Dear church,
I am grateful you’re willing to hear the words and heart of a pastor and professor who recently celebrated his 43rd anniversary in ministry. I trust you hear my words the way I intend them: to encourage you as you help launch ministers into gospel work.
First, thank you for taking a risk on a first-time pastor – a ministry rookie, if you will. Many of us remember fondly the congregation who graciously called us when we were hardly ready for the task of ministry. We also remember how often our loving congregation forgave us for our mistakes and fumbles along the way. We would not be where we are were it not for that congregation—and you can be the same kind of congregation for your pastor.
Second, I want you to know how much influence you can have on the rest of your pastor’s ministry. If you lovingly walk with your pastor so he has a positive first experience in ministry, he will always know from that point that good churches exist somewhere. No matter what he faces in years to come, your early loving care for him will help keep his heart soft.
If his first experience is a negative one, on the other hand, he may always be wondering when the proverbial “other shoe will drop.” Everything may be good today, but he knows from experience that tomorrow could still bring division and defeat. Looking forward with expectation and excitement in his ministry becomes difficult when he’s always looking over his shoulder with fear. I plead with you to not let that happen to your pastor.
Third, I challenge you to help your rookie pastor develop good habits that will strengthen the rest of his ministry. If he never delegates anything, help him see the potential of burnout—and walk with him to recruit other workers. Give him time and space to be in the Word and prayer, and ask him occasionally how he’s doing in his quiet time. Encourage him to get out of the office, regularly reaching into the community and developing relationships with non-believers. Think about your responsibility this way: “Our pastor shepherds us, but we have the privilege of helping him be a good shepherd—both now and in the future, wherever God may lead him.”
Fourth, please let your rookie pastor grow, even if he learns things the hard way. Young pastors can be arrogant. Some want to study so much that they seclude themselves in their office and attend to the sheep only when necessary. Others are not yet good at pastoral care or counseling. Your pastor, I assume, has much room for growth. Allow him to make mistakes, correct them, and learn from them. He will likely have more opportunities to learn this way in his first pastorate—when he’s just “learning the ropes”—than he will in future assignments. Help him learn well.
Finally, be your rookie pastor’s friend. This many years into my ministry, I can still remember the names and faces of church members in my first pastorate who became great friends. They were not just my church members; they were genuinely my brothers and sisters in the family of God. Please be that kind of church for your pastor! You will not regret it.
God bless,
Chuck Lawless