Knowing Your Source

In nearly a decade of ministry, I have learned a lot about what pastors and staff are expected to do in churches. What is interesting to me is that often times these expectations differ depending on the culture, location, makeup and history of the church. For a long time, many country pastors were nothing more than hired help that a local group contracted to care for their needs.  Visit them, even when they aren't sick or call on their family to share Jesus with them, so they don't have to do it themselves. They were to have a message each service, but it couldn't be a message that actually caused conviction, or the members would get upset and after all, we can't have convicted and upset members.  But as times have changed and more and more "doers" of God's Word have taken their called places in Pastoral leadership, we are seeing the differences between Pastor and Preacher become clearer and clearer.  In this post, I want to focus in on some things that church members have been relying on their Pastor to do, when he/she isn't equipped or capable of doing it. I call this, "Know Your Source" because it is important to know the source of your power.

The following list contains three things that are impossible for Pastors to do and yet God can handle them with ease.


1) Read Minds: My ministry years are full of amazing God stories and awesome experiences. However, they are also full of regrets and mistakes that have served as opportunities to learn. I remember at a church I was serving in, very early in my ministry, when a member approached me with something I had not done. I told this member that I had no idea this person wanted me to do that to which they replied, "You’re the Pastor, you should have known."  My regret was that I reacted instead of letting God react and I said to this person, 'I'm not a mind reader, you know?"  To which they honestly replied, "Well, you have to be if you're going to be a pastor."

Perhaps what they meant was that I needed to see things coming a little better and I can actually agree that as time has passed, God has gifted me to see the storm before it gets here...sometimes...not always.   Regardless, your pastor cannot tell you what is going to happen. The best they can do is tell you what God has instructed them to do, the direction the church should go and what they think needs to happen to get there.  It's not that the Holy Spirit doesn't guide us (all of us, believers!) but that just as you have a hard time discerning God's voice sometimes, so does your pastor.

The God Answer: God, however, can read your mind.  So if you desire something, God already knows. If you are thinking bad thoughts, God knows that too.  That's why the old hymn tells us to take everything to God in prayer.  God knows what we think, need and even want. Your pastor can't be your God. Let God be your God!

2) Be Everywhere: There is a fancy word for this and it is "omnipresent" which means, be everywhere.  If your pastor has a family, he can't possibly be at your beck and call. Believe it or not, his family is much more important to the success of his pastorate than you are.  That may sting a little, but scripture is clear time and time again that a pastor must have things in order at home and that means he must be with his family. The quantity of time is not nearly as important as the quality of time. So if you really want to call your pastor at 8pm and tell him about your day, but it's not an emergency (defined as something life or death, mind you) it can wait. You should respect him and his family and let them spend time together.

Another consideration is that if your church has deacons and they are biblical (which means they don't "run" the church, they support the helps ministry of the pastor) then you probably have one in which you can call in an emergency. This doesn't mean your pastor can't be called, but call your deacon first and then let him call your pastor if the situation warrants him coming.  It's not that he doesn't care, but unless your church has 35 or less, your pastor can't possibly be at every bedside or front door when someone stubs their toe.

The God Answer: God CAN be everywhere and IS.  Why is it that we are quicker to call our Pastor or Deacon than go to God? God is right there with us and when we need to talk to him, cry out to him or pray God is there and willing to listen and help. He loves us so much more than any human ever could and yet we tend to spend more time calling out for human support than that of our heavenly Father.  God is there the second you need him, so there is no waiting on God.  How often do you talk to God? How often do you listen?

3) Heal Your Pain: When I was a Hospice Chaplain I was surprised at how many believers wanted me to make the pain of losing a loved one go away.  For a while, I took it upon myself to try and make things better.  The fact is, I couldn't and neither can your pastor. What your pastor can do is hold your hand, cry with you and point you in the direction of healing which only comes from our Father.   The same goes with physical pain and while some believe that only the pastor can offer healing prayers to be heard by God, the truth is that all believers have access to God through the Son. The hard truth, beyond that, is that God doesn't always answer those prayers.

