You are here: Home / Archives for pastors

PASTORS WHO ARE PUPPETS

by

ARE YOU A PUPPET PASTOR OF A CHURCH

puppetBy Ken Blue

When I was a child, I always enjoyed the time of the Apple Blossom Festival. Not only did it bring several hundred people from other states, a carnival also came to town. There was everything you can imagine for the children, and the adults.

In addition to the hundreds of rides, games, concession stands, and clowns, there were always several puppet shows going on at the same time. As kids, we were mesmerized by the music, the characters, and the life-like stories. In fact, we would get so caught up in the story, and the action that we failed to notice that there were adults behind the curtains pulling, and manipulating the strings to create the action. The puppets had no life of their own, they were unknowingly controlled by the pull of others.

I must admit, there was a time in my early ministry when, I too, was a puppet on an invisible string.  I could not see it, but those with discernment could. The sad part was, I wasn’t sure of my own identity, or who was pulling the strings. I wasn’t sure, but I believed if I did not move according their influence, the strings would be cut.

Pastors, including myself, fall into a “herd mentality.” Little by little, we believe if we should offend or break from the herd, the wolves will devour us. The only safety, is loyalty to, and cooperation with the brethren. If you doubt this, just invite a guest speaker, or attend a conference not on their approval list. Oh, how the gossip will fly. “Blue is no longer a Bible believer. He now has PowerPoint, and I hear they serve coffee. What a shame. His church has become a theater.” Those are the more generous criticism.

I have discovered, and painfully so, that many I counted as true friends forsook me “faster than a speeding bullet” when I determined to pastor counter to their brain washed MIND SET. There are many pastors who would like to rearrange their ministries, but they fear, and they know the second they did they would indeed become “independent Baptist.” Pastors need to understand that “the brethren” do not build their church. Are you a puppet, pastor?

An Interview with Pastor Blue #1

by

classify peopleHow to classify people if the church

Hi Folks,

I asked Pastor Blue if I could post to the blog. I help pastor with the administration of the blog.

If you keep track of Pastor Blue’s posts you can see he takes time to deal with objections. Many times the people who he is dealing with seem genuinely interested in gaining understanding, sometimes not so much. Those of us who know Pastor Blue know how patiently he will work us through our misunderstandings, misperceptions and blind spots concerning Doctrine. Thinking about these “mentoring sessions” both online and in person, I asked Pastor Blue to do this. Now to the interview:


Question #1
Pastor Blue, over the years you have dealt with many types of people. Although some people resist being typed or classified, I expect that you can give us some insights into what type of people you’ve dealt with and the characteristics of the conversations. I remember other preachers classifying people as “honest seekers” and the like. Some conversations are worthwhile and some useless. Could you give us insights in these different types of people, the characteristics of their conversation, and maybe how to know if they are worth our time?  Can you show us how you classify people in the church?


Scott, like all problems, some are identified immediately, while other take some time to figure out. This is also true of people. However, when you have been in the problem solving business for a while, it becomes easier to spot it.

If I were to classify people, I think they fall into three groups. I call them the VIP, VTP, VDP. When I speak of these, it is only in the context of people within a church, with whom the pastor must deal. Every church will have within it a group who are very important to the ministries (…The VIP). These are those we choose as assistant pastors, deacons, Sunday school teachers, etc. The pastor needs wisdom and patience to identify these people. A church cannot function without these called “VIP.”

Then there are the people who are very teachable (…The VTP). They are eager to learn the Scriptures, and how to serve the Lord. They are your next generation of VIP. Again, the pastor must watch for this crowd and spend his time training and nurturing them. They will display an ability to get along with people, an aptitude for learning, and strength of character.

Finally, there are those we are called to pastor who are very draining (…The VDP). They would like to have counseling sessions with the pastor after every service. The pastor must avoid the belief he can help these people. They do not want their problem solved, that would remove their excuse for counseling.

Then there are those who have a grievance about someone else, and they want you to deal with it. Don’t do it! They want the pastor’s finger prints on their murder weapon. When someone complains about another, NEVER give YOUR opinion about that person. Your comments will get back to the other party, and now you have another family to deal with.

Most complaints should be ignored. But, there are some that must be addressed. The pastor may need to seek outside advice on some issues. Remember, all three of these groups are in every church, and the pastor is the pastor of each of them. He must learn the difference, and learn the best way to deal with them. Jesus could not keep all His flock, neither can any pastor.

HAS IT COME TO THIS?

by

SOUL WINNING IN THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH

soul winning

By Ken Blue

I never thought I would see the day when churches that emphasize soul winning would be castigated as the downfall of America. Yep, you heard me right. There are those who say the reason for the corruption in America is that pastors and evangelist have focused on soul winning instead of politics.

