A Christian College senior sat down in my office in February of his last year of undergrad studies in ministry and was perplexed. Like most of the good ones, he’d spent the better part of the last two years on a developmental path of part-time ministry under the guidance of a great youth pastor.

“I don’t know which of these opportunities I should pursue,” he said. 

An Open Letter to the Recent Grad who Desires to Be in Vocational Ministry. Congrats on the accomplishment of your education!

Perhaps you have a memory of climbing up to the top of the high dive, or walking to the edge of the cliff over looking the lake below. Your friends are there urging you on. Suddenly, your legs feel wobbly, you let out a nervous chuckle, and you think to yourself “I can’t do this. Perhaps I should climb back down.”

Welcome to The Jitters.

 “I think I should just take this full time ministry that’s been offered to me.
Why should I do a residency for less money?”

This is a question I get often. It’s a legit question. Parents are on our backs to pay the bills, get off their cell phone plan, and move on.

Here’s the four things I typically answer with:

Self-Awareness is key when taking your first step in ministry.  As you begin to interview for that first residency or full time, role, you'll find that church leaders speak in a variety of "self-awareness languages" - here are three or four.:

Take this opportunity to learn about you in the following ways:

Whether you are interviewing for a residency, or for your first vocational ministry role there are critical questions that you will be asked.  We hear a some over and over.

Does your resume, the stories you tell, and your current supervisor see your track record similarly?

Knowing who you are beyond the surface, AND understanding the implications of it in your work history will save you the same frustration at your next place of employment. God has uniquely wired, crafted, and gifted you to be of use in His world. This is His story that we are characters in. Understanding your perspective and part will help you take the next best steps.

I was recently asked to come present to one of my favorite church staffs in the city where I live. I could talk on any topic, and I had 30 minutes to share.  The church has a multi-layered staff with many in their first ministry, including several who are also in their first management/leadership role.

Hmmm…what should I have heard if I had been listening when I was first beginning on a church staff?

This is acutely a problem in the first years of ministry. New church leaders who are just beginning need a coach more than ever. I define a ‘coach’ to our graduates as someone who is five years ahead of them in a ministry that appears to be something of which they would want to be a part.  One hour a month on a Skype, or a call, the newbie brings the questions and the coach is there to…well…coach.

An Open Letter to the Recent Grad who Desires to Be in Vocational Ministry,

Congrats on the accomplishment of your education!  

After 14 years of ministry, I have soaked on this question for the last eleven years, both inside and outside of Christian higher education, primarily on the practitioner side.