Category: Letters to a Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #52 (It’s Jesus’s Church)

    Dear Small Church Congregation,

         In the last letter I proposed that there are people who have forgotten who owns Christ’s church (assembly, disciples, body, bride).  That forgetting has prompted them to think they own the church—not just the building, but the whole thing—the people included.  They act as if they should be able to determine everything that goes on inside a church house, who should be able to be involved in those activities and who should get the recognition for anything the congregation achieves “in the name of Jesus.”  They essentially believe they have earned the right through their work, finances and faithful attendance over the years to be the ones making decisions about what, how, when, why and where things happen in “the church.”

         However, this is not the case with those who constantly remind themselves of who they are (the church) and whose they are (the owner, Jesus).  These disciples remember that what Jesus accomplished on Calvary as he died in their places is the payment that redeemed them, that bought them out of slavery to sin, that purchased their souls, that arranged their salvation from the wrath of God against evil and placed them into the family of God as heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus.  They remember they are no longer their own.  They remember who they are as born-again disciples and whose they are as members of the church Jesus said He would build.

         The disciples of Christ who remember whose they are act differently from those who have forgotten.  They are willing to submit their entire lives to Christ as their owner.  They don’t just show up on Sundays to be in God’s presence.  They worship and pray at home and show up at prayer meetings and worship services because they want to constantly be in contact with their owner.  They don’t just tithe regularly.  They give generously, many times sacrificially, to the needs of those less fortunate than themselves, to missionaries and to special projects designed to reach out to the sinners in their communities.  They volunteer to help anywhere there is a need that they feel they can help meet.  Essentially, they remember who redeemed them and will do whatever it takes to demonstrate that they remember who Jesus is to them.

         The spiritual atmosphere in a congregation in which the attenders fully understand who they are and whose they are is different from other churches.  There is an openness to the moving of the Holy Spirit.  There is a unity, not just in worship, but in action, also.  There are shared goals and dreams and agree-upon plans to achieve those goals and dreams.  There is a feeling that “we need to do as much as we can for Jesus as soon as we can so we can take as many people as we can to heaven with us.”

         When the people remember who they are (the church, the disciples, the body, the bride) and whose they are (they belong to Jesus), there will be fruit produced in the form of new disciples brought into the kingdom of God.  That fruit will appear, grow and become mature because the people understand that their job now is to help other people be redeemed from slavery to sin, to be bought back from the curse of death and judgment, to be born again through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection.

         I learned something years ago that stunned me.  I learned that there were several congregations in our geographic area that had not had a new salvation reported from the ministry of those churches in ten years.  I realized, after looking at their situations, that they had forgotten who they were and whose they were.  They had turned inward in their ministry, were trying to control the ministry and had stopped lifting up Jesus to new people.

         Every time I saw lasting growth in the congregations I was privileged to pastor, that growth came because Jesus was being lifted up to new people.  The congregations were focusing on whose they were and were introducing new people to their Owner, their Lord, their Redeemer—Jesus.

         Remember this—It’s Jesus’s Church.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #51 (Whose Church Is It?)

    Dear Small Church Congregation,

         I saw a t-shirt recently with the statement, “I Love My Church.”  I thought, “how nice.”  The person “loves” attending a worship service at that church facility.  Or does the person “love” the people who worship there?  Or does he/she “love” the activities or the youth group or the music team or the style of preaching from the pastor? 

         Just what constitutes “loving my church?” 

         As I thought about this question, I remembered a situation that occurred in the city of Corinth in the New Testament.  Some of the attenders were associating their faith with the apostle Peter.  Others were connecting with the orator Apollos.  Still others were saying they were following Paul.

         Paul asked a simple question of the people:  (Paraphrased)  Did Peter or Apollos or I die for you?  He did this to refocus the people on who it is who should be the center of their worship.  Paul pointed out that only Jesus should be followed and worshipped.   

         Let me get back to the t-shirt.  Is the church a facility, a set of programs or a following of one particular pastor?  Your automatic answer should be an unqualified, “NO.”  The church described in the New Testament is not a place or a building.  The church is not a denomination or a fellowship or an association of congregations.  The church is not a man-made construct.

         The church originally began as a synonym for all the disciples of Christ.  It was the assembled believers in Jesus.  It was referred to as the bride of Christ.  It was what made up his “body” on this earth after Jesus ascended to the father and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believers.  It was the physical,  living, breathing, ministering group of people to whom Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel (good news).

