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How Can We Help Pastors in the Church of God?

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **7/5/17 11:21 am**

The assignment to pastor a church is both exhilarating and exhausting and sometimes at the SAME TIME! I've been doing a lot reading this summer on Moses and other "pastor" models in Scripture and it is so apparent that leading people is harder than reading GREEK! During the past 3 years while working with the Center for Pastoral Excellence, I've come to some considerations:

Pastors are over-obligated and over-extended...in my coaching pastors, I find often that our pastors are deeply engaged with the responsibilities of the church to the extent that they are doing things others can/should/would do but in the absence of a good healthy volunteer culture or because of past experiences, pastors and spouses just take on more than they should! The load can be overwhelming with stress and time issues to the extent that other valuable relationships suffer and health problems crop up. Deciding what NOT to do is as valuable, if not more so that deciding WHAT to do in pastoral leadership. In a large southern state with 25 of the leading pastors (chosen by the AB) I asked the question "how many of you have a dedicated day of the week that you don't work and take off for personal or family time?" NOT ONE PASTOR IN THE ROOM RAISED THEIR HAND and several admitted that it had been years since they took a day off!

Pastors are isolated and disconnected from healthy community...the public posture of a pastor belies the truth that most pastors hide more than they admit--don't answer phone calls when they don't have to--and choose to handle issues alone because of trust issues. The result of this isolation is that they don't have support systems that strengthen and encourage them. We see pastors in our work often in trouble with no clue who to call, who they can trust to talk to and so they go deeper into depression, loneliness and frustration. A pastor in a strong church shared a few years ago his own struggle that led to an apparent suicide that thankfully failed. As we talked, he told me "I had no one I felt I could talk to about my frustrations." Thankfully, he found help and is on the road to full recovery. There are communities of support and help available to you. Consider joining a local PCG in your area. Our PCG program is now active in 26 states and regions and 5 countries around the world. If you are not involved, and would like to know more--message me.

Pastors find joy and satisfaction in empowering others...coupled with the first two, this one offers me great hope...I'm finding pastors who have discovered the joy in partnering to serve others through strategic partnerships in their city, region or globally. Ministry is best done in tandem (Moses/Joshua; Elijah/Elisha; Paul/Silas/Barnabas) and when we proactively engage with others we realize a greater joy in service and ministry. Mentoring and coaching provides tremendous opportunities for pastors to share what they know, have experienced with those who are yet to walk the same road. A group of pastors in SGA is uniquely configured for PCG--3 pastors under 35 and 3 pastors in their 70s and the leader was unsure how the demographics would work but as the older shared their journey, the younger were able to learn and when the older opened up to their intimidations about ministry to millennials, the younger became the teachers.

So Pastors consider this...

*Think Jethro--follow the sage advice to share the load
*Think Sabbatical--dedicate time on your calendar to get away from the ministry
*Think Rest/Worship--sleep and eat better, practice times of rest and meditation and rediscover your worship as a follower of Jesus Christ
*Think PCGs--join a group of pastors in your area for community, resourcing and support

I love Romans 11:29 and it's reminder to every pastor reading this that God has never changed HIs mind about what He has always believed concerning you.

Be encouraged Pastors...you are not alone and we pray for you always. You matter to me!

Bishop Bill[/b]

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 7307 **7/5/17 11:42 am**

Buy em a copy of "The School of Christ" as taught by B. H. Clendennen.

Best $50.00 they will ever spend. Very Happy

_________________
Charles A. Hutchins
Senior Pastor SPWC
Congregational Church of God

www.spwc.church

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **7/5/17 12:29 pm**

Not familiar with that book but here are a few that I'm promoting strongly...

The Measure of Our Success by Shawn Lovejoy
Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp
11 Indispensable Relationships You Can't Do Without by Leonard Sweet
Toxic Soul by Jason and Jeremy Isaacs (my sons) releases July 11 written specifically for pastors...

What others would you recommend?

Hey, DOC Posts: 70 **7/5/17 12:40 pm**

10 Things Every Minister Needs To Know - Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Acts-celerater Posts: 787 **7/5/17 5:15 pm**

The Holy Bible?
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“Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”
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Re: How Can We Help Pastors in the Church of God?

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **7/5/17 10:44 pm**

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **7/6/17 6:03 pm**

This is not to imply that EVERY pastor is in crisis--in fact, we know that many pastors are thriving and their family life is balanced and there is focus and purpose to how they live and lead. We celebrate them and feel as much to support and encourage them as others. This is a significant network of pastors globally and our call is to stand for one another and be aware of how vulnerable the work of pastor truly is.

My father and grandfather were pastors. I have two sons who are pastors. I've been a pastor (though it's been a few years) but have spent many years working side by side with pastors in a multitude of scenarios. I've come to the following conclusions from these and other experiences:

Pastoring is hard (not impossible) just hard and perhaps harder than its ever been (though Tom Sterbens will perhaps disagree). Why is it harder?

The commitment of people is undependable
The influence of culture is unmistakeable
The pace of ministry life is unsustainable

You agree?

How about you get

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **7/6/17 9:28 pm**

Them filled with the Holy Ghost, oops sorry, Holy Spirit. There you go.

Re: How about you get

Acts-celerater Posts: 566 **7/7/17 6:39 am**

Friendly Face Posts: 346 **7/7/17 6:56 am**

When I read this I spoke in tongues because I don't want to have problems today! I am glad I speak in tongues more than any COG pastor.
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Sanctification is subsequent to the new birth

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1274 **7/7/17 7:29 am**

Pastors are too busy with "things". I for one have the tendency to do this. We get busy with every small thing and forget to take time to take care of ourselves. We forget to sit down with our pastor friends, we forget to call our pastor friends and vent, we forget to go and play, laugh and simply have fun.
I am a DO and have had a couple gatherings with the pastors in our area. I have provided an environment where we can just be people and talk about whatever we want. We can joke and whine if we want to. I have no agenda except to let the Pastors be people.

