For the next installment of the blog I want to address the issue of what a pastor spends their time on. As I have shared with folks across the Conference, a concern about overloading our pastors has come up in a couple of places. Enough so, that I thought it would be good to share a little about the role of the pastor and how it relates to the work of revitalization.
Like many vocations there is rarely an end to the "to do" list of a pastor. There are always more people to visit, another sermon to write. Not to mention working with the youth, the administration of the church, attending meetings of the local congregation and the district as well as the conference. Somewhere in the middle of that is our continued spiritual and leadership development. Added to all of it is the responsibility of growing the congregation and being involved in the local community. Now there is a conversation about revitalization and it is clear this is a huge task.
Pastors are being invited and encouraged into a new task that is essential to the life of the church at the same time when exhaustion and burnout are at very high rates. Something is going to have to give if pastors are going to provide leadership to local congregations that helps transformation and revitalization take place. As congregations are preparing for revitalization we have said the starting point is prayer. Then next step is being clear about why a congregation wants to enter the journey of revitalization. Now the roles of the pastor must be addressed.
If a congregation is going to enter the journey of revitalization, there must be adjustments made to the expectations of the congregation of the pastors time. One of the things I hear most often from pastors is they do not have enough time to read and study. More than preparing for sermons, important work, pastors need time to read books and other resources which provide encouragement and information as to how to be about the work of revitalization. Making this time available will mean the pastor will not be available for some of the other important tasks within the congregation.
Second point starts with a question. How much time are congregations freeing up for their pastors to be involved in relationship building outside of the congregation? Revitalization of a congregation will mean reaching new people for the sake of Jesus Christ. If a pastor spends all their time in relationship with people inside of the church and has no time to engage relationships outside the congregation, revitalization will not happen. This will mean time for the pastor to sit in the local coffee shop or diner, or other places of public gathering. It can be very difficult for a congregation to not have the pastor in their office whenever there is a need. Yet, congregations entering the revitalization journey will have to arrange time for their pastor to build relationships outside of the congregation.
Third there needs to be a change in expectation. The pastor cannot do everything and should not do everything. It is acceptable to have a meeting of congregation business and the pastor to not be there. It is possible to have activities in the congregation the pastor does not attend. This will allow more time for study, prayer and relationship building outside the congregation.
In many ways it is not about reducing the amount of effort put forward by pastors, it is about rearranging what happens within that effort. Revitalization is not an add on to the current pastoral responsibilities of a congregation, it is a replacement of responsibilities. In many cases pastors will need more time to work on the aspects of leading revitalization. Adjustments to preaching styles and content, learning principles of congregational development, their own spiritual journey, and many other aspects. This may mean all the what have become normal functions of the pastor have to change so the outcome is different than what has become normal which is decline.
For revitalization to happen pastors will have to put forth significant effort to the mission and ministry of the congregation, this is not 9-5 kind of work. Yet, congregations need to be mindful that pastors are not overloaded with the "normal" functions of the congregation as well as leading revitalization.
In the next post, the last in this series, I will look at the role of the congregation in the revitalization journey.
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed by your enthusiasm, your dedication to this process, and your heart for helping churches become more vital. However, I am dismayed that you have scheduled the initial meetings on days when most of our membership under 65 is working. I understand that the peer groups will choose their meeting dates at the this first session and that all are committed to attend all sessions. Does this not all but eliminate a segment of our population -- a segment that we sorely need to engage -- from participation?--Mary Jane, Niagara Frontier
Mary Jane
DeleteThanks for your comment. The gatherings listed at the side are for those who are pastoring churches. In the next few weeks I will be releasing the dates for laity gatherings. The laity gatherings will all be on Saturdays to facilitate a greater chance to involve the greatest number of people. Be watching for those dates.--Grace and Peace Aaron
" Does this not all but eliminate a segment of our population?"
ReplyDeleteThis comment in a previous post struck a chord.
The dynamics of interaction between church members and newcomers is just like all human interaction:
"If I think you are like me than I will like you!"
When looking over the congregation in our small rural church I see gray hair everywhere.
So I have some questions:
1. How can a church with an aging population attract younger members?
2. Our order of worship has not significantly changed in the last half century.
3. How do we assess/react to the fact that "Praise and Worship" services in other churches seem to attract outsiders.
4. I did a search on Craigslist and found ads for some local churches.
If our church were to advertise on Craigslist how would/should we arrange an ad.
5. Is it possible to publicize on this blog so-called "success stories"?
"Ora et Labora" is commendable.
However I would like to see some recommendations in regard to practical approaches.
In particular what has worked elsewhere in a situation like ours.
Basically how does a church with an aging population in a rural area attract a younger generation?
George V.
George,
DeleteSoon I will be moving to types of posts here on the blog. I wanted to start by laying the foundation. After the First of the year I will be posting more hands on kind of things. I do think you above questions are great, and a basic response is a question, how willing are we to change what we have always done? I have interacted with churches that want to attract younger folks but are not willing to change to meet people where they are at. --Grace and Peace Aaron
In my Craigslist search for church ads I found the following statement by a Rabbi in the section:
ReplyDeletesyracuse craigslist > community > general community:
"The job of a religion is to address the major existential problem in any given time at any given place. The major existential problem of our age is our aloneness. Community is the solution for that problem."
I thought it worth quoting.
George V
Hi, Aaron. I'm registered for the Jan. 22 clergy peer learning group. I've seen the book list, but am wondering which book, if any, we're to have read for that 1st session. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see a companion post on overload for the laity.
ReplyDeleteIt is in the works.
Delete