Tag: Holy Spirit

  • 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 #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 #42 (Quicksand)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Old western shows or safari movies sometimes showed someone getting caught in quicksand.  The hero usually was able to save the victim just in time.  However, these videos have created a misconception about quicksand that needs to be corrected. 

         A victim normally won’t sink completely and drown if caught in quicksand.  The body density usually causes a victim to float around the waist or chest level.  Deaths from quicksand, according to a net search I did, rarely occur, and most often a death is caused by succumbing to rising tide waters, dehydration or extreme heat or cold.  Quicksand is not the “death grip” that movies make it out to be.

         Quicksand is very much like temptations that plague everyone, even pastors.  The devil has done all he can to make pastors think their ministries will be destroyed because of succumbing to some temptation.  Satan hunts any pastor he can and tries to deceive the pastor into thinking that improper thoughts, words or actions will result in the complete death of a pastor’s ability to minister.  Essentially, the devil wants us to believe the temptation is terminal, just like quicksand has been depicted as being deadly in and of itself.

         As with quicksand, the giving in to temptation is not the destroyer of ministry.  The destruction can occur if what occurs around the temptation is not addressed.  High tides, dehydration and extreme temperatures are the real killers with quicksand.  In like manner, lack of repentance, self-righteousness and rationalizations are what can kill a pastor’s effectiveness.

         If a pastor yields to temptation and sins, the immediate remedy is repentance.  The pastor must repent, seek God’s forgiveness and recommit to following the path of holiness to which every pastor has been called.  Falling into quicksand requires calm decision-making so one doesn’t fall prey to rising tides or other dangers.  Submitting to temptation and sinning require the same thing.  Failure to repent and seek forgiveness can kill a ministry.

         As with dehydration for a sinking victim, self-righteousness can also harm a pastor’s ministry.  The idea that “this is the first time I’ve done that in my ministry and I can shake it off” simply will not suffice to save a ministry.  The idea that “I know better than to do that, but I’m sure I can control myself next time” is a deception from the devil.  He’s trying to make you think you’re good enough to deal with this yourself.  YOU ARE NOT!! (Yes, I know I yelled.)  The power to overcome future temptations originates in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in you.  Self-righteousness can kill a ministry.

         Extreme temperatures can kill anyone who Is caught without proper supplies or shelter when stuck in quicksand.  The same holds true for rationalizations in connection to a sin committed.  The devil will convince you, if possible, that this temptation is experienced by all in ministry and that you are no different than others who gave in, too.  Satan tells you things like, “You’re like everyone else, so don’t let this get the best of you.”  “Everyone sins occasionally.  You’re normal.”  “No one will find out.”  “This is minor compared to what some others have done.”  He tries to get you to think you don’t need to do anything other than remain quiet about what happened.  Silence in rationalizations when help is needed and available can be deadly.  You need to talk to God first and then seek spiritual direction from those who are part of your own spiritual umbrella of authority.  Rationalizations can kill a ministry.

         Temptation and quicksand are definitely very much alike.  Neither will kill you in and of itself.  It’s what happens after getting stuck that will determine the outcome of falling into temptation or quicksand.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #37 (Talents)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

        (This one is a spiritual exercise as much as it is a letter.)

         Another indicator in determining your priorities is where you invest your talents (skills, abilities, God-given spiritual gifts).  You haven’t just learned knowledge that you can utilize.  You also have innate, natural abilities that come to you from your genetic makeup.  And the Holy Spirit has gifted you with one or more spiritual gifts as described in the New Testament letters.  All these combine to create a long list of talents you possess.

         Here are the questions you know are coming—How are you using your talents?  Where do you invest your knowledge and skills?  Have you shared your spiritual gifts with others to their benefit?

         Take a quick inventory.  What skills do you possess?  What specialized knowledge?  What spiritual gifts?

         Well, what are they?  I challenge you to make a list of what your talents are.  Go ahead.  Make an honest list.  Take a few minutes and write them down.

         Now that you have the list, what talents would you like to add to the list?  Write those down, too.

         How many of these talents are being used to bring glory to Jesus?  How many of them are strengthening the body of Christ?  How many of them are “the better gifts” that are designed to encourage and build up other disciples?

         At this point, it would be good for you to talk to the Holy Spirit and ask to be given the gifts He has available for you because scripture says He will give them out according to His will and His choice.  Then ask Him to help you develop any new gift He decides to give you and any new skill/knowledge He opens the door for you to acquire.

         Look at that list!  You are talented!  You have skills!  You have knowledge!  You have spiritual gifts!

