Volume 1, Number 5
A PASTOR’S APPROACH TO SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Spiritual formation for a pastor starts with how to be a better minister rather than how to have a better ministry; it is the inner life informing the outer life or the character impacting conduct. Of course we must sharpen our doing, but that cannot be done until we have confronted the deeper need of a healthy being. What are the components for developing a Christ-like character?
- Confidence in the life of God in your soul. We are all God’s beloved, and that is the bedrock of our spiritual formation. All starts with salvation for eternity and wholeness for living in the present.
- Call or sense of vocation that centers on the “why” of ministry. The pastor’s call begins in God’s universal call to salvation, finds expression in the general call to discipleship, and becomes focused on a specific role in a particular setting. An inspiring illustration is Frank Laubach’s daily prayer, “God, what are you doing in the world today that I can help you with?”
- Communion: a “with Him” relationship. We are never nearer the core of our spiritual formation than when we seek to personalize what it means to live “in Christ” and to have Christ “live in us.” It is easy to make the mistake of substituting professional activities for personal intimacy.
- Commission to serve in Jesus’ name. There is a difference between Christ’s “works” and His “work”. The Gospels are saturated with His many “works” but Jesus himself is aware that prior to and deeper than any specific action, there was a fundamental ”work” to do what the Father told Him to do. It is customized obedience.
- Courage to do ministry. Jesus was giving the disciples an assignment that would cost Him His life and many of theirs as well. If you take spiritual formation seriously you must be prepared to be misunderstood by friends, congregation, community, or even clergy church leaders.
- Community connectedness. Too much pastoral leadership is rooted in an unhealthy individualism and isolation. We have too many Lone Rangers building their kingdoms—too many leaders believing that to be visionary is to follow their vision alone.
- Collaboration as God’s method. We are co-laborers with Christ, and it is His will to work through the instrumentation of human personality, with all the specificity and uniqueness each of us possesses.
A more detailed discussion of these ideas can be found in The Pastor’s Guide to Personal Spiritual Formation, NPH, 2005.
TRANSFORMING CHURCH BOARDS INTO LOVING FELLOWSHIPS
Here is the last in a series of ways to transform a local church board from a board of directors to a band of Christian brothers and sisters.
Improvement 5—Make Data Available Before They Know They Need It
1. Speculation about progress or decline is difficult when the data is readily available.
2. Board members are trained to use facts for deciding and not hearsay.
3. The stats on attendance remind the board that people are the reason the church exists.
4. Irresponsible spending is discouraged because everyone has the facts.
5. Openness with statistics increases confidence in the clergy and lay leadership.
A Brief Recap of the Five Ideas:
Improvement 1—Make Church Boards a Microcosm of the Local Church
Improvement 2—Use an Agenda as a Road Map
Improvement 3—Utilize Motions and Minutes
Improvement 4—Create a Useful Setting for Church Board Meetings
Improvement 5—Make Data Available Before They Know They Need It
ADVICE FROM AN ESTEEMED MENTOR
Years ago, when Dr. Raymond Kratzer was Superintendent of the Northwest District, it was his practice to write a monthly letter of advice to his pastors. Here are a few words of timely advice from one of those "Epistles."
Being a Good Shepherd Preacher
The pastor with the shepherd heart will feed the sheep. I think one of the finest compliments I ever received was from one of the ladies in the church. She said in my presence to someone else, "My pastor is a wonderful Joseph. He shovels out plenty of good grain to his people to feed their hungry souls." I went home determined to keep the storehouse of my mind and heart full so that when I preached to my people, they would receive grain rather than straw or chaff. With such a supply within reach of your hearts and mind, we are without excuse if people come to us for bread and they find the cupboard bare. Let us learn to lead our people to green pastures, beside the still waters. Let us keep our soul nourished on God's word. When we stand before the great Shepherd of the Heavens, He will say, "Well done!"
THE BASICS OF CONTROLLING YOUR TIME
Every human being has the same amount of time every day. Some are always in control of time, others are always out of control of time, and the rest of us fluctuate between those two extremes. Here are ten useful ideas to help you get more out of your time.
· Start with focus. Evaluate everything you do in light of mission. Determine what counts and do it.
· Boss your schedule. Scrutinize your time. What does your date book say about your priorities? Study how other pastors use their time.
· Time is limited. The way to get more time is to stretch what you have by eliminating wasted time or by giving up some unnecessary activities.
· Try “thinking” to save time. Every action has some consequence—often several consequences. And pastors, without thinking, sometimes move ahead to action.
· Time is life. Carl Sandberg was right when he said, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let others spend it for you.”
· Organize your workspace. Have a hard look at the area where you do your work. Organize your supplies and the files in ways that make sense to you. Get rid of clutter.
· Stamp out procrastination. Try to do the unpleasant task as quickly as possible and avoid those inner voices that nag us about uncompleted tasks.
· Keep connected to work in process. If you have a project that has to be set aside for a time, try to arrange a file crate or large wire file basket to hold everything related to that project. Stack the books for the project together, open to the right page or marked with a post-it note. It also saves time later if you make a note of your last action so you do not waste time and mental energy getting started again.
· Make a checklist for a project or event. As various needs and thoughts come to you, jot them in a list. That saves you from asking over and over, “I wonder if I have everything covered?”
· Do it right for the right reason. Peter Drucker said it this way: “It’s more important to do the right thing than to do things right” (Danny Cox and John Hoover, Leadership When the Heat’s On, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992, p. 95).
· Use your magic three hours. The idea is from Hyrum W. Smith, the creator of the Franklin Day Planner. He suggests everyone find a magic three-hour time period each day when the least interruptions are present. Use that time to think, read, write, and get in touch with God. His three hours are between 5 and 8 a.m.; others use the time between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. Many pastors could make their choice the time between 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
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