I once wrote an article about a small church that wanted to make their church such a satisfying ministry that their pastor would never want to consider going to another church. Think about your church and your ministry with them. What are the aspects of your work that bring you deep satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment? What are the aspects of your ministry with them that cause you to wonder whether your work is worthwhile? What would make your ministry at your church so fulfilling and meaningful that you could not bear to consider accepting a call to another church.
My guess is that you would not want to serve in a church that never had any challenges. You understand that the very nature of a Christian community is that we are all sinners — less than perfect. The whole process of sanctification or maturing in the faith is what we are about. While you have to support your family, you knew from the beginning that being a pastor would not result in your becoming wealthy. While it is nice to have time for your family and personal recreational time, most pastors understand that unusual hours and interruption of personal plans are part of the nature of ministry. Nor do you expect people to always agree with you. Our understanding of the nature of humanity is that none of us have perfect insight and that we need to open ourselves to other people’s perspectives as a way of continuing to grow in wisdom and understanding. I think Paul is right in assuming that factions and differences in a Christian community are necessary in order to discover the truth. (See 1 Corinthians 11:19)
So, think about it. If you don’t expect a congregation to be perfect, what is it that makes your ministry fulfilling? Where do you find deep satisfaction even when it is stressful? That is what we will look at tomorrow.