         Use your talents to benefit the Kingdom of God.  If you are using some of them for other reasons than benefitting God’s Kingdom, ask yourself what those reasons are.  Then pray about the reasons that may not be helping others to get closer to God.  Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance if you believe you need to redirect some of your talents.  Ask God to show you how to use your talents best for your own growth, for our family’s future and for the advancement of the body of Christ.

         Remember, you will invest your talents into your priorities.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter # 30–Unity (1)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Unity is an elusive characteristic that we are told to strive to achieve.  We are told it is good when brothers can dwell in unity.  We should pray for unity.  We should seek it diligently.  We should encourage it.  But just how can we do this? 

         How can we develop unity within our congregation when there are personality clashes?  How do we achieve unity when the children of our leaders argue while in Children’s Church?  How do we unite if there are differences of opinion about how to move out of our four walls and into our community?

         To be honest, as far as I can determine, there are no “one size fits all” solutions to this challenge of creating unity.  There are some actions we can take, though, which will aid in the development of unity among our members.  Allow me to address one of these actions in this letter.

         A congregation that has agreed on a common goal and a plan to achieve that goal will usually develop a spirit of unity as the members do their part in working the plan.  In order to create that goal and its plan, there must be open and honest communication about the various possible goals and ways to achieve those goals.  All ideas presented must be accepted at face value and given the opportunity to be discussed and evaluated.  (Run it up the pole, brainstorm, dump the can and see what falls out, etc.)  Again, open communication and consideration is a must at this point.

         If you can get your congregation/leaders/committee to participate in that first phase of creating a common goal and a plan to achieve that goal, the hardest hurdle to unity is being overcome, and you will begin to see progress in creating the unity needed to achieve that common goal.

         But what do you do if you can’t get them to agree on a common goal and action plan?  If that’s the case, experience says you have a spiritual problem that is going to have to be faced and defeated before unity will arise in your people.  If you realize a small faction, a larger group, or even all the people are refusing to cooperate with others, there is some deception from the devil that has taken hold of minds and has convinced them they should not or cannot cooperate with each other.

         If this occurs, you will have to deal with the situation spiritually first before anything physical can be accomplished.  You will have to fast, pray, teach Biblical doctrine, counsel, encourage, face and conquer spiritual opposition, seek the Holy Spirit’s anointing and guidance and demonstrate love to your people every chance you get as you focus their attention on Jesus.  Then do that again.  And again.  And again.

         Dale Carnegie in the 20th century and Samuel Butler much earlier in the 17th century stated that a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.  In order to change a person’s opinion, the heart (the will) must change first.  If you can do your part as pastor to open truth to the people so the Holy Spirit can change hearts that are determined not to cooperate, that is all you can do.  It is the influence of the Holy Spirit spreading the love of God into hearts that can change them.  You can’t do that. 

         You can’t force the changes needed for unity to exist.  You can provide the opportunity for the changes to occur, but you cannot decide for someone else that they will change.  You face this every time you give an altar call for people to respond to the good news about Jesus.  You can tell them about Jesus and forgiveness, but you can’t make them choose to repent and seek forgiveness.  The same thing holds true for creating unity.  You can create opportunities for unity to be developed, but you cannot develop it in a heart.  God has to do that.

         If you will persist in doing your part and rely on God to do His, then you should be able to see unity begin to develop in your congregation.  When you begin to see the cooperation and mutual love that can exist in a congregation that is unified, all those prayers and seeking God will be rewarded as God’s presence envelopes all your people do together. 

         I’ve already written enough for you to pray about for now.  Remember lasting changes will occur slowly or quickly depending on the Holy Spirit’s presence and the people’s willingness to yield to that Spirit.  (I speak from experience here.)  We’ll cover more about unity in the next letter.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #26–Frustration

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Let’s talk about frustration for a bit.  We’ve all felt frustration.  When someone is a pastor, that feeling can appear from nowhere and last much longer than we would like to admit. 

         A carpenter can work on building a structure, and, at the end of the week, he can look on what he has accomplished because he can see visible results.  The frame is completed.  The roof is covered.  The windows are installed.  The walls are insulated.  He easily can review his progress, because the results of his labor are evident.

         Those obvious results of labor that can exist for a carpenter are not going to be so obvious for the pastor.  The pastor may teach on generosity for a month and not see an increase in giving of time, talents or treasure for six months.  The shepherd may steadily encourage his congregation to daily read their Bibles and not hear anyone mention having a regular devotion for the entire year.  The pastor may pray for someone to draw close to God’s forgiveness and not see anything happen for months, even years.

