Category: Letters to a Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #7–K.I.S.S. Revisited

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         In the first installment for K.I.S.S., I suggested you include the members of your congregation as ministry partners in order to simplify your life.  I pray you are encouraging your membership as they develop the gifts and talents resident in your congregation in order to accomplish that aspect of keeping ministry simple.

         Allow me to make a second recommendation toward achieving a more simple life for yourself and your congregation.  When preparing sermons or Bible lessons, focus on Jesus.  Focus on who Jesus is, what he has accomplished, what he taught his original disciples, and what he promised to do for, in and through them.  Focus on the gospel message and how to live out the teachings of Christ.  You will find that centering your message on the good news that there is forgiveness through faith in Jesus will simplify your ministry.

         Satan will try to get you sidetracked from this central message.  Remember he is the source of confusion, division and strife.  Satan will try to get you involved in arguments over controversial doctrinal points.  He will attempt to bring factional “us versus them” thinking into your congregation, and, if he can, he will use you to create unintended factions within your attenders through what seems to be innocent questions.

         Always remember Satan is a deceiver, a manipulator and a thief, and he wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy the works you and your congregation are doing for the kingdom of God.  In order to achieve his insidious purposes, he works through people to bring up “What do you think about…” kinds of questions.  He uses, “I heard…,” “I’m confused about…,” or “My friend/uncle/brother/neighbor/etc. says….”

         It’s during these seemingly innocent times that your spiritual enemy is working to complicate your life and ministry by getting you to “major on the minors” in life.  To combat these deceptions, I encourage you to always use scriptures in answering any question that might be a controversial subject.  My normal response to any doctrinal issue that arises is, “Let’s see what the Bible says about this.”  Always remember that the Bible holds the truth about any situation that arises in life.  What I think about a situation does not matter when it comes to what the Bible actually says.  Taken in its proper context, scripture always has the correct answer to any question, even the ones the devil tries to use to complicate ministry.

         When those controversial subjects arise, and they will arise eventually, attempt to steer the conversation back to the simplicity of the gospel.  If that fails, allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak through scriptures to those who are posing the questions.  Remember Paul’s advice to his protégé Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:20 to “…avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” KJV (“Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.” NLT)

         Allow me to give an example of this concept for maintaining simplicity in ministry.  A missionary we know operates in a country where the population is over 99% non-Christian.  He never compares Christianity to that national faith, nor does he debate the ideology of the other faith’s founder to that of Jesus.  He only talks about Jesus and his teachings.  His ministry is very successful, reaching over 9 million people monthly through various media avenues.  That success is influenced by the fact that he keeps his ministry focused on Jesus only.

         Focus on the simplicity of the good news about Jesus as much as is possible in every facet of your ministry.  If some divisive topic rears its head, go to scripture for guidance and rely on the Holy Spirit to deal with those topics as only he can by moving in the hearts and minds of those involved.  Remember:  KISS.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #6–You Failed at Something

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

    Congratulations, you failed at something.  Odd statement, isn’t it?  It has been my experience that failure when we attempt to do something in ministry reveals some very important information to us and about us.  Let’s look at some of that information for just a bit and see what we can learn and how we can be challenged by it.

    First, you were willing to try to achieve something, regardless of what that something was.  That means you decided to venture out of your comfort zone and attempt to accomplish something out of your usual, normal routine.  You were willing to take a chance.  You were willing to risk failing, with the hope of success.  It takes courage to do that.  Congratulations on being courageous as you minister in, for and through your congregation.

    Second, you put yourself in a position to learn what will work and what won’t work in a given situation.  It is said that if we never learn anything new, then we have stopped growing and have begun the process of stagnation, which is followed by death.  I once read that Thomas Edison tried over 10,000 items before he discovered how to make an electric light filament.  When asked about all those failures, he simply replied that he now knew 10,000 things that would not work.  Congratulations on becoming informed on what not to do.

    Next, you put yourself in the position of needing to examine why what you tried to do did not work.  Self-examination is a challenging process.  We have to determine if we had the right plan or proper resources or sufficient wise guidance or dedication to see the project through to the end or any other number of variables that might have played into our failing to achieve our goal.  We have to determine if we heard from God or was this activity something we just wanted to do. Self-examination requires honesty, humility and the willingness to correct mistakes.  Congratulations on looking in the mirror and accepting the reality it reflects.