         The “church” did not belong to a human.  It belonged to Jesus, because he paid for the people who made up His church with His blood sacrifice on Calvary.  It (everyone in the world who believes in Jesus, has repented of sins and been forgiven through faith in His name) still belongs to Jesus.  The church is His!

         That means it’s not ours.  The body of disciples is not ours to do with as we please.  It is not ours to control, to manipulate or to regulate to a set of rules. 

         Since the church is not ours, how should we approach the concept of being part of the church?  Allow me to recommend something to you.  Stop equating the world-wide group of people who follow Jesus with a building or a denomination or a certain pastor.

         A bit of history so we can get this concept into perspective—the disciples of Jesus did not construct buildings into which to gather for services for about 200-220 years after Jesus ascended.  (ChristianityToday.com)  Fast forward to the early settlers in North America—buildings were constructed for general community uses, and those uses included worship, education and civic meetings.  Many towns during the expansion westward had buildings dedicated to worship, buildings which doubled as the local school because they were used to teach people how to read scriptures.

         As time passed, the buildings were called “church houses,” and later the “houses” part was dropped and shortened to “church.”  That one word was then used to represent the followers of Jesus in general, not referring to the building, but to the people.  However, the term eventually took on the location meaning instead of the people who met there.

         Back to today.  The vast majority of the people who attend worship services refer to “the church” as the location of the building and not the people in the building.  They say they are “going to church” when they actually mean they are gathering at a location for worship.  But the worship has been overshadowed by the location.

         Many I have encountered are more concerned about the building, the programs, the events and the pastoral staff than they are about being a part of the body of Christ, the church of the living God, the bride of the coming King. And that concern has prompted people to take ownership of the building, programs, etc. because they have invested their time, talents and treasures in constructing and maintaining these things in what they consider important aspects of spreading the gospel of Christ to all the world.

          People begin to look at anything they invest themselves into as being “theirs.”   I fear it is for this reason that some say, “I love my church.”  They mean they love being part of a particular group in a particular building promoting a particular doctrine under the leadership of a particular pastor because they have invested significant amounts of time and money into the upkeep of that building, administering the programs, cooking meals, cleaning the bathrooms, mowing the lawns, playing the instruments, sitting on the pews/chairs, attending business meetings and a multitude of other activities that focus on where they are instead of who they are and whose they are.       

         I’ll say it again—I fear some have forgotten what the church is and whose church it is.  We’ll look at congregations who remember the “who” and “whose” in the next letter.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #50 (Inevitability of Change)

    Dear Small Church Congregation,

         In the letters on first impressions, I mentioned some things that may need to change in how you approach worship services and the overall state of your facilities.  I hope you can realize that these changes will lead to better first impressions for visitors.  Sometimes we just need to take a look at how we operate and make any changes that will help us to operate more effectively as we strive to help people experience the love, grace and mercy found in Jesus.  After all, our goal is to lead to people to faith in Jesus and then guide them into becoming dedicated, productive disciples of Christ.  If we need to make a change or two in our facilities or our services, let’s do that so we can be more productive disciples ourselves.

         There is something about change that I have come to realize.  Only the spiritual laws and principles God created stay constant.  His laws and principles don’t change because He doesn’t change.  Sin is still sin.  Repentance is still repentance.  Forgiveness is still forgiveness.  Judgment of rebellion will still occur.  Reward of faithfulness to God will still occur.  And the physical laws that control nature, such as gravity, cause and effect relationships, etc., do not change, either.  You can take those concepts “to the bank,” to use an old saying.  Everything else changes.

         Face it, we age, grass grows and has to be cut, rivers move their banks over time, seasons progress, tides don’t stay in one place.  I could go on, but you get the idea.  Change is inevitable in just about every aspect of our daily lives.  Although we have daily, weekly or even monthly routines, if we think about what happens as we work and play, we will see small changes in our routines that affect us in small ways, or we might see big changes that make significant alterations in our lives.  We learn to adapt to those changes and go on with our lives, whether the changes are enjoyable, like getting a raise at work, or not so enjoyable, like being the victim of downsizing in a company.  We get used to the idea that changes occur, and we learn to deal with those changes to the best of our abilities so our lives can continue.

