In all areas of life, we continue to change (whether progressively or regressively). Our ministry skills are no different. It’s not to say that you must make a major investment in every area of your life all the time. But, to ensure you’re not neglecting one area over another in the long term, you need to balance where you’re placing your energies in your next steps.

Ministry development can happen in a number of ways:

  • mentoring: Find a specific kind of mentor to help you move forward in your ministry. It could be a key area or a broader scope. For youth pastors, Lead222 is a great place for you to be coached and eventually to coach others.
  • conferences: There are lots of different conferences, whether ones nearby like Today’s Teens Conference or the Youth Specialties Conferences in the US. Find one that offers the area of improvement you want to tackle.
  • courses: Perhaps you’re ready to invest significant time in ministry development. Many post-secondary institutions offer one year certificates to four year undergraduate programs geared to prepare you with key ministry skills and theological training.

For me (Alvin), last year, I decided to get some training in project management. I took a one day course and used a particular system to work through our various projects. While I haven’t perfected it, it has helped me to better manage all the various ministries we provide.

There are countless ways to raise your ministry skill level, even it it’s a small but important step. The key is to take the time to identify it and find the necessary resources to move forward.