Tag: patience

  • Letter #28–Heritage

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         I had occasion recently to attend a Christmas worship service in the church house where I officiated my first funeral message.  One of my uncles passed, and I was asked by the family to present his eulogy and the funeral message. 

         The building was erected in the late 1800’s.  You can see the footprints and handprints of its builders in the rough-sawn planks that cover the ceiling, walls and floor.  It was the same church house and cemetery where my maternal grandparents were laid to rest, as well as my mother and all her siblings.  Numerous cousins and extended family members either had their funerals there or had been interred in that cemetery.  You could say my family has deep roots in the place. (No pun intended.)

         Sometimes a small church pastor is sent by God to such a location as the one I just described.  As the pastor begins ministry in that congregation, the heritage of the congregation can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.  Many congregations have great histories.  Revivals of the past, record missions offerings and long-established spiritual traditions all reflect the heritages of many small congregations.  However, the memories of those past events can become a two-sided coin that impedes the progress of a congregation’s spiritual growth.  The memories can become the focus of the people, who long to see those memories come to life again.  And their focus on the past can slow their movement into the future.

         A small church pastor should tread patiently and carefully when it comes to the heritage of a congregation.  Trying to deal with any aspect of a congregation’s heritage that may be hindering their spiritual growth is tricky business that requires much prayer and discernment from God.

         The pastor should learn as much as possible about the history and traditions that exist in a congregation.  Some things will be pleasant memories that are casually discussed and some things will be so ingrained in the congregation that they are considered as absolutes to their operation and will be expected to be held in extremely high regard, almost to the point of idolatry.

          Examples: A congregation in a neighboring county accepted the use of a computer and projector for singing without much opposition because they enjoyed being able to worship without having to hold a book when they wanted to clap along with a song or raise their hands as they worshipped.   I also know of a congregation that would wait until a particular member would quietly raise a hand and start to weep before anyone else would express any reaction to an inspiring sermon.  Their comments about this included a statement that the individual knew when God’s spirit was moving and no one wanted to “get ahead of that person” during worship.

         Once the pastor has learned about the history and traditions, prayerfully consider what has been learned to determine if anything is standing in the way of the congregation getting closer to following Jesus.  If there is anything, then slowly, graciously and lovingly broach the subject after asking the leadership to help you pray about something.  Remember to bathe every decision in prayer, seeking the guidance and timing of the Holy Spirit when dealing with anything such as this.  As with any change, speak to your leadership before speaking to the general congregation.  Be sure the leaders are willing to make any adaption to a tradition.

         Keep in mind that those folks who are the backbone of the congregation have much time, money and effort in the history of the congregation.  They are the ones who probably did the cooking, painting, sweeping, repairing, singing, praying and witnessing that were integral parts of any heritage they have.  And if they were not the ones, their parents and grandparents were.  They have family ties to their past, in all likelihood.  Remember how thick blood is.

         Those parts of the heritage that are blessings and points of encouragement should be celebrated when the occasion arises.  You might remind the current members how their ancestors would pray earnestly for revival and encourage them to do the same.  You could point out how growth in numbers usually came after those prayers were coupled with community-wide evangelistic outreaches that they could do themselves.  Honestly admit to the people when the traditions are helpful and point out how they bring people closer to Jesus and encourage them in their faith.

         You might have a heritage, with its traditions, in your own family.  Remember how much that means to you.  A congregation feels the same way about its heritage and traditions.  The local congregation’s past can be a source of inspiration and encouragement for your people.  Seek God’s guidance and anointing as you approach the reality of having to patiently deal with the good side and the unfortunate side of any local heritage.  As I mentioned in Letter #27, remember your source, especially when you deal with a congregation’s heritage.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #24–Changing Others–2

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         In the previous letter, the third suggestion I made for a pastor attempting to make a change in the operation of a congregation was to be patient.  I gave the example of moving a piano one inch at a time.  Please pay attention—fast changes that occur through the authority of the pastoral position only, without including the ideas and opinions of the leadership and general congregation as a whole, usually last only as long as that individual is the pastor.  They will not necessarily become permanent, regardless of the success the changes bring into the worship of the congregation.

         Remember comfort zones and habits?  People have a tendency to revert to old habits and preferences whenever the driving force of a “new thing” is no longer present.  In order to continue to bring more successes, the change must replace the old habits and preferences, not simply delay their return.        

         For that replacement to occur, there must be a consistent repetition of the “new thing.”  The change has to be presented often with highlights on the successes that occur in order for the new habit to be established in the minds and lives of the members of the congregation.  Repetition will take time.  Replacement of old habits takes time.  Creating support for new preferences takes time.

         Example: The platform of one of our facilities was very small.  It was so small that it quickly became overcrowded when one or two new instruments and people were added to the singing portion of our worship services.  In the center of the platform stood a large podium, complete with a door and shelves.  I approached the leadership with the idea of replacing the podium with a smaller stand for a short period of time in order to see if that would help with the overcrowding on the platform.  I explained why I felt it would be helpful to the music portion of our worship service and made the suggestion to the whole congregation before I moved the podium. 

         It took a couple of months of talking to the leadership and musicians in casual conversations before I actually brought it up to the congregation.  (Suggestion #2 from Letter #23.)  The podium was replaced on a temporary basis and remains replaced to this day.  The congregation had become accustomed to seeing the uncluttered platform and had accepted the change as beneficial.

