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