Over the years the Pastoral Search Committees (PSC’s) of our churches have been encouraged to give very careful thought to the shaping of their pastoral profiles before undertaking interviews. The pastoral profile is a usually a comprehensive description of the qualities which the PSC is seeking in a new pastor, given the ministry task identified […]
Author: Rev John Simpson
When A New Ministry Commences!
There are few challenges greater than commencing a new ministry with a new congregation. Such a step is the culmination of much prayer, thought, conversation and heartburn (probably as much for the church as for yourself on all counts). It is helpful to keep some important issues in mind as you take up this new […]
When Is It Time To Move On?
Of all the dilemmas which confront pastors, there is only one which is more tantalising than the acceptance of a call to a new ministry. It is the timing of one’s departure from a church. Despite all the practical counsel we may offer to others in helping them understand the will of God, when it […]
Part Time Ministry – It’s a Tough Call
Paul’s tent making business represents one of the earliest examples of bi-vocational ministry. Churches with limited resources will continue to opt for part time ministry. There are some significant implications for pastors which need to be tabled and pondered: The Reality! A congregation of fewer than around, say, 75 committed worshippers will find it difficult […]
Pastoral Teams – the Whys and the Wherefores
Multi staff church leadership teams have long been a reality across churches of all denominations. While most of these are found in urban settings, churches in larger regional and even rural centres have found the resources to add staff to form pastoral teams. The reasons for additional pastors…. The expansion of the pastoral team is […]
Ten Things Your Congregation Probably Won’t Tell You
For all our talk about community and openness in the life of the church, when it comes to the crunch there are several no go areas. Like it or not there are some hot potatoes which few are game enough to address. Churches will simply not raise them with their pastors despite there being a […]
Surviving The Culture Of Criticism
A few years back a pastor who left his congregation under a cloud defined rather wistfully the kind of church he would like to be called to in the future: one where he would be accepted for who he was, where the leadership had great vision and where there were no critics. He is still […]
Don’t Look Now But Next Year’s Coming!
Planners and diaries, like fire and water, are wonderful servants but dreadful masters. Given that the day-to-day exercise of the pastoral ministry has such an unknown quantity about it, planning ahead may seem to be an exercise in futility. We frequently complain about shortages of time and the stresses arising from unexpected demands which can […]
Are You Giving God A Good Giggle?
If the capacity for fun is God given, one can only wonder what tickles God’s sense of humour. If mortals can see the amusing side to difficult situations, it is a safe bet that God is wonderfully able to do the same. Surely heaven must rock with the laughter of God as He ponders the […]
Lazy Leadership?
With thanks for responses from the BUV Ordinands’ Retreat, February 2000 Effective pastoral leadership can be demonstrated in as many ways as there are the pastors who respond to the divine call to serve a congregation. But there is one congregational perception which is extremely hard to put to rest without a great deal of […]
About Christian Leadership
Christian leadership is about: Presence not power Stature not status Character not charm An effective leader is one who is more concerned about: Relationships than outcomes Patience than progress Grace than guilt Inspiring leadership requires: Internal security A freedom from having to prove anything to anybody An active willingness to help others achieve and receive […]
Don’t Look Now, But They’re Just Like You!
No, not your kids. Or your other rellies. It’s your congregation! Those folks who call your church their home. The ones you preach to each week. The ones who are so able to bring great joy and great drama all in the one hit. They are getting more like you every day. The longer you […]
The Church as a Camp Fire
Any mention of “boiling the billy” quickly recalls the image of the camp fire, of the drovers and their dogs, of great herds of cattle toiling along the endless stock routes of the inland, of an era which is almost past. See the curling smoke drifting carelessly skyward into the orange glow of another day […]
Yes, But Do You Love Them?
The meeting was a tough one. The pastor and elders met to reflect on the growing unrest in the church. Harmony just now was eluding everyone. After the elders left, the pastor said quietly, “I think I know the real problem. It has just struck me. I do not love these people.” Despite several years […]
In Defence of Little Old Ladies
Uncertainties about the value of pastoral visitation are sometimes expressed by busy ministers in the well-worn declaration, “I do not have the time to have cups of tea with little old ladies.” Now what’s wrong with cups of tea and, more particularly, with little old ladies who apparently do not need active pastoral interest? The […]
Pastoral Care And Prayer – A Vital Intersection
Too often we see the parts of ministry rather than the whole. There’s a big difference between the assembly line putting the whole car together and the spare parts shop where you can buy single items. You can drive the car but a wheel bearing on its own won’t get you far. The spare parts […]
Keeping Those Confidences
From time to time difficult moments arise for pastors because they know too much rather than too little. The trusted pastor will be the listener to many conversations where personal secrets, disappointments, failures and traumas are shared by the needy, the lonely, the hurting. These confidences are often unveiled as part of a desperate search […]
Pastoring the Powerful
Most congregations include a few people who love to exercise their own personal power. They are genuine control freaks. Many a pastor will quietly disclose their own struggles with powerful people (PP) whose special calling appears to be the total unsettlement of the congregation. Are PP a recent addition to the community of faith? Hardly! […]
Coping with the Damaged People
The more effective the congregation is in reaching and welcoming all comers, the greater the likelihood of embracing a growing battalion of broken people all needing help of one kind or another. There is one group which is proving to be a genuine headache: they are the damaged people. This description is offered with love, […]
Are We Fracturing The Fellowship?
