Alan Noble
You have the solemn responsibility and privilege to bear witness to the goodness of life by living despite suffering.
You have the solemn responsibility and privilege to bear witness to the goodness of life by living despite suffering.
The worst part of pastoring isn't the hospitals, funerals, or administration, but rather the unseen hardships of being a pastor. Its not about attacks from the outside world or harassment from those picketing the church because the preacher is taking a stand on some issue from the pulpit. Its none of these things.
A church revitalizer enters the church community understanding that they are called not to deconstruct the local church but to reconstruct the hopes and dreams of those members still sitting in the pew, offering a fresh perspective for church revitalization.
Good things happen when we get a grasp of the gospel, that the crucified Christ is also the risen Lord. In our newfound reason to unite, the instinct to separate falls away, social media is transformed from platforms that are destructive into opportunities for gospel witness, and we begin to love people well enough to tell them the good news of Jesus, even as our own fears are cast out (1 John 4:18).
"Scanning what other churches are doing can be helpful, but it can also derail you from your calling."
Pastors seldom know who we can trust, which is why we become guarded and may appear harder to get to know. Most senior pastors have been burned by someone they once trusted, experiencing pastor's hidden struggles. Many senior pastors have seasons where it feels the staff, church leaders and congregation are talking about us behind our back.
Jesus' Great Commission to make disciples to the ends of the earth starts in your community.
Reading the entire Bible in a year is like seeing Europe in a week: You will notice a lot of things you don’t see from ground level, but it’s no way to get to know a country.
Don’t ask your pastor to make every decision. Most pastors are “decision weary.” Unless the issue is critical, see if you can find solutions other than going to the pastor with the problem or need.