Lesson 3: Prepare for the Best of Times!

The local church must deal with one of the same challenges many other secular businesses face: hiring staff. A church will post an ad outlining a job description and wait for the flood of resumes. The pastor or the search committee will review each resume and decide whether a particular candidate will continue in the hiring process.

With the popularity of online education, the number of students attending traditional brick-and-mortar institutions is in decline. Many students take an unconventional path into ministry, unlike their predecessors. Reviewing resumes is an adventure that often reveals the many ways people prepare for professional ministry. Applicants can be quite creative as they try to match their skills and experience with the open position.

My preparation for ministry in the late 1980s followed a more traditional path. The seminary I attended suggested earning a liberal arts bachelor’s degree before attending. After their advice, I received a BA in Sociology, but thankfully, I added a minor in Business. I was accepted into the Master of Divinity program at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1987 and graduated in 1990. I later earned a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching in 2000. I wanted to be the best-prepared pastor I could be. 

After I graduated with my M.Div. in 1990, I thought I was ready. I waited three and a half long years after receiving my degree before serving as a church’s senior pastor. During those three and a half years, I worked as a clerk at Kimberly-Clark and volunteered as a ministry intern at the church we attended. I lost count of how many churches said no. While waiting, I continued to prepare by studying, praying, and practicing every aspect of ministry I could. God has called me into ministry, and I desperately wanted to find a place to work. Regardless of my delay, in my heart of hearts, I believed God would place me somewhere in His service.

I finally arrived at First Baptist Church in Dover, Tennessee, as the senior pastor in the fall of 1994. After a few weeks, one of the ladies in the church confessed that she voted for me as her pastor because I had a business minor in college, and work experience outside the church. I thought to myself, “What about my seminary degree and ministry experience?” At the time, I was too young and inexperienced to fully understand and appreciate the lessons learned in those ten years between college graduation and the beginning of my full-time ministry. 

Now, after over 30 years of senior pastor experience, I have two pieces of advice. Please consider them to best prepare for ministry or any career. Please note, I will share my second piece of advice in my February newsletter. 

My first piece of advice is simple:

“Prepare for the Best of Times.”

You can prepare for the best of times by carefully considering your answers to these five questions. Much of my language relates to pastoral ministry, but I believe these questions can help anyone preparing for a career. They can also help workers who need a boost of encouragement as they deal with work-related challenges.

1. Have I made a commitment to live my priorities?

Please see Lesson #2, December 4, 2025, on my Substack. After you read or re-read my post, please consider these additional items. Fight the urge to make your work your top priority. Also, don’t let your supervisor force you to put work first. Having said that, establish good work habits from the beginning. Work hard whether anyone notices or not, and set clear boundaries.

2. Have I prepared myself to do the job I was hired to do?

Sometimes we believe our own hype. “I can do it,” is our motto. We believe we can do anything. If we’re honest with ourselves and others. We must be willing to learn and to grow our skill sets to better fulfill our job responsibilities.

A few days before I started working as a senior pastor, I moved into my office. When I opened the door, there was nothing except a desk, a desk chair, empty bookcases, and a couch for guests. One book had been placed upon the desk. The book wasn’t an instruction manual, but I wish it had been. There were so many things I didn’t know, but I did know what I had to do first. I needed to love the people and preach the Bible.

We must be humble and patient with ourselves and others. Whether you’re starting a new job or were recently promoted, you don’t have to know everything on your first day. Find a trusted mentor, be teachable, and you will be fine.

3. Do I make time to be a lifetime learner?

There is so much to learn. Where do I start? If you are a person of faith, study the Bible and grow your faith. Learn new skills and improve others. Study history. Travel and learn about different cultures. Learn a second language. Go back to school and earn a degree. The keys to becoming a lifetime learner is curiosity and a plan.

4. Do I like or love and serve the people where I work?

Regardless of your profession, you will have to work with people. Is that a challenge for you? It is for many people. I would encourage you to learn how to serve others. Serving others can foster a culture of friendship, leading to a healthier workplace.

5. Do I practice sound financial principles?

Finally, managing your money is one of the most important disciplines to master. Wise financial practices are one of the building blocks of a happy, stable life. Don’t get me wrong: money is not the source of true happiness. However, a lack of money or its mismanagement can lead to several problems. I would encourage you to make informed financial decisions. Also, use proven financial principles taught by Dave Ramsey and others.  

Prepare for the best of times.

Blessings,

Terry