Tag: small church pastor

  • Letter #40 (Be an Encourager)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is the important, absolutely necessary, job of being an encourager to those who attend worship services.  Over twenty years ago I ran across a statistic that startled me.  It stated that by the time a child in this country reaches his/her teen years, the person has heard over 10,000 negative statements directed toward that child.  In other words, a North American teenager has been told he/she is a failure, stupid, condemned and not a benefit to a family or society over 10,000 times.  That is a travesty!

         It’s small wonder that modern teens have identity crises and seek encouragement from any place they can find it.  They are starving for someone to tell them they are loved and valuable.  They are seeking affirmation, and they’ll accept it from any source that is available.  The devil knows this, because he is the one initiating the negative, demeaning statements to try to destroy their self-worth and personal image.  And he is doing his best to provide affirmation in as many wrong places as he can arrange to bring into a life that is seeking acceptance.

         Now, consider this—there are just as many adults who have negative self-images because few, if any, have ever encouraged them in their whole lives.  They have been knocked down by life and constantly see themselves losers with no talents or positive future in sight.  Those adults need as much encouragement as the teens you will encounter.

         Teenagers and adults alike need to be encouraged.  When someone chooses to follow Jesus, repents and is forgiven through the grace of God, that individual brings into the new Christian life all that negativity from the past.  God has forgiven sins and made them a new creation through faith in Jesus, but the devil will use anything from their past he can in order to try to make them think they are still losers, just saved losers.

         This is where your influence as a pastor becomes so valuable.  You can show them changed lives in scripture and in modern life from people you know and how God uses regular people with regular problems to fulfill His work.  You can disciple them and help them to see they are now part of a great kingdom, a great family, a great spiritual nation, of priests, overcomers and saints.  You can help them learn just how important they are to the body of Christ and how much God loves them and will help them become all He wants them to be.  You can guide them into the knowledge that they are winners because of what Jesus has done in them, for them and will do through them as they lean on Him to become more and more like Him every day.

         You can be the person who gives them the opportunity to develop spiritual power in their lives as you disciple them.  You can help them discover their talents and the gifts given to them by the Holy Spirit.  You can be their encourager.

         Celebrate any good thing that comes into the lives of your attenders.  Congratulate them openly when they achieve something.  Send them birthday, anniversary and special occasion cards.  Make a big deal about it when they are baptized or join the youth group or decide to lead a discussion group.  Shake their hand when they enter the building and tell them it’s good to see them.  Talk to them, really listen and respond sincerely when they have questions, especially tough questions.  Build a supportive relationship with them as part of the family of God. (Remember Letters # 10 & 11)

         You can be the person who helps replace the thousands of negative comments in a person’s life with the powerful, encouraging words that come to them through scriptures, testimonies and acts of kindness and love centered in Jesus.  Be an encourager.

    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 #36 (Time)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         In the last letter, which covered the topic of Priorities, I dealt with looking at how we invest our time as one of the indicators of what we consider priorities.  Allow me to continue approaching this topic of time and how we use it for a few minutes, with emphasis on one use of time.

         We all know we only have twenty-four hours in a day.  Part of that day must be invested in resting and part of it in eating and taking care of personal physical needs.  The big question about time is, “How do we spend the rest of our time daily?”

         We are exchanging our time for something; that’s why we say we are “spending time” doing that something.  Well, what should we be doing, as compared with what we actually do?  As pastors, how can we most efficiently use our time to fulfill our God-given call and to utilize our God-given talents?

         We usually attempt to block out time for things like visits to congregational members, counseling, Bible study, sermon preparations, administrative duties, and a host of other responsibilities that go along with the written or perceived ministry of being a pastor.  However, I sometimes wonder if there is an aspect of being a pastor that we overlook and simply do not put near the top of the list.  That something is time spent in prayer.

         While conducting a School of Christ International missions training at a Christian campground my wife and I used to manage, Bro. Bert Clendennen had a standing rule for each day of the training.  The prospective missionaries/ministers were required to meet before breakfast daily at a set time and pray for an hour.  The first day one of the ministers attending was about ten minutes late for prayer.  He was reminded of the beginning time.       

         The second day that same individual was late again.  Bro. Clendennen pulled him aside and indicated to him that he needed to pack his things and return home.  Then that wise man of God told the late one that if he could not control himself enough to get up on time and pray for at least an hour before the day started while here in the states where there was no real pressure on him, he would never succeed in the field, because there he would need to pray for a much longer time daily in order to serve in complete dedication and submission to God just to be able to stay alive, depending on the country in which he would serve.

         I’m reminded of how the original apostles had the large group of disciples choose out seven men to take care of the feeding ministry during the beginning days of the church.  They said that would enable them to devote their time to prayer and the ministry of the word.  I often wonder if that would work today.  What if disciples in whom trust could be placed took care of the physical needs of a congregation and the pastors devoted themselves prayer and talking about Jesus?

         My question is this–How much time do we pray daily?  If the answer is a hour, is that enough time?  If the answer is two hours, is that enough time?  

