volunteers, who didn’t date till 18, taught girls in areas where many girls started dating had been dating for years and they were 14.
The cultural difference was vast.
But God is good.
The way to bridge the gap of culture is to be honest and vulnerable.
So I had the team share stories of their struggles and with, God’s help, they overcame.
If they dated, I had them share the story of the good and the bad.
They shared of characteristics of someone they want to date and red flags of who they didn’t.
This made it relatable and them vulnerable.
If the teams were vulnerable, they would be respected.
I am not saying to over-share about your sins or past but to share what God has changed in your life and brought you out of.
Here are some ways to be vulnerable and be a good ministry leader.
Ways to be vulnerable in ministry:
- Share personal stories of struggles
- Include what God taught you through the struggle
- Don’t be judgmental of yourself or those you serve.(Like dating at 10)
- Don’t try to change people; share and let God.
- Apologize when needed.
Love like Jesus
The biggest mistake I saw on the mission field or decades in the church was creating dependents instead of disciples.
To truly love like Jesus in ministry and missions you need to follow his example.
Loving many times is showing up, listening more than talking and disciple others to follow Jesus and not you.
And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
And I will leave you with the most important thing to love, like Jesus.
If you love those you serve in ministry, then you will reach them.
If this article has helped or inspired you please pass it on.