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DO YOU REALLY NEED ME?

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By Ken Blue

A good friend of mine and a long time member of Open Door Baptist related the following story to me. He was a police sergeant in a nearby city. He had several men under his command who were accountable to him.

A situation arose that required him to take action and meet with his immediate supervisor. In the meeting, he asked his boss if he was really needed in his sergeant position. His boss was somewhat shocked and said, “of course I do.” The sergeant asked again, “Are you really sure you need me here?” His boss responded again with assurance and then said, “Why are you asking me this question?” The sergeant said, “I notice that you are going directly to my men and asking them questions about their duties and also given them instructions on how to do their job. If you are going to communicate directly with them, why do you need me?” The light came on, and his boss apologized for his actions and indiscretion. He assured the sergeant it would not happen again.

My question for pastors is, do your leaders believe you really need them, or do you go around them and advise their workers? Do you get involved where you have no business? A sure way to send the message to others that you don’t trust them or need them is to go around them and advise their followers.

Several years ago I was preaching is a church and an assistant came to me and said, “The pastor assigns ministries to me, and then he gets involved to the point I can’t do what I was ask to do.” That assistant has moved on and so will all others who believe you don’t really need them.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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Policies and ProceduresBy Ken Blue

“…See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5.

Policies are usually written orders or directions made to regulate the practice or the actions of people. Procedures describe a particular way of accomplishing something or of acting. It outlines a series of steps in a definite order. Primarily, policies have to do with rules and standards, whereas, procedures deal with how to proceed and carry out a task or mission.

Every church has policies and procedures. However, in most cases they are not written. They are assumed without giving much thought to them. These two documents are very important to the operation of the church. They must be in writing and made available to all who need them. There should few requirements, and they must remain simple. Don’t allow them to become a roadblock to the growth of the church. The more rules you have, the more resistance you can expect. They should be written in order to keep the church focused on its purpose. That is, they should support the structure and strategy of the church

There should be policies for every ministry. All workers must read and agree with them before they are installed in a ministry. Remember, do not recruit, install, and then present the policies. You are asking for trouble if you do. Give people plenty of time to read the policies and procedures before installing them. Some churches require the Job Description be signed after it has been agreed upon. The overall policies and procedures of the church should be taught to those seeking membership, prior to joining.

Sunday School teachers may have the same policies, but the procedures can change from class to class and department to department. The procedures will let the workers know the expected time to be in the class room, and give a step by step process from the time of arrival to the time of dismissal. Each step, with a time frame should be clear. This lets the teacher know how to carry out the class hour. Flexibility must be allowed.

It is important that the pastor take the lead in the writing these documents. As one can see, these will control what the church is about, and how it will proceed. Therefore, the pastor and staff should write these to ensure that they comply with the overall purpose of the church.

I suggest that policies and procedures be written for each Job Description. The pastor should take time when writing these, in order to communicate what he wants.

I mentioned in another article that one of the areas of complaint will be over policies and procedures. So, write them with care, and expect that some who disagree with them. These people are not on your team, so ignore them. Work with those who are eager and willing to work with you and help the church go forward. Policies and procedures may need to change. They are not your Bible; therefore, they can be adjusted as needed.

GOOD PREACHING AIN’T GOOD PASTORING

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By Ken Blue

Bible colleges may be turning out good men who can preach, but most of them get an “F” when it comes to producing men who know how to pastor. One of the reasons for this failure is that none of the teachers or professors are pastors themselves; they are only textbook educators.

The dictionary definition of “preaching” is to deliver a sermon. However, Vines says the “pastor” is: “a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks” (not merely one who feeds them), is used metaphorically of Christian “pastors,” Eph. 4:11. “Pastors” guide as well as feed the flock; cp. Acts 20:28, which, with ver. 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops); —Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Preaching then, is one part of pastoring. It is the feeding aspect of the ministry.

If a young man thinks winning a soul to Christ or standing on the street corner preaching will qualify him to pastor; he is in for a rude awaking once he becomes the pastor. To be sure, soul winning and preaching are vital parts of the ministry, but they are just a part of it. I personally know many young men who are outstanding preachers and great soul winners, but their church never grows beyond 15 people. The number one reason for this is their lack of pastoring skills.

On the other hand, I know men who pastor large churches; but they are not outstanding preachers or teachers. The average response to this fact, by those who have not learned to pastor, is that those pastors with the larger churches are not giving the flock biblical meat; while the reason his own church is not growing is because the people can’t take strong Bible preaching.

If a pastor is killing his flock with strong meat, wouldn’t he be wise to feed them milk until they are mature enough for the meat? If you are adding new converts to your church each week, your task is to bring them from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. This takes time, patience, and know-how. How do you get a person from where he is spiritually to where you want him to be spiritually? That is what pastoring is all about. Your deep sermons, alone, will not do it.

I recommend that a young man work for a pastor who knows how to pastor his flock. He should commit to at least five years and involve himself, over time, in every aspect of the ministry. If you can’t learn the things you need in Bible College; learn them from a pastor who is building a good church.

Finally, let me assure you that I do not believe a church is spiritual because it is large or small. However, some smaller churches could increase in members and maturity if the pastor would determine to learn all he can about pastoring and leadership. He must understand that preaching ability and pastoring are two completely different things.

DELEGATE OR ABDICATE?

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By Ken Blue

An employee said to his boss, “I’m doing the work of ten men, I want a raise.” His boss responded, “Tell me who the other ten are, and I’ll fire them.” Sometime the pastor feels like he is the only one doing the work in the church and in some cases that is true.

I’ve seen pastors who are busy doing everything at the church. There are several reasons for this. One is, they believe they are getting paid to do them. Another is, they like doing those things. Many pastors think none of the members are willing or are capable of doing church work.

I know many pastors who open every letter, turn the lights and heat on and off, and they unlock and lock the buildings at every service. Some mow the laws, vacuum the carpets, straighten up the auditorium, lead the singing, print the bulletin, make the announcements, take the offering, preach the sermon, and then wonder why they are about to have a nervous breakdown.

The key to solving this problem is to acknowledge that a problem existence and then fix it. Sad to say, some pastors don’t know how to fix it. I was one of those pastors for a few years. Just before I burnt out, I discovered the secret.

None of us are too important to do the list of things above, but the sooner the pastor realizes that none of them are his job, the easier it will be for him to get about the main task God called him to do.

The pastor should write down every task he is doing. Then he should mark things that could be done by someone else. Pray and ask God to show you those within the church to whom the task could given. If someone can do the task half as well as you, give it to them. With training and your help, they will get better. Give away everything you can to faithful men and women. You cannot give away your responsibility for the overall ministry of the church, but you must give responsibility with each task. Let each person know exactly what is expected and then meet often, if necessary, to see that it is done.

Delegation and abdication are two completely different things. You delegate in order to train others to serve Christ; and so you will be able to do more ministry leadership. Those who abdicate, abandon ministries and the workers in order to do less. They are selfish and lazy, and their sin will find them out.

Pastor, your church and your people will never grow spirituality if you don’t learn the fine art of delegation. Many who are excellent preachers and Bible teachers are not doing a good job as pastors. “And he gave …pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-12. Your job is to perfect the believers for the work of the ministry. This takes far more than knowledge of the Bible. There are dozens of ways to teach men and women how to do the ministry. So, start now by giving jobs to every person you can.

(If this article was helpful, you should read the author’s book, How To Assist Your Pastor).