The below excerpt is from my book The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life and Ministry.

The call to ministry is the call to prepare — and preparation is an ongoing process. You will never learn all there is to be learned about any subject; you’ll never reach the pinnacle point in any area. And who would want to? It’s the continual reaching that grows you, equipping you to live and minister at an ever-increasing level. Part of being an effective pastor and a more fulfilled person is deciding to be a lifelong learner.

One common mistake pastors make is to focus too much attention on growing their churches, while failing to prepare themselves personally for leading at a higher level. Personal growth always precedes healthy church growth. If the church’s growth begins to outpace the pastor’s personal growth, cracks become evident pretty quickly. Given this reality, creating a personal growth plan is key to fulfilling your calling. Take a look at these six primary ways God grows you:

1. God grows you as you study Scripture.
2. God grows you as you seek Him in prayer.
3. God grows you through the internal witness of the Holy Spirit.
4. God grows you through the books you read.
5. God grows you through the people you meet.
6. God grows you through the circumstances you face.

– Nelson Searcy and Jennifer Dykes Henson

The above excerpt is from pg. 76 of The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life and Ministry.

Drawing from Nelson Searcy’s decades of ministry experience, The Renegade Pastor is a relevant, step-by-step resource for church leaders who are ready to step up in surrender to the pursuit of God’s best for his or her life and work.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson