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# Overcoming My Biggest Mistakes in Ministry
- URL: https://www.dashhouse.com/200977overcoming-my-biggest-mistakes-in-ministry-html/
- Published: 2009-07-07T10:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-08-15T15:30:57.000Z
- Author: Darryl Dash
- Tags: Blog, Life, pastoring, #DashHouseCom, #wp

I recently posted on [some of my biggest mistakes in ministry](https://www.dashhouse.com/2009/07/pastoring-with-a-limp/), and promised I would follow up with what helped me overcome some of my mistakes.

There are two ways to describe what happened: as a story, and as a summary

**Story** – I gradually became discouraged by the shallowness of my own ministry. I was good at critiquing but had to move beyond being negative and work on being a lot more constructive.

Around this time, I began a D.Min. in preaching with Haddon Robinson at [Gordon-Conwell](http://www.gordonconwell.edu/prospective%5Fstudents/doctor%5Fministry?ref=dashhouse.com). This helped in a lot of ways: it helped my preaching, it exposed me to good friends and role models, and it stimulated my thinking. I really believe in the idea of being a scholarly or thinking practitioner of ministry, and this program fit the bill. My work on [theocentric preaching](http://www.theocentricpreaching.com/?ref=dashhouse.com) helped sharpen my thinking on some of the issues I’d been working through.

At the same time, I began to learn everything I could from Tim Keller. His talk at the [2006 Desiring God Conference](http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/2006/1832%5FThe%5FSupremacy%5Fof%5FChrist%5Fand%5Fthe%5FGospel%5Fin%5Fa%5FPostmodern%5FWorld/?ref=dashhouse.com) got me going. I devoured his [Preaching to the Heart](http://store.gordonconwell.edu/product%5Fp/bsh-040506.htm?ref=dashhouse.com) lectures from Gordon-Conwell, and began to listen to his weekly sermons.

One more change: When my father died, the way my family processed things led me to confront the way that I tend to handle things on my own without leaning on other people. I had to learn to work through my issues in community, which led to some pretty big changes in the way I lead at Richview. At the same time, the leadership culture at Richview became a lot healthier, which made leading in community possible.

**Summary** – I experienced a number of positive changes:

- I was better equipped to preach and to take preaching seriously;
- I began to develop an appetite to dig a bit deeper and do more thinking and serious reading;
- I learned from Tim Keller and others about the power of a Gospel-centered ministry;
- My leadership style shifted, and I became more open about my struggles.

These were all very positive changes, and I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted without them.

Still a long way to go – but I wouldn’t go back. I’m thankful that God worked to save me from how things could have developed.