One of the common songs we used to hear a lot when I was young was called "Getting to Know You." It is a very pleasant little song from the musical "The King and I." The lyrics include the following:
"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me."
and, later,
"Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you, Getting to know what to say
Haven't you noticed, Suddenly I'm bright and breezy
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day."
Too bad we think we have grown out of this need.
Seriously, what happened to "getting to know someone?" We have entered a stage where we set our expectations by labels. If someone is a pastor, then we "know" how they are supposed to be. If someone is a deacon, then we "know" how they are supposed to be. If someone is a church member, then we "know" how they are supposed to be.
And we all have designed our plans based on what we think we know. But we actually know very little at all.
Pastors are not all the same. Churches are not all the same. Church members are not all the same. There is not "one style of music" that everyone likes or ought to like. There is not just one way to preach or teach or lead. Your demographic design (for lack of a better term) may be entirely different than a church only a few miles away. You need to know these things as a pastor and as a church member.
The most pleasant aspect of getting involved with a church is "getting to know" them. Learning why they do the things they do and how to move them to deeper things. Getting into their sense of humor and broadening their understanding of God is a great joy. But it starts with getting to know them, getting to be free and easy with one another, getting to know what to say.
"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me."
and, later,
"Getting to know you, Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you, Getting to know what to say
Haven't you noticed, Suddenly I'm bright and breezy
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day."
Too bad we think we have grown out of this need.
Seriously, what happened to "getting to know someone?" We have entered a stage where we set our expectations by labels. If someone is a pastor, then we "know" how they are supposed to be. If someone is a deacon, then we "know" how they are supposed to be. If someone is a church member, then we "know" how they are supposed to be.
And we all have designed our plans based on what we think we know. But we actually know very little at all.
Pastors are not all the same. Churches are not all the same. Church members are not all the same. There is not "one style of music" that everyone likes or ought to like. There is not just one way to preach or teach or lead. Your demographic design (for lack of a better term) may be entirely different than a church only a few miles away. You need to know these things as a pastor and as a church member.
The most pleasant aspect of getting involved with a church is "getting to know" them. Learning why they do the things they do and how to move them to deeper things. Getting into their sense of humor and broadening their understanding of God is a great joy. But it starts with getting to know them, getting to be free and easy with one another, getting to know what to say.