         How does this idea of inevitable change affect us as a small church?  We have to do the same thing when it comes to “church life” when changes occur, just like we do when other things change in life.  We deal with the changes and go on with our goals of reaching the lost for Jesus and ministering to our communities as the body of Christ is admonished to do in the Bible.  We know we can’t let changes in life defeat us, and we know that we shouldn’t let anything that changes at our place of worship defeat us, either.

         What follows is a brief list of possible changes that we should understand could happen at a place of worship.  These possible changes do not have influence on the spiritual principles and laws of God.  They do not influence whether or not we can approach the throne of grace.  They do not affect our personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus.  They are transitory items that might change from time to time, but a change in these items will not affect whether or not we can experience the presence of the Holy Spirit of God.

    Possible changes at “church”—

    A Pastor/Deacon/Music Leader/Musician/Bible Teacher/Janitor/Door       Greeter/Volunteer/Long-time Member/Anyone Else decides to resign or stop attending services.

    The song books wear out and have to be discarded and replaced.

    Furniture Styles/Decorating Themes/Equipment Upgrades create a new appearance or sound in the building.

    The musicians want to try a new instrument/platform arrangement/song/music style/etc. during the singing portion of the service.

    A safety inspection indicates doors, lighting, fire extinguishers, signage, handrails, entrance thresh holds, etc. have to be addressed and changed to meet safety requirements.

    The average age of new attenders is twenty to forty years younger than the long-standing attenders, and they bring new outlooks on life that are different from the traditional outlooks of older attenders, because the new people have experienced a different kind of world than the long-standing attenders did.

         These are just a few of the changes I have experienced as a small church pastor.  There are numerous others that will occur over the course of time.  The main thing we have to understand is that the vast majority of changes that will occur when it comes to “church life” deal with preferences and not the Biblical doctrines that are the bedrock of Christianity. 

         Biblical doctrines found in scriptures must not change. 

         Preferences, however, have a habit of changing.  We should accept this reality and determine in our hearts that preferences will not determine if we make it to heaven.  They do not establish the foundation for our faith.  Christ’s life, death, burial, resurrection and promise to return do that.  Preferences  should never come between us and those who may hold other preferences than the ones we hold ourselves.  And when changes in preferences bring about changes at church, we should never allow those changes to come between us and our worship of God. 

         If we attend worship services only when our preferences are met, are we attending for the sake of worship and to increase our faith in Christ, or are we attending because we like what is being done that agrees with our preferences?  If we become upset with a change in something at “church,” where is our focus? (Remember, change is inevitable in the negotiables of life.)  Is our focus on Jesus, or is it on what we want? 

         I know these are tough questions to ask, but they need to be asked.  And we need to answer them honestly and ask God to help us deal in love with any changes we experience. After all, changes occur in every temporary area of life, and that includes what goes on in our worship services and building facilities.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #49 (First Impressions–2)

    Dear Small Church,

         In Letter #48 I introduced the idea of creating a first impression based on the facility and general atmosphere we want to create for a first-time visitor.  This letter goes into the actual worship service and how it can impact the first impression. 

         We want visitors to return and become regular attenders and, hopefully, integral parts of our ministry as we endeavor to fulfill our calling as a group of Christ’s disciples.  Therefore, we must determine a few things about the service that will influence their first, second or third impressions of our congregation and ministry. 

         Our primary questions deal with why we attend worship services in the first place.  Are we attending as participants to give praise and honor to God, to minister to each other and to receive ministry from the body of Christ?  Or are we attending as spectators to be encouraged through religious entertainment and an uplifting message from a motivational speaker called a pastor?  If a visitor attends for the first question’s answers, he/she will be disappointed if he/she experiences the answers to the second question.  The service must be geared to fulfill the answers to the first question, not the second one.

         According to information from Gallup polls and Barna Research Group trends, people who attend worship services are seeking a real encounter with God.  They want to experience God’s presence in their lives.  They want to find out if God truly cares about them and can be active in their affairs.  Essentially, people are looking for a spiritual connection they feel is missing in their lives, and they have decided to go to a worship service to see if that connection can be found there. 

