Though we are shepherds who will give an account for each soul in our care (Heb. 13:17), we all still have this tendency to gravitate to those we either love to be with the most or who make the most racket, thus demanding our attention. Because of this, there are church members who unintentionally slip through the [...]
Archive for May, 2010
How can I make sure I am regularly shepherding everyone in the church?
Posted in Discipleship, Oversight of Souls on May 31, 2010 | 23 Comments »
How can “physical touch” be an effective way to minister to someone in the hospital?
Posted in Hospital Visitation on May 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The effective use of physical touch is not dependent upon whether you are a ‘touchy, feely’ kind of person. Appropriate physical touch can many times communicate a love and care that words cannot. Those who are sick can easily develop ‘leprosy syndrome’. In the first century, leprosy was the disease that caused one to be [...]
How do I care for an aging widow who realizes she no longer can live alone?
Posted in Caring for Widows on May 24, 2010 | 4 Comments »
A few weeks ago, I had lunch at the house of a dear elderly widow who has been a member of our church for over 50 years. As I watched her struggle to serve me the lunch she had prepared, I realized something was different. She was moving slower. She was moving more cautiously. She [...]
Why is involvement in the local church essential to evaluating my call into ministry?
Posted in Training for Ministry on May 20, 2010 | 3 Comments »
On previous posts, we have considered the “desire and character” of a man pursuing gospel ministry. Few would dispute the necessity of evaluating these two areas. There is, however, a third area that more often gets overlooked, but I would argue is just as essential. It is the area of consistent, faithful local church involvement. [...]
Why should I pastor the same church for a long time?
Posted in Discipleship on May 19, 2010 | 14 Comments »
I continue to observe a disturbing pattern that exists among my generation of pastors. The propensity to feel called to be the shepherd of a congregation and inside three years find they no longer feel “called” there anymore. Let me first say, I recognize there are many good and understandable reasons for a pastor to leave his church, [...]
How can I prepare my heart to visit someone in the hospital?
Posted in Hospital Visitation on May 17, 2010 | 8 Comments »
Do not underestimate the intuition of the sick. We will often reveal by our manner whether we are going out of duty or love. This is the first heart issue we must honestly assess. It is an easy trap to fall into, especially for pastors. We begin to think that visiting is part of the [...]
How do I organize my weekly schedule as a pastor?
Posted in Training for Ministry on May 13, 2010 | 11 Comments »
I have often described pastoral ministry as this joyful burden of being able to spend so much time doing such fruitful things, yet never getting close to completing all that needs to be done. I had lunch this week with a pastor friend of mine who asked me how I arranged my weekly schedule. Here [...]
What do I say when I visit a suffering Christian?
Posted in Discipleship on May 12, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Whether in the hospital or in someone’s home, it can be a frightening experience knowing what to say to a suffering saint. A simple approach is not to think you have all the answers, but to trust in God’s Word to be that which will provide their hope and confidence that your mere presence will bring encouragement. It is [...]
How do I know if I biblically qualify for gospel ministry? (Categories #4 and #5)
Posted in Training for Ministry on May 10, 2010 | 6 Comments »
Thus far, we have examined the first 3 categories that must be evaluated to determine whether a man biblically qualifies for the office of a pastor. The last two are godly character and spiritual maturity. Godly character Most of these characteristics Paul lists could be lumped into this category of godly character. The pastor is [...]
How do I know if I biblically qualify for gospel ministry? (Category #3)
Posted in Training for Ministry on May 7, 2010 | 4 Comments »
…The third category that summarizes the qualifications for the office of a pastor is a faithful manager of his family: Faithfully Manage his Family The qualification for this office is that a pastor be, “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2). This phrase is commonly misunderstood that a pastor must be married and cannot [...]
