Advice for graduating students

Things I wish I'd known 25 years ago

Welcome to my newsletter, ‘Bible, Mission, and More’, where I share what’s on my mind as I teach, research, and write on the Bible and mission, children-at-risk in the Bible and contemporary society, Psalms and Wisdom Literature, and a range of other topics. I teach at All Nations Christian College in the UK, though views are my own. You may also like to check out my Bible and Mission website.

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Advice for graduating students

This is the final week of the academic year at All Nations. It’s always bitter sweet as we say goodbye, while also knowing they are moving on to what God has for them next. In the spirit of ‘things I wish I’d known 25 years ago’, a couple of years ago I spoke at our commissioning service and offered some pieces of advice to those about to embark (or continue) in some form of ministry role, however that is defined. These are my suggestions:

• Be kind. People you meet in ministry may appear confident and together, but many will be struggling, even if they don’t admit it. People remember kindness.

• Don’t be in awe of well-known people. This will do you no good, and it will do them no good.

• Learn to deal with disappointment and entrust it to God. Maybe you’ll find out one day why things didn’t work out; maybe you won’t. Sometimes it just won’t make any sense.

• Learn to deal with ‘success’. If you find yourself in the right time in the right place, and your ministry really takes off (whatever that means), and lots of people are saying nice things about you, guard your heart relentlessly.

• Learn to deal with (sometimes long) stretches of time where nothing much seems to be happening. Maybe something needs to change; maybe it doesn’t. Cultivate faithfulness and take the long view.

• Pay attention to what children are saying. Among the random pieces of chaos they will make you think differently and will stop you in your tracks.

• Seek out the stories, advice and ministry of much older people. If someone has been a faithful disciple of Jesus for 60 years, pay attention.

• Have people in your life that know you well enough not to be too impressed by your achievements nor too shocked by your failings (HT Andy Crouch). Also, you are only as accountable as you choose to be (HT Steve Ayers).

• Never apologise for asking questions about safeguarding. Don’t be satisfied with responses like, ‘But look at the fruit,’ or ‘that could never happen here,’ or ‘Oh, that’s just [insert name]’.

• If you find yourself in a position of leadership, especially in a time of uncertainty and pain, pray with your team for wisdom to (1) make the necessary decisions and (2) treat people well.

• One day you will be forgotten – not only is that OK; it’s a good thing.

• When involved in important discussions and decisions, always ask, ‘Who is not in the room? Whose voices are not being heard?’ (HT Rosalee Velloso Ewell).

• Learn to lament; give others room to lament. When reading a psalm of lament or retribution, always ask ‘am I causing anyone to pray this about me today?’ (HT Ellen Davis).

• If someone has offended you they probably didn’t mean to.

• Allow yourself to learn from people you disagree with.

• Apologise early and often.

• Ministries come and go, and this can be painful. It’s OK to find this hard.

• There will be times when God will do surprising and extraordinary things that you couldn’t possibly anticipate or make happen. Enjoy it when it happens and take the lesson to heart: you are not in charge and that’s a good thing.

• Don’t waste time being jealous of others in ministry; it will eat you up.

• There’s a reason so much of the Bible is written in poetry. Get poetry into your bones. Read a poem now and then.

• You don’t get to decide who God is going to use, and how he will use them. Sometimes your job is to get out of the way.

• Pay special attention to those whose theology has cost them something, or has been forged through suffering.

• Learn how to spot a narcissist. Don’t be a narcissist. Beware the church or organisation that thinks it is the only one doing things God’s way.

• When at a conference try to go to one seminar that seems irrelevant to what you are interested in.

• Always have a gospel on the go. Keep coming back to Jesus.

• Keep the psalms close; read and pray them regularly.

What would you add to the list?

Thanks for joining the journey and see you next week,

Tim