• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Anchored in Christ

KevinHalloran.net

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact
  • Popular Posts
  • Speaking
  • Resources
    • The Gospel
    • Free Prayer Tools
    • 100+ Book Recommendations for Christians
    • 100+ of the Best Christian Biographies
    • 250+ Free Online Seminary Classes, Courses, Programs, and Book Recommendations
    • Accessible Theology Book Series
  • When Prayer Is a Struggle
  • Videos
  • Español

Kevin / July 23, 2018

Wisdom for Aspiring Pastors Considering Seminary

It’s not often I share a thread from Twitter on the blog, but when I do, it’s a helpful one. Kyle Worley, a church planter in Texas and Institute Minister at The Village Church, had helpful thoughts for students considering seminary and service in a church. Read below or through his tweet thread.

[On a related note, during my seminary days at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I was greatly helped by my church’s pastoral training program through The Orchard Network that helps bridge the gap between seminary and the classroom.]


Every week I get an email from a different seminary student that aspires to vocational ministry.

The question in some form or another: How do I bridge from seminary to vocational work in a church?

Here is what I say…

1.) Are you currently meaningfully involved in a church? If not, do that for a few years and decide whether you still want to work in the church.

2.) When you read about the offices of elder or deacon, do you resonate more deeply with one or the other? If deacon, you will have more immediate options. You should consider developing skills in counsel/care, justice/mercy. Also, consider working in mercy ministries.

If elder, you have a longer road ahead. You should try to get in a place with a clear line of sight and ability to model an elder in a local church. If you can’t do this, join a small gospel faithful church where the pastor would love to have an apprentice to share load.

3.) If you want to work in the church, you have to be a utility player. What skills have you not cultivated? –Often overlooked skills:

  • Do you know how to pray?
  • Are you a strong communicator?
  • Are you good with people?
  • Are you organized?
  • Are you a problem solver?

4.) Are you willing to work a full-time job at part-time pay for the first 3-5 years of your time in the church? Can you do this? (I.e. Debt, family responsibility, etc.)

5.) Have you dug a deep theological well? If not, maybe hold off until then.

6.) Have you spent time processing your upbringing, emotional health, and fears? If not, this will color and/or cripple your early years in ministry. Take the time to do this.

7.) Have you read the Bible? Seriously, have you read the whole Bible? Don’t be ashamed if you haven’t. But, do that. Then read it again.

8.) Have you learned how to study the Bible? This is not just a seminary thing. Plenty of seminary grads who don’t know how to do regular bible study.

9.) Do you love to learn? If not, you will either dislike or be ineffective in the work.

10.) When was the last time you wept over the brokenness in your life, the lives of those around you, or the world? Not complained, not argued, wept… 11.) Have you ever shared the gospel with a non-Christian friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member?

12.) Are you familiar and acquainted with the great Christian works outside of the Bible:

  • The Creed’s
  • Confessions, Augustine
  • The Summa, Thomas
  • Institutes, Calvin
  • Pilgrims Progress, Bunyan
  • Reformed Dogmatics, Bavinck

If not, acquaint yourself.

13.) After all of this reflection, prayer, study, and action…a few tips:

  • Build a network in your tribe, denomination, etc. This means you reach out to people. You go to them. You honor their time. You buy the meal. Send a thank you note after meeting. Handwritten.
  • Write for free. Teach for free. Just put yourself out there. The writing will help form your thoughts. The teaching will strengthen your voice. In college, I taught in a nursing home to 14 sleeping seniors every week for two years. I wrote over 200 articles for free. I wrote a book that I made $0.00 off of.
  • Learn to love celebrating other people. You are not going to get hired as the number 1, probably not even as the number 2. Find a way to delight in making your bosses look amazing. Truly love it. Don’t just pretend.
  • Be flexible. If you are dead set on getting a job straight out of seminary or bible college in groups ministry at a church of 1000+, that’s very unlikely. Your next job might not be your forever job, but does it move the ball forward (expand network, develop character, skills).
  • Finally, consider going out of the country. The church is exploding globally, if you are willing to leave the country there is no shortage of opportunities and the need is great. You could be on the forefront of the biggest explosion of Christian witness in the world.

Related Resources:

  • 250+ Online Seminary Resources
  • A Helpful Book from TGC: 15 Things Seminary Couldn’t Teach Me
  • 50 Things You Miss Out On By Not Attending Church
  • Joe Thorn on Small Churches, Pastoring a Small Church, and True Growth
Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly

Related Posts

  • We meet with God when we meet with one anotherWe meet with God when we meet with one another
  • How to Fight Distraction in Worship: Wisdom from Thomas BrooksHow to Fight Distraction in Worship: Wisdom from Thomas Brooks
  • 10 Things to Pray Before Church10 Things to Pray Before Church
  • What If My Church Doesn’t Preach the Bible?What If My Church Doesn’t Preach the Bible?
  • Teddy Roosevelt’s 10 Reasons for Going to ChurchTeddy Roosevelt’s 10 Reasons for Going to Church

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Print

Filed Under: Ministry Tagged With: Church Attendance, Seminary

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Now Available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook

Recent Posts

  • God’s Sovereignty Should Fuel Prayer, Not Hinder It
  • The Best of 2022
  • What does “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” mean?
  • Top 10 Books I’ve Read in 2022
  • A Free Worksheet to Organize Your Prayer Life
  • Pray the Bible: A Free Video Course on Prayer
  • Recommended Links for November 2022
  • Book Briefs (Fall 2022)
  • A Prayer Against Spiritual Complacency When Things Are Going Well
  • Announcing Logos Bible Software 10! New Features and Discounts

Blog Sponsors

Blog Categories

Bible & Theology Books & Reviews Christian Living Culture Evangelism Humor Leadership Life Links Marriage & Relationships Ministry Missions Prayer Quotes Resources Social Media & Technology






Footer

About Me

I serve with Open the Bible. I wrote When Prayer Is a Struggle: A Practical Guide for Overcoming Obstacles in Prayer (P&R). Learn more about the book.

Learn More

Let’s Connect!

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Instagram

Subscribe to my channel on YouTube

Videos: When Prayer Is a Struggle

FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: I sometimes share affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through a link, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you to cover blogging expenses.

Copyright © 2023 · Digital Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.