Tag: talents

  • 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 #35 (Priorities)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 both state, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also”.  It can also be said that you invest your time and your talents in those things that are important to you.  In other words, you will put your time, skills and money into those areas of life that you consider important enough to require your focus and devotion.  These areas can be referred to as your priorities.

         I don’t watch much television, but I recently happened to see part of a football game that was televised from a large outdoor stadium.  It was snowing and, based on the clothing people were wearing, quite cold.  According to an article from the New York Times from September 5, 2025, the average cost of a ticket to attend such a game is $279. 

         The typical pro game lasts about 3 hours.  That does not include driving time to and from the game or any side trips for meals or the famous tailgating parties.  Attending the game would essentially take the better part of a day and would, all incidental expenditures considered, involve a hefty empty space in each attendee’s wallet.

         Based on the money and time investments, I would venture to say that attending that game was a priority for the people sitting on those snow-covered bleachers. 

         Humor me and allow another example from a situation closer to home, so to speak.  A young couple we know came to worship complaining about not having enough money to repair their malfunctioning HVAC unit.  They talked about how their month seemed to always be more than their paychecks.  I knew the husband had a very nice newer truck, and the wife had her own vehicle, both with payments.  Then the wife said two statements that shed some light on their financial situation.  She first commented that they were going to be short on finances the whole season and did not know where they would get the money to pay all their bills.  Secondly, she revealed they would soon take a trip to a theme park that would cost them over $1,000 for a weekend stay at the park.  She had unintentionally revealed their priorities.

         Please do not misunderstand me.  There is nothing wrong with attending a sporting event or going to a theme park.  I have participated in similar activities.  However, I do understand we all will rationalize our “priorities” from time to time to make ourselves feel good about our expenditures of time, skills and money.  I’ve done that, and I dare think you may have, too.

         Here’s the rub with this priority topic—when we set our priorities, what do we use to establish a standard for setting those priorities?  Where do we draw the line on using our talents?  How much is too much to spend for something not already budgeted?  What is “wasting time” as opposed to “using time wisely?”

         Our priorities will determine the paths we take in life.  When we realize this fact, we should determine if our priorities are lined up with God’s will for our lives.  We must ask ourselves if our priorities demonstrate that we are living according to God’s call to minister to others for His kingdom’s sake.  We must take a serious look at those things we consider to be most important and determine if they coincide with what God says should be most important.

         Serious stuff, right?  Absolutely!  So, where do we turn to find out what God wants us to establish as our priorities?  You know the answers—scriptures and prayer.  But how often do we not go to those sources when we promote things in our lives into the position of being priorities?  How often do we do what we want, instead of seeking God’s guidance on how important something should be in our lives?

         Please do not take this letter as a personal condemnation.  It is a challenge.  Allow me to challenge you to sit down with whatever you use to take notes and begin to list where you spend your money, how you use your skills or talents and where you invest your time.  These three indicators will show you what you consider a priority.  Once you have done the identifying, then prayerfully go to scripture and seek God’s guidance on what you need to keep on the list and what you can reduce or eliminate from the list.  Remember, your priorities will motivate you and influence what you do, where you expend your energies, and how you invest your resources.  Just be sure your priorities agree with what God wants you to consider important.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #25–Generosity

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         (This letter may strike a nerve or seem controversial, but I present it with all the grace and concern I can muster from my experiences.)

         According to a minister who was associated with it, there is a very small church located in our area that has a bank account totaling over $100,000 (That’s right–one hundred thousand dollars).  It has a small facility.  The congregation is quite small in number.  You might ask yourself how this could happen.  It may be that this happened because they did not share their financial blessings with anyone else over a very long period of time.  They merely banked them “in case we need the money.”

         The building is well-kept.  The grounds are neat.  They even have a newly designed sign out front.  But they are lacking something, and it reveals itself in the few cars and trucks parked on the grass when they meet.  They are so “thrifty” when it comes to spending money that, in the eyes of those who are familiar with their situation, they appear to lack generosity.

         The lack of generosity in financial matters has a way of spreading to every other area of a congregation.  Its insidious influence can be seen in the lack of outreach to a community.  It shows up in no new faces in the worship services for months, even years.  The lack of generosity is revealed in the percentage of income that is invested in local, regional, national and world missions annually.  It is evident in the lack of new salvations or re-commitments to God recorded during a calendar year.  It is demonstrated in the reality that few, if any, members of a congregation have ever shared their faith with anyone else.

         Generosity is a mind-set.  Generosity is a lifestyle.  Generosity is a valued characteristic of people who understand that blessings are designed to be shared, not hoarded in self-interest. 

         Generosity is the opposite of a clenched fist that desperately tries to hold onto blessings in fear of losing them.  Generosity is the open hand that freely gives because it has feely received.

         Allow me to encourage you to teach about, encourage and promote generosity in your people.  As you teach, encourage and promote, remember that generosity includes more than just money.  It also includes time and talents. 

         You might want to present a series of messages that show how time, talents and finances were generously shared in the Old and New Testaments through the free-will offerings as well as through tithes, through working together to achieve common goals and through dedicated time investments that benefitted people.  Then you might highlight examples of generosity from all three areas in your locale. 

         As you lead your people, provide opportunities for people to give their time, talents and money toward missions, community outreaches, local charities or joint work projects with other congregations.  Encourage them to be generous toward others individually as they encounter needs around them.

         Set an example of generosity in your own life.  If you are giving of your own blessings toward them and others, some of them will eventually realize you are practicing what you are preaching.  Examples are great teachers.

         One of our pastorates involved a congregation that had learned the value of generosity.  One year as I looked at what we had accomplished through outreaches into the community, I realized we had invested thirty-four percent of all our income into local, state and national missions.  I know that’s not a record, but I also am keenly aware of the limited incomes of the families in that congregation.  They gave in their own need.

         During that same year, we volunteered to provide labor to rebuild a home that was terribly deteriorated for a single lady.  The rebuild took months of weekends and vacation time to accomplish.  We also fed over 300 people each month at our missions dinners.  That congregation had invested themselves generously in the cause of the Kingdom of God by sharing the blessings God had sent to them.

         As with all aspects of ministry, developing an attitude of generosity will take some time if it does not already exist in the people.  If the attenders are already tithing, fostering generosity may be easier to accomplish.  If not, the people need to understand their responsibility to the tithe, a responsibility that reflects an understanding that God already owns all our resources and that we are simply giving back into His Kingdom work that which He can acquire in any method He chooses to use.  And tithing does involve generosity in general, in my opinion, because it involves giving from what we have into a need that should be met through the congregation.

         If you are blessed with a congregation that understands what a free-will offering of time, talents and treasure entails, you are at a definite advantage over someone who is having to start from scratch by teaching about giving in general.  Such an already generous congregation often will continue in their giving in ways that may surprise even a veteran pastor, because they are individually meeting needs that are never openly mentioned to the whole congregation.

         Example: I know of someone who often has helped older people who have trouble operating a new smart phone or a new laptop to access the internet.  (I suppose generosity can include sharing knowledge, too.)

         A final thought that may stimulate your curiosity—take a minute to search out the word “freely” in the Bible.  It can give you one starting place when it comes to promoting generosity.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor