This series I am starting came from an opportunity given to me by Pastor Larry Bettencourt. He puts on servant-leadership conferences for youth ministries around the nation.

He asked me to put together a lesson for youth ministry leaders. The lesson God gave me was, Serve Your Way to the Top - 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving my Way onto a Church Staff.I hope you’ll apply these principles in your own life.

These Lessons:

1.) Might Seem Like Common Sense – though we hear the same principles over and over again, we must always ask ourselves, I may know this, but am I doing it. It’s only in practice will these help you.

2.) Will Work Outside of the Church World – Though I learned these lessons serving at a church, if you’ll apply them in any arena, you’ll start to see yourself improving and climbing the ranks!

3.) Do Not Guarantee You’ll Get on Staff at Your Church – Though these were lessons I learned, the reason I am on staff is because God opened a door – PERIOD. These lessons will allow you to stand out, and as your faithful, God will open up doors and God will promote you. Trust Him for your future.

The 7 Lessons Are:

1.) Develop a Plan for Personal Growth

2.) Be Comfortable With Yourself

3.) Serve or Work as Though You Were on Staff

4.) Be a Great Number 2 – Become Indispensable

5.) Grow Something

6.) Recognize that Changed Lives, Not Popularity is what Matters

7.) You’re Not that Bad

I’ll break each of these lessons down over the next few days. My hope is that they’ll help you serve your way to the top wherever it is you are working or serving.

This book was given to me by a mentor – I loved it! I really enjoy reading Rick Renner’s books. While this book is titled “Promotion – Ten Guidelines to Help You Achieve Your Long-Awaited Promotion”, it also serves as a great tool for scouting, recruiting, and hiring potential leaders. This book is basically a picture of what a Godly leader’s life should look like. I’m going to use this book on a consistent basis to evaluate my life, my leadership, and in evaluating our leaders in our ministry.

If you want to go into ministry, excel in your workplace as a Christian, or if you oversee anyone in any capacity, I’d make this book a must read for you! I hope you enjoy it!

Final Grade: 9.5/10      Buy it Here!

Here are some highlights:

• Jesus said when choosing someone for leadership, we are to consider the fruit in his life.

• Nothing should be done better than the way a Christian does it

• Any person who does just the required minimum should never be considered for leadership.

• You may be able to preach a good message, but if you can’t effectively communicate with your followers, you’ll never be able to build a church or an organization.

• Public ministry begins in a person’s private life

• Your influence is only as strong as your personal life

• Nothing is more powerful than a message backed up by a life

• If I am to be a good leader, I have to realize that my decisions affect many other people’s lives.

• If a person interrupts you, argues, and wants to defend himself, it’s usually a sign that he has a difficult time submitting to authority.

• Time is a great revealer of who people really are

• One of the marks of an upcoming leader is that they have already made themselves essential to the organization