A STRATEGY FOR CHURCH LEADERS
OK, so the leadership of a congregation understands that in preparation for the next pastor, they need to sensitize the congregation to the importance of mutual attention to healthy ministry. How does one proceed?
Over the next several blogs, I’m going to suggest some exercises and educational strategies that can be used to engage the congregation in this conversation.
Raising Awareness Among Congregations
Most congregations don’t deliberately set out to be unsupportive of a pastor. When it is raised to their consciousness, they want to support the pastor but have not thought about it and are not really aware of how to go about such a task. So the first thing the church leadership can do is raise an awareness of the of the demands of ministry.
Either at a congregational meeting or a pot-luck supper, those present can be led in an exercise of how well do we know our pastor.The following sheet can be copied and handed out to those present.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR MINISTER
Below are a list of tasks that a minister performs regularly. Estimate the number of hours you think might be required in the average month. Guessing is allowed and encouraged. When you are finished, total your estimates compared to a month of 45 hour weeks or 180 hours.
TELEPHONE, E-MAIL, CORRESPONDENCE _____
ADMINISTRATION _____
SUPERVISION OF STAFF &/OR VOLUNTEERS ____
COMMITTEE MEETINGS DURING THE DAY _____
COMMITTEE MEETINGS HELD AT NIGHT _____
WORSHIP PLANNING AND CONDUCTING ____
SERMON PREPARATION AND PREACHING _____
PRIVATE PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE ____
CHURCH SCHOOL PLANNING _____
TEACHER / OFFICER TRAINING _____
HOSPITAL OR CRISIS VISITING _____
HOME VISITING _____
TEACHING _____
COUNSELING _____
SPECIAL EVENT PLANNING AND PARTICIPATION _____
(weddings, funerals, seasonal events, etc.)
YOUTH MINISTRY _____
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY _____
SERVICE & MISSION WORK _____
COMMUNITY WORK WITH OTHER CHURCHES _____
EVANGELISM AND WITNESS _____
DENOMINATIONAL WORK _____
TOTAL HOURS _____
Now that you have an approximate estimate of the time demands of the ministry, consider the continual emotional rollercoaster that can be experienced by the pastor in the regular performance of these tasks.
Identify 3 – 4 tasks in any of the above categories that would trigger strong emotions (both positive and negative)
Identify 2 -3 tasks that need to be performed but do not contain much personal satisfaction in the performance. They might even be boring or cause low self-esteem.
While it might not always be true, consider which tasks might be in tension with the pastor’s faith and/or integrity. What can you imagine that s/he be asked to do that might conflict with what s/he believes is faithful.
Try to make 2 to 3 statements about such possibilities.
By guiding a congregation through such reflections, you provide a context for considering the importance of being intentional about offering clergy support.
