Revitalize Your Church

A Prayer of a Minor Prophet  by A. W. Tozer (revised/updated by Mark O. Wilson) This is the prayer of a man called to be a witness to the nations. This is what he said to his Lord on the day of his ordination. After the elders and ministers had prayed and laid their hands on him he withdrew to meet his Savior in the secret place and in that silence, farther in than his well-meaning brothers and sisters could take him. And he said: O Lord, I heard your voice and was afraid. You called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. You are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, you have stopped to honor me to be your servant. No humans take this honor upon themselves except those called of God as Aaron. You have ordained me your messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected You, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the ser...

A young pastor once contacted me, seeking suggestions for effective ministry in his small community.  Here is my response: 1.  Think Big and Little. Too many rural pastors suffer from myopia -- small vision.  "How can anything significant happen in a little place like this?"  However, it pays to remember that Jesus launched the greatest mission in human history from rural context.  If you have the right perspective, you can touch the world from the end of it!  Refuse to be small minded. Do something special with what you have.  Go the extra mile and put some "wow" into it.  It doesn't take much more to make a huge difference.  Remember, in a small community, you don't have to be great to be spectacular. Take a risk and do something big.  Plan a significant event and invite the whole community.  (A few ideas: a dinner to honor veterans or rescue workers, a fun outreach for children, a hunting or fishing expo, a concert, the ...

"Satan is not necessarily opposed to all Christian work. He cares little how zealously we busy ourselves at good things so long as we do not work in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is often pleased if we work so hard and so long that we begin to fret and worry. He is happy if we undertake more work than we can saturate with prayer. He would not seriously oppose if every Christian were a tireless worker -- so long as he worked only in his human energy and was not empowered and anointed by the Spirit of God." -- Wesley L. Duewel

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for others is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for others when we learn to listen to them. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking. Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But those who can no longer listen to others will soon be no longer listening to God either; they will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual lif...

"Satan is not necessarily opposed to all Christian work. He cares little how zealously we busy ourselves at good things so long as we do not work in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is often pleased if we work so hard and so long that we begin to fret and worry. He is happy if we undertake more work than we can saturate with prayer. He would not seriously oppose if every Christian were a tireless worker -- so long as he worked only in his human energy and was not empowered and anointed by the Spirit of God."  -- Wesley L. Duewel

The Bottom Line of Pastoral Ministry: Love God and Love all the People. It's a matter of attitude and action, impacting everything we do, and not merely theoretical. How is this priority demonstrated in your life?

To be a serious writer requires discipline that is iron fisted. It’s sitting down and doing it whether you think you have it in you or not. Everyday. Alone. Without interruption. Contrary to what most people think, there is no glamour to writing. In fact, it’s heartbreak most of the time. -- Harper Lee This is true about being a serious pastor too, except in the pastoral work, it's not alone and with plenty of interruption.

There's power in ministry when the preaching comes from the praying and the leading comes from the loving.

You don’t need to be a fan of professional basketball to have heard talk this week about free agents. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, among others, are all contemplating changing teams in a quest for championship rings (and dollars). Building short-term dream teams to win championships may be an effective strategy for winning championships in the NBA, but churches rarely become more effective when pastors keep changing, moving in and out like free agents of the church. The truth is pastoral longevity is one of the untold secrets of church health. My experience is this – A long pastorate does not guarantee a church will grow, but changing pastors every few years guarantees a church won’t grow. -- Rich Warren (Pastor's Toolbox) More here.

Out of Ur reported on a sobering Wall Street Journal article on pastoral unemployment: Unemployed pastors in 2005: 2000 Unemployed pastors in 2007: 3000 Unemployed pastors in 2009: 5000 WSJ article here

It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis. -- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

1. Pray 2. Preach 3. Lead 4. Love And not necessarily in that order.

John Frederic Oberlin is widely considered to be one of the most successful small town pastors in history. Ministering at the turn of the 17th Century in the Ban de la Roche, France, he devoted his life to the people in this remote region. He never wrote a book, nor did he travel and speak outside his parish -- yet, over 100 books have been written about him. An Ohio college (and town) was named after him. While reading John W. Kurtz's biography, John Frederic Oberlin , I was impressed by Oberlin's predecessor, Pastor Stuber. Rev. Stuber tilled the garden Oberlin planted. He recruited the young pastor, and served as his mentor. During Oberlin's first year of ministry, the wise Stuber wrote: You have an engaging quality that makes you really more capable than I have been, provided that you remain fearless of all except God and that you not allow yourself to be stifled or overwhelmed by a multiplicity of projects. I do want to remind you that one can be turned away from Chr...

These little gnats are such a nuisance Buzzing around my head Flying up my nostrils Swirling in my mushroom soup. I'm trying to strain the little critters out Before they're down the hatch. Strain! Strain! Strain! Such a bother. What a chore. There is no task so strenuous as straining little gnats. Gulp! Uh Oh! I think I swallowed a camel!

Hey everybody, stop in at Margaret Bossow's new blog, Becoming a Minister , and give her a welcome. Margaret, a member of our congregation, is a real dynamo for God who gives herself away in service for God and others. I admire her willingness to follow the call, wherever it may lead.

Prairie Hill Baptist Church Church called Fred Sain to be their pastor 60 years ago, and he's still there! He says he never heard God say, "Move!"

I have a sledgehammer in my garage, and I also have a small finishing hammer. They are both equally important to me. If I had to choose between the two, I suppose I'd pick the little guy. He's been a real help to me over the years -- but I'd rather not choose at all. Both hammers are my good friends and trusted companions. Thus, the hammers teach me a valuable lesson; bigger isn't always better! Smaller isn't always better either. The value of the tool is determined by the task ahead. Driving stakes for a circus tent? Use the sledge! Repairing the living room coffee table? The finishing hammer will do perfectly. (My wife would not appreciate me using the sledge for that!) This brings me to an important point. Why do we compare ourselves with others? Why do we allow ourselves to feel inferior (or superior) to the people around us? We're all equally important -- though we have different roles and functions in life. We're all a part of the same toolbox! We all ...

I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers. -- Oliver Wendell Holmes (legendary U. S. Supreme Court Justice) A man approached a fellow passenger on an airplane and inquired, "Excuse me sir, but as I passed you just now I noticed that you look like a minister. Am I right?" "No," came the reply, "I just have bad gas.

We are filled up to be poured out. Fill up with love -- and then pour it out. Fill up with faith -- and then pour it out. Fill up with hope -- and then pour it out. Fill up with joy -- and then pour it out. Fill up with the Spirit -- and then pour it out. We're blessed to be a blessing. If we fill up. but don't pour it out -- we're bloated. If we pour it out, but don't fill up -- we're depleted. Keep filling up and pouring out! That's how we're created to live and serve in this world. Let the river flow!

My blogger buddy, Mark Batterson shared some powerful insights from his recent staff retreat. Most of our ministries get stuck at the point where we're less than honest. We aren't willing to verbalize or confront an issue because it might hurt someone's feelings. That is where a ministry will stop growing. . . You have to cut through the issues to get to the heart of the matter.