Bill,
Why do we get so caught up in the minor things and forget to be human? What do we fear? Were we taught this? Is it ego?

Hey Apostle

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **7/7/17 8:06 am**

Your response is indicative of the problem. If you think being filled with the Holy Spirit is about tongues then we have a bigger problem than I thought. Maybe you might want to read Romans 8 again or the book of Acts. Being LED by the Spirit might alleviate some of the issues the OP brought up. Oh well, why don't you go back to reading John Mcarthur.

I was reading the diary of A J Tomlinson yesterday. Maybe you could try that.

Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia Posts: 4508 **7/7/17 8:25 am**

Friendly Face Posts: 346 **7/7/17 8:35 am**

working so far however the day is not over.
_________________
Sanctification is subsequent to the new birth

Re: Wayne

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **7/7/17 8:36 am**

You asked me...

Why do we get so caught up in the minor things and forget to be human? What do we fear? Were we taught this? Is it ego?[/quote]

I've been reading Nehemiah this month for devotions and study and it was the same for Nehemiah that distractions were always present and he had to decide what was important and what wasn't. In my coaching of pastors who come to me for help with time management, we talk a lot about deciding what is important and focusing on DOING ONLY THOSE THINGS THAT ONLY YOU CAN DO...(Andy Stanley). I'm confident your TO-DO list is over-obligated with things you do that perhaps others could/would/will do but because of past experiences (lack of commitment or follow-through by others) or hurts (disappointments, etc) leaders and spouses decide it's better to just do them yourself. The problem is that while you are doing things others could be doing, the important things that you need to be doing are put aside. Chuck Swindoll's great opening line in Living Above the Level of Mediocrity says the "tyranny of the urgent always drowns out the important!" and that is true of most leaders.

As to how we got this way, there are plenty of possibles...One is that our fathers designed the COG to be pastor-centered and pastor-led and so almost everything runs through the pastor and they are responsible for so much. Another is that we don't teach delegation--we spiritualize the leadership process and believe God will give us the strength that we over-extend to the point of ineffectiveness.

Maybe we are afraid. Maybe we feel if we can stay busy, look busy it implies that we are successful, making a difference, etc. Being effective is more than an abundance of things to do or people to be responsible for...it is deciding what NOT to do and where you will invest your gifts and talents for the highest Kingdom return.

Hope that helps and thank you for what you are doing for pastors in your area.

Bill

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/7/17 8:39 am**

Taking seriously the challenge of today's pastors

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **7/13/17 10:43 pm**

Its funny what we invest in and how we engage with one another. I read with amazement at times thinking about how much energy we waste while missing the real point.

Today's pastors are in a battle. According to pastors.com, more than 1500 pastors quit each month, some for reasons that are valid and others because they lost heart. Now, in the COG, our attrition is not that much but there is disconnect in our church and all of us must accept our part in the challenges of serving together, working together and caring for one another.

Though it may be that you don't know someone in a tough spot but chances are we all know somehow who might need a phone call, an "attaboy" or the privilege of our time. I spent the day today with 3--good and honorable men fighting battles of great consequence for themselves and their families.

The battle is on...may God bless our pastors and may each of us do our part to encourage a pastor today.

Bill

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/13/17 11:20 pm**

Just looking at my dad's situation, I think if some official stand on paid/hafl pay/some pay Sabbatical, it would have helped him immensely. Problem is most smaller churches cannot afford to pay a pastor and his fill-in.

If it could be coordinated somehow with retired ministers to fill in, who could also live off less 'offerings' but are burning to 'preach', it would be wonderful.

I meet retired ministers many times who retired before they were ready because they felt 'burned out'.

That is from the pew, from observations. Smile

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Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
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http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Re: Partnerships

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **7/15/17 7:02 am**

This is the essence of this original post--the need to coordinate and communicate our partnership with pastors for health and excellence. Pastor Bruce Phillippi of Mansfield Journey Life has developed and leads a very interesting and impacting sabbatical system in Ohio. This joint effort between the pastor, his/her church and the state office insures that the program is both healthy, healing and serves both church and pastor. Educating the church about what sabbatical means and how it benefits all parties is crucial and it is in this vein that Ohio has been very proactive. The matching funds from the state office also ensures that a pastor (full time or bi-vocational) can take the time without severe impact to family.

We can help pastors in the Church of God.

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **7/15/17 11:40 am**

I think something else that happens when the pastor doesn't delegate responsibilities to others is that it robs the Body of using her gifts as well. People don't use their gifts, just sit on the pew, and that makes them feel disconnected. Then when the pastor can't sustain the unbearable load any longer, people get mad that things they think are important fall to the wayside. Meanwhile, the pastor is struggling, but no one thinks that happens because he is the pastor! The pastor is not Superman, and it's time we stopped thinking he is.

We had a situation where something needed to be organized, and I asked a couple of people who usually helped out with this and their response was, "Let me check with the pastor." I said, "I guarantee he would be thrilled if one of you would do it."

Even while some of the responsibility falls on the pastor for doing it all, it also falls on the Body for not offering to use their gifts. I Corinthians 12 tells us He sets gifts in the Body. They are HIS gifts, not ours. He gave them to us for a purpose. We have to work together. If you see your pastor struggling, reach out to help him, reach out to help the church. The Body needs to be using their gifts just as badly as the church needs them used.
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