"I was a stranger and you took me in" (Matthew 25:35). I am thankful for the many people in my twenty-five plus years of ministry that "took me in." Each time a pastor moves to a new church, he is a stranger to the church and community. One of the best ways a church can get to know their pastor and his family is to invite them to join you. Here are five ways to get to know your pastor and his family. 1. Invite your pastor and his family to lunch on Sunday. Believe it or not, your pastor may not already have plans for Sunday lunch. A simple invite to join you at a local restaurant would be a welcomed opportunity. If he does have plans, keep asking or make plans for the following week. 2. Invite your pastor to join you at a sporting event. I still have the ticket from a UK vs. UNC basketball game in 2004 in which a church member invited me to attend with him. Through the years I have been to dance recitals, wrestling matches, horse shows, high school football games, band competitions, and more because of a simple invite. This doesn't have to be a ticketed event. Invite your pastor to watch "the big game" on television with your family. 3. Invite your pastor and wife to join you at something you enjoy. I have friends who have annual traditions (many at Christmas) and have invited us to join them in their traditions. For example, one couple invited us to join them on a "drive thru Christmas light show." Another couple invited us to join them for a Christmas concert. Another couple invited us to join them for Christmas at "Old Salem" in North Carolina. Your pastor and wife would enjoy spending this time with you. 4. Invite your pastor and family over for dinner. It doesn't even have to be fancy. In fact, the paper plates and plastic-ware would be just fine. Your pastor isn't there because of the fine china, but because he genuinely wants to get to know you. He might even enjoy sharing in one of your favorite card or board games. 5. Invite your pastor to a community event with you. Your pastor may not be aware of all the local events in a community. He certainly may not have time to attend them all. However, if he is attending the event with church members, it would give him an opportunity to spend time with you. I've been invited to Christmas parades, Relay for Life, community festivals, the county fair, and more. Your pastor will enjoy these events much more if he is attending them with someone from the church. Here's the key: lather, rinse, and repeat. Don't just make one invitation. Relationships are built over time. Your pastor really does care about you and wants to get to know you. Just remember, he's the "stranger" and "take him in."
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It saddens me each time I hear of another pastor who has lost his ministry. Sometimes they leave ministry due to burnout. Sometimes they have been hurt so deeply by the church they cannot continue. Sometimes they love the things of the world too much. Whatever their reason, they have abandoned their post. Scripture offers us a great contrast between two men in ministry... Demas and Mark. Demas is only mentioned three times in the Bible. The first mention identifies him as a "fellow laborer" with the Apostle Paul (cf. Philemon 1:24). The second occurrence only mentions his greeting to the church at Colosse (cf. Col. 4:14). His third and final mention indicates he has abandoned the ministry (cf. 2 Tim. 4:9-11). My conclusion... don't be a Demas. ;) Paul doesn't provide the details as to why Demas has abandoned the ministry. Perhaps a moral failure, the persecution was too great, or some other reason. Paul simply says that Demas' desires were a worldly focus. The same passage that indicates Demas' abandonment (i.e. 2 Timothy 4:9-11) also indicates a desire for Mark to join Paul in his work, "for he is useful to me for ministry." There is a great contrast here between Demas and Mark. Mark abandoned Paul on his first missionary journey, but found redemption and ended strong. Demas began strong with the Apostle Paul but abandoned him for the things of the world. My conclusion... be more like Mark. Ministry is hard work and your pastors need your prayers! Pray that God will protect them from moral failure. Pray that God will protect them from persecution. Pray that the church will actually be an encouragement to their ministry as opposed to a discouragement. If you don't want a "Demas" for a pastor, pray for him. A youth pastor and his wife tell of a story in which they were struggling to make ends meet financially. Their bank account was down to a few pennies. They were getting paid the next day, but they didn't have enough money to purchase basic things they needed before the next day, including toilet paper! The couple was reading Philippians 4:6-7 and decided not to worry about their circumstances and take it to the Lord in prayer. Later that night, they heard their doorbell. When they went to the door they discovered their church youth group had affectionately "rolled" their yard with toilet paper. Seemingly out of fear of being caught, they didn't use all of the toilet paper and instead used only one roll and left the remainder on the front porch when they rang the doorbell. God had answered their prayer! |
AuthorDr. Chris Dortch has been in vocational ministry since 1993. His blog is aimed to "equip the saints for the work of ministry." Archives
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