Principles of longevity.

I was recently asked to advise a person who is relatively new in full-time ministry about my perspective on leadership. Specifically "What have you seen that has ensured that a person in ministry has a good foundation in their own life to minister for the long term?"

While most who read this blog are lay leaders and very few do vocational ministry, the answers may be helpful to make you a more productive leader.

In no particular order, these were my initial thoughts.
- Long term ministry is more likely if the person doing ministry shares leadership/seeks a multitude of counsel. I have been isolated, I have participated with others in cooperative ways, and I have been part of teams. (For a good discussion on the difference between "cooperation" and "teams" I recommend the book, The Five Dysfunctions of Teams) The longer I am in ministry, the more convinced I become that partnership and teams is more productive.

- maintain a growing personal spiritual life apart from public ministry. Over the years there have been times when I justified in my own mind that "studying the Word in order to teach it to others" was just as good as "soaking in God's Word for personal benefit." As I look back at the most productive times in ministry, it was when my personal walk with God was not directly connected with the subjects I was preaching or teaching.

- knows a sense of divine calling to the ministry he/she is doing. Without exception, each person that I know who used to be paid to do ministry, but is no longer being compensated to do ministry had trouble articulating a clear call to ministry. I don't doubt their sincere desire to be used by God! but long-term ministry effectiveness is more than human desire or a burden to see something happen, it requires a sense of divine call.

- views long-term results more than short-term fads. I've been a Christ follower for nearly 40 years. I've seen ministry approaches come and go. Each was effective for a season. I've seen city-wide media campaigns (e.g. "I found it"), large concert events with elaborate light shows, stadium evangelistic events, 40 Days of...., many large conferences are now giving way to webinars/multi-venue video seminars, Christian illusionists are now hard to find, week-long nightly revival crusades are all but extinct, etc. But professors, pastors and teachers who faithfully participate in a long-term pursuit of becoming like Christ in thought, attitude and behavior continue to see fruit to their ministries.

If you have been doing a particular ministry for longer than 10 years, what advice would you give you an emerging leader who wants long-term fruitfulness?