         That being said, we must prayerfully (Notice that word “Prayerfully”) approach how a service flows, what is included in a worship service, and what our intended outcome is for the ending portion of the service.  If we have no spiritual goal for why we are doing what we are doing, if we do not have a direction of worship and outcome expected for the culmination of the service, we will not arrive at the end of the service with any appreciable positive spiritual results.  (Please understand the Holy Spirit can override our lack of spiritual preparations and create a great spiritual experience for visitors in spite of our inadequacies and poor choices.  But you don’t need to expect Him to do that on a regular basis.)

         Allow me to caution you here—since you are advertising your worship service schedules, please be prepared for the services when they occur.  Worship involves important aspects of the Christian life.  To throw something together at the last minute without praying or seeking God’s guidance and anointing is perpetuating a travesty on the disciples who gather for worship.  I have to admit I have been guilty of that travesty, and the outcome was not what it could have been had everyone involved in the service had come prepared for their part in the overall experience. 

         As you decide on what needs to be included in the service, remember that worship involves much more than just singing.  Offering prayers, supplications and intercessions to God is involved.  Waiting on God to speak to hearts is involved.  Generosity in tithing and giving offerings is involved.  Hearing the Word of God read and explained in sermons is involved.  Giving testimonies to God’s working in a life is involved.  Encouraging each other is involved.  Giving thanks to God is involved.  Sometimes eating together is involved.  Attending as participants, not just spectators, in worship is involved.  These concepts are just the tip of the iceberg that makes up worship.

         Allow me to share a story about one area of worship from a missionary I know.  He serves in a region where Christian voices are often silenced through social pressure, traditions, laws and even violence.  His ministry involves radio and TV programs that are produced and aired over stations that almost exclusively promote that area’s predominate religion.  However, he never mentions that religion in his broadcasts.  He only talks about Jesus and what Jesus can do in a life that is dedicated to His teachings.  He does not condemn, slander or otherwise denigrate the dominant religion.  His ministry is quite successful and reaches several million listeners and viewers weekly.

         Why the story?  We all have varying preferences when it comes to dress codes, music styles, scriptural translations, building decorations, service times and lengths, traditional activities and any number of other topics that are revealed through our preferences.  If all we do is condemn someone who has different preferences while we are supposed to be involved in worship, we are probably going to make a negative first impression on people. 

         Biblical doctrines speak for themselves and must remain constant in our worship services.  Those are not negotiable.   Preferences, on the other hand, can change over time.  Be sure your worship services focus on the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and not on preferences.

         Keep in mind that a worship service is an opportunity for someone to repent of sins and ask for forgiveness.  It is an opportunity for someone to be born again spiritually.  Make every effort to give that someone the chance to see Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit working in Christ’s church, for His people and through His people.  If you do that, the worship experience will have fulfilled its purpose.

         A worship service that directs visitors to experiencing God in the fullness of His glory and power will make a good first impression.  Pray that that is your church’s first impression on visitors.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #48 (First Impressions)

    Dear Small Church Congregation,

         Example #1: I recently walked into a church building foyer and looked up to see how high the ceiling was. (I’ve spent a good deal of my life involved in construction, and noticing wall height is just something I do out of habit.)  There in that decorated space for an entrance, above the immediate eyesight of most people, was something that desperately needs to be repaired.  An area almost two feet square is water damaged, stained, cracking and with part of the ceiling texture missing, revealing bare sheetrock.  I politely mentioned the ceiling to someone I know who attends there.  The individual was not offended and stated, “Oh, yeah, we’ve been meaning to fix that.”

         I have a question for you:  What kind of a first impression would a damaged, unrepaired ceiling that is known to exist make on someone who had never entered the foyer and looked up?

         Example #2: An evangelist friend related how he had gone to a church recently to minister for some special worship services.  The door greater was the only one who had spoken to him as he had entered and had told him the pastor would be out soon and for him to be seated anywhere.  He entered the sanctuary, found a seat near the front and sat down.  Not long after seating himself, a couple walked in and approached him.  Their greeting was, “We usually sit here.”

         Another question for you: How welcome do you think that evangelist felt?

         First impressions matter.  There is a reason greeters are stationed at entrances.  There is a reason facility repairs are made in a timely manner.  There is a reason hospitality is stressed in scriptures.  There is a reason signs that direct people to commonly needed areas should be well-placed and easily readable.  There is a reason pastors encourage members to greet new people and actually talk to them.  The reason is: FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER!  (Yes, I said that really loudly.)

         People do not get a second chance to make a first impression.  When a visitor approaches a place of worship, the first few minutes matter immensely in the perception that visitor will develop of the facility and its attenders.  Some sources site anywhere from the first two or three minutes to the first seven or eight minutes as being the most important time span for a congregation to make a positive impression on a first-time visitor.  That means before a visitor has even looked at where to be seated, the first impression is forming.

         I saw an interesting parking space sign years ago that caught my attention.  It said: Reserved for Elderly and Expectant Mothers.  I believe they understand the needs of multi-generations, which means they want multi-generations.  First impression?

         I mentioned hospitality earlier.  According to the Tecarta Bible Search App, various translations of the Bible hold at least 45 verses that mention the concept of hospitality.  And folks, the amount of hospitality a congregation displays will make a huge impact on a visitor’s first impression.

         I encourage you to ask yourself just how hospitable your congregation is.  Is your entrance easy to locate?  Do obvious signs point new people to the bathrooms, the nursery, discipleship classrooms that are age specific, the sanctuary or even the emergency exists?  Do regular attenders intentionally talk to visitors or just say, “Good to have you with us today?”   Do you help new attenders find a place to sit or where to direct their children after you shake their hand?  Do you give them a 1 or 2 sentence description of what they are about to experience?

         I once filled in for a pastor who had a family emergency.  After the service, I was invited to eat lunch with one of the families.  When was the last time you invited a first-time visitor, or even a repeat visitor, to eat with you after the service?  First impression?

         I haven’t mentioned anything about the actual time of worship yet, have I?  That will come in the next letter, #49, First Impressions—2.  For the time being, just remember that first impressions matter.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #47 (Announcement)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         This letter is more of an announcement than it is a topical letter directed to small church pastors.  The first forty-six letters were designed to encourage and motivate those individuals who lead small congregations.  Beginning with Letter #48, I will address small church congregations, including their lay leaders and members at large.

         It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will direct my thoughts as I attempt to encourage and challenge small church congregations in several areas that have a direct impact on the operation of a small church. 

         In way of introduction to Letter #48, allow me to challenge every member of a small church to do something that will be difficult to do, but will benefit their congregation immensely.  I challenge you to drive onto your facility and to look at it as if you were attending a service there for the very first time.  Look at the buildings and grounds.  Look at the signage directing people to where things will occur during the service.  Look at the foyer, the bathrooms, the overall appearance of the sanctuary and even the walls from the entrance to the back of the platform.

         And pay attention to the attention given to you by people you do not know well.  Notice how greetings are done.  Notice who talks to whom and for how long.  Notice the general attire of the attenders.  Listen to the music and watch the music leader(s).  Pay attention to the flow of the service, the presentation of the sermon and the responses by the attenders to how the pastor ends the service.

         Take a good, long, intentional look at what goes on before, during and after the service.  The title to next week’s letter to small congregations is “First Impressions.”  We’ll deal with that topic after you’ve paid your “first visit” to your worship service.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #46 (Revival)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Many pastors schedule a yearly “revival” during a particular season.  Some contact an evangelist, possibly the same one each year, to have that person come to encourage and motivate the congregation.  Others bring in two or more speakers for a series of worship services that will hopefully challenge the congregation to spiritually walk closer to God.  Unfortunately, a few rely on revival services to bring in new attenders who they hope will stay connected after the revival.  They get the new people to attend by inviting well-known speakers who have dynamic ministries established in other geographical areas.

         With such a variety of reasons for scheduling revivals, a couple of serious questions need to be asked before one is scheduled:  First, “Why have a revival?”  Second, “Who should dictate when the revival needs to occur?”

         The simplistic answer to question number one is that what seems to have died out spiritually needs to be revived, renewed and rekindled, like a physical fire that is only glowing embers needs to be rekindled with fresh fuel in order to burn brightly again.  The Holy Spirit anoints people to be evangelists for the sake of encouraging, motivating and challenging the body of Christ.  These special ministers are one of the people gifts given to the assembly of believers in Jesus by God.  Their function is to do that rekindling of the fire of the Holy Spirit in a congregation.  And thank God that He has anointed individuals to do this very service for the sake of the body of Christ.

         What about that second question above?  Who should initiate a revival, whether it is set for one service, three nights, a week, two weeks or open ended to last as long as is needed.  (Those last two durations do still occur in other countries, just seldom in this country nowadays.) 

