"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." 

~ Acts 20:18

Pastoral Care...

ONE THING I DID RIGHT IN MINISTRY ~

"PASTORAL CARE" 

by Shawn Merithew, Senior Pastor of Morningview Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

"I must admit that when I was in seminary, shepherding, or pastoral care, did not figure prominently in my understanding of the role of Senior Pastor. If I were asked to name the top qualities of a Senior Pastor, I would have said he had to be fervent in prayer and faithful in study, a gifted expositor, a dynamic leader, clear and sturdy in his doctrinal positions, and able to cast a vision for church health and growth. Sadly, being a compassionate counselor, a patient protector, and a servant to the suffering did not even make my list. My concept of the pastorate was grounded in seeing the church as an organization to be led rather than a flock to be shepherded.

I dare say that elements of this “Pastor as CEO” perspective are still too prevalent in our churches today. Some churches even hire a ministry staff member who is given specific responsibility for pastoral care so that the main preaching pastor is not burdened by such “distractions.” To be sure, some churches can demand so much pastoral care that it prevents their pastor from having adequate time to pray and prepare for the ministry of the Word. That is why a plurality of elders and deacons is so important to help meet those needs and to protect the senior pastor’s time in the study. But balance is key; we must prioritize without forsaking this critical element of shepherding.

Thankfully, the precious saints of my first pastorate helped me to see the immaturity of my earlier thinking and realize the beauties and benefits of compassionate pastoral care. By God’s grace, this is something I got right, and it remains a source of continued growth in my shepherding. What follows are four blessings I have personally realized through the ministry of pastoral care.

1. It fosters a reciprocating ministry of Christ’s love among Christ’s people. In Matthew 25:31-46, we have Jesus speaking of His final judgment. We are told there that the criteria by which He separates the sheep from the goats is how they treated His children who were in crisis. Providing for the hungry, homeless, and naked, and visiting the sick and the incarcerated are essential evidences of His love. We may speak with the tongues of men and angels, but if we do not have love, we are nothing but noisy gongs. Godly love moves us to meet needs. As pastors set the example in practical demonstrations of love, members reciprocate, and the entire body is built up in Christ. (Eph 4:15-16)

2. It is one of God’s means of sanctification. It is in the valleys of crisis, illness, and hardship that we learn greater dependence upon Christ. This is true not only for members of our congregations, but for us as well. It was a thorn in the flesh which brought Paul to realize that God’s power is perfected in weakness. And it was in his restoration from his denials where Peter learned that love for Christ is manifested by tending His sheep. Visiting at the bedside of a cancer patient, helping a weeping mother to release her lifeless child, and counseling a couple through the hardships of marriage are but some of the challenges that grow us, shaping us into better pastors. Charles Bridges, in his classic work The Christian Ministry, wisely said:

“The visitation of the sick also, in the exercise of Christian sympathy, is of the highest importance to the probationer for the Ministry. Lessons are learned here that could never be learned in the study. There the importance of the Gospel may be described or contemplated — here it is realized. . . How important is the observant study of the sick chamber! How fruitful are the instructions connected with it! How varied and direct their bearing upon every department of public and private Ministration! Many have been trained for important usefulness in the Church by frequent, and, in many instances, painful attendance upon this school of instruction.”[1]

3. It builds credibility and accountability between pastors and their congregations. Pastors must remember that we do not preside over our congregations, we lead from among them. As Paul David Tripp said to pastors in Dangerous Calling, “Autonomous Christianity never works, because our spiritual life was designed by God to be a community project.”[2] As pastors and congregants walk together through hardships, the shared experience of God’s proven truths and tender mercies builds a tangible sense of family connectedness and trust. This is a critical aspect of fellowship for us all. And the trust we develop through shepherding proves vital to leading effectively through seasons of change, difficult cases of church discipline, and periods of loss or suffering.

4. It significantly enhances the effectiveness of your pulpit ministry. Preaching is one of the aspects of our ministry in which we take our greatest joy. But we do not preach for preaching’s sake; pulpiteers do not belong in the pastorate. A dear fellow pastor once told me that every time we ascend to preach, we do so with two books in our possession: the Bible, and the book of the human soul.[3] Our calling is to rightly divide the first, bringing it to bear with passion and love upon the second. We learn this second book as we walk the path of human need. As you know your congregation and are known by them, this relational knowledge gives true relevance to your preaching. It is then that your applications of gospel truth will be marked by compassion, depth, and poignancy.