Good strategies for ministry are a bit like new drugs: they offer excellent outcomes initially but you can never predict the side effects. It is so easy to try new angles in the Lord’s service with all good intention not realising that there may be some very real down sides. The old formula of three […]
Did You See Jesus at Church Last Sunday?
What do you mean, did I see Him? You know, was He there? Well, of course, He was. That’s what worship is all about. We come together to worship Him, to be in His presence. How do we know we are in His Presence? Because there’s a real feeling of love, you know acceptance, of […]
Macro Faith – At a Store Near You!
If only Paul had known about Macro Faith! It could have transformed his ministry. MF (especially designed for caring pastors with moderate computer skills) is a windows wonder. At long last the intricacies of pastoral leadership have been simplified to maximise your day. User friendly MF will alleviate all the headaches which go with Christian […]
Harry
Harry attended church for the last time on Sunday. A frail but independent 83 years, given to unexpected fainting and on heavy medication, the doctor decreed it was time to call it quits. No more would Harry leave his ill wife, board a tram and travel to church. It was the end of an era […]
Bob and Muriel: Could Your Church Reach Them?
Bob and Muriel are real people. They are in their early fifties, the parents of several adult children. There are a number of grandchildren one of whom died recently after alleged physical abuse by a de facto son-in-law. There is a daughter in her early twenties living at home. She is an unmarried mother with […]
From Country Club To Mission Base: The Strategic Role Of The Pastor
Whichever way we look at it, all the talk about church growth is not being matched by actual on the ground growth in many places. It’s a paradox really. Never have there been so many on line resources, books, tapes, DVD’s and conferences all focussing energetically on the most effective ways to grow the church. […]
Evangelism – Are There Still Lost People Out There?
Oops, don’t look now but our slip is showing. Something is just slightly out of whack, out of shape. There’s just one small problem: we are not correcting the situation. Perhaps it is too hard! A quick snap shot across the broad canvas of churches shows that many are residing on a plateau – holding […]
Who Rings the Door Bell Now?
Is the home visit by the pastor finished? Has this classic pastoral care strategy gone past its use by date? The doorbells are not being rung these days. The preacher cum house caller model of pastoral leadership, much loved and appreciated in its day, has almost disappeared. The old adage of the “home visiting pastor […]
The Body Language Of Your Church
Silly as it may seem, most people already have formed a few ideas about your church before they ever go on site. And they will form a few more should they manage a visit to a service. The body language of your building speaks with great clarity and the messages conveyed may not necessarily bring […]
Where Are Your Emerging Leaders?
No doubt about it, Paul set a great model with his enthusiastic investment in young Timothy. This was mentoring par excellence. But are we creating space for today’s young adults? Are today’s Timothys and Tinas being given a chance to learn the leadership ropes and participate meaningfully in congregational life as lay leaders? The “unemployed” […]
Those Vision Statements: There’s More To Them Than Meets The Eye
If you are looking for the flavour of the month around many churches, go no further than the dreaming up of vision statements, the setting of goals and the identifying of measurable objectives. If you are really taking the Gospel seriously, you will surely be drafting up a directions manual for the next five years […]
Is It Time To Back Off?
How many of your great ideas have crashed and burned lately? Have any ministry wheels fallen off at high speed? What do you do with the disappointment, or the frustration, or the anxiety which accrues at a marvellous rate of knots when things don’t quite work out as you planned? Mind you, any pastor who […]
Let’s Find Our Prophetic Voice!
When it came to recruiting prophets, the Almighty should have worked through a professional head-hunting agency. Instead, He constantly got stuck with the retiring, the reticent, the young, the inept and the battler. As for terms and conditions, He never got it right…. His prophets should have had WorkCare, plenty of long service leave and […]
The Subtle Signs Of Impending Conflict
Congregational conflict has the not-so-happy knack of sneaking up out of the blue and catching everybody by surprise. It is all the more remarkable when it is realised that the signals of impending trauma will have been around for a while although few will have seen or recognised them for what they really are. If […]
Those Church Splits: We Need a Better Way
It is every pastor’s nightmare. Much worse than…. Losing the plot in the middle of the sermon Or forgetting the Christian name of the blushing bride who wonders why you have pulled up in the middle of the vows Or dropping someone mid plunge in the baptistery. It makes the debate over who should have […]
Let’s Turn Our Differences Into New Directions!
An unhappy record In case you had not realised it, we do not have the greatest of track records when it comes to sorting out differences within our congregations. We come to blows too fast. We play for sheep stations often over issues which are hardly worth the time of day. Or, we prefer peace […]
Who’s in Charge Around Here?
