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