         How much is enough will probably depend on your schedule for the day.  It may depend on how much you expect to be fighting opposition to the teaching of the word in your town.  There are many other things that can influence how much time we spend in prayer.  But the bottom line is, are we praying in proportion to how much we are ministering?  Those original apostles decided to devote themselves to prayer and the word.  I imagine that involved a great deal more prayer than is talked about today.

         I read an article on prayer years ago that made an impression on me.  The writer (whose name I cannot remember for this letter) told his secretary to hold all his calls for two hours because he felt that day deserved at least that much time in prayer before continuing.  She looked at his schedule and saw he had one appointment for counselling that day.  One appointment.

         We know we are admonished in scriptures to pray constantly, in all things, with faith, through the powerful name of Jesus and His authority.  We know Jesus set aside time to pray, sometimes all night.  We know we are to pray with understanding and in the Spirit.  We know prayer matters and that it gets results, and those results can be miraculous. 

         Knowing all these things, we still procrastinate when it comes to the actual activity of praying.  When it comes to time, is prayer a priority for us?

         I challenge you to look at your daily schedule and see if you can determine just how much prayer time you are putting in for the Kingdom of God.  Then ask yourself if you think it is enough.  Perhaps we all can do better in how much time we invest in our prayer life.  I know I can.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #34 (Personal Study)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         You probably have taught or preached from 2 Timothy 2:15, that verse in which Paul admonishes Timothy to study scripture so he could confidently instruct others about their meaning.  You may have done special scripture studies with your people for years, even decades.  There’s a possibility you hold one or more Bible studies weekly with those same people.

         I have some questions for you—in all those years of preparing for Bible study with your people, how has your personal Bible study progressed?  Do you even have time set aside each day in which you are not preparing sermons or group studies?  Are you studying the scriptures for your own knowledge, your own confidence, your own understanding?

         Let’s face the reality that our responsibilities as a pastor can interfere with our own personal Bible study.  Knowing we have to be prepared to preach and teach from the pulpit/platform regularly causes us to focus on that one responsibility while neglecting our own growth sometimes.  We want to be prepared with the right message at our main worship service.  We want to make sure our people are being taught sound doctrine regularly.  Therefore, we invest a great deal of time in the preparation needed for fulfilling those responsibilities.  Sometimes, however, that great deal of time uses up so much of our time that we do not study for our own growth.

         I know the Holy Spirit teaches us and preaches to us as we prepare for the sake of others.  And that does help us grow as pastors and teachers.  But that residual learning should inspire us to conduct deeper studies into God’s word for our own sake, not just theirs.

         When was the last time you preached a message and did further personal study on the main idea of that message?  How long has it been since you read through the Bible highlighting passages that seemed to jump off the page while you read?  Have you ever realized you needed to learn more about what God says on a particular topic because that topic is directly related to your own life?  Do you even have a daily devotional time when you ready, study and meditate on God’s word?

         I’m usually awake way before sunrise.  I discovered people don’t call you that early unless there is a serious emergency to be addressed.  That means there is ample time to do Bible reading and study.  One of my Bible apps sends a daily verse that is accompanied by a brief devotion.  Another one sends a passage with a longer, more detailed devotion.  I get a short spiritual reminder from someone I met while working on an intensive Christian weekend a couple of years ago. 

         I read them all, noting their main emphasis and how it applies to my own life.  And I admit I have thought about how they connect to me and prayed after reading them as the Holy Spirit pricked my heart about something.  I need these devotions.  I need these scriptures.  I need this time alone with God for my own growth.  I have learned that when I grow personally, I’m a better disciple of Christ.  And that makes me a better husband, father, grandfather and pastor.

         You may not be awake as early as I am.  But you have just as many hours in a day as I do, and you can carve out some time for personal Bible reading and study.  Your sermon and lesson preparations are good and useful, but they do not always focus on your own life, needs, joys and trials.  I encourage you to establish a personal regular Bible study time if you don’t have one already.  Don’t put this aspect of your spiritual growth off until tomorrow.  Start today.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #32 (Unity–3)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         The following is a list of various scriptures that deal with the topic of unity.  I encourage you to read them, including the contextual verses around them.  Unity—Ps 133:1, John 17:23, Ephesians 4:3 & 13 (NLT); Unified—Ezra 3:1, Nehemiah 8:1 (NLT); In One Accord–Acts 1:14; 2:1; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12 (NLT); (According to my concordance, there are 34 verses I did not list that come from the KJSV and the NLT that list the word unite/united.)

         In this third letter concerning unity, allow me to give you a “case study” of what can happen when unity exists from my experience as a small church pastor.  Our congregation had mentioned we should work on something to connect with the young people in our community who were related to our attenders or lived in our general area.  As we prayed and sought guidance from God on how to go about doing this, the idea of creating a safe place for young people to gather on a regular basis was brought up and discussed. 

         The discussions led to a major project that we decided to call The Landing.  The project was the creation of a large youth shelter with a platform on one end for various events, supplemented by a fire pit and sports areas.  The congregation began working on the project “in one accord.”  Through their enthusiasm, dedication and hard work that was covered in prayer, what we refer to as miracles began to occur.

