There is a palpable excitement to arriving at a new congregation both on the part of the congregation and the pastor. It’s sort of like dating online and now you are finally going to meet each other in the flesh. As a pastor, you have some major decisions to make that will establish some patterns for the next several years.
A significant decision is how to establish some porous boundaries. I’m not talking about the sexual boundaries issue, which is another topic. I’m talking about the boundaries that define work time, family time, personal time, spiritual time, etc. I say porous boundaries because you are trying to draw some lines while not making yourself unapproachable in times of need. Some pastors are so available that they can easily be sucked dry by the needs of a congregation. Other pastors are so good at drawing lines that a congregation, and especially its members, feel the pastor is unapproachable.
As you begin your pastorate, if you could convey five boundary lines that you wish your congregation could understand from the beginning, what would they be? It would probably be best for you to write out seven to ten statements and then pick your top five.
Next, in relation to each of them, write a sentence or two about ways that a person could misunderstand that boundary in a way that would have a negative effect on your ministry.
Then, write out a statement for each of the five about how if they were properly understood, these boundaries could help you maintain a healthier balance in your ministry.
New beginnings are full of stress. It is helpful to have some understanding of your hoped for boundaries as you begin. Recognize that it is not a purely logical process. Human dynamics are empowered by emotions even as they are shaped by logic. Boundaries are artificial constructs that can be moved as your experience suggests. But make a beginning.