Ultimately, what is ‘right’ in ministry is measured by the standard of Christ. In John 10:11-13, He said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.” What is ‘right’ is loving, protecting, and laying down our lives for our sheep, and we embody each of these as we rightly engage in pastoral care."

__________

1. Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry (Banner of Truth Trust, Reprinted 2009), 65.

2. Paul David Tripp, Dangerous Calling (Crossway, 2015), 38.

3. Tom Hicks, Jr. PhD., Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Clinton, Louisiana.

Be Encouraged...

Dr. Chuck Lawless, Vice-President for Spiritual Formation at Southeastern Seminary, has the following seven words of encouragement for us... 

"I want to encourage church leaders with some thoughts that have been encouraging to me over the years:

1) If you are where God wants you to be, you’re the person God intends to lead your church. You needn’t worry about impressing anybody or seeking praise—your calling is God’s affirmation of you. Just be obedient.

2) If you don’t see God work in mighty ways this weekend, that doesn’t mean He hasn’t worked. He simply may not let you know yet what He’s doing. After all, He’s not obligated to let us in on the details of His work.

3) God knows where you are and what you’re facing, even if it feels like He’s distant. It might seem that you are in the desert, but He is Lord over the desert, too. You are not alone.

4) The Spirit of God still works through the Word. I trust that’s good news for you—perhaps even a needed reminder as you prepare a lesson or sermon for this week. God takes even our most feeble efforts and works through them when we teach the Bible.

5) It might feel otherwise some days, but folks in your congregation love you and are grateful for you. Sure, every church has a headache member, but God’s people are incredibly giving, forgiving, and loving. Rest in the love God has given them for you.

6) Somebody’s been praying for you this week. I don’t know about you, but just knowing someone’s covered me in prayer every day gives me great peace and godly confidence as I look toward the weekend.

7) God still reigns. And, that’s all that matters.

Be encouraged, friends!

"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it." ~ 1 Thess. 5:24

How to Endure as Pastors...

ENDURING PASTORS 

by Alan Small, Senior Pastor, Creekside Community Church, Elizabeth, CO, and Executive Director /Mission Strategist for Dogwood Trails Baptist Association. 

"A common theme in the New Testament is endurance. In Revelation 3, Christ’s letter to the church in Philadelphia, Christ commends and blesses the church for following the command to endure.

At times, we endure trials (James 1:12), we endure discipline (Hebrews 12:7); we endure health issues, conflict, financial insecurity, societal changes, and the list continues to grow. Recently, I heard the average tenure of pastors continues to hold steady at about three and a half years. In too many cases, churches have acted like God has placed us in a spiritual sprint and not a spiritual marathon. Tenures for pastors setting in at less than five years have little chance to propel a church forward to its best days.

Below are a few of my thoughts about how we can endure as pastors...

KEY #1: BUILD YOUR STAMINA ~ 

When I first began pastoral ministry, I had no idea the amount of mental stamina it took being a pastor. The ebb and flow of serving a local congregation is challenging. Sadly, many pastors and congregations view some of the challenges that happen in ministry as reasons to give up and move on. Time is the only real answer for building stamina. Some suggest a pastor does not truly become the pastor until he has led a church five years. Giving up too soon is too much an epidemic among many pastors.

KEY #2: FIND and BE ENCOURAGES ~

I remember preaching a particularly bad sermon. As was her custom, a precious lady came to me and told how good the message was and she grabbed my hands in such a way to let me know she had not given up on me in spite of recognizing the sermon fell flat. I would never make it far without the countless people who stand around me to encourage me through the good and bad. Encouragers give us strength which give us stamina. A simple rule of thumb in finding encouragers is to become an encourager. Encouragement is contagious.

KEY #3: PROGRESS MOST OFTEN COMES in SMALL INCREMENTS ~

Like many students of the Bible, the Day of Pentecost stands out as a day I would like to have experienced. I want to see the dynamic expression of God moving among people. The reality on most days, however, is slow and steady growth. Little by little and day by day God does things that we often do not see until we take time to see how far we have come. When you do, take a few moments to celebrate the way God has worked.

KEY #4: TAKE ADVANTAGE of REST DAYS ~ 

To coach effectively, I have had to learn that training for endurance events requires specific rest days. The amount of rest needed may vary among different philosophies, but science and wisdom have proven rest days are essential. We all need to take time to rest, to sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy Him. Several people in my life encourage me to guard my time off and take advantage of it. Burn out is a terrible reality for too many, and it often arises from ignoring the importance of rest days.