         Not every change pastors feel led to present to a congregation succeed.  One of the most significant changes that occurs in congregations is associated with the music program and the songs that are sung.  Traditional hymns are valuable to any congregation and their spiritual development.  Praise choruses are, too.  New songs with verses and choruses are, too.  Changes in music styles need to be prayerfully approached with a great deal of patience. 

         I discovered it takes time for a congregation to accept and begin using new songs on a regular basis.  Be patient when it comes to using new music in a congregation that has not had new songs introduced very much.  This is true for any group, even a congregation that is composed of young couples who have usually sung contemporary music, although I’ve noticed that young people will accept different music quicker than older folks simply because they are younger and have not been singing the same songs for forty years.

         Sidebar—If you want to introduce a new song or a new music style to an older congregation, it might help if the singer/musician is a child or grandchild of someone who has been associated with the congregation for a long time.  People can be more accepting if the new sound comes from a family member.

         I made these statements about music because I have seen instances in which a pastor introduced new songs or styles to a congregation with what appeared to be some success.  However, as soon as the pastor moved on to another location, the music reverted back to older, more familiar songs.  The song leaders were cooperating with the pastor in the new music, but they did so only because the pastor was leading in that direction.  As soon as a new pastor arrived, the old preferences for a different music style prevailed, and the new music disappeared.  Do be patient about creating an atmosphere of acceptance for new songs.  This particular change might take more time than you could ever imagine.

         It has been quoted that the city of Rome was not built in a day.  According to Discover Magazine, it took roughly 800 years from its foundation in 735 B.C. for Rome to reach its peak in its construction.  Hopefully the changes the Holy Spirit leads you to introduce will not take that much time.  But remember, replacing old habits and preferences will take time.  You’ll need to constantly remind yourself of this reality.  Be patient.

    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 #14–Waiting

    Dear Small Church Pastor

         In the letters “Timing” and “Seasons,” I mentioned the concept of waiting on God.  Allow me to expand on this concept. 

         Our natural self does not like to wait.  The culture in which we exist prides itself on speed, all things immediate and following the quickest path to any destination on our GPS maps.  Fast food restaurants abound with their drive-through windows, and we become anxious or, possibly, somewhat annoyed if we don’t have a response to the text we sent forty seconds ago.  Essentially, we are addicted to not waiting.

         However, our propensity to want things now, right now, is our undoing when it comes to the things of God.  God’s timing and the seasons he brings into our lives do not go according to our addiction.  God is not bound by time, space or anything else.  We don’t have clocks and calendars for His sake.  When God set the sun into motion and this planet revolving around it and spinning on its axis to create day and night and the seasons, I believe He did that for our sakes, not His.  And no matter how much we would like to do it, we cannot speed up God’s created flow of time that influences our lives.

         The idea that God is taking too much time to work out the answers to our prayers originates in our addiction.  The urge to take control of a situation to see if we can influence how fast a resolution to a problem is discovered originates in our addiction. 

         Try as we will because of our addiction to quickness, we cannot alter for good any of God’s intended purposes that are being worked out in His timetable.  I don’t mean to insult you, but neither of us is smart enough to take command of a situation and work it out faster and better than God can.

         Here’s the rub in this matter of waiting—our natural self, our fleshly self, our sin-influenced self does not want to wait to get what it wants.  That even applies when we are dealing with spiritual matters.  The carnal self wants spiritual matters to yield to its desires, wants, whims and plans, and it wants them to yield NOW.  Waiting is the absolute antithesis of our sinful self.

         Because it is directly opposed to our “self” and its wants, waiting is an activity that must be enabled through something other than “self.”  Waiting will have to come from a source that is greater than us.  It must come from the only source of which I am aware that can overcome our addiction.  That source is the Holy Spirit of God.

         Those fruits of the Spirit described in Galatians 5 include longsuffering (patience) and temperance (self-control).  It is only through the help of the Holy Spirit that you will be able to develop the self-control (being tempered) necessary to possess patience (being willing to wait) when it comes to your ministry.  These two qualities are a couple of the evidences that the Holy Spirit is in control of your life.

         If you are facing problems, needs, or anything else that causes you to seek God sincerely in your prayers, you will need to wait for God to answer your prayers.  The best way to be able to wait for the answers is to seek God’s help in developing your patience and your self-control.  Ask God to help you develop and demonstrate the fruits of longsuffering and temperance.  Ask Him to fill you so full of His Spirit that these fruits become part of your daily life.  Ask God to help you wait on His answers.

         While waiting, resist the temptation to take back control of any situation you have given to God.  While waiting, tell yourself regularly who the boss is and what He has called you to do.  While waiting, quote aloud what you might call “waiting scriptures” like Genesis 8:1 & 12, Genesis 49:18, Psalm 5:3, Psalm 25:5, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 40:1 and the famous verse Isaiah 40:31.  While waiting, write down every time God has answered a prayer at just the right time.  While waiting, tell someone about how God has fulfilled His promises to you.  While waiting, occupy yourself in ministry to others.   

         Above all, set your mind and will on waiting through the help of the Holy Spirit.  You’ll have to choose to let Him, but God will help you wait.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor