INTEGRITY

The Church of the Nazarene understands lifelong learning to be a vital part of the spiritual and professional stewardship of its ordained ministry. Our integrity and love for those to whom we minister demands that we become the best we can be in knowledge, skills, and practice. For this reason, every ordinated minister is required to complete 20 hours of lifelong learning annually. Failure to do so will require that you to meet with your District Board of Ministry. Our District Boards of Ministry make this effort because every Nazarene minister is more effective when serving out of wholeness, love, meaning, and fulfillment. Lifelong learning offers us the opportunity by which we deepen our capacity to minister with energy and effectiveness throughout life.

Nourishing Your Own Soul 

While you are continuing to read, study and grow as part of your ongoing professional development, remember always that one of the key elements in caring for the souls of others is caring for your own soul. You will want to make it a priority to develop good habits like taking a day off, keeping the Sabbath (which, for you, may not be Sunday), finding a recreational hobby, investing time with your family, etc. 

Hopefully you will learn early in your ministry the value of having a faithful accountability partner with whom you can talk freely about your struggles and frustrations. Many pastors have discovered the wisdom of finding a professional counselor they can go to for both personal and professional advice. 

Although you have a servant’s heart and look for ways to give your life away for the sake of the gospel, do not give away your health, your marriage, your family, or your relationship with God in the process. A ministry that is effective over a lifetime is a ministry with Jesus, not just for him. Remember the invitation Jesus gave to his followers: “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:29-30, The Message) 

Our commitment is to help you stay both faithful and fruitful for a lifetime.