         We had to clear over an acre of thick woods to create the building site.  One of our members worked for an underground utilities company.  The company donated the use of the equipment we needed to clear the woods and prepare the ground.

         The poles for the structure were donated by an individual.  We purchased the trusses, and when it came time for them to be set in place, a commercial contractor brought his crew two consecutive weekends to set them without cost to us.  (Four-man crew for 20 hours of labor) 

         The lathing for the trusses was donated by way of a developer who gave us over 120–2”x12”x14’ planks that were considered scrap concrete form boards.  A local man who owned a sawmill cut enough of the lumber to make the lathing (at no cost). 

         The structure was ready for roofing.  A large congregation in our area heard what we were doing and bought the metal for the roof.  A local resident who installs roofing came to direct and work with us to install the metal.

         It was time to build the platform.  We had enough planks left to create a 13’x40’ platform, but we needed to raise it off the ground.  I got word that a mason I know was cleaning around a house he used to store various building materials and I contacted him.  He donated 150 lightweight 8”x8”x24” blocks, which were more than enough to build the foundation for the platform.

         Some of the leftover blocks became the walls for the fire pit.

         We hired a local electrical contractor to install power so we could put up lights and outlets for night-time activities.  The power pole was donated by the same person who donated the shelter poles.

         Poles for creating a volleyball court were donated.  A moveable standard basketball goal was donated.  A set of small goals for children was donated.  A ski-ball table was donated.  A foosball table was donated.  A child sized billiard table was donated.  We bought an air-hockey table and built a sturdy ping pong table.

         This whole process took a little over 2 years of prayer, discussions, phone calls, decisions, work, scraped knuckles, sweat, hope and dependence on God to move for us, to provide for us, to keep us on track and to anoint our efforts.  God did His part for that small congregation that had to rely on Him to achieve what we were doing together, what we were united about, what we prayed about in one accord.

         Take another look at those scriptures in the beginning of this letter, especially the ones in the book of Acts.  Unity creates miracles.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #29–Dare to Be Different

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Have you noticed that many people seem to dress alike when they go to the same places regularly?  Or when they belong to a specialized group?  Or at work?  Or if they belong to a particular clique or social circle? 

         There exists in our societies today that thing called peer pressure.  We tend to succumb to that pressure when it comes to our clothes.  But something that disturbs me when it comes to peer pressure is that we also tend to succumb to that pressure when it comes to our calling as pastors.  We subconsciously, or maybe even consciously, attempt to talk, act and even think like other pastors we know.

         We find ourselves doing what other pastors are doing.  We find ourselves preaching similar sermons and leading our congregations in similar ways.  We might even realize one day that we are guiding our people to be just like other congregations in our areas without making sure from our source that we should be leading them in that direction.  (Remember Letter #27?)

         There’s something I discovered while pastoring—every congregation is different.  They may have similar heritages in a general geographic area or ethnic background, but they will be different.  They’ll have different individual needs and those needs will require different approaches.  They’ll have special circumstances and special emergencies and special, different, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fears, pressures, and uncertainties.

         They also have a multitude of varying dreams and goals and experiences.  They have different abilities, understanding and knowledge.  They have different spiritual gifts and varying discernment about life and its demands.

         Because your congregation will be different, you need to be different, too.  Earnestly seek guidance from God on how to lead your individual group of people.  Pray for discernment on how to address their special needs.  Seek to establish strong relationships with them and learn as much as you can about those little nuances in their voices and body language that speak volumes that the words don’t say when they talk to you. 

         They need you to be different.  They need you to lead them to their own solutions, not someone else’s.  They need you to be their pastor to their congregation, not another group down the road.

         For these reasons, I encourage you to be different.  Fast, pray, read your Word and spend time alone with your source in order to discover who you need to be for God’s glory.  Don’t try to do what other pastors do unless the Holy Spirit leads you in that direction.  Go in the direction your sheep need.

         Additionally, I challenge you to dare to be different because your own ministry is not going to be just like everyone else’s ministry.  I dare you to be different when it comes to how much you fast, pray, study and preach the messages the Holy Spirit directs you to prepare.  I dare you to not do what every other church in your area is doing.

         Dare to be different about who is called to speak at your congregation’s homecoming.  Dare to be different about the structure of your worship services.  Dare to be different when it comes to how many times a year you have a missions speaker.  Dare to be different as you plan out next year’s emphasis.  Dare to stop maintaining the status quo.

         Abram was different and left his father and family behind.  Joshua didn’t use military strategy against Jericho; he used God strategy.  David demonstrated a different kind of faith in the God of Israel in order to kill the giant.  Peter dared to speak boldly in the name of Jesus and thousands were saved.  Paul and Silas weren’t normal prisoners; they sang songs of worship in the middle of the night.  These people dared to be different and accomplished the deeds God had set before them. 

         What will God use you to do if you will dare to be different?

    Sincerely,

    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 #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

  • 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