    Finally, you moved out of the 90% who watch life happen and became part of the 10% who make things happen.  You took action, instead of sitting around and complaining about some situation.  You took action, instead of resting on your past successes.  You took action, instead of waiting for “someone” to resolve a problem.  You took action, instead of letting fear of people, fear of rejection or fear of failure keep you glued to your chair.  Congratulations on taking action.

    Failure is not a destination, unless you stay down and stop trying.  Failure in ministry is not permanent, unless you decide to make it permanent.  Failure is a springboard to new wisdom, new planning, new goal-setting, and new determined action.  Failure is the preparation for success as you continue to minister in, for and through your congregation.

    Congratulations, you failed at something.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #5–Relationships

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

                Build supportive relationships with other small church pastors.  You’ve already read my suggestions to involve other people in your ministry.  You need the help of your congregation as you minister to them and with them.  You simply cannot do everything alone.

                There is another source of help available for you, if you will make contact with that group and build meaningful relationships with the people in it.  That group is made up of all those other small church pastors in your area.  Those folks can help you, and you can help them.

                When you begin to reach out to other pastors, avoid the temptation to center your conversations on the bad stuff you encounter.  Satan would like nothing more than for you to tear each other down by constantly dragging up past or present hurts and disappointments.  Do not avoid problems, just don’t only rehearse and nurse them.  Use your time together to talk about how to reverse them.

                Ask questions to gain knowledge and insights the other pastors have.  Talk about successes and future plans together.  Listen to what’s in their hearts and share what’s in yours.  You can help each other.  You can encourage each other, pray for each other and remind each other that each one of you is not working in the kingdom of God alone.  You are on a great and powerful team, and good team members work together to win the game.  You are in the most important “game” of all time—the contest between the kingdom of light/good and the kingdom of darkness/evil.

                Getting together with other pastors is an action you are going to have to intentionally make.  You must intentionally choose to associate with other pastors for mutual support.  If your fellowship/denomination has regular opportunities to gather for support, take advantage of them.  (If not, create some.)  Go to the trainings, conferences, meetings and luncheons every chance you get.  I understand you can’t attend every meeting available, but you can stop making excuses for not attending and go to some of them. 

                One last thought before I close—I used to be like Moses and thought I had to deal with everything by myself, because I was the pastor.  A fellow minister stepped up as my “Jethro” and helped me to realize that not seeking help, advice and encouragement from others was a bad decision on my part.  I’m glad I listened to him.  I chose to set aside my pride and self-sufficient attitude and get help with what I was facing.  I sometimes forget his advice, but when I follow it, I am a better pastor.

                There is help out there for small church pastors.  Part of that help lies in other small church pastors.  Build supportive relationships with other small church pastors.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #4 (K.I.S.S.)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

                K.I.S.S. (Not the rock band.) Keep.  It.  Simple.  Stupid.  It’s been said so much that it has become a cliché.  But it’s still a great rule of thumb for ministry.  The gospel is the simple and uncomplicated news that anyone can be restored to a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus because Jesus is the Messiah.  The enemy of your ministry will do anything he can to prevent you from staying on track with that simple, uncomplicated message.

                As pastors of a small part of God’s flock, we feel responsible for any and all activities, programs, outreaches, hospital visits, encouraging phonecalls, discipleship training, prayer meetings, youth outings, special songs on Sundays, or any other “good works” that occur in, for or through our congregations.  As the shepherd of that local flock, you definitely are the leader of the flock and should be aware of what’s going on in, for and through the flock.  But you have not been called to do all the good works yourself.

                Each sheep in your flock has been given gifts, talents and strengths by the Holy Spirit.  Part of your job is to help the sheep discover the attributes God has placed in their lives and to use them to fulfill the work of the whole body in the local church.  The body won’t achieve its calling from God if the only part working is the heart.  You do not have to do everything by yourself.

                Satan tries to get you to become so busy directing all the activities of the congregation that you lose focus of what your job as pastor really is.  He tries to complicate your life with so many meetings, reports, trips, and responsibilities that you forget to focus on the good news you are to keep before them as they mature as disciples.