         Allow me to give a couple of examples of revivals that were started in the past as a point of reference to the answer for question number two.

         #1—The story is told of a pastor who was impressed by the Holy Spirit while preparing for a Sunday morning service to simply read the entire book of Ephesians to his congregation and then to open the altar for prayer.  The following Sunday morning, when it came time for the sermon, the pastor asked everyone to open their Bibles to Ephesians Chapter 1, Verse 1 and to read along silently as he read aloud.  When he completed the final verse of Ephesians, he said it was time to pray and that the altar was open to anyone who felt it necessary to talk to God to make sure a right relationship existed between them and God. 

         The altar filled with weeping, groaning, repentant people who were revived spiritually through the public reading of the letter to the church at Ephesus.  The repentant attitude among the congregation lasted for weeks as the Holy Spirit revived His fire in their hearts.  (This is not fiction; it actually occurred.)

         #2—My wife’s best BFF ever, who has since this story passed into the presence of her Savior, related that once their pastor had announced he was stepping down from his ministry at that location.  The church leadership began a search for a new pastor, but a new pastor had not been chosen when it came time for their current pastor to leave.  They assured him the congregation would be okay with his leaving and continued the pastoral search process.

         That process included having prospective pastors minister for one or more Sunday services, while the leaders handled the remaining services and activities of the congregation.  During the process, through no planning by the congregational leaders, the members or the prospective pastors, a revival among the members broke out, flowing from week to week in every service held, regardless of who was leading it.  The revival spirit remained in the congregation for several months, with the congregation increasing in number and spiritual maturity, even in the absence of having a definite pastor.  When the new pastor was selected, he arrived to a congregation in full revival mode.

         Now, for my answer to question number two–It is my opinion a revival should be set up when the Holy Spirit indicates it should be.  The only way I know of learning when to schedule a revival is to pray, talk to God, listen intently to His voice and be open to opportunities for revival to arrive through God’s timing, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and, when appropriate, God’s evangelists.  It has been my experience that a “Holy Ghost Revival” that is initiated by the Holy Spirit will do wonders for the spiritual, and possibly physical, growth of a congregation.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #45 (Frustration)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Everyone, including small church pastors, experiences frustration from time to time.  That nagging question of why isn’t anything noticeable happening yet?  The feeling that prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and back to the floor.  Constantly worrying if the right choices have been made about volunteers, outreach efforts and even sermon preparation. 

         Frustration often enters the picture when there are no new specific goals set and plans formed after achieving original goals.  It can appear when a congregation, or the pastor, becomes complacent toward commitment because of familiarity with systems, programs and people.  Frustration also takes hold when routines and traditions become so engrained that doing something new is automatically rejected as “too different,” and those seeking change begin to feel unnoticed or dismissed.

         Sometimes the frustration is so great a person wants to scream.  But you know that won’t change things.  (It might temporarily relieve some tension, but you know it’s not lasting.)

         So, what can you do when the frustration mounts?  Well, for starters, after you pray and honestly talk to God about how the frustration is making you feel, you can ask yourself some questions that might help you focus on the cause of the frustration.  That effort could lead to a path for handling it.

         For example:  What is your vision for your congregation?  Are you working toward that vision as a team, or is this a “one-man-show” effort?  Does your leadership team have specific goals and plans of action for achieving those goals?  Are you expecting the miracles you are praying for, or are you just going through the motions of asking without committing to seeing the miracles become reality through God’s power as you do what the Holy Spirit leads you to do?  Are you keeping track of and celebrating the small gains as you pray for physical and spiritual growth?

         After you ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly to yourself, share the questions with your congregation’s leaders.  Get their answers.  Compare them to your own.  Then discuss how everyone working together can overcome the feeling of frustration you have. 

         I believe you’ll discover they have their own frustrations, too.  Honestly and openly talk to each other about what can be done in order to overcome what they feel could be holding back the spiritual and physical growth you all seek and deeply desire for your congregation.  Remember that communication and the development of trusting relationships is vital to the success of any group, but this is especially true for congregations that are experiencing frustration, either in the pulpit or the pew.

