I've been listening to a great show called the "Who are These Guys Podcast" for a couple of months now and have learned a lot of useful/applicable tips for early church leaders.I can't say that I've taken everything that they've said all the way, but enough of what they share is true wisdom. Here's the latest blog they've sent me.

3 “Gee-Whiz” Mistakes to Avoid Early

Posted: 28 Aug 2007 09:37 PM GMT-06:00

There is a dynamic in the first years of leading in ministry that I fell into pretty hard and that set me up for a lot of frustration and disappointment. I call it the “gee-whiz” element. It is the frame of mind that I believe many young pastors and leaders in ministry have fresh out of college, or early in their pursuit to follow the call of God into vocational ministry. And it is a frame of mind that I believe leads towards 3 crucial mistakes.

The Pedestal

This is the mistake so many young pastors and ministry leaders make when they place the church and the person they will be working for on a pedestal. This is such an obvious mistake to avoid, but almost all of us make it and after a year or two it often leads to frustration, disillusionment and conflict.

The reason this happens is because we allow ourselves to become so enamored with being accepted by a church that we stop thinking critically about the leadership and community. Is the church in the midst of a large transition? Has the youth ministry had a quick turn over in the position they are looking for you to fill? Are the ministers that will lead you proven mentors? Are the ministers that will lead you someone that you want to be like as a pastor? Is the church looking for a minister to come and set direction, and “fix” the ministry? How has the church grown over the past 3-5 years? Is there a strong team in place?

These are all questions that need to be asked and adequately answered. Young Leaders need a mentor, they need a place to learn, but the freedom to put those learnings into practice (now catch this) in an environment HEALTHY enough for their mistakes. You need a place to develop practical experience and a place that values the practice of mentorship for young pastors - period!

The Tom Sawyer

This is the mistake where you SO want to feel useful you sign up for every little task you can to help out and get that “that-a-boy” pat on the back. In the business world this is called falling for a “Tom Sawyer.” In the novel, Tom was whitewashing the fence, and his buddies made fun of him for having to work instead of play. Tom insisted he was having the time of his life so vehemently, that the other kids asked if they could take a turn painting the fence. Tom allowed them to paint the fence for him, but only if they gave him something in return. So, Tom ended up getting snacks and toys in exchange for allowing the other kids to paint the fence.

Don’t become someone’s “Tom Sawyer”, know who you are, and focus on your ministry. Think of it this way, your time is worth $500/hour. Now, most of us only wish we got paid that much, but as the leader of the ministry your time and where you spend it should only be in the places of the HIGHEST value. Don’t get suckered into menial tasks just because someone is affirming you, focus your time on the things you are best at and that hold the highest value. Now, don’t become the worst team player in history, your church is full of people who need to serve in their place in ministry. Enable them to serve, and stay focused on your priorities.

The Bottle Neck

In leadership and management books a consistent mantra is that you must delegate and enable volunteers so that you don’t become the “bottle neck” to your ministry, and thus limit it. There is one benefit for the insecure leader though, if you are the bottle neck you are also the center of attention! It also means when the ministry hasn’t grown, you are the center of attention for that failure. Learn early that being a pastor means lifting others up. Great pastors are constantly enabling ministry opportunities for people by getting out of the way and letting them serve. It is also the best way to help create “buy-in” within your ministry, and to provide an environment of excitement.