                The truth of the matter is that you are to help your people become mature disciples so they can take their place in ministry within the local church body beside you as the whole congregation moves forward for the kingdom of God.  The truth of the matter is that you cannot do it all by yourself, and I, personally, believe you will overload and undermine your ministry if you try to do everything alone.  Sometimes we small church pastors become so distracted in our ministry that we fail to realize this.

                We become overwhelmed by ministry because, without recognizing what is happening, we have allowed the devil to complicate what we do for God’s kingdom.  I’ll say it again—you do not have to do everything by yourself.  One effective way to uncomplicate your ministry is by including your congregation in ministry.  And teach them to keep their own ministry uncomplicated, too.

                The gospel is simple.  Ministry does not have to be so complicated that we lose sight of that simplicity. 

    K.I.S.S.  (More to come about this topic later.)

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #3–Timing

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

                Trust God’s timing.  He gave you the vision to pursue.  He promised to meet all your needs if you will seek His righteousness first.  He will bring the vision into reality if you will focus on it and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but it will happen in His timetable, not yours.

                Allow me to illustrate what I’m saying.  Our congregation was led by the Holy Spirit into creating a safe place for local youth and children to gather with their friends.  Since God uses people to achieve His works on this earth, He began to put people with the right skills, knowledge and resources into our path. 

                However, the moving of those people took time.  We had hoped to have the buildings ready in a particular time frame.  That didn’t happen.  I firmly believe it didn’t happen at the time we wanted it to happen because God had something greater in store for us than we originally envisioned.  He was orchestrating peoples’ lives to be a blessing to us and to work their own lives out for good, also.  And that takes time.

                If you can believe God has given you the vision to achieve, believe He will bring it to pass at the right time.  Exercise patience.  Keep praying.  Keep on leading your flock toward spiritual maturity.  Continue to cast the vision before your congregation and encourage them to persevere in the face of difficulties or delays.  Trust God’s timing.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #2–Vision

    Dear Small Church Pastor

                You’ve probably preached the verse that says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)   That vision, that over-riding thought, that dream for your congregation, is very likely God’s will for your church.  There’s a solid chance that the vision is that “one thing” the Holy Spirit is leading you to achieve for His kingdom.  There is something you can do in order to discover if it is.

                In order to know God’s will for your own life, you had to seek God, talk to him and then listen to His voice.  You’re going to have to do the same things in order to discover His will for your congregation.  You’re going to have to pray, pray, pray, and then, pray some more.  Then be quiet and wait on the Holy Spirit to answer you.

                I know that’s a “WELL, DUH!” statement.  Here’s the rub—Too many of us small church pastors pray and pray and pray, but we don’t stop talking and listen.  We’re too busy to be still in His presence and allow Him to talk to us.

                The enemy has convinced us we are supposed to invest our days and nights in hospital visits, making follow-up calls to visitors—if we ever have any—keeping the church yard neat, overseeing the new bathroom remodel, meetings with the Kiwanis Club or Chamber of Commerce, cooking for the benefit dinner, having board meetings, planning the every month outreach activity, prepping sermons and Bible studies, etc..  The enemy has convinced us we should be doing what everyone else is doing.  He has convinced too many of us that we should be doing that “everything” deal.  (Remember the first letter?)

                None of these activities are bad things to do.  However, they do devour our time and keep us away from being still and waiting on God to speak to us.  If you are going to discover the will of God for your people, His vision for them, then you are going to have to stop doing everything and start doing what matters the most.  Make time to get alone with God in order to have regular conversations with Him. 

                Allow me to share something one of our district leaders once said to a group of pastors.  He said, “When I was pastoring, I should have spent more time in prayer listening to God than I spent in hospitals talking to sick folks and their families.”  There’s wisdom in that statement.  He had discovered the key to being a great leader lies in being a great listener to the Holy Spirit. 

                Invest more time in sharing what’s on your heart with God, then stop talking, be quiet and still, and listen as He shares what’s on His heart with you.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #1–Everything

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

                Stop trying to do “everything” other congregations are doing.  You are not the pastor of the larger church that has several times more folks on Sundays.  You don’t have the same resources, the same members, the same calling.  Your calling is to your group of people and their community.  Stop trying to do what “everyone else” is doing.

                Please allow me to share a nugget of wisdom I received years ago from a cousin who has pastored churches of all sizes.  Seek the mind and will of God for your unique congregation, determine what the Holy Spirit is leading them to achieve, and then become experts at accomplishing that one thing.

