Tag: wisdom

  • Letter #12–Encourage List

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Let’s look for a moment at the Old Testament figure of Jacob’s son Joseph.  God moved for Joseph by giving him two audacious dreams as a youth that became reality as an adult.  He put Joseph in the right place with the right people at the right time.  (Potiphar, the jailer and the cup-bearer were all connected to Pharoah, who was later introduced to Joseph.)  God gave Joseph opportunities to reflect his faith in God to others.

         God moved in Joseph through his trials.  Romans 5:3-4 lets us know that “we can rejoice when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” (NLT)  God used his trials to develop Joseph’s character to prepare him to guide a whole nation.

         God also moved in Joseph by giving him wisdom to be an administrator, wisdom which demonstrated itself as he was promoted by Potiphar, the jailer and, eventually, Pharoah.  Additionally, God gave Joseph an understanding of God’s purposes that were working in his life.  He realized God had set into motion events in his life that would lead to the saving of his own family.

         Finally, God worked through Joseph to be a blessing to others.  Every time he was promoted, his overseer was blessed by God.  Joseph’s ultimate authority in Egypt set the stage for the whole country to be blessed when every country around Egypt was in famine.  That action led to his own family being saved from the famine when they all moved to Egypt at Joseph’s invitation.  When Israel’s family moved to Egypt, God’s plan to give His chosen people their promised land moved another step closer to fulfillment.

         I’m writing this letter to admonish you and challenge you to create what I call an “Encourage List.”  We all need to be reminded from time to time that God will work for us, in us and through us.  We all need to remember just how far God has brought us, how much He has recreated us and how much He has accomplished through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

         I suggest you write down what God has done for you, in you and through you.  It will be okay if you need more than one piece of paper.  Then put that list on your refrigerator door so you can see it every time you open that door.  Read it to yourself.  Read it to your family.  Remind yourself of all that God has done for, in and through you since you became one of His children.  Encourage yourself with an “Encourage List.”

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #1–Everything

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

                Stop trying to do “everything” other congregations are doing.  You are not the pastor of the larger church that has several times more folks on Sundays.  You don’t have the same resources, the same members, the same calling.  Your calling is to your group of people and their community.  Stop trying to do what “everyone else” is doing.

                Please allow me to share a nugget of wisdom I received years ago from a cousin who has pastored churches of all sizes.  Seek the mind and will of God for your unique congregation, determine what the Holy Spirit is leading them to achieve, and then become experts at accomplishing that one thing.

                Your congregation is made up of people who all have different gifts and callings on their individual lives.  It takes all those differing people to achieve what God wants that unique group to do for His kingdom.  The same concept holds true for the overall body of Christ.  Each unique congregation, as a whole, has a special calling on its corporate life.  Find out what that calling is and build on it.  Help your congregation become famous for doing that one thing well.

                You will become frustrated, physically fatigued and feel like a failure if you try to do “everything.”  Your enemy wants you to think you have to be constantly busy doing stuff for God’s kingdom.  If you give in to the temptation to do “everything,” you will find yourself doing nothing well.  Find one focal point for your congregation and do that excellently.  If the Holy Spirit leads you to a second calling for your congregation, become expert at that, too.  (Notice that word “IF!”)

                Assemble your people regularly for worship.  Train them to be disciples of Christ. Commission them to go spread the gospel.  Then unite with them in ministry as you all fulfill God’s call on each life.  As you do these things, have enough faith in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to believe He will help you discover the calling for your congregation. 

         Stop trying to imitate others. 

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor