Actions follow attitude, and attitude comes from philosophy. A well established philosophy of ministry leads to a proper approach to ministry, and reduces the possibility of being unduly influenced by the surrounding culture. The ministry then bears much fruit. Conversely, an inadequate philosophy of ministry can distort the quality of one's ministry. Over time, I began to internalize and organize my ministry experiences in light of what the Bible teaches, resulting in a concept and draft of my own philosophy of ministry. I continued refining my philosophy over the next two decades. Many aspiring ministers continue to graduate from seminary without having fully developed their own concepts of ministry. Seminaries place greater priority on other subjects, leaving little room for the development of a student's own philosophy of ministry. Once one is engaged in full time ministry, the daily busyness leaves little time to develop or upgrade a minister's philosophy of ministry. The Lord has placed a burden in me to share what I have learned with pastors, ministers, seminary students, elders, deacons, and other church leaders. Your philosophy of ministry is very important - particularly in this rapidly changing world, because it determines your approach to ministry and thus impacts the fruit of your ministry. The less you are equipped with an adequate philosophy of ministry, the more painful mistakes and failures you will experience, which will rob you and your congregants of time, resources and opportunities. This book will help you build and optimize your ministry.