                Your congregation is made up of people who all have different gifts and callings on their individual lives.  It takes all those differing people to achieve what God wants that unique group to do for His kingdom.  The same concept holds true for the overall body of Christ.  Each unique congregation, as a whole, has a special calling on its corporate life.  Find out what that calling is and build on it.  Help your congregation become famous for doing that one thing well.

                You will become frustrated, physically fatigued and feel like a failure if you try to do “everything.”  Your enemy wants you to think you have to be constantly busy doing stuff for God’s kingdom.  If you give in to the temptation to do “everything,” you will find yourself doing nothing well.  Find one focal point for your congregation and do that excellently.  If the Holy Spirit leads you to a second calling for your congregation, become expert at that, too.  (Notice that word “IF!”)

                Assemble your people regularly for worship.  Train them to be disciples of Christ. Commission them to go spread the gospel.  Then unite with them in ministry as you all fulfill God’s call on each life.  As you do these things, have enough faith in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to believe He will help you discover the calling for your congregation. 

         Stop trying to imitate others. 

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Introductory Letter

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Well, here you are.  You’re reading a letter written to small church pastors and their congregations by a small church pastor.  So you’ll know why I’m writing to you, allow me to introduce myself.  Who I am impacts this first letter and all that will follow.

         I live in a rural community of fewer than one hundred people.  The closest town has fewer than one thousand.  My last pastorate, which was a thirty minute drive from where I live, was in a town of about six hundred.  I understand the concept of small when it comes to population.

         My ministry journey began fifty-five years ago as an eighteen-year-old lay speaker who filled in when pastors needed a day off or couldn’t fill their pulpit for some reason.  Fast forward to an Easter Sunday delivering a sunrise message in the front yard of a neighborhood outside a large city in central Florida.  One of my friends’ sons was wonderfully saved that morning, and I knew God was calling me to do something for Him.

         That call from God has taken me to many forms of service for His kingdom.  As a “young adult,” I was called on to teach a Sunday School class.  Then came the Sunday School Superintendent title and responsibilities.  As I matured, service as a deacon/trustee/board member was brought into my life.

         I had taken piano lessons while growing up and had taught myself how to play rhythm guitar.  Those skills put me in the position to be a church musician on the platform.  My wife and I, along with another couple, became the leaders for a youth choir that traveled around our area singing for a few years.

         All this time of service for Christ’s kingdom did not fulfill the call I felt God had placed on my life.  There was a missing element.  After much prayer and seeking God’s guidance, I decided to further my biblical training and understanding of ministry by taking courses of study through a Bible School connected to a university.  The culmination of those courses resulted in my becoming an Ordained Minister of the gospel.

         It was during this period of study and preparation for my ordination that I began to serve as a pastor to small churches.  Over the next twenty years or so, I served four congregations.  My tenures at those congregations were as follows:  two years; 4 1/2 years; 5 1/2 years; 8 years and 4 months.  The congregational sizes at the beginning of these pastorates ranged from 2 (that’s right—two) to fifteen.  If memory serves me correctly, all the congregations were blessed by God and increased in number, up to 45 in regular attendance.  I understand what being the pastor of a very small congregation involves.

         Each small church pastoral opportunity helped me learn important aspects of being a pastor that are never covered in ministerial studies.  But each opportunity also helped me understand the tremendous blessings that go along with being the pastor of a small congregation. 

         I cannot speak to all the trials and opportunities that present themselves to pastors of churches that have hundreds, or even thousands, of members.  But I can speak to the small church pastor.  I can speak to the pastor who wonders if his or her ministry actually is accomplishing anything for the cause of God’s Kingdom.  I can speak to the pastor who doesn’t have an Associate Pastor or a Ministry Team or a Children’s Church Leader or a Nursery Supervisor or a Small Group Director/Sunday School Superintendent.  I can speak to the pastor of a congregation in which the average age is 60+ years.  I can speak to the pastor of the small church that has gone through a destructive split that resulted in loss of critical leadership.  I can speak to the pastor who is questioning why God sent him to a place that had not seen a new salvation in years.

         I know I don’t have all the answers.  I know I can’t give you a “one size fits all” solution.  I know my experiences have not been every experience you have faced or will face.  But I do know the one who can help me help you.

         This is who I am, and this is why I’m writing you these letters.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor