MINISTERS MATTER

MEGA CHURCH PASTORS - 10 things you might not know about them.

Once again the Leadership Network provides some interesting information that helps deflate the myths that often surround ministry.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Mega-church Pastors

Leadership Network surveyed 232 pastors of churches with an average weekend worship attendance of at least 2,000.

Here are 10 things you might not know about mega-church pastors.

1. They think of themselves more as teachers and directional leaders than as pastors.
2. Preaching tops the list of things they do best.
3. They haven't always worked in churches.
4. Being an extrovert isn't mandatory.
5. Family stays at the top of mind when it comes to prayers.
6. They usually like the people they work with.
7. They believe their top gift is leadership.
8. They are actively involved in sports.
9. They find worship at their church helpful for personal spiritual growth.
10. They're not thinking about quitting.

SPIRITUAL POWERLESSNESS - from the guilt of sexual sin.

Spent today in Cornwall with area pastors talking about spiritual powerlessness. It is the outcome of the church's failure to teach people how to deal with the guilt associated with sin but especially sexual sin.

Sexual issues in the church are a serious problem. We live in an age of declining purity and low moral standards - and that is amongst believers. The consequence is a lowering of passion to serve the Lord resulting in spiritual powerlessness.

No matter what pastors do, and God knows they are trying many things to lead their congregations, it feels like pushing a train up a hill.

Believers, unable to deal with guilt, settle for the status quo in their walk rather than the high calling of God in Christ. They are reduced to being ineffective in the cause of Christ. They have little passion for spiritual things and very rarely offer to serve in and through their local church.

Pastors not only deal with sexual issues amongst the members of their churches in counselling situations, but also in their own lives. How can we all walk in the freedom Jesus has provided for us?

The church needs to preach all that Jesus accomplished for us at the cross. He took upon Himself the full punishment of our sin against a holy, just, and unimpeachable God. Jesus bore the wrath of God against sin. Wrath that we should have received.

The beauty of the cross is the biblical fact that our sin was nailed to the cross and God sets us free. Colossians 2:14-15 reminds us that God made an open show of the rulers, principalities and powers and took away Satan's weapon of making us think we are not worthy to represent God. He camps on our guilt and lies to us that we are not forgiven, or acceptable to serve God.

The cross dealt a once and for all death blow to the lies of the devil.

Enjoy your freedom in Christ!

PRAYING FOR THE PASTOR'S FAMILY

We must never forget the pastor's family comes first in his/her life. Even before ministry. So let us hold them up in scriptural prayer.

1Pet 4:8...........pray that their family members love one another.
1Pet 4:9...........that they are hospitable to one another without complaint.
1Pet 4:11......... serving by the strength that You supply,
1Pet 4:11..........so that in all things You may be glorified.
1Thes 5:11........pray that they encourage one another, comfort, edify,
Acts 20:32.........and build one another up.
Mt 18:19..........that they stand in agreement in every area of their lives,
Neh 8:10..........letting the joy of the Lord be their strength,
Col 3:15...........with the peace of God ruling in their hearts.
Ps 138:8..........father, I thank You that You're perfecting
Ps 138:8..........everything concerning them.
Ps 92:10..........anoint them with fresh oil.
Ps 103:5..........satisfy them with good things,
Ps 103:5..........so that their youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Ps 92:14......... in old age they shall still bear fruit,
Ps 92:14..........and be fresh and flourishing.
Ps 91:16..........with a long life You will satisfy them.
Job 1:10..........father, place a hedge of protection
Job 1:10..........around them, around their household,
Job 1:10..........and around all that they have on every side.
Ps 34:7............I thank You that the angel of the Lord encamps
Ps 34:7............round about them and delivers them from all evil,
Ps 91:3............from the snare of the fowler, from every pestilence,
Ps 91:10...........and that no plague will come near their dwelling.
Prov 3:24..........they shall lie down and their sleep shall be sweet.
Prov 16:7..........because their ways please You Lord,
Prov 16:7..........you make their enemies to be at peace with them.
Deut 29:9..........they keep Your word and do it,
Deut 29:9..........therefore, they prosper in all that they do.
Jn 15:4.............because they abide in You and delight them selves in You,
Ps 37:4.............you give them the desires of their heart.
1Pet 5:6...........and because they humble themselves, exalt them in due season.
1Pet 4:19..........I thank You Father that they are committed to You, to doing good,
1Pet 5:7...........casting all their cares upon You, for You care for them.
1Pet 5:8...........that they are sober, vigilant, continually resisting the devil,
1Pet 5:9...........and steadfast in their faith.
1Pet 5:10..........establish, strengthen, and settle them in Jesus' name.

SCRIPTURAL PRAYER FOR PASTORS

Praying for pastors can be done via the scriptures. Just add the name of your pastor and release your faith in God for their success in God, in their family life, church and communities.

Ps 31:23..........thank You that our pastors are faithful,
Ps 31:23..........and that You preserve them.
Prov 28:20........that they abound with blessings,
Gal 6:9.............and do not grow weary in well doing.
Phil 1:6.............that You who began a good work in them will perfect it.
Eph 2:10...........they are Your workmanship created in Christ Jesus,
Heb 13:21.........and equipped in every good thing to do Your will.
Heb 13:21..........work in them that which is well-pleasing in Your sight.
2Cor 9:8............grace abound toward them, having sufficiency in all things,
2Cor 9:8...........and an abundance for every good work.
2Cor 9:6...........because they have sowed bountifully, they will reap bountifully,
1Cor 3:6...........and whether they plant or water, Father, You give the increase.
2Cor 2:14..........I pray that they continually triumph in Christ,
2Cor 2:14..........diffusing the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Deut 28:2..........that all blessings come upon them and overtake them,
Deut 28:2..........because they obey the voice of their God.
Ps 32:8.............instruct them and teach them in the way they should go;
1Cor 2:10..........reveal the deeper things of God to them by Your Spirit.
2Tim 2:21..........let them be vessels of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master,
2Tim 2:21..........prepared for every good work.
1Pet 5:2............shepherd the flock willingly and being an example to them.
1Cor 2:4............speech and preaching is in demonstration of the Spirit and power.
2Tim 4:2...........instant in season and out of season to preach the Word.
Josh 1:3............the soles of their feet tread upon has been given to them.
Deut 31:6..........they are strong and of good courage for You, Lord, go with them.
Ps 27:14............they wait on You, and You strengthen them in their heart.
Titus 1:5............help them set in order things that are lacking,
Titus 1:5............and appoint elders in every city.
2Cor 10:4...........I tear down the strongholds over the pulpit.
Ex 17:11............I lift up our pastors and cover them
Heb 12:24..........with the blood of Jesus.
Deut 28.............sickness and disease shall in no way come near them,
Gal 3:13............for they are redeemed from the curse of the law.
Isa 54:17...........I say that no weapon formed against them will prosper,
Isa 54:17...........tongue rising against them shall be shown to be in the wrong.
Cor 12:11..........let the gifts and anointings on their lives come forth.
Luke 1:45..........birth the things that You have spoken to them in their hearts,
Acts 6:4............as they continually give themselves to prayer
Acts 6:4............and the ministry of the Word.

PASTORS NEED PRAYER DAILY

Today started with a sign on the door of the Indian High Commission as I went to get my visa to visit friends in Bangalore - closed for an Indian holiday. This provided me with an opportunity to travel to the Ottawa Heart Institute and visit a pastor who had gone in for an angioplasty.

As we met, sharing our hearts with each other, it was obvious that pastors need prayer. We often forget they are human with all the same fears and insecurities when facing serious medical procedures. We need to pray for them just like they pray for us when we are in need.

A recent global survey on prayer estimated that fewer than one quarter of churchgoers pray regularly for their church leaders.

Here are a few ways to pray through the week.

Monday - Pray for them in their role as pastor. Pray for them as they bring the love of Jesus to those in their circle of influence.

Tuesday - Pray for their personal study and preaching ministry. Pray for them to understand God's Word clearly and to proclaim it faithfully. Pray for clarity and effectiveness in their communication.

