Christine Caine’s “Must Haves” to Sustain Your Success in Ministry (Part 3)

Here’s the final part to Christine Caine’s talk to the staff at Celebration Church. Read Part 1 and 2 here and here.

Passion is Not a Job or Obligation

• You’ll go further on fumes of passion than one million dollars.

• With passion, you’ll get more buy in from people and volunteers.

• At this level, no one is going to stir passion up for you.

  • Got to learn to do it on your own.

• Need a gut-level gladness.

• Passion is a heart issue. It is internally regulated.

  • Colossians 3:23
  • If the heart is established, it cannot be shaken.
    • Only things that can be shaken will be.

It’s About the Bigger Picture

• Not about position in church.

  • Instead a “whatever attitude.” In it for the bigger picture.

• Constantly keep bigger picture in mind. Constantly die to self.

Don’t Live a Compartmentalized Life

This point is related to how do you juggle so many things at one time. If you’re involved in full-time ministry, sometimes it’s hard to separate “church life” from “home life.” Christine touches on this point; saying not to view your life as compartmentalized.

• Your life isn’t compartmentalized (e.g. church life, spouse life, extracurricular life, etc.), it’s interconnected.

• There’s no conflict when your heart is established (interconnected, not compartmentalized).

  • You are not taking away from one or the other.

• You don’t have multiple lives (e.g. church, spouse, friend). You have one life.

  • A life in Christ. Everything orbits around that.

• Don’t build extraordinary churches on ordinary commitment.

You Lose Passion When . . .

Brian Houston reminds the staff at Hillsong that he would take passion, an attitude of gratitude and submission over gifts and talents any day.

• Get bored.

  • You forget your first love (Revelation 2:4).
  • You think it’s all about you and not the bigger picture.

• Isolate yourself or become lonely.

• Insecure

  • In a church that ebbs and flows, your ability to be flexible and navigate those ebbs determines your longevity on the team.
  • Lots of people leave because of insecurity; they’re not getting the spotlight.
    • Equivalent of an adolescent temper tantrum.
  • Stay secure in Christ.

• Laziness

  • Psalm 127:1
  • There’s always work involved in building God’s house.

• Procrastination

• Lust

  • Desire to have something that’s not yours to have (now or ever).
  • Keep eyes in your own lane.

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I write about a hodgepodge of things. Much of it will be what God’s teaching me—hopefully it encourages you too. I also enjoy deep diving into product recommendations, reviews, and other random but useful nuggets.