A Philosophy of Ministry (PoM) provides the background and foundations for any Ministry Endeavor. Having a clearly articulated philosophy of ministry will not only help you plan and program your ministry better – it will help you to better understand the why and how of any ministry.

Philosophy drives Programs. Conversely, taking a look at how things are programmed will give you insight into the Philosophy of Ministry. I want to lay out the beginning steps to help you formulate your Philosophy of Ministry.  It’s not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of things to include in your Philosophy of Ministry – but it might help get you started.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing your PoM.

1. Your PoM is a living and dynamic document.  It will change as you change.
2. It will represent your best thinking on the foundational and philosophical principles that drive your ministry.
3. It will guide your planning and programming in ministry.

 

If you can summarize why and how you do ministry in one sentence – that’s it, but it’s the work of gathering all of those pieces and putting it all together that will help you come up with your summary sentence. It can be as simple as Impact in the Kingdom of God through the theory and practice of Youth Ministry.

Kingdom of God – Matthew 6:33 says that we need to seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness FIRST – so what does that mean for me.

Youth Ministry = Theory and Practice; so I want to impact the world of ideas that influence the practice.

So then I can breakdown my experience, who I am, the verses that impact me, my personality type (MBTI, StrengthsFinders, DiSC, Enneagram – use them all), my history, my education, my research interests, every single thing in me shapes my PoM. So if you can take this list and start to articulate who you are and the ‘why’ and ‘how’ you do ministry – you’re well on your way. If you would like to share it with me for feedback – just message me and let me know how I can help.