         Example: I once met a couple who started attending our worship services and discovered they were living together but not married.  I began praying that their relationship would be influenced by the Holy Spirit and that they would realize that marriage was God’s established institution and that their relationship should line up with God’s intended plan for one man and one woman.  After praying for them for over three years, they contacted me and asked me if I would lead a marriage ceremony for them.  I joyfully performed that ceremony and thanked God for that answer to prayer.  I admit that I had been frustrated that it took so long for them to ask to be married.

         The result of all that not seeing regular evidences of the ministry’s effects on the lives of the congregation can lead to frustration.  And when that frustration appears, it can have devastating effects on the pastor.  We all want to see that what we are doing is bringing positive changes into the lives of those to whom we are ministering.  But the reality is that our evidences many times do not come quickly.  In fact, we begin to wonder if they will come at all.  And we become frustrated and might begin to question our calling.

           How do we deal with frustration?  How do we battle that nagging thought that we are not accomplishing what we hope and pray about accomplishing for the cause of Christ?

         First, remember the source of the frustration.  God does not lead you into doubting His call on your life.  The Holy Spirit will not put thoughts of quitting into your head because of lack of obvious results.  Frustration does not come from the one who wants to see all come to repentance and to be forgiven.  It comes from the enemy of your calling, your very soul.  The next time you feel frustrated at what seems to be no results in what you are doing, remember that doubt, that fear, that worry does not come from good.  Frustration is from the evil one who is fighting your ministry. 

         Second, remember who made you, who called you, who empowered you and who promised you success if you will just trust in Him.  Jesus is the one who assured you that there will be a harvest if the seeds are planted.  Jesus is the one who put you where you are.  The Holy Spirit is your guide, comforter, teacher and source of energy.

         After remembering those two things and talking to yourself about what they mean to your ministry, go read Psalm 22.  Then read it again, slowly.  Can you see the frustration David experienced?  Can you sense his doubt and fear?  Now, do you see what David did in the middle of his frustration?  Do you understand how he dealt with it?

         Psalm 22 describes someone who is at a very low point.  It describes someone who is mocked, persecuted and at the mercy of enemies.  But that someone remembers what God has done in the past.  Then he prays for deliverance.  The next thing he does is state that he will proclaim God’s name to others.  He praises the Lord and declares future generations, even those not born yet, will hear about the wonders the Lord has performed.

         In the midst of his frustration, David turned to God and refocused on God’s power, protection, provision, promises and presence.  In the midst of your frustration, I encourage you to do the same. 

         Remember just how powerful God is and how the Father has placed all authority in heaven and on earth in the name of Jesus. 

         Remember every time God has protected you, not just form physical injury, but also from spiritual attack. 

         Remember every time you saw God provide for your own family and the families of those you shepherd. 

         Remember Jesus’ promises to those who place their trust in Him. 

         And remember how fulfilling, how empowering, how motivating it is to be in the Holy Spirit’s presence as you praise and worship your Lord and King.

         When you focus on all these memories, you will have found the key to dealing with and overcoming frustration that David found in Psalm 22.  Frustration may come, but you can defeat it.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #23–Changing Others–1

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         This letter will begin a mini-series on the topic of changing others. 

         The very first thing you need to understand is that YOU cannot change anyone.  You can lead them, advise them and make suggestions to them, but you cannot make the decisions that must be made in order for a change to occur in anyone, especially not in a whole congregation of people.  Only the Holy Spirit can bring in the changes that will help your people become more like Jesus.  Remember who is in control and who is building the church Jesus established so long ago.

         That being said–

         When it comes to changing others, after we start working on changing ourselves, there are numerous issues that must be addressed before any changes in a congregation can occur.  Do the people see a need for change?  Are they willing to make any changes?  Are they completely controlled by their routines and comfort zones?  How open-minded are they when it comes to temporary changes as opposed to permanent changes?  I could go on, but you get the idea.

         Then there are the unseen taboos that exist that are never mentioned until the pastor (that would be you) suggests a change, even if the change is for a few days.  Example: I once wanted to cover a painting, which was located on the back wall of the platform, with a large drape for a couple of weeks during a special sermon series.  When I mentioned the idea to the people, I was immediately reprimanded for wanting to cover a painting that had been donated by one of the “founding fathers” of the church.  The period of a few days was immaterial.  I wanted to cover a “sacred cow” in the minds of some of the people.  Sacred cows fall under the list of taboos.

