When Jesus began calling the first disciples into ministry, he used this phrase:
“Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
For whatever reason, I started thinking about what Jesus didn’t say to those first disciples.
He didn’t say: “Come, follow me, and I will teach you spiritual insights!”
He didn’t say: “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to worship together!”
He didn’t say: “Come, follow me, and I will gather you together in a home group!”
He didn’t say: “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to pray!”
He didn’t say: “Come, follow me, and I will make you members of the church!”
Gave me a new perspective on what our mission and focus should be. Thanks, Tony.
ST
Ministry can be very hard on pastor’s children.
- Your kids will hear you criticized.
- Your kids will watch you hurt.
- Your kids may see you wrongly strike back.
- Your kids might see your hypocrisy up close.
- Your kids might reject the church because you’re always there.
- Your kids may enjoy the extra attention when they are young and despise it when they mature.
No matter how healthy your church is, a pastor’s kid will likely feel a different sort of pressure. Here are a few things we do to help our kids grow up in the fishbowl:
- We put the kids’ activities ahead of the church calendar. If my girls have a piano recital on Saturday night, either I pre-produce the message or have someone else speak.
- I rarely work evenings. The evenings are family time. I also try not to compromise my day off with church needs.
- I don’t talk about my kids in a sermon without their permission.
- Amy and I work hard not to talk negatively about the church.
- We don’t make our kids go to church every week. Every now and then we let them stay home or do something else so going to church doesn’t become a legalistic chore.
- We live our private lives with personal devotion to Christ. We pray and talk about spiritual things with our children regularly.
Sometime this past week, I had to go to church for a leader's meeting. I was in the evening and Evan, my 6 yr. old son, asked "why do you have to be in the meeting?" I said, "because I'm one of the bosses there." He responded with a grin on his face, "cool!"Being a "pastor" is certainly cool and it does have it advantages, but it isn't a walk in the park. I suppose most people have no idea what a "pastor" or those in leadership do or think or spend their time on. The joke for many is that pastors only work one day. Although it's a joke, many believe it.Some think that pastors know everything about the bible and religions in the world. Some think the pastor gets paid from magic money falling from heaven. Some think pastors should get paid nothing. Some think there's no reason for pastors. Some think it's the pastors job to initiate and carry on every project, program, study, discussion, idea, or movement. Some think they're not special enough to do ministry. Some think only pastors can pray to God. Some get upset when they find out that the pastor isn't perfect (but doesn't what anyone to know how they aren't). Some feel relieved knowing the pastor isn't perfect.And I would agree that one of the responsibilities of the pastor is to motivate, to teach, to come along side, to train, to comfort, to pray with and for, to study, to understand, to do, to create, to initiate, to organize, to encourage, to proclaim, to rally, to lead, to challenge, to call others to live a life for God (and that's just for himself and his family).Most will never understand what great responsibility and pressure pastors experience everyday in doing the work God has called them to do on this earth. Certainly the work of the Holy Spirit in Christians is a plus (that's assuming many listen to the HS and don't "push him away").I have great respect for pastors, but I do think that sometimes, pastors fail in leading the church to a deep, initimate, devoted life to God in everything people do. I think sometimes, we as Christians, fail ourselves by buying into and expecting and waiting for the pastor to do everything for us and get upset when they don't meet our "expectations."What assumptions do you have about those in ministry? or those in Christian leadership?Is it right?
