Do you support your pastor?
February 7, 2007I recently read a book that completely changed my thinking about what it means to support my pastor. For the first time in my life I am attending a church where my pastors are accessible, open, and available. I was raised in a denominational church where the pastor changed every few years. Although I left with the pastor (he was my dad), most people made the commitment to the church and to supporting it rather than to supporting the pastor. My views on how to support, encourage, equip, enable, and defend my pastor have changed a lot over the few months I have been a part of my church. I now know that church is so much more than the programs and the calendar, but is all about the people and the pastor affects every person that comes through the church doors.
Here are a few quotes from the book (You Can Make a Difference in Your Pastor’s Life Shoulder to Shoulder by Dan Reiland):
“Risks must be taken for the church to grow. In your pastor’s attempts to grow the church he will make mistakes. The bigger the church, the bigger the impact of the mistakes. But all pastors make them. The best pastors make them regularly and admit them freely. The key is in not making the same mistake over and over again. If a pastor is not making many mistakes, he’s not taking enough risks. You can support your pastor by encouraging him to make a few mistakes this month! Laugh about them, and learn from them together. Pastors tend to report success quicker than failures, but you can make a difference by letting your pastor know you realize he is human.”
“How committed to your church are you? Your church needs you to help it become better. Commitment is necessary for your own spiritual growth as well is the growth of your church. Your pastor needs your commitment and support in order to fulfill the great commission of Matthew 28 – to go and make disciples.”
“Your pastor is your “spiritual coach.” He is responsible to cast vision, motivate, teach spiritual truths, train you in the basics of your faith, and show you how to fit on the ministry team. Your job is to get off the bench by getting in the game.” “What is nonnegotiable is whether or not you are part of the team. You are on the team-congratulations! Now the question is, will you spend it on the sidelines or in the game?”
Are you praying for your pastor? Are you committed to your church, pastor, and God in a way that supports your pastor? As you pray for your pastor God will change and grow your heart. I have a picture of my pastors on my desk to remind me to pray for them every day. I have made that commitment and have even told one of them that I am committed to supporting him through daily prayer. Nothing has changed my heart and commitment to my church more than praying for and supporting my pastors. It has been such a blessing for me. I can only hope it is a blessing for them too.
Sherie…I am honored and humbled. Thank you for your prayers. Lord knows I need it! They are a blessing. I hope that as we travel in community together that I can be a blessing to you also. Thank you again…
It is I who am honored to be a part of a church that is God centered and seeking to be faithful in all they do. That starts with the leadership. It is a privilege and blessing to have leaders I can respect and trust. I know the cost paid through the demands that are on you and your families. I can’t walk that course for you, but I hope my prayers do support you along that path.
Many christians think of what they are getting from the pastor but never care about what they are giving back. Thax 4 being a blessing to your church and i pray that more christians see the light 2
Thanks Moses. It ia a balance, but I agree that often we view pastors and other leaders only through the eyes of what we get. They are people and need support, friends, acceptance, and patience too. Our pastors will fail us and falter just like we do because they are not perfect. We need to love them through that. The balance part is to know that sometimes situations are unhealthy or toxic, and there are times we need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and beliefs. No leader (pastor or other) should be hurting others through their leadership and that is becoming a growing problem in churches in America. I hope it is a trend we can stop.
Thank you so much for this article. I am a pastor’s wife and I find it so refreshing to find others sincerely trying to bless their pastor as much as he is blessing them.
I am putting together a newsletter for Pastor Appreciation Month and I will definately be using this article to bless our church.
May God continue to bless your ministry!
Thank you Sherrie. I have wrestled with this post because a few months ago I left the church I was a part of when I wrote this post due to ungodly leadership. Supporting your pastor is vital to you, the church, and your pastor, but an equally important thing is to know when you should no longer support the pastor. I believe that should only happen if you feel they are not abiding by God’s word, but if someone feels their pastor is not abiding by the word and you try to address it but the pastor will not admit their sin and change then run from that church. Good, strong leaders who live with righteousness and godliness are to be treasured and supported, those who are not living and leading that way should be avoided as they will cost you and the community many things. We need to stop being passive about attending church, being involved, and holding each other to God’s standard. Finding good, solid leaders that you can entrust your spiritual life and health to can be difficult, but I speak from personal experience that it is incredibly worth it. Many people are willing to move to another community for family or a job, I recently did it because I found a pastor I could trust and who I believe will speak into my life and call me to that standard with passion and grace. So far, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Those are the type of leaders we should be running to because they are pointing us to God, not their own theories, thoughts, or to themselves. I am seeking to support and care for my pastor in how I respond to him, in babysitting his kids so he can have a date night, in assisting him with decisions and responsibilities at the church, and in just caring about how he is personally doing each week as he leads us. Pastors give to us and pour out constantly, one of the big things we need to do is be sure they are being poured into and supported also.