After 40 years of pastoral ministry, I’ve come to see that these two realities are inevitable: 1. People will leave the church. 2. It will hurt when they leave.
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One of the challenges of ministry is its non-stop nature. The pressures and demands are relentless. It’s as if you’re on never-ending merry-go-round and seat-belted onto the horse. For example, if you’re in the pulpit weekly, you know that Sundays come around with amazing regularity.
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A.W. Tozer was a no-nonsense pastor and theologian whose comments often pressed in hard. One that I’ve often used is this: It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.
I don’t know how that hits you. You might be nodding your head in agreement. “Absolutely!” Then again, you might be shaking your head in protest. “What??? God would never intentionally hurt someone!”
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Your church staff has a culture whether you know it or not. You can have a positive culture where there’s a corporate sense of “us” that lends itself to mutual celebration or you can have a negative culture where there is a siloed sense of “me” that lends itself to selfish pride.
If the culture is healthy, amazing things happen. People love being there. Great leaders come and stay.
If the culture is unhealthy, destructive things happen. People endure being there. Great leaders look for ways to leave.
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One of the most dog-eared books in my personal library has been in my possession for nearly 40 years. I’ve read it through multiple times and returned to it for points of reference scores of other times.
J. Oswald Sanders’ 1967 classic, Spiritual Leadership, has marked not only my life, but thousands of other pastors as well. The book is a treasure-trove, filled with wise counsel that is timeless.
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So…who are you? In response to that question, I might reply, “Dave DeSelm.” But that’s only my name.
I could add, “I’m the husband of one, the father of three, and the grandfather of seven.” But that’s merely my relationships.
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Defining what a disciple is has been debated long and hard. However, when you consider that Scripture uses the Greek word mathetes for “disciple,” the meaning is pretty straightforward. The word simply means learner.
In other words, disciples are people who learn to be like Jesus was and learn to do what Jesus did.
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Jesus’ strategy for expanding the Kingdom is seen in His parting words. “As you are going, make disciples!” Most of us are quite familiar with this text and take the mandate seriously.
The challenge we face, however, is not in knowing the Great Commission but in putting it into practice. How do you create a disciple-making culture in your church? Do you preach a sermon series? Do you offer a week-end seminar? Do you provide a 12-week “fill in the blank” curriculum?
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Okay, you are a pastor. That’s your title. But what is your job?
My guess is that you were given an official job description when you were hired. It details what the expectations are of you and to whom you are responsible. But, at the end of the day…in a sentence…what are you supposed to be doing? What you are you to be about?
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Welcome to “The Everyday Pastor.” This is the first installment of a blog targeted to ordinary leaders of ordinary churches that slog out their ministry every day.
Believe me, after nearly 40 years of ministry I know what that’s like.
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