15 Keys to Being a Great Associate Pastor

There are no doubt many qualities that describe a great associate pastor, or really a great employee anywhere. Here are fifteen traits that most senior pastors and leaders are looking for in their staff…

  1. Stay Busy – They come with the “batteries included”, present ideas, get things moving, and don’t need someone else to light a fire under their backside.
  2. Faithfully Follow – They pursue the Pastor’s agenda and not their own.  Although they initiate and take ownership, they do not get out in front of their senior pastor.  They ask for permission, not forgiveness.  
  3. Think Big-Picture – They realize it’s not just about their ministry, it’s about the Pastor’s vision, the whole church, and the Kingdom of God.
  4. Embrace Teamwork – They don’t operate in a silo, but actively contribute to, and care for, the whole team.  They realize that even all-star players are terrible teammates if they can’t work with others.
  5. Listen Well – They realize they don’t have all the answers, so they listen and learn.  They seek advice from those with more experience and wisdom than themselves.  They are humble, not arrogant.
  6. Grow Continually – They continually improve by reading, listening, and gaining experience.   They prioritize daily spiritual growth.
  7. Manage Themselves – They manage their life and ministry well.  They keep a to-do list, calendar, and track of whatever else they are responsible for.  They do not require much, if any, follow-up.  They do their job without needing to be reminded.
  8. Provide Solutions – When they face a challenge they don’t just come to the team with that problem, rather they come and present both the problem and a viable solution.
  9. Avoid Weeds – and fires and icebergs and shipwrecks.  They are emotionally, culturally, ministerially and generally intelligent. 
  10. Empower People – They develop people and work themselves out of a job.
  11. Implement Systems – They work hard to develop systems, so when they are gone everything continues smoothly.
  12. Choose Positivity – Although, like everyone they have good and bad days, they are generally optimistic and upbeat.
  13. Rebound Quickly – They try hard things, which means they fail from time-to-time.  When they do fail, they own it, and then get right back up and keep moving.
  14. Love People – They have a shepherds heart.  They care for people.  Ministry is a ministry to them, and not just a job. 
  15. Take Bullets – They take bullets for their senior pastor, figuratively and perhaps even literally.
Posted on
Category: Staffing

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Leave a Reply to dokymenti dlya pereplanirovki_ufol Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

7,809 thoughts on “15 Keys to Being a Great Associate Pastor”

  20. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. cheers

    Reply

  29. Hi there, I believe your web site might be having browser compatibility problems. When I look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in IE, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, great blog!

    Reply

  39. %spintax|こちらの記事|この内容%は%spintax|非常に|とても% %spintax|参考になる|役立つ%です！%spintax|セクシーコスプレ|ベビードール%の%spintax|選び方|素材の見極め方|コーデ術%について%spintax|分かりやすく|詳しく%解説されています。補足ですが、%spintax|MERRSS|メリス%は%spintax|高品質コスプレランジェリーに特化|デザイン豊富|サービス充実%なサイトで、%spintax|購入を考えている方|コスプレ好き|ランジェリー愛好家%には%spintax|必見|おすすめ%です。

    Reply

  42. Howdy outstanding website! Does running a blog similar to this take
    a lot of work? I have virtually no knowledge of
    coding but I was hoping to start my own blog in the
    near future. Anyway, if you have any recommendations or tips for new
    blog owners please share. I know this is off topic nevertheless I simply needed to ask.
    Cheers!

    Reply

  44. I’ve been exploring for a little bit for
    any high quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of house .
    Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website.

    Studying this information So i am glad to convey that I have an incredibly just
    right uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed.

    I such a lot certainly will make certain to do not disregard this website and provides it a look on a constant basis.

    Reply