After 13 years…

Posted by Chris Gallagher on Jun 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

May 2010 marked my thirteenth year in full-time ministry. While this may not seem like much to the countless others who have been in full-time ministry well beyond my thirteen years,

Some of the things I learned in thirteen years of ministry:

• God is gracious!
• Christ is still the answer, even after 2000 years.
• The Bible is still unbreakable.
• People will drive you nuts.
• Baptism is still awesome!
• Preaching is not about what the people want to hear as it is what they need to hear.
• Too many congregations pay preachers to preach, instead of paying them because they preach.
• Great elders are a preachers biggest help!
• Teaching the nursery class is sometimes better than an adult class.
• I love hearing other preachers preach…after all, aren’t we on the same team?
• The church is short of preachers, because the church is short of encouragers!
• I cannot change anyone, only God can!
• The phone will ring when the busiest moment of the day has come.
• Burnout happens and might happen again.
• God’s providence is amazing and always right on time.
• There are a few crabby people everywhere and I am sure all of them are related!
• Prayer works!
• I appreciate the zealousness of Peter more and more!
• A small notebook has become my writing companion.
• Carrie Gallagher ROCKS!
• Setting up tables and chairs then taking them all down after a congregational gathering was not taught in school.
• The phone still rings at 3 am.
• No matter how hard you preach, someone will find a typo.
• My best friends are ministers.
• I love preaching every day!

Who knows what the next thirteen years hold? I know where I would like to be in thirteen years, but God probably has a different plan.

More of 13 years to come tomorrow!

Just some thoughts,

Chris