Wednesday - Pray for their leadership role as those who are called to cast ongoing vision. Pray for their leadership to be received and followed. Pray for them as they build up the body of Christ.

Thursday - Pray for your pastors'  own walk of faith - for his/her prayer life, for their faith, that they would grow spiritually and in their love for God.

Friday - Pray for their personal time - for relaxation and renewal, to be able to withstand the pressures and stress of ministry.

Saturday - If your pastor is married, pray for them as husband/wife, and if appropriate,  as father/mother. Otherwise pray for their relationships with those who are close to them.

Sunday - Pray for them as they lead worship, and in their roles as church leader - particularly their relationships with church members, and any relationships that are difficult at this time.

2008 UKRAINE CONFERENCE: SESSION 7 - SETTING PRIORITIES AGAIN

The most common problem associated with priorities in ministry today is mixing our personal walk with our ministerial calling.

The two are not the same.

In our zest and zeal to serve the Lord, we can confuse our relationship to God with our ministry for Him.

A personal call is just that - personal.

All of us are sheep living in relationship to Jesus who is the Chief Shepherd. He deserves our top priority. We owe Him our love, intimacy, loyalty and dedication. He must have first place in everything, so everything will be in its proper place.

A ministerial call is beyond the personal. It is primarily about what we do on His behalf. It is our ministry to people. It is here that we pray, read and study primarily for others. It is also here where priorities can get very mixed up. We can be feeding others and starving ourselves.

Sara, Lisa and Sasha are in the photo. They lead the Odessa congregation and have a wonderful ministry to the Holocaust Survivors.

Priority #1. For both sheep and shepherds, it is to Jesus Christ. If that is healthy, then all our other priorities, like to our spouse, children, parents etc., will be in order. Ministry is very demanding and it is easy to neglect God and family with the daily pressures and problems of the people we serve.

Priority #2. If you are married, then you know that God calls your marital relationship to be one.  That is His will and plan. Ministry must never divide a couple or family. It is not holier or better than your relationship to your spouse and family who need to be cared for spiritually, physically and emotionally.

Too many marriages and ministries have been shipwrecked because there was a misunderstanding of setting proper priorities in ministry.

Priority #3. It is your actual ministry. It can best be defined as the overflow of your walk with God. If things are healthy in both your personal devotional life and your marriage and family, then your ministry will be healthy.

If priorities are out of order, then it is easy to start relying on our gifting, experience and expertise in ministry, rather than on God. Leaders whose priorities are out of order become less sensitive to the Spirit of God. It is at this point where motives become mixed, carelessness can set in and eventually, shepherds run on routine rather than anointing.

Let us set our priorities according to God's Word and will.

1. Jesus comes first in everything.

2. Love of life expressed to and through your family is second only to Him.

3. Make your ministry an overflow of the first two healthy priorities and enjoy a fruitful life.

CONTINUED FROM SESSION 6 - "WHY I WANT TO QUIT THE MINISTRY."

STEPPING OUT FOR A SEASON

I shared a Pastor’s Blog I had read recently that touched my heart and highlighted our talk on the crisis in ministry in North America. As we discussed it in the Ukraine, many of the same feelings were expressed by these leaders.

“Many people have asked me why I am stepping out of pastoring, at least for a while. There has been a great deal of conjecture on my behalf. Some think it has a subversive twist to it. Others imagine that I am absolutely distraught with life and cannot cope anymore. Neither extreme really addresses the central issues I have faced.

Here are a few of the reasons why some of us tend to fade away:

We are tired of pretending that we cannot be hurt. People assume ministers are available for their criticism 24/7. People say things to clergy they would not say to their worst enemies. For some reason they feel at liberty to delve into every aspect of clergy life. They have an opinion about everything we do. They believe it is their God-given right to critique your personal life, your professional life, your emotional state, the way you dress, your use of colloquialisms, your kids, your personality, how much you spend on a car, your friendships, how you drive, and the list goes on and on.

