pastoral ministry

Steps to Help Your Pastor Grow

Church member, you can help your pastor improve. You have the ability to help him grow as a pastor, as a preacher, and as a member of your community. But it may not be easy.

Pastor, Replanter, or Revitalizer

“When did you decide you wanted to be a revitalizing pastor?” I had to think for a minute. I am blessed to pastor a church that has experienced good revitalization in the past twelve and a half years. We have gone from unhealthy to healthy, we have impacted our community, we have seen lives change, …

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Preach With Tenderness

We must preach with the broken in mind. There are prideful men and women in every congregation that need to hear the stinging words of rebuke directed toward Pharisees, but there are also men who have been destroyed by demons and women who have been abused by men. Jesus met a woman by a well in Samaria. She was an outcast who bounced from house to house. We don’t know her whole story, but it is possible that in our day and time she might be known by a different term: abuse survivoror even trafficking victim. We know is that as Jesus looked at this woman, he saw something different than everyone else who looked at her. Jesus saw her as a broken person in need of a savior. He didn’t paper over her sin as though it didn’t exist, but he didn’t discount her struggles and pain either. Jesus was honest and forthright, but he was compassionate and kind. He preached the gospel to her with tenderness and compassion. The Shepherd of Israel found a wayward sheep and lovingly brought her into the fold.

Pastors, Preach to Your People

Preach to the real people in the pews. God has called you, not only to be their preacher, but to be their pastor.

The Courage to Stay

“Lord, please give me the courage to stay here as long as you’d have me stay.” I began praying that prayer not long after coming to Malvern Hill Baptist Church. In the early days of my ministry, that prayer came about as a result of struggle and strife that were often present in our church. …

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Pastors, Teach Theology to Your Church

Everyone is a theologian, but not everyone is a good theologian. Theology is the study of and understanding of God. Everyone has some thought or understanding about God, but not everyone has correct thoughts about God. Everyone is a theologian, but not everyone is a good theologian. As shepherds over God’s flock, pastors have the …

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Face Reality: You Are The Leader

The most important task of any pastor is to clearly and carefully communicate the Word of God with his people on a regular basis. So important is the task of teaching and preaching that it occupies the vast majority of our ministerial training. In my own personal library, my collection of books on preaching takes …

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7 Lessons from 17 Years in Ministry

Seventeen years. That is how long I’ve served in vocational church ministry. That number caught me a bit by surprise this week. I really don’t feel like I’m old enough to have been doing this for so long, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned that make my ministry stronger …

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The Patient Pastor

So, the church voted unanimously to call you as their new pastor. You’ve been on the job now for six months. They bought you new office furniture, they have delivered meals to your home, and have helped your wife and kids to fit into their new church family. They are eager to hear your preaching …

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Short Steps for Long Tenure

I have recently celebrated my ten-year anniversary as the pastor of Malvern Hill Baptist Church in Camden, South Carolina. Ten years anywhere is a long time, but ten years at Malvern Hill was not expected by anyone. Our church had a history of short tenured pastors, but through God’s grace, I have been able to …

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