Someone has a screw loose in their head if they think there is anything more important than getting people saved and keeping them out of hell. Those who teach this are only excusing their own lack of soul winning and their unconcern for the lost. Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost. Also, as My Father hath sent me, even so send I you. In the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, we are told three times that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who gets saved than 99 people who are already saved.

These deceived souls don’t believe a pastor can do more than one thing at a time. The pastor is to do the work of an evangelist/missionary by getting people saved and starting new churches. The pastor is also to feed the flock the Word of God so they can grow thereby. Any pastor who lays down the ministry of soul winning is disobedient to God and will watch his self-righteous church die.

It is strange we don’t hear any criticism of Dr. Jack Hyles or Dr. Rice who put soul winning at the top of the list. Pastors are commanded to preach the Word, not the ideology of other evangelist or pastors. Don’t go to seed on any subject, but if you must, make it soul winning. God will be pleased with you, and a sinner will thank you. Your soul winning church is not the cause of the downfall of America or anyone else.

 

 

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

by

THE POSITION OF LEADERSHIP

leadership

By Ken Blue

The American Heritage Dictionary says leadership is, “1. The position or office of a leader: 2. Capacity or ability to lead.” You will notice that one is a position and the other is capacity. It is possible to have the position of leadership without the capacity to lead. Or, one may possess the capacity and not have the position.

There is a world of difference between position and capacity. One may be promoted to a position of leadership such as in a military or government job without possessing the capacity. However, those under his leadership must comply or pay the price. This same situation may exist in large cooperation, but it is not as prevalent.

However, church leadership is altogether different. The pastor does not possess leadership qualities because of his possession. This is one reason many churches cannot grow. The pastor must have the capacity to lead. No one follows because they are required to. Ninety-five percent of church work is done by volunteers. There must be other factors that influence people to follow the pastor. Leaders have followers. If no one is following, you are just taking a walk.

A few misconceptions about leadership: Position of office, telling others what to do, being the loudmouth of the group, or having the prominent position. None of which will work for long.

There are three imperatives of leadership and they are the same in the secular or the sacred. One of these qualities is personality. The more people you can relate to, the more influence you can have. We know many who lead from the strength of personality. The second quality needed is aptitude. The better you are at your vocation, the more people are apt to follow you. So, learn all you can about your calling. Learn from the greatest in that field. Read all you can on how to improve your vocational skills. People are reluctant to follow those who are unsure of what they are doing.

Finally, to have a lasting influence in leadership, you must be a man or woman of character. Of the three, your character is most important. People will not follow a person they cannot trust. What is it that exposes your lack of character? It will usually be your mouth. Therefore, be slow to speak and swift to hear.

CHECK OUT AUDIO SERMONS AND SONGS

PASTORS DRIVING IN THE FOG

by

PASTORS WITHOUT GOALS OR OBJECTIVES

pastorsBy Ken Blue

The longer I live and the more I talk with pastors, the more confident I am that many of them are driving in a fog; if they are moving at all. We all know what it is like to try to drive in those blinding conditions. Sometimes fog lights help, but the fog line on the right side of the road may be the best guide. That line gives you some point of reference as to where you are.

It appears that pastors do not want a clearly defined purpose, or stated objectives for fear of failure. Perhaps they like being in the fog, that way no one can figure out where they are going. You would think they would be eager to establish these, and clarify them to their members.

What must a pastor do to get out of the fog and see clearly his purpose, objectives, and goals? First of all, he must have a stated purpose for the church. Can you put in a simple sentence why your church exists and what you believe God wants it to focus on; if not, you are still in the fog. An example of a purpose statement is that of Open Door Baptist church. “We exist to bring families from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.” That statement is clear and defines what the churches main business will be. Everything else they do moves the church toward that purpose.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The purpose statement declares why you exist.[/perfectpullquote]

Once the purpose is established, clearly stated objectives must be put in place. The purpose declares why you exist. The objectives state what actions are necessary to carry out your purpose. Pastors should have no more that 5-7 objectives. Objectives are not goals. They are simply the major areas you must focus on to support your purpose.

Once the objectives are in place, goals must be set in each one of them. Some goals may be set for what you want the church to be in five years. Goals must be broken down to 12, 6, 3, and 1-month segments. They must be on the pastor’s calendar, and on your desk, or they will be ignored.

Also, goals have a beginning and ending date. They must be measurable, attainable and have ownership. From your calendar, you know what you are to do each week and every day. If you have done it right, your calendar will become your boss. You no longer are in the fog. If things get a little fuzzy, get your calendar out and bring yourself up to date.

Why do pastors ignore this kind of planning? One, it requires you to think and work. It won’t allow you to fly by the seat of your pants. It holds you accountable. It shows where you are failing, and the bottom line is fear.

CHECK OUT AUDIO SERMONS AND SONGS