Pastors live their life in the limelight. They, therefore, constantly disappoint people. It is hard to disappoint people all the time. As a pastor, and maybe it is just me, I seem to let people down all the time. Recently I was at a small group where several complained that I was not their close friend. Besides the obvious fact that I do not have enough hours in the day nor the emotional energy to be friends with everyone, let alone friendly, how can you assume I would want to be your close friend? Ministers spend their entire life pretending to like a portion of the population that they really cannot stand…

Pastors tend to build up that insecurity the longer they work. They feel the pressure to put numbers on the role; they also realize that people leave the church because of them. That is a heady responsibility to bear. They understand that people don't like them but it still hurts when they have people they have invested in leave the church because of them. This life can be an exercise in guilty and humility. Everything that happens which is good is "to God be the glory" ...they know who is to blame if things go bad. Add to this that for some reason many churches rise and fall on the health and exuberance of their pastor. After a while pastors tend to jump from one quick fix solution to another in a desperate bid to patch holes that are often systemic. They attend conferences and clinics designed to point out their flaws and obvious solutions. They quickly conclude that they are the problem, the issue, and the solution. They develop a messiah complex. They develop an insecurity complex…

Ministers are normal people who struggle with laziness and being a workaholic all at the same time. No one knows what they do during the week so they tend to strive too hard to be noticed or duck out when they can get away with it. They realize that some volunteers do more than they do and it drives them crazy. They vassalate between the drive to do everything and the need to let others do the work of the church. They are control freaks, often out of necessity. Sometimes out of ego need.

Oh yes, and we love to be compared. Compared to huge churches with massive budgets and incredible bands. Compared to TV evangelists who spend more on dog food than we will see in a year. Compared to amazing speakers, incredible entrepreneurs, and holy monkish nerds who can pray more than we can. That kind of stuff makes us very content.

Yes this is a whine but it's my blog and you don't have to read it.

Perhaps, though, there may be a grain of truth in what you have read. Take a look at your pastor if you have one. Listen to his or her brokenness strewn in amongst the exterior confidence. Let them know you don't need anything from them. Shut up about them when others encourage you to spill. Tell someone else to shut up occasionally. Don’t phone them on Mondays. Don’t critique the way they dress when they go to the bank on their day off. Don’t act amazed when they stumble. We all stumble.

But for God's sake, don't feel sorry for them. They chose this life and it has incredible rewards.

And oh yes, they won't believe you when you praise them but they will obsess when you criticize them. Sounds like quite a great life huh? Makes you want to join right up I bet...

As for me, I’m just taking a break to get out of the fishbowl for a while. It’s a calling - a blessing and a curse. Of course now I have to get a real job where people have to get up every morning and put in 8 hours and pretend to care about stuff I never imagined caring about before.”

Questions to ponder.

1)    What are the main areas in this blog that all those in ministry can relate to?
2)    What are some ways we can help each other enjoy rather than endure ministry?
3)    How can we prevent ministers from leaving the ministry like this pastor?
4)    How can we be more effective in supporting one another knowing the pressures that are common to all?

2008 UKRAINE CONFERENCE: SESSION 6 - SPECIAL SESSION FOR PASTORS ONLY

We held a special 'pastors only' meeting to review some of the ongoing problems facing the Western church.

Stats came from DENOMINATIONAL OFFICES, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY'S - PASTOR TO PASTOR MINISTRY, MINISTRIES TODAY and CHARISMA MAGAZINE. They all showed a difficult season for the Western church.

I encouraged these leaders to hold off on thinking we in the West have all the answers. I believe we have made great progress in many areas but our discipleship model, the maturity of our saints, and the level of commitment to the work of the kingdom needs a major overhaul.

THE STATS ARE ALARMING

1500 pastors leave the ministry each month in NA due to spiritual burnout, moral failure or too much church contention.

4000 new churches begin each year. 7000 close.

Barna Research Group reported in January 2000, 21% of atheists and agnostics will experience divorce while at the same time 29% of Baptists and 34% non-denominational will do the same. The average rate for Christian groups is now at 27%

There is a serious problem in spiritual leadership today. We impart what we are, not what we say!

Sadly, many pastors constantly fight depression and their marriages are not immune from divorce.

