Being a small church Pastor in the 21st century

6 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

As a pastor I do a lot more than giving myself continually to prayer and ministry of the word, and that is life in a small church in a world that doesn’t value church... or is it?  Recently, a well meaning Christian, brought up a ministry I have done some work for but he wanted more done.  He brought up “putting feet to our prayers.”  There is some truth and there is some deception in that statement.  The truth is, don’t pray for people to come to church or get saved, if you are not inviting or witnessing.  God generally won’t answer a prayer like that.  The great commission and expansion of it in Acts 1 is oriented on us doing something.  Yet as a pastor, there is a danger.  If I miss visiting someone I get, “I’m disappointed in you,” or if one of the myriad of ministries I’m involved in could be better, I often get advice on what I should be doing... more:)  I’m not against visitation or being an administrator but in 21^st century America, but this simple passage in Acts 6 goes unnoticed.  I’m a part-time pastor who is a coach, writer, father, husband, release time teacher, youth leader assistant, Awana Commander, and community member.  I’m not complaining, I love those roles!  I’m not complaining about my church, for they are okay with me doing these things:)  But I wonder if people see me as superman more than a fellow brother-in-Christ.  Yes, I need to be doing the Lord’s work, but as a pastor, what is that work?  Most American Christians would list feeding the poor (the role God gave deacons ((what Baptists have renamed Trustees)), fixing the church, visiting the sick and elderly, being out among the youth, being a community member, doing funerals and weddings, and so on.  I find it interesting that the focus of a pastor is supposed to be prayer and word... the opposite of doing the role of a Levite in the OT.  I’m not too good to do such necessary jobs and in a small church, where we all wear many hats, I think it is good for a pastor to be involved in such tasks.  But Biblically these things are not to be my focus.  I once explained this to a Pastor and he was resistant to what I was saying.  “They were the pastor to thousands,” he said slowly, “we don’t even pastor a hundred.”  That sounds good but listen to I Timothy 4:13-16.  “13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.  15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.  16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”  Biblically speaking, teaching the Bible and praying are my primary jobs.  Most Christians would agree with this but yet they act like they want a Martha attitude in the ministry and not a Mary one.  I’ve literally been asked what I’m going to do to replace graduating teens, to reach our entire area for Christ, or to meet financial needs.  I do many youth programs, do outreach, and have done fundraisers for our new Youth Center, but I’m just one person.  When I say, “We need to pray about it,” sometimes it feels like people think, “Yeah, sure, but what are we REALLY going to do about it.”  Sometimes I spend my week literally preaching to the lost and I get a “we’re not reaching the lost speech!” from a fellow believer.  Or if no one gets saved at that ministry that year it is a total failure.  The answer tends to be “we need to do things like churches did years ago,” or “we need to do new things like (fill in the blank with some pastor with a best seller on how to fix the church).” 

I used to be brethren as a child, so maybe I have a different perspective.  Brethren despise Pastors and feel that we hamstring the body of Christ.  They feel like we are the hired gun, doing things the people should be doing.  This is a deep conviction of theirs.  You can hear it in their voice and see it in their face as they tell you the dangers of having a “professional pastor.”  I disagree with them, obviously... I am a pastor.  Yet some of the dangers they warned about are common in Baptist churches.  

This is hardly just a Christian tendency.  As a coach, we can be having so much success during the year and I still hear what league team I should be patterning our program after or the latest coaching theories.  “Just make them run ten miles,” some say, with no comprehension of what that actually means.  Some wish they had a better coach from a rival school.  Whether a pastor, a coach, or whatever you are, you will be always second guessed or criticized.  But for a pastor, there should be a difference.  God’s Word should weigh in on my role and function.  I don’t read anything in God’s word about hospital visitation, feeding the poor (as a pastor), marrying people, or burying them.  I’m glad to do these things but they are not my primary job.  What is my job?  “ Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”  Most believers would be like, “Obviously!” but it is only a head knowledge.  If the church goes down the tubes it is the pastor's fault.  If the lost aren’t being saved, it is the pastor's fault.  If something doesn’t get done, it is pastor's fault.  So very little value is actually placed on my preaching and prayer life.  That is life in the ministry in 2019 in the United States.

Inviting People to Church Part I

Title: Inviting People to Church
Part I

Marketing.  As a solo author, I know the struggles in this area, and some churches are aware of the battles of marketing too (a good many churches are struggling with apathy or discouragement to try to do marketing).  BUT you don’t need an expensive (possibly unsaved organization) to help you.  God’s word has already laid out the problems we will face and how to overcome them.  God warns us the rich are not that interested in him.  HE is interested in them, he loves them too, but they do not generally seek him (Matthew 19:23).  In the parable of the wedding feast, the King's servants, go out and get the poor (people who are more likely to need help than be able to give it, Pr. 14:20), the maimed (people who don’t measure up to NORMAL people I Corinthians 12:22), the blind (“useless” people - Ephesians 4:28), and the lame (those who can’t do very much for our “organization”).  Then they are told to go grab everyone else.  (Warning: This shows you the answer to your budget problems is NOT higher attendance:)  Many Christians, especially those in conservative culture, tend to adopt everything unsaved conservatives say because they agree with us on a few Biblical issues.  There is a HUGE difference between us.  We should not be working to “get ahead” but for a treasure beyond this life (Matthew 6:20-21).  We are similar to conservatives in that we have high work ethic, jobs tend to like us, but it is because of Christ (Col. 3:23), not to get wealthy or become more “successful.”  The world does not understand that kind of motivation.  It understands Socialism and Communism (man’s attempt to make everything “fair”) and it understands “the desire to get ahead” Capitalism.  It will not understand people who are working hard to be successful beyond this life.  Our problem is we don’t realize that the rich have no desire for heaven.  In our culture, even our middle-class is very rich compared to other countries.  God already warned us that people that have money will be too wrapped up in 1. Future business opportunities, present work, or life happiness (especially family).  “Yeah, I’ll come to church sometime,” they say too wrapped up in this life.  2. Every day business "I have to work on Sundays" or 3. Family time.  "That is our only day to relax!"  These are the three excuses in the parable.  1. "I've just bought a field" (Future potential) 2. "I just bought a yoke of oxen and need to break them in (current work) 3. "I just got married" (family time).  I hear these excuses all the time but God isn't interested in them.  They are the excuses of a rich culture too busy to spend time with their creator!