Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

New Wineskins

Home
Evangelical
20 Things I've Learned in Two Years

20 Things I've Learned in Two Years

Last updated on: December 3, 2013 at 9:00 am by Josh Daffern

20 Things I've Learned in Two Years 2013-12-03T09:00:46-06:00 Josh Daffern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Two years ago (back on Nov. 11 to be exact) I officially sold out and became a ‘suit.’ Leaving the world of youth ministry behind, I became a lead pastor. It’s been an incredible journey so far. To celebrate two years as a pastor, here are twenty things I’ve learned in two years:

1. Little things make a big difference. One of our greatest successes is our Host Team, folks who make a welcoming environment that starts in the parking lot.

2. People want hope. Hope is the most valuable commodity in the world today.

3. Names, names, names. Do you want to connect with someone? Learn their names. Want to connect with 500 people? Learn 500 names. It’s just that simple.

4. I worry about money a lot. As a pastor, making sure that the mission gets funded is always in the back of my mind. When I was a youth pastor, I always assumed that the budget would be funded. Now I’m the fundraiser-in-chief.

5. I couldn’t do what I do without volunteers. While I have a large presence on Sunday mornings, I am overwhelmed by just how much my success is dependent on a tremendous team of volunteers.

6. My favorite part is life change. It always has been. Watching God do something miraculous in someone’s life. That’s why I do what I do.

7. There is no bigger platform to speak into someone’s life than tragedy. The biggest events at Mt Vernon over the past few years have been funerals. Tragedies are always painful, but a powerful opportunity to share the gospel.

8. Saying ‘no’ is hard but necessary. I say ‘no’ to a lot of genuinely good things to protect my time with my family. Although hard, I don’t regret it.

9. People are acceptance magnets. Simply being part of a welcoming community constantly attracts new people.

10. Once you get outside of the church bubble, life gets messy quick. Every month I get to speak with ladies who are in a residency program overcoming drug and alcohol dependencies. That will pop your church bubble real quick.

11. Getting a crowd and assimilating a core are two different things. It’s easy to attract a crowd. Do something glitzy. Throw some money around. Getting people to commit and become assimilated into the body is another matter entirely.

12. It all comes down to small groups. The long term health and success of the church comes down to the small group level. If you have a healthy structure in place, you can sustain growth. Without it, you’ll never break through your current ceiling.

13. Church leadership truly is a team sport. Theoretically I’m the guy with all the power, but in reality its shared with the entire staff. Without a great staff, you’ll never have a great church.

14. Having fun in the church isn’t a sin. Rejecting traditional models of church services, Mt Vernon has embraced the idea that you can honor God and still have fun. It makes for such a more enjoyable experience!

15. Marriages are in trouble. I knew that before. Now I’m the guy trying to help save marriages. Marriages are in trouble.

16. I love the slower pace of a smaller town. I miss the shopping and the restaurant choices, but I love the fact that my boys are being raised in a small town. With the slower pace of life, I actually have time to enjoy life alongside them.

17. The church has become our family. Both Robin and I have great relationships with our parents, but they’re all out of town. The church has become surrogate aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, grandmothers and grandfathers for our family.

18. Pastoring is a humbling experience. I may give off the impression that I know what I’m doing, but much of the time I’m trying to figure it out with everyone else. True pastoring will always keep you humble.

19. A church willing to change is a church that will grow. Mt Vernon made a conscious decision several years ago to change the way it did church. Because of that courageous choice, we’re seeing new growth. Change is tough, but worth it.

20. I wouldn’t trade Mt Vernon for the world. I’ve been in bigger churches with bigger budgets, bigger egos and bigger politics. I love where I am. Mt Vernon is drama free. There’s no power plays behind the scenes. The leaders are servant leaders. And lives are being changed. I’m right where I want to be.

Uncategorized

Food for Thought

What I'm Living

Previous Post

December 2, 2013

Congratulations! You're the 1%

Next Post

December 4, 2013 Binge and Regret

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Family Matters Ministry in the Trenches Morning Brew MTVpastor New Wineskins Top Menu Truth from Life Uncategorized Watch Sermons

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What year was the King James Bible first published?

Select your answer to see how you score.

1611 1701 1517 1492