95% of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouse.

Add the fact that they feel unappreciated by the church members.

80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their roles. Spouses feel their partner is overworked.

80% of pastors’ wives feel pressured to do and be something in the church that they really are not.

Often pastors’ wives express a desire for their husbands to choose another profession.

They point to the day he entered ministry as the most stressful event that has occurred in their marriage and family life.

90% of the pastors surveyed said the ministry was completely different than they thought it would be before they entered ministry.

70% of pastors do not have a mentor, spiritual father, confidant or even a close friend.

Loneliness in ministry (pain seeks pleasure) has resulted in upwards of 35% of those in ministry having had an extra-marital affair since entering the ministry.

80% of pastors said they spent less than 15 minutes a day in personal prayer.

70% of pastors said they read the Word primarily to prepare for messages. A personal devotional life in the Word was rare.

50% of those in ministry as so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could but have no other way of earning a living.

90% of pastors said their Bible School training did a fair to poor job of preparing them for real world ministry.

Of all those who graduate from seminary, 80% will leave the ministry within the first five years.

Often the PK’s, in their adult years, have had to seek professional help for bouts of depression. Just too much expectation was put on them.

The vast majority of pastors were just overwhelmed by problem people: Staff boards, elders, deacons, and members with unrealistic expectations of them and loose lips.

90% said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people.

70% of pastors feel grossly underpaid.

70% felt called as they began ministry but by the third year only 50% still felt called.

ABC News reported that the divorce rate in the Bible Belt is 50% higher than other areas of the country. In the last 27 years, the divorce rate is up 279%.

If stats like this don't stir you then...Tomorrow I will include a letter from a pastor who gives his reasons for quitting the ministry. See if any of them apply to you.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP YOUR PASTOR

The work of the Senior Pastor is both demanding and rewarding.

No position in the church presents a heavier responsibility or greater opportunity. The pastor needs help to meet the challenges.

The Word of God offers many illustrations of people helping leaders through their spiritual gifts and ministries, or their material endowment.

The Levites' supporting the priests and prophets of the Old Testament era is reflected in congregational members supporting their pastors in the New Testament era.

Here are some practical ways you can help your pastor.

1. Prayer.
It has been said that the family that prays together stays together. The same can be said for churches. Pray for God's blessing and health. Pray that both the church’s financial needs and the pastor’s personal financial needs are met. Pray that the unction and the anointing will rest upon him not only during service times but also as a confirming witness throughout his day. Failing to pray for your pastor may lead to his downfall and the downfall of your local congregation!

2. Give him spiritual support.
Prepare yourself to be a reliable asset for spiritual warfare. Be there like Aaron and Hur lifting up Moses’ arms. Support your pastor’s arms during the battles.

3. Confirm his leadership.
Even pastors have doubts and fears concerning their calling and placement. There are times when you need to confirm your pastor’s call in your own heart and follow him as he follows Christ. Let him know that you accept him as being placed and called of God specifically for this time and place.

4. Submit to his leadership.
Trust your pastor’s decisions. Don't second-guess them. As a man under authority he must withstand the scrutiny of not only those of his own church, but also of those in authority over him and within the community. 

5. Help him develop his ministry.
Be willing to support your pastor’s desire to grow in educational, spiritual, and pastoral abilities. This may include supporting a desire to attend services at another church. Or, it may include attending courses and seminars.

6. Leave him time for his duties.
One of the most frustrating things for a pastor is that there is never enough time to get all the work of the ministry accomplished. Time is always short. Help your pastor by recognizing that other mature believers in the church can handle some matters. It's not that the pastor doesn't think you're worth the time but good time management and setting godly priorities is essential to pastoral ministries. It's very easy to have a half a day here and a half a day there eaten up by trivial matters that really don't actually require the pastor’s attention. Recognize that your pastor is one of the busiest men in town. Don't monopolize his time or the time of his family.