When Jesus’ friends argued the toss about who would wear the stripes, they started a debate which still rages on. The twenty-first century friends of Jesus still have it on their agenda and it is still causing pain to the Body of Christ. The striving for control and power in the church seems to be […]
Beware The Spiritual Tourists
Pastors and leaders can usually pick them at forty paces. It often comes as a hunch backed up by some simple observations. Evasive answers about their last church, a gentle refusal to give away too many personal details, often an absence of personal warmth all convey a largely hidden agenda. Now this is not to […]
Music: Is There Any Chance of Harmony?
The shift from the traditional to the contemporary The old traditional hymnbooks have gone. Instead the lyrics are projected onto screens with the actual choice of music being without limit. New worship songs are being written, flowing out of creative spirits to express praise and thanksgiving. Some are easy for a congregation to sing. Others […]
Minorities – They Are Alive And Well In The Church!
As we all know, well-organised minorities and interest groups are part of our community’s landscape. These are committed people passionately addressing their chosen agendas and often being very effective in the process. And, they work hard to make their point. Some minority groups are a blessing in the congregation Minorities in our churches can be […]
Those Erratic Church Attendances: What’s Going On?
No, it’s not just happening at your place. Wherever you look attendances at morning worship services are in a state of high fluctuation. While it may vary from church to church, the best guess is that up to one third of a congregation may be missing from your average Sunday service. The reasons for this […]
Hormones and Ministry: A Good Mix?
Ministry has never been a hormone free zone. Sexuality has always been on the short list of occupational hazards for pastors. Our own culture remains preoccupied with sexual issues. The sexual freedom of the post pill, vasectomy and abortion eras has continued to stimulate lust rather than love, technique rather than understanding, adventure rather than […]
Joy – Missing, Presumed Lost In Action
How to manage your stress books are two-bob-a-dozen. It’s a big business saving one and all from crashing and burning. Stress is “in,” centre stage, the flavour of the month, lapping up all the publicity it can get. But what help is there for those inundated by joy, swamped by the good feeling that life […]
The Most Insidious Cult of Them All
Forget the Sunday afternoon door knockers with their magazines, or the mantra chanters, or those who hunt in their suits and ties. When it comes to the cults, they are small fry. We have already been sucked in, comprehensively seduced by a cult that has wrought enormous devastation personally and collectively. Not too many books […]
Put Your Hand Up If You Are Drowning
We’ve all met the hyperactive pastor, the one who claims…. To read three books a week minimum (why get out of bed in the morning?) Listens to half a dozen podcasts every other day (do they ever talk to their partner or kids?) Reads all their magazines. And spends a daily happy hour on the […]
The Danger of Slowing Down
Some pastors get high on people. Others are totally absorbed in getting things done. A few respond to needs before they occur and are so far ahead they have planned the funeral service for the child they have just dedicated. Now not all of us are spiritual Ferraris but we do tend to measure our […]
Trusting Or Driven: It’s A Tough Call!
Pastoral leadership is becoming more difficult by the day. To receive a call from God to be a sheep dog for His flock – or at least a small part of it – is one thing; to fulfil that role half well is another. The sheer weight of the task is often deeply burdensome. The […]
How Is Your Career Path Going?
Many congregations have their own collection of rising stars. May be a tradie, a teacher to be, a young lawyer or two. Some apprentices on the go. Add in a keen young footballer eyeing the draft , a young accountant or a budding IT nerd. Within a year or two at most there’s a pretty […]
The Dignity Of Each Day
How would you like to have a dollar for each time you have sung, “This is the day that the Lord has made…”? You could probably retire with a beach house, a convertible and a healthy parcel of shares. Hopefully there will also have been some high-level rejoicing and gladness (if the actual words had […]
Prayer and the Ordered Life
There’s not too much doubt about it. Painful as it may be to say it, some pastors are not the most organised people in this world. Now this is not meant to be an unkind swipe at dedicated people who give themselves tirelessly to others. It is an observation, a conclusion arising from the hunch […]
Where Two Or Three Come Together…
“Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”[1] How often over the centuries has this remarkable promise of Jesus encouraged the faithful of all generations and cultures? How many times have seemingly very ordinary opportunities for fellowship been transformed by the thought that the Lord of the Church is […]
When God Keeps To Himself
In our present day church culture which tends to be preoccupied with creating strategies for success, there is a need to ponder those moments when it appears that God has moved out of range. Instead of a miracle every day or at least a deep sense of the Lord’s Presence, a day dawns when there […]
He’s Not Here, He’s on Long Service Leave
Yes, there’s no doubt about it. The Lord is out of town. On leave. It must be another seventh day for Him. Taking a well earned package in some celestial resort. It comes as no surprise. He has had His hands full lately: troubled people, communities, nations. Why do you think He is on LSL, […]
The Changes Life Brings To Us
It’s a long haul from the cradle to the grave. There’s much to learn, no end of mistakes to make, endless twists in the road and constant change. We recall our youthful, energetic, forays designed to bring in the Kingdom overnight. The world had fewer shades of grey then; the solutions were obvious; the possibilities […]