KEY #5: RUN WITH SOMEONE HEADED in the SAME DIRECTION ~

Most people hate meetings, but I have one that stands out as the best one ever. I was laying some groundwork to unfold a vision for our church’s future. Before I could jump into it, a member from our church’s board, said, “Pastor, tell us what you see.” Before we left that day, my okay idea had become our great idea. Walking alongside another makes an enormous difference in our churches. Why walk alone?"

Six Reasons for Courage ...

SIX REASONS Why Pastors and Church Leaders Must Be More Courageous Today... by Thom Rainer 

If I could choose one more course for ministry training and preparation, it would be “Courageous Leadership.” I hear from so many pastors and staff who are trained well in the classical disciplines, but who are ill-prepared for the real world of church ministry.

Though there have certainly been more difficult times in the course of Church history for pastors, leading a church today is much tougher than it was 20 and 30 years ago. There have been some demographic and cultural shifts that reflect this reality. But some of the challenges can only be understood in the context of spiritual warfare.

So, what are some of the specific reasons pastors and church leaders must be more courageous today? Though my list is far from exhaustive, allow me to name six of the key factors.

 1️⃣ There have been dramatic shifts in culture, most of them adversarial to biblical Christianity. Church leaders can no longer assume that biblical values are normative in culture today. To the contrary, many of the cultural mores are antithetical to Christian truth. The pastor must take a stand in this adversarial environment while remaining pastoral and compassionate.

 2️⃣ The position of pastor is no longer held in high esteem in many communities. When I was a pastor in the 80s and 90s, I could count on some level of respect from community members because of my vocation. That is not the case most of the time today.

 3️⃣ Church critics can be vicious. Have you noticed that, throughout the Bible, the greatest harm to a believing community comes from dissension among the believers? Opposition from the outside is a challenge; dissension from within can be devastating. And church critics today seem to have gone wild!

 4️⃣ Pastors must push against the “me” mentality of many church members. For reasons I have noted for years, many of our church members see church membership as tantamount to country club membership. They pay their way and get their perks. Pastors who push against this pervasive and unbiblical mentality often do so at great cost.

 5️⃣ Good church leaders must say “no” often. The best church leaders say no to the good so they can say yes to the best. But those who receive a “no” don’t often receive it well.

 6️⃣ Ultimately church leadership is spiritual warfare. Paul leaves no doubt to this reality in Ephesians 6:13: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.” Pastors and church leaders are truly engaged in spiritual warfare. They must have courage, a courage that can only come from God.

I am not certain about the mindset of Joshua before he led the people of God into the Promised Land, but it seems like he needed an extra dose of courage. Repeatedly in Joshua 1, God tells him: “Be strong and courageous . . . “ (Joshua 1:6).

Church leaders need to be reminded of the need for courage today. Serving as a pastor is an impossible job without the strength and courage that comes only from God.

https://churchanswers.com/podcasts/rainer-on-leadership/six-reasons-pastors-must-be-more-courageous-today/

~ Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders.

An Iron Grip in a Velvet Glove...

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." -- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

My grip is no different than most men my age. I can easily crush a soda can with one hand or maintain a firm grip on my "All American" hound when she wants to chase a squirrel across the street. At the same time I can hold a new born infant tenderly or carry an egg across the kitchen without breaking the shell. It's God's creative gift to have an iron grip in a velvet glove.

The believer has much the same quality spiritually. As Paul counsels, we are to be firm and strong, doing everything in love. Our guard should never be down and our courage should never wane. We are to have a spiritual strength that confronts evil forcefully and presses on toward righteousness powerfully. At the same time we are to minister with the loving compassion and tenderness of our heavenly Father. We are born anew with an iron grip in a velvet glove.

How about you my pastor friend? Are you the kind of leader that is known to be firm and strong? Yet, is it rare that anyone experiences your loving touch? Or are you quite loving in everything but have lost the courage to deal with evil, choosing the hard, but right path? The Lord created and gifted you with a unique grip, both physically and a spiritually. As you follow the call to lead with an "iron grip in a velvet glove" you will discover amazing balance and blessing in all your ministry pursuits. 

~ PJVS

LEADERSHIP is BUILT ...