7. Relieve him of details.
The pastor who is an errand boy almost never has time to pray, or prepare for a service. Real pastoring can be subjugated to the mundane tasks of every day life. God has not called pastors to be janitors, maintenance men, bus drivers, floor scrubbers, and half a dozen other critical tasks in the church. No matter how needed and honorable they are you will do well to relieve your pastor and not let him get bogged down with them.

8. Appreciate his long range planning and vision for the church.
The pastor of a growing church may spend vacations, days off, and even lunch breaks seeking God's direction for an expansion program that will provide exactly the environment God wants for his people. Building programs often require an additional attention to detail.

Also, be willing to prepare yourself to be a part of your pastor’s spiritual vision. Your pastor only wants God's best for the people under his care. Your willingness to be taught and to grow in that knowledge will be a continual blessing and inspiration to your pastor.

9. Inform him.
Pastors are often criticized for not visiting someone they didn't know was sick. Honestly, do you really expect the Holy Spirit to tell the pastor every detail, especially those you have knowledge of, and are quite capable of telling him yourself? Most pastors really want to know about things that happen that require prayer, or counsel. Let him know.

If you have been doing something, have a position, or do some little job you think no one noticed or appreciated, and are called away and can't be in service let your pastor know!

If you need an appointment, ask for it. If you give him a brief idea of what the meeting is about he can meditate on God's Word and be prayed up before you get there.

10. Be faithful in attendance.
Few things are more distressing than to see someone making spiritual progress and then start missing a service here or there. Your pastor really cares about you, and when you miss a service, your absence is noted and a concern is raised for your well being. You bless the pastor with your faithful attendance. His sermon that day may have been prepared in heaven just for you!

11. Volunteer for some unique service:
There's always something that needs to be done. Be available for those pick-ups at the airport. If you have the space, keep a room ready for guests that come through town. Add your strength to those overseeing the youth group. You name it, if it takes people, you can probably do it. From cutting the grass, to fixing a leaky faucet, the jobs needing to be done around the average church are mind-boggling.

12. Help in practical ways.
Your help is only as good as it is practical. If you are always under foot begging to be used, or you doing the job costs twice as much as another doing the same job, then perhaps that's not very practical. But, even picking up that dropped gum wrapper can be practical. Look around, ask God for Wisdom and He will give it.

13. Respect his privacy.
A crank call society has made some pastors feel the need to get unlisted residential phone numbers. This is never to shut out the important matters. But, in some cases has become a matter of survival. Pastors are available, but callers should be considerate. Tying up the pastor’s phone for long periods of time not only disrupts the pastor’s very limited home life, but also may cause him to miss other more important or even emergency calls.

Visits to the pastor’s residence no matter where it is located should only be made by invitation, appointment, or extreme emergency. How would you like it if half your work team decided to take turns, (one, two or three each night), making unannounced visits to your home? There's only one pastor, but there's a whole bunch of you.

Give your pastor space to nurture the family God has given him. Encourage him to take that time apart from "official duties" to be just dad, or granddad.

Pastors are humans, too. They are subject to the same limitations of time and space as the rest of us. And, while God can and does provide a rest and refreshing for them they still need human help to get the job done. Help your pastor every way you can. God will be pleased, and you will lay up for yourself treasure in heaven.

Your pastor is God’s gift to you and to your family!

Love never fails!

4. PERSONAL INTEGRITY

In the book, '15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors' Kevin Mannoia and Larry Walkemeyer make a strong argument that pastors are not only called but there are principles that will make them more effective.

I would like to highlight those 15 characteristics over the next series of blogs and ask us, as pastors, to review our own effectiveness, or as Jesus would describe it as our fruitfulness in ministry.

Effective pastors prioritize their values as a precursor to vision. For them, integrity must fill their hearts, minds and the motivation of why they do what they do. They understand what it means to serve God with personal integrity.

Acts of daily obedience begin in their private times with the Lord and become public through expressions of faith that have been soaked in prayer.

Their integrity, which is the fruit of true obedience, results in credibility. This gives them favour with both God and man. This favour keeps the fires of passion burning in their hearts and positions them to be more and more Christ-like as they grow in God.

Do you have a working set of personal values? Which value do you find tested more than others?

At Mission O, Ministers Matter!