The God Answer: The Pastor cannot heal you. He can pray for you and he can encourage you. He can point you to scripture and the promises contained. But he cannot make your pain, whether emotional or physical, go away.  What God does is promise that his grace is sufficient to get you through it, even if He doesn't offer immediate healing. These are the times we must rely on him the most. When my back/neck flares up, I know I must rely on God to get me through it. I take it one minute at a time, which at times feels like hours, and I pray every time. I ask God to heal me and take away my pain. Sometimes He does, but it's only temporary.  Yet I remain thankful that even if I don't get healed on earth, I will be healed when I cross over into Glory Land one day!

There are so many things that we expect our pastor's to do and the truth is, our pastor didn't die on the cross for us, so we must stop holding up to the standard of Christ, in that respect.  I am interested in hearing from you! What are some things you've expected of your Pastor, that were way above his pay-grade?  While you think and share, I must tell you that it is that time once again........Off to the River!

 Chester

Top 5 Ways to Encourage Your Volunteers

Church volunteers are so important, mainly because no matter what you might think the pastor/staff should do, they can't possibly do it all.  Additionally, the church could not possibly pay every person (especially what they deserve) to do the work of the ministry.  This is why volunteer appreciation is so vital. I explored this concept of volunteer importance in my book Game Changers and today I want to give you (leaders!) five ways you can encourage your volunteers!


5) Thank You Cards: A thank you card can go a long way.  If you are the head of a department (and you might even be a volunteer department head, but this still applies) it is important that those under your leadership know how much you care.  Thank you cards are important and simple, but don't go cheap in the way you do it.  When your volunteer opens their card they need to see a hand written thank you note from you. Go into details as to why you are thankful God has placed them on your team. Don't simply sign your name, it looks tacky.

4) Gift Cards Are Great: Depending on your church's budget, or your own personal budget for that matter, buying a handful of inexpensive gift cards can be great!  When I was on staff as an Associate Pastor, I budgeted for volunteer appreciation.  We took time to purchase a handful of "FREE BUFFET" cards at the local pizza restaurant and each week I sent out three individual cards to my volunteers. I did this until all of our volunteers had received one and then I went to the local yogurt shop and did it again.  I heard from many how thankful they were to receive this gift and it wasn't that expensive.  Usually I spent around $5 per card and if you budget carefully, it is possible to do this often. Granted, the bigger the church, the harder this might be (and the smaller, perhaps more challenging as well) but generally speaking it's a great starting point.

3) Tell them "Thank You": There is nothing like hearing someone say, "I wish (my leader) acted like they appreciate me." Thank you's are free and if used correctly they can be a tremendous help to encouraging your volunteers. Too many times department leaders get caught up in their responsibilities and forget that the people God has placed with them to do the ministry are vital to it being done. No leader can do it on their own and those who try will burn out quickly.  That is why regularly telling volunteers how thankful you are for them and why (i.e. tell them how they add value to your ministry and the church) is something that should be done weekly. You might not tell the same person thanks every week, but you should be prepared to thank someone every time you are working in your ministry.

2) Volunteer Appreciation: At least once a year the staff and department leaders should host a volunteer lunch/supper for the volunteers. If your church is "big" you can do this by department. I.e. have the children's volunteers one night and the youth on another. If the church is small enough to do it all together, go for it.  The planning is best if you figure it out as opposed to me telling you, but rest assured what needs to be done is a time of worship as you give thanks to the Lord for them. They have been working a lot for the ministry, on this day/night, let the volunteers rest and be served by their leaders.

1) Time Off: This may sound counterproductive since we need volunteers to do the work of the ministry in and out of the church.  The reality is that they are human and need time off. Many of them will give their vacation and family time to ministry work and the very dedicated will sacrifice these for years.  This is unhealthy and they need to be encouraged to take time off.  When I served as a Children’s Pastor, we took off July and had substitutes prepared and ready.  The regular teachers were encouraged to spend time on vacation or in the "adult service" with their families while our "July Substitutes" took care of teaching the kids.  Now, as a Senior Pastor, we work hard through the summer but from Thanksgiving through New Year's we cancel all evening services so our volunteers can rest and enjoy the holidays with their families.  However you do it, encourage your folks to take time off, lest they burn out.


