Handling Mistakes in Ministry

Over the course of our lives we will make tons of mistakes.  Some of them will be very minor to very major.  Some mistakes are made because we take risks and we aren't sure of the outcome.  Other mistakes are made because we become arrogant and think we know more than we do.


Mistakes are going to happen but how we deal with them is going to define the type of person we are.  In ministry we make all kids of mistakes like 

• Sending out an incomplete email or one that isn't worded right
• Not giving out all the details to an event
• Blaming the wrong student for setting the garbage can on fire
• Forgetting to talk to the parents of the student you sent home early from an event

In ministry, everyone in the church is your boss, so you are trying to please a whole lot of people with a whole lot of ideas of what you should be doing.  We serve the entire church, not just those in our ministries.  This makes for a lot of fun some times.  We need to learn to read the signs and do everything we can to make the matter worse, rather than being arrogant and "taking a stand" for our beliefs.  If people don't like us or our ministry, we won't be as effective as we need to be.


So how can we handle the mistakes we know we are going to make?

1. Be Humble.  You might have to eat some crow but understand you are working toward the kingdom of God not ourselves.
2. Listen Closely. Do your best to hear what someone might be telling you and do what needs to be done to resolve the issue.  We need to hear the other person and their perspective in order to understand where they are coming from.
3. Learn and Grow.  Take any issues that come up as opportunity to grow as a Christian and a minister.  We are put into situations by God in order to better ourselves.
4. Be Open and Honest.  The more transparent you are in your ministry the better but know how to discern.  The more good information you put out there, the less material there is to attack you with.

Ultimately being in ministry is about being humble to those you work with.  You might not like it all the time, but you will need to figure out which battles are worth fighting for.  If we take the time to see how those mistakes are affecting other people and the situations we are creating, we can be better at handling those mistakes with Godly precision.