As I am away on
vacation and will see you all in a month time, I wanted to share my wish list. It is best expressed in points outlined by
Dave Gemmel, NAD Ministerial director.
1. Pray for your pastor. The pastor is the
spiritual catalyst for the church. That makes the pastor a great big target for
the enemy. Pray for the pastor’s spiritual health, for protection, for wisdom.
The most affirming words that a pastor ever hears is “pastor, I’m praying for you
everyday.” Romans 15:30, 2 Corinthians 1:11.
2. Affirm your pastor. Pastoring may be one
of the most difficult jobs in the world these days. Pastors live in a highly
concentrated environment where they see the results of sin on a daily basis
through caring for humanity. While the average person may see a death, injury,
illness, or family conflict occasionally, the pastor lives through these things
on a weekly basis. Those little notes saying ‘pastor, you’re making a
difference,’ may be the very thing that helps your pastor make it through
another day. Acts 4:36
3. Bless the pastoral
family. Pastoral stress leaks into families and is enough to test
all the family bonds. Add to it a few wild expectations about how a pastoral
spouse and pastoral kids are supposed to behave and you have a recipe for a
family meltdown. Bless the spouse & the kids. Return a faithful tithe so
that the pastor is secure in getting a regular paycheck. 1
Corinthians 9.14
4. Release the pastor from constant ministry so
renewal can take place. Pastors who go 24/7 for days, weeks, and months on end
will inevitably self destruct. Mandate that your pastor takes weekly breaks for
spiritual renewal as well as annual extended breaks for study leave and
vacation. It is a small price to pay for the rich spiritual energy that results.
Matthew 14:23
5. Talk with your pastor, not about or around.
Complaining about the pastor to someone else is corrosive for the entire church
family. Writing anonymous critical notes to the pastor are acts of spiritual
terrorism (by the way pastors just thrown them in the trash can without reading
them). Follow Matthew 18: 15-17 principle: if there is a problem, talk directly to the pastor.
If no resolution found, bring a spiritual leader with you to seek resolution.
And only then, if resolution is not found, bring together a larger group to
dialog with the pastor. Challenge privately. Affirm publicly.
6. Forgive your pastor for falling short of your
expectations; because no pastor will perfectly satisfy your ideals. Remember
that your vision of what a pastor should be is unique to you. Everyone else in
the congregation also has unique expectations. Many of the expectations are
mutually exclusive. Your pastor will also make some mistakes. Extend to
your pastor the same grace that God extends to you. If your pastor knows that
he/she practices ministry in a safe, grace filled congregation where stagnancy
is deplored, church will be transformed. Matthew 18:21,22.
7. Feed yourself spiritually. Don’t expect
to live on a limited spiritual diet of thirty minute weekly sermons. Going
seven days without eating makes one weak. Even with the best sermons you will
spiritually starve to death. The role of the shepherd is not to stick
grass in the mouths of sheep but to lead the sheep to green pastures. As you
listen to the sermons your pastor preaches be inspired to get into the word
yourself everyday in prayer filled Bible Study. Psalm 23:2
8. Bond with a small group. Don’t expect
the primary pastoral care to come from the pastor. It is mathematically
impossible, and primary care is not his/her role. Regular spiritual support
occurs in small groups. When you are plugged into a weekly small group you will
grow together, pray for one another, care for one another, and support one
another through all the ups and downs of life. The pastoral staff and lay
pastors can serve as a safety net for those not in small groups as well as care
for those in life transitions. Matthew 18:20
9. Follow Jesus. The pastor is not the CEO of the
congregation, that role is reserved for Jesus. Take your cue from the pastor in
being a follower and follow after Jesus. Following Jesus things will be
different. Help the pastor flesh out the vision and then do your part to turn
the vision into reality. Hebrews 13:17
10. Exercise your spiritual gifts. Pastoral gifts
don’t do much by themselves. However if you let those catalytic gifts energize
your gifts, you will come alive spiritually. Let the pastor equip you so
that your church family can reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son
of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure the fullness of
Christ. Take advantage of the teaching and ministry opportunities at your
church. Place yourself in optimal places for spiritual growth. Ephesians
4:11,12
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