Jesse Carillo

I was 21 and had never worked in ministry beyond volunteering. I was about to step into a role working with high school students and I was terrified. I knew God had opened the doors for me but I went from handling quotes and bids for an electrical company to leading high schoolers, doing announcements on stage and setting up lots of pipe and drape. Needless to say I was in an all new territory and way out of my comfort zone. Being in meetings talking about how we can most effectively reach students was like learning a new language. I had no way to gauge how I was doing. Was I doing bad? Great? or was the ministry trying to find ways to release me? So I decided to do something about it.

I asked the pastor I was under if he had some time for us to meet. I sat there and asked him how I was doing, what I was doing well and what I needed to work on. I remember walking away from that conversation feeling much better about where I was. If your an intern Hopefully the program you are in already has weekly or bi-weekly meetings for feedback. However, if you aren’t receiving feedback from your superiors then you need to seek it out. You owe it to yourself to never stop learning. If ministry for you is anything like it was for me it is always changing, always shifting. God never changes but how God uses us can change.

Here are a few things that you can benefit from when asking for feedback and counsel

1. You don’t know everything – this actually proves that you believe that and want grow in your knowledge of God and ministry.

2. Keeps you on your toes – You never know when you feel like your doing something right when actually there might be a better way of doing it.

3. Your practicing submission – Practice makes perfect and when you honor those above you, you Honor God. He has placed these people above you for a reason, learn and glean from them. BE A SPONGE.

Seeking feedback was actually a difficult thing for me. I was a bit prideful. I wanted to be the best at what I was doing and tried so hard to do so. But like I have said before, we do not know everything and acting like it is damaging to you and those you minister to. If your pride has its chains wrapped around you, pray and ask God to help remove them so you can get closer to being like Christ.