****The short story below is part of a larger work that is, yet, incomplete. All events are true; the letter from my senior “pastor” is verbatim. There were certain names that were left out for privacy sake**** All the previous abuse culminated with a spiritual awakening. The Lord began to bring clarity to my heart. I realized that scripturally I needed to address the issues ongoing in my marriage. The abuse began to take a toll on my church life. I was so afraid of my husband that I avoided going anywhere with him, or where he had been. I stopped attending and serving in the church. This had nothing to do with my love for my pastor, other leadership, or the congregation. My senior “pastor” was well aware of the abuse. I was told that I needed…
For the interview with a pastor, Pastor Brett Bergstrom, from Calvary Chapel Surprise agreed to be interview. He sits as Senior Pastor, and has over 5,000 people in his congregation. The reason Pastor Brett was chosen to interview is that he has been my pastor for four years. Pastor Brett is the perfect person for this interview because it gave me a chance to ask some tough question and hear his personal responses. Pastor Brett was a life taught pastor until the last few years he went back to…
Pastors must be servant-leaders and not lord it over their flock. Gregory presents important points with much wisdom that pastors would do well to follow as an example. There are some (many) who should not be in pastoral ministry because they lead their flock astray. This is due to the fact that there are pastors who do not have sound doctrine which leads to wolves invading the flock. One must be called into pastoral ministry by God in order to do this important work. Gregory provides helpful…
This post will identify a set of criteria which to use to evaluate the effectiveness of a sports coach, a teacher, and a senior pastor referred to henceforth as leaders. Each of the items will be listed in order of highest priority to least. Next, the item will be justified along with how each item difference from each leader. Lastly, how each of these criteria can be measure will be looked at. This post is written from my personal perception of the job of these individuals and the roles that…
Preacher Without a Pulpit Preachers are respected figures of the religious community. I had a chance to follow Pastor William Reed for a week and got to learn more about the man that I see on Sunday mornings. It’s hard to picture the man behind the preacher, but after a few days I realized that my preacher is a man of God but more man than expected. As time went by and the questions were asked I got an incite of his life with and without a pulpit. Many times, people get it in their mind that a…
that God is doing in our lives and teach us about it. The pastor’s job is to look for ways that God is working in our everyday lives. Then the pastor is to point it out to us. They should take time and prayerfully reflect for when they teach us. Once we have been taught and convicted about how God is working, we are to go out and be used for God’s glory. The pastor’s job is very much intertwined with Jesus being the agent of ministry. There were several thing that I learned from Pastor Matt,…
Some people think pastors, are just preachers on stage which is part of their role, pastors are also shepherds, and leaders of God's people. It is their responsibility to live out God's role that was placed upon their lives. To begin with, the Greek word for “pastor” is poimen which means shepherd who manages, directs, and cares for people. God calls pastors “men after His own heart” in Jeremiah 3:15. That’s amazing! An important role of shepherding is discipleship. Under discipleship consist…
professional and private life of a pastor. His goal is to inform those who are going to join or are already part of ordained life. This read is challenging in that it causes the reader to question their own behaviors and their definition of Ministry. He talks about pitfalls to be aware of, and good habits to build…
The Pastor cleared his throat. "Your father has gone to be with the Lord." Fifteen years ago, my dad received a kidney and pancreas transplant. It was a successful surgery. He was a juvenile diabetic, and for the first time since he was nine-years-old, he didn 't have to inject himself with insulin. It was a successful surgery. Two weeks later, on New Year 's day, my older sister and I were sitting in the family room waiting to go to our next door neighbor 's house. My dad had been throwing up…
Henri Nouwen’s book The Wounded Healer: Ministry In Contemporary Society provides a valuable introspective approach to providing pastoral care and serving in Christian leadership in contemporary society. Nouwen provides a great overview of the wounds and suffering that plagues modern society, the current generation, individual people, and the Christian ministers who are called to serve those in need. (Nouwen, 3) In describing the challenges of modern society, Nouwen asserts that today’s society:…