         Frustration can be overcome through prayer, thoughtful introspection and open discussions with everyone affected by the frustration.  Failure to approach frustration as a problem the Holy Spirit can help you solve will only lead to more debilitating frustration.  So, stop being frustrated and take action.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #44 (Rain)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Having planted quite a few gardens over the years, I understand the value of rain for a garden as compared to water that comes from a well.  Veggies and fruits will grow when there is well water applied to them, but they just fare better when they get sufficient rain during the growing season.

         The same principle holds true when it comes to spiritual rain.  Spiritual growth can occur in a congregation when there are Bible studies, testimonies and good singing during the music portion of a worship service.  However, there just seems to be greater strides made for the Kingdom of God when a congregation is exposed to anointed preaching during that part of a worship service.

         Just as a garden needs well water when there is little rain, a congregation needs those Bible studies, testimonies and music to keep them going forward during times when anointed preaching may only happen once a week.  I’m not saying the other aspects of being a disciple are not important, or that they cannot be anointed and useful for spiritual growth.  I am saying that I believe anointed preaching will do much toward helping the congregation grow spiritually because preaching is the primary form of communication that is used to encourage, exhort, correct, challenge and inspire a congregation.

         In order for the pastor to deliver that anointed preaching, the pastor must first be nourished and helped to grow spiritually through an outpouring of spiritual rain into that individual pastor’s life.  That rain will occur if the pastor is consistently, with a contrite and open heart, studying scripture, praying and allowing the Holy Spirit to bring growth in his own heart’s garden.

         Please notice this—a pastor can only lead the congregation into spiritual territory that he has entered himself.  A pastor cannot take people to spiritual growth that he has not already experienced.  When the pastor stops growing from spiritual rain that is watering his own soul, the congregation will stop growing, too.  If the pastor is in a drought, the congregation will be in one, too.

         However, when that rain is falling into the pastor’s life, his own growth will continue, and the congregation will benefit from his growth.  The pastor will receive the spiritual power he needs to lead his congregation forward into all the Holy Spirit wants to pour out into that congregation.   

         Allow me to encourage you to diligently, every day, seek the spiritual rain from the Holy Spirit.  Open your heart, mind and spirit to be filled regularly with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  Commit yourself to prayer and fasting.  Commit yourself to deep, deep study of and meditation on God’s word.  Do everything you can to let the spiritual rain you need flow!

         When rain falls on a garden, it grows better.  The same holds true for the spiritual garden of a pastor and the congregation when the spiritual rain falls.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #43 (Whosoever Will)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         I was reminded of something recently that I want to share with you.  Allow me to give a brief backstory for the comments I want to make. 

         A group of us were working to help someone who is living a terrible existence to get housing after a fire took everything from the individual.  As we worked, the life and current situation of that person was discussed.  As we talked about everything that had occurred over a lifetime that had begun so promisingly and turned into a pitiful situation of degradation, addiction and poverty, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus came to give freedom to that person.  He reminded me that, as long as there is breath, there is hope.  He reminded me that Jesus came for “whosoever will believe in Him.”

         You may have someone in your community about whom you have asked yourself if he/she is redeemable.  You may have witnessed multiple times to the person.  You may have helped financially.  You may have given your time and effort to do whatever you could to try to lead that person to have faith in Jesus.  You may have endured some hardship in order to try to meet a need the person had.

         Then, after your efforts, the life doesn’t seem to make any changes.  The same destructive behavior appears.  The old ways draw him/her back into the darkness after a brief season of light tried to shine through into a heart.  And you ask yourself if a person can reach a place where there is no redemption possible.  Allow me to remind you again—as long as there is breath, there is hope.  Jesus came for “whosoever will.”

         Always remember that the “unredeemable one” you may know could have been you.  You could be the addict, the homeless wanderer, the desperate thief and liar.  But you aren’t, and your status with God is determined because you became a “whosoever will” one day.

         Someone did not give up on you.  Someone kept praying, kept witnessing, kept teaching, kept on giving and talking to and helping—YOU.  Were you past the point of redemption in someone else’s eyes but not in God’s eyes?  Were you the black sheep of the family?  Were you the one no one could trust?  Were you like that person whose house burned to the ground and was left homeless with few, if any, people who would do what they could to help because of how you had treated yourself and others?

         Keep on trying to help.  Keep on praying and witnessing and reaching out.  Keep on trying to let some spiritual light shine into that life.  As long as there is breath, there is hope.  Jesus came for all the “whosoever will’s” of this world, even those who are called “unredeemable” by a community.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor