It’s the time of year when many of us in ministry are thinking about how we can improve ourselves and our ministries in the coming year.
Here’s a list of fifty of the most common limiting beliefs that hold Senior Pastors back from leading at their full potential.
See if you can recognize some of these in how you view yourself and the church you lead.
50 Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back
- “I don’t have what it takes to help our church grow.”
- “I’m not a leader.”
- “Evangelism is God’s job.”
- “I can’t have real friends in the church.”
- “The by-laws prevent me from getting real leaders onto our governing board.”
- “We don’t have enough money.”
- “Our area already has too many good churches for us to stand out.”
- “I’m not paid enough.”
- “Stealing ideas from other churches is bad.”
- “I’m too old to change.”
- “I’m too young to lead at a high level.”
- “I’ve always been depressed.”
- “People don’t get it.”
- “I never seem to know what to do next.”
- “I can’t leave now.”
- “But I might get fired if we make these changes.”
- “The church always comes first.”
- “I can’t go to therapy.”
- “It’s hard for me to celebrate another pastor’s success.”
- “Our church is in a small town.”
- “I haven’t gone to seminary.”
- “I want everyone to like me.”
- “I need to understand everything before we begin.”
- “I must be consulted on all key decisions.”
- “I can’t find talented staff because nobody wants to move here.”
- “Pastors shouldn’t know what people give.”
- “Smaller churches are more spiritual.”
- “How can I be their pastor if I don’t know them personally?”
- “The church must vote to gain consensus.”
- “Only celebrity pastors care about the image they project.”
- “Our leaders must agree on every area of doctrine for us to work together.”
- “We’re an evangelistic church.”
- “We’re a discipling church.”
- “The only reason those churches are growing is because ______”
- “Our community has changed.”
- “We don’t have space.”
- “We tried that before, and it failed.”
- “I don’t need a mentor.”
- “Porn isn’t that bad.”
- “That definitely won’t work here.”
- “It’s my fault.”
- “It’s not my fault.”
- “My wife is done with the church.”
- “I stopped caring a long time ago.”
- “I can’t ask people to leave the church.”
- “I missed my calling.”
- “I’m too old to find another church.”
- “My sermon doesn’t make that big of a difference.”
- “We don’t need structure.”
- “I can’t…”
In response to these debilitating beliefs and others just like them, I simply offer to you the exhortation of the second-century pastor Clement of Alexandria:
“Let us remove the ignorance and darkness that spreads like a mist over our sight and let us get a vision of the true God.”
