Thursday, October 17, 2013

20 Exhortations to Spiritual Leaders


1. People do not like to follow; you have to show them why doing so is a good idea.
A pastor wrote, “You said preachers should be leaders. But what if the congregation does not want you to lead? What if they do not respond?” I answered, “Then you have a bigger job of leadership to do. The people have to be taught.  Lead them to want to do something for the Lord.”

2. You start pastoring small churches in difficult locations for good reason. It is good to bear the yoke in your youth.  (That’s Lamentations 3:27).
When I announced to the family God had called me into the ministry–I was 21 and a senior in college–my coal-miner dad said, “Well, that’s fine. But son, start with smaller churches so you can learn how to do it before moving to larger ones.”  I type that and smile, “As though we had a choice about it, Pop.”  That’s how life works.  Faithful in small things, trusted with the larger (Luke 16:10).

3. If you are in the ministry as a career, get out now.
After 2006′s Hurricane Katrina brought so much destruction to our part of the world, a young pastor said to me, “I worry about what this setback will do to my career.”  (Yep. He actually said that.)  I said, “In the first place, as a minister of the gospel, you don’t have a career. You have a calling.  And secondly, put your eyes on the Lord Jesus and He will take care of these matters.”

Continue reading the rest of Joe McKeever's advice in 20 Things Many Pastors Do Not Get and Should.  His advice is very good for anyone who loves a pastor - or anyone in a position of spiritual leadership and influence.

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