These are a few things I have done over the years. What are some things you've seen?

Have a great week!  God bless!  And now.....off to the river!

Top 5 Ways to Encourage Your Church Staff

I'll bet I can read your thoughts.  You might take a look at the picture and think that this post is a little self-serving.  I ensure you that it is not and that I am in no way sharing this for personal gain. Instead, I am sharing it for personnel's  gain.

In my limited experience in ministry (9 years in October) I have seen a common trend among churches.  Now I realize that if you know me personally, it isn't hard to know which churches I have served in, thus making it fairly easy to figure out which churches I am talking about.  I do want you to stay focused, so instead of making you guess, I will just tell you that I have seen weaknesses (of which I hope to remedy with you today) in all four.  That's right, all four of them were weak when it comes to staff appreciation.  Now that I have been completely honest with you, let's examine how your church can raise the bar well beyond the mediocrity that we have come to accept and expect in the church today.  Regardless of how many paid staff you do or don't have, this can apply to every church.  It is right to recognize volunteers as well and I will address that next week!  For today, we will focus on paid staff and pastors.

5) Encouragement: This is especially great if your staff member(s) is a "Word's of Affirmation" person. (See http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ for more on love languages).  At our church, we utilize
"Connection Cards," a great idea we borrowed from another church I served at (which I am sure borrowed it from someone else).  From time to time, take a moment to write our encouragement on the connection card and leave it for the staff member. Tell them why you thank God for them and let them know you are praying for them.....you are praying for them, right?

4) Date Night: If your staff member(s) is married and has children, they probably don't get out very much.  Offer to watch the kids at your place, at their place or at the church. Have someone with you and plan on keeping them for a couple of hours. If you're uncomfortable watching the kids, offer to pay for the couple to go have dinner and let them arrange a baby sitter.  You can adjust this as you need to, but what is important is that you show them you are encouraging their relationship. You want to see them grow together and bond and as much as we love our kids, they can make this challenging.

3) Small Card/Gift: If you don't know when their birthday is, you should ask. I don't make a big deal out of mine, but if someone asks, I will tell them.  For your staff, go the extra mile to find out and drop them a small card or gift in the mail.  The staff member will truly appreciate the fact that you took the time to think of them. It affirms them and helps them know that you care. You don't need to spend a lot of money on this and usually $5 is plenty!

2) Talk to Them: Many Pastors and Staff don't get to enjoy the luxury of having someone talk to them. Usually someone is talking about them and in the rare case that someone is talking to them, it is usually for advice or help on some issue in the member's life.  I can't spend a lot of time visiting with people (outside normal Pastoral visitation time) and chances are your staff cannot do this either.  However, set up an appointment and bake some cookies (or pick them up from the store) and sit down with that staff member and talk. Remember, the key to this is not the food (you don't even have to get cookies) it is to listen.  You like to be listened to and I know your staff enjoys it as well.  Ask them how they are doing. Inquire about their kids and family. Take time to listen and show them you care about them as much as you want them to care about you.

1) Pray For/With Them: You know something. In almost 9 years of ministry, I don't think I have ever once had someone say, "Pastor, can I pray with you?" unless something was going on.  It might just be me, but if it isn't, then you should consider praying with them.  It is great to pray for them, and you should do this a lot!  However, imagine their surprise if you stopped by to pray for them.  It doesn't take long, but can go a long way towards encouraging your staff.


I have truly been honored to serve on staff with some amazing people and I currently serve with some real gems. I count them as a great blessing and I don't know if many blessed churches truly understand how great it is to have a great staff.  If your staff is amazing, perhaps you should show them how much you care. My question to you is, "what are some other ways to show your appreciation?" I look forward to reading your responses! And now......Off to the river!