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5 More Lessons the Church can Learn from Duck Dynasty

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As the new season of Duck Dynasty is under way, what better time to highlight lessons the Church can take away from this hilarious show that focuses on family and somewhat wholesome life lessons?

In my first article, 5 Lessons the Church can Learn from Duck Dynasty, I looked at ways to love your church family like your biological family, how to use what you have on hand, how to be creative, how to keep your priorities straight, and why it's important to celebrate your successes.

Now we'll look at five more lessons the Church can learn from Duck Dynasty:

1) Don't trade up just because you can

It's tempting for most of us to increase our standard of living when the bank account increases in size. While Phil and Kay Robertson might have changed some of their standard of living, they still live in their same house, on the same property, cook the same food (squirrel brains, anyone?) and live mostly the same as they always have. Likewise, it's easy for the Church to begin spending and planning bigger and better things when the members increase and the money starts rolling in; however, staying lean and working with what you have can often be more rewarding. There are always ways to get around a problem without spending more.

2) Sometimes the old ways are the best ways

duck-dynasty-1024x563Remember the episode from last season where the guys came up with a homemade conveyor belt in the warehouse to make packing a large order easier? Well, it didn't work very well and they went right back to packing orders to old way. Change just for the sake of change isn't always a good idea. Sometimes we implement change thinking it will help (say, getting rid of the bulletin), but change, especially within the Church, can backfire, as we all know too well. It's okay to test the waters and return to the old “tried and true” ways if need be.

3) Teach the next generation

At every opportunity, family patriarch Phil Robertson aims to teach his grandchildren as many life lessons as he can. Whether he's teaching them how to skin bull frogs, how to fish, what to look for in a mate, or how to survive in the wild, he strongly feels it is his duty to pass the torch to the next generation. In this way, so too should the Church look to the next generation to teach them and bring them up in the ways of the Church so that traditions and values do not die. Mentoring younger people in ministry is a key way to keep the fire burning and ensure that the mission of your church will be passed down to the next generations.

4) Don't be afraid to try something new

While this might seem contrary to lesson #2, trying new things can spice up ministry just like Miss Kay trying to run a restaurant (it didn't work out so well, but at least she tried). Finding a solution to a problem takes time, but when you discover success, it makes being willing to go out on a ledge all the more satisfying. When the Robertson boys came up with the idea to build a red neck water park, they not only inspired teamwork, they created a great day of bonding with their wives and children. What new activities or ministries could your church think up to meet a need or bring everyone together? A rummage sale? A church picnic? A community activity? Let's think beyond what has been done to create new memories of serving and loving one another in the body of Christ.

5) Have fun with what you love to do

It's obvious that Jase, Willie, Jep, and the gang all love to hunt and fish. It's clear that working in the hunting and fishing industry is what they were made to do (especially given the fact that they often ditch work to hunt or fish). When ministry leaders love what they do, it's very clear to the Church. We can see your joy, and we love that you minister to us through your passion for teaching the Gospel. Occasionally, though, you might need to take a break and have fun – with or without church staff or church members by your side. You can have fun in other areas of your life and it blesses the ministry because you come back refreshed and ready to serve again. Bring a little fun into the pulpit by using video clips to get your point across, or even a commercial like our pastor did this past Sunday to illustrate Revelation 3:1 (here's the commercial). It brought levity to a sermon with a tough theme and helped get the point across in a humorous way.

What additional lessons have you learned from Duck Dynasty?

Lauren Hunter
Lauren Hunterhttps://laurenhunter.net
Lauren Hunter is a writer who loves the big picture of God’s journey we are all on together. In 2007, she founded ChurchTechToday, a website for pastors and church leaders to harness technology to improve ministry. Married to her high school sweetheart, Lauren lives in Northern California with her husband and their four children. Her latest book is Leaving Christian Science: 10 Stories of New Faith in Jesus Christ. She can be found online at https://laurenhunter.net.

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