Article: A Top 10 List for Pastors

I know you may find this hard to believe, but I think a lot about my calling as pastor. As you know I am far from perfect but I constantly think about how effective I am and how that varies depending upon the situation and the people I am interacting with. I know it might seem that I am living life by the seat of my pants, I can assure you that I am not.

Every day I ponder how we can embody our own self defined core values of hospitality, Christ-Centered Community, Spiritual Growth, Generosity and Responding to Needs.

With that in mind I ran across an article by Scott Postma entitled 10 Pastors You Should Have MAJOR Concerns About. This is an article that caused me to stop and look at myself in the proverbial mirror.

Below are the 10 points he makes:

  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who is better at managing church programs than he is at making disciples of Jesus.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who attracts people with fancy self-help sermons instead of teaching people to be students of the Bible and theology.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who is a chief executive instead of a contemplative sage.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who uses the pulpit to milk members instead of minister to the saints.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who makes growing the church the goal instead of glorifying God the goal.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who builds his ministry with people instead of building people by his ministry.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who cultivates a culture of dependency on himself instead of cultivating a culture of community within the church.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who reads and teaches the Bible literally instead of literarily.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who contributes to the culture of consumerism instead of combating idolatry.
  1. I’m concerned about the pastor who sees the church as a stepping stone instead of seeing it as a custodian of Christ’s kingdom.

Quite a list, isn’t it? These are pastoral potholes and as difficult they are to read, they serve as a good checklist for me in the new year. Are things that I am doing that I need to change? Yes. Are things I am not doing that I need to work towards? Absolutely.

I love what I do and I look forward to growing the church in 2017 as I grow myself.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

 

 

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2 thoughts on “Article: A Top 10 List for Pastors

  1. Hi Pastor Ben……I enjoyed reading your thoughts and also the “pastoral potholes” included in your article. Lots of good “food for thought”. I also wonder about any “congregation potholes” and how we might incorporate that perspective. It seems to me that it takes a team effort to reflect the discipleship given to us by Jesus. Are we fixing our congregational potholes? Just some thoughts on my part. I enjoy reading your personal thoughts and both Frank and I look forward to your word on Sunday mornings. Blessings to you and your family as we face 2017!

    1. Hi Mona,
      Thanks for the encouragement! I will have think about “congregational potholes.” When I come up with some, I will be sure to post them.

      God bless,
      PB

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