         Back to the matter of changing others–Any time a pastor is faced with the understanding that a change needs to be made, there are some questions that need to be asked.  Is the change necessary for the spiritual development of the congregation, or is this a change motivated by the latest trends in congregational structure and operation that are being instituted in other locations?  Example: About fifteen or twenty years ago, a local pastor set up a week-long revival at his church and felt led by the Holy Spirit to invite different speakers for each night of the revival.  The revival was a glowing success.  The next pastor down the road decided to do the same and held a revival with different speakers.  The next pastor farther down the road did just like the others were doing and had several speakers at his annual revival.

         As I watched what was happening, I realized the first pastor had followed the direction of the Holy Spirit and had been rewarded with a great outreach to his community.  It appeared to me that the others had looked at what he had done and decided that God was now moving by having revivals with several speakers.  I’m not judging the others for their decisions.  I am merely stating a pattern that I saw developing during each repetition of the original revival.  Many churches still follow that pattern in our area years later.

         Getting back to the question, again—do you feel that the change will help your congregation grow spiritually?  If the answer is “no,” then ask yourself why you want to make the change.  Remember, your motivations will have a definite impact on your congregation and its future.  If the answer is “yes,” ask yourself what would be the best way to make the change.  Remember, as their pastor, you should always seek what is best for the congregation as the Holy Spirit directs your steps.

         Here are some suggestions when you believe a change will help your congregation grow in their relationships with Jesus:

         Pray, pray and then pray some more before introducing the idea of any change to the structure or operation of the church.  Then ask the congregation to pray with you as you seek the Lord’s guidance about the future.

         Informally bring up the change in conversations with various members of the congregation beginning with your leaders.  Ask them “How do you feel about….” types of questions and really listen to their answers.

         Be patient.  If you’re going to move the piano, do it one inch at a time.  Changes that are lasting should occur in small increments whenever possible.  People need time to adjust themselves to new things, no matter how small the changes are.

         Never make a change for the sake of change.  Always have a definite goal in mind, and be sure the goal will benefit your people in the long run.

         As led by the Holy Spirit, minister to your people about the control routines and comfort zones have over everyone’s lives and how to overcome that control through God’s help and direction.  Remember to use examples from your own life and from scripture when you do this.  Don’t try to point out their routines and comfort zones to them.  Rely on the Holy Spirit to do that.

         There is much more to discuss on this topic of changing others through God’s guidance.  We’ll address other things in the next letter.  You already have enough in this one to ponder and pray about as you lead your people into necessary changes.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #15–Honesty

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         That old saying “Honesty is the best policy” holds true in most aspects of life, especially in the small church setting.  Be honest with your congregation.  If you are having a rough time dealing with something life is throwing your way, be honest about it, and avoid the mistake of pretending everything is going great when you’re around your congregation.

         Small congregations have an ear to their community, and they’ll know if something isn’t going well in that community.  They may not bring it up, but they’ll know.  You might be surprised at how understanding they will be when you admit you’re struggling about something.

         No pastor is impervious to trials and setbacks.  No pastor is walking on cloud nine every single day.  So don’t pretend you are all the time.  Your congregation knows everyone is open to satanic attack, and they know everyone will have hard times, too.  Remember that they ask for prayer about things they’re going through and seek guidance and help in the hard times.  When you let them know your own prayer requests, you form a stronger bond with them through your honesty.

         Something else about honesty, never—NEVER—sugar-coat the gospel.  It’s great to preach about the love, mercy and grace of God.  Everybody loves those sermons.  But if you do not include God’s justice and punishment on evil, you’re doing your folks a great disservice.  Be honest about God’s judgment on wickedness, just as you are honest about God’s unconditional forgiveness for all who repent and seek that forgiveness.  Those who are under your spiritual umbrella need to hear about heaven and hell, not just heaven.

         If you are a small church pastor and feel God is leading your ministry to change something about how they all “do church,” tell them.  Explain what God’s guidance on this matter is and what the benefits are.  Include them in the decision-making process about any changes that are led through the Holy Spirit.  Have open, sincere conversations with them about God’s leading in your life as their pastor. 

         One last item today on this vast topic—avoid anything that remotely looks like manipulation when it comes to leading your flock.  Honesty in communication with them will dispel any idea the devil tries to plant in their minds that you’re attempting to get them to do something you want to do and they haven’t bought into yet.  Honesty in communication will also help you build more trust between them and you as their pastor.  When they can believe what you say, they should follow your lead as their pastor.

         When a congregation believes the pastor is honest with them, they tend to be honest with the pastor.  That honesty on both parts will benefit all concerned in the long run.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

    (PS—More about honesty later.)