Discipleship: Tips for Pastors and Other Shepherds

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the most sacred relationships in our everyday Christian life is the relationship the pastor of a church has with his people. God is not served when the people are dissatisfied with their pastor, nor is God served when the pastor has a bitter attitude toward his people.

Here are some helpful tips for building a great church. The tips speak specifically to the church pastor but apply also to other ministry professionals, lay leaders, or anyone else with the responsibility of shepherding others in the body of Christ.

Note that, throughout the following I use the pronouns his, him, etc. because this is standard English usage. This practice avoids the incorrect, current use of their and the cumbersome his or her. Also, as I said above, the term pastor can refer to anyone in a position of a shepherd.

To serve God in the body of Christ the people and the pastor should love one another, pray together, work together, and give together. So, to build a great church,

LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.

Ask God to bless you with a heart full of genuine love for the people you serve. This does not mean that you need to always condone what they do. As a parent scolds a child, the pastor who scolds his people because he is tired of their sinning and squabbling is wrong. A pastor whose heart is sincerely broken because of the sins of his people, and who scolds them for their own good (and not his) is right.

Many an otherwise intelligent, educated pastor has failed in his duty to God and to the church because of a fundamental lack of a deep, abiding love for his people.

PRAY FOR YOUR PEOPLE

The pastor should call the names of his people in prayer–especially those who have burdens, illnesses and heartaches. When a family is having trouble the pastor should pray for them. Often, a little note or a phone call from you will be a tremendous encouragement to individual members and their families.

DO NOT USE YOUR PEOPLE TO BUILD A GREAT WORK–USE YOUR WORK TO BUILD A GREAT PEOPLE!

Regardless of your own desires, it is not the job of the pastor to build great churches. It IS the job of the pastor to LIFT PEOPLE to be GREAT CHRISTIANS! To use people only to build great works misses the point of the church. It is the sacred task of the pastor to use great works to build great people.

The greatest product of a pastor’s effort is not to build monuments to himself, or even to God. Instead, the pastor’s task is to lead a Christian to growth in the grace of the Lord and not merely to see his membership grow. The individual is important for each one is created in the very image of God.

When the pastor learns to see his people as individuals and not as a flock, and learns to rejoice more over a Christian who grows in his faith than a building that is erected or membership roll that goes up, he has developed a TRUE PASTOR’S HEART!

MAKE YOUR PEOPLE FEEL THAT YOU ARE THEIRS.

People like to feel that they have a pastor, a shepherd; a leader. They want to feel that the pastor belongs to them and, equally, that they belong to him. Do not let yourself allow your people to feel secondary.

Spend time with them. Many pastors spend so much time with each other or with the high leaders of the church that their people feel they cannot fellowship with him themselves. Live with and among your people. Love them, pray with and for them, work with and for them, and seek their good–not your own.

GIVE THE PEOPLE SOME TIME AT HOME

Many of your people are tired. As pastors, you preach to them long and hard that they should have a Christian home. Then, you often give them no time to build and maintain that home. The pastor should encourage his people to spend time at home. Then he should take care not to plan such a heavy church program that it will consume all of their nights. With time at home together it becomes easier for the family to “pray together and stay together.”

When families know and understand that the pastor is genuinely concerned about their problems and concerns, they will love and appreciate him more–and support him in work.

For inspiring and encouraging information on building your church, take a look at the ebook Double Your Church Attendance.

Love,
Brother Bill

About the Author:

Bill Walker is the creator and webmaster of Everyday Christianity, which provides ministry and resources for Christian families. This article may be reprinted in your e-zine, e-book and/or on your web site so long as it includes this resource box and a link back to the website at http://www.EverydayChristianity.com.