Having had a nice summer of preaching at some different places, I am impressed again with how very diverse our churches are. Unlike the world, I do not mean "how many different colored people are present," but how different they are. Seriously. We often think of "all those churches" and just assume they are all the same. But they are not.
Some churches are pastor-centered, for example, while others are deacon-centered or even committee-centered. Some churches have strong lay leadership while others have almost none at all. Some churches are perceived as friendly, while others are perceived as unfriendly, but who really knows? Some churches have lots of activities and some churches have almost nothing going on. But they all survive.
My children have been an interesting barometer for measuring churches. Some churches they love the moment they walk in, others they cannot stand. Sometimes, they tell me, they can just feel the friendliness. Other times, they cannot wait to get out. The key is not whether there is some assigned greeter at the door (the current idea of how to "be friendly"). The key is something else, but they don't know what it is. They only know that the feeling is real.
In every church, there are strong personalities (often among the women), but they seem to play out in very different ways from church to church.
What have I learned? That I know almost nothing.
Seriously, when it comes to a church, I come in as a stranger. I don't know anything. I don't know who is sound and who is unsound, or who is a troublemaker or who is a peacemaker. I don't know what traditions the church has (some are really odd) or why they have them.
So, as a new pastor, the first test is to get to know them. Do not come in and just start changing everything, because I don't know who they are. Some pastors just want to walk in the door and "take over" and make everything fit some plan they brought with them, but that is a foolish arrogance. Get to know them before you start telling them what to change.
Years ago, a young pastor I knew took a church which had always been a "typical" church, with deacons chosen for popularity. After he had been there for several months, the church year ended and it became time for deacon elections. He preached on the biblical standard for deacons. The next week, the entire deacon board came to him and said that they were convinced that, during their election, the people had not known the biblical standards, so they all wanted to face the congregation for re-election. The whole church joined in returning to a biblical view of the office of deacon. Not because the pastor told them to, but because they saw the truth in his preaching.
The pastor never suggested that the deacons needed to be changed. He just preached soundly and consistently and allowed his people to come along and learn.
Get to know people. That is what a new pastor needs to do. Once you know them, and they know you, then you can start correcting things that need correction.
Some churches are pastor-centered, for example, while others are deacon-centered or even committee-centered. Some churches have strong lay leadership while others have almost none at all. Some churches are perceived as friendly, while others are perceived as unfriendly, but who really knows? Some churches have lots of activities and some churches have almost nothing going on. But they all survive.
My children have been an interesting barometer for measuring churches. Some churches they love the moment they walk in, others they cannot stand. Sometimes, they tell me, they can just feel the friendliness. Other times, they cannot wait to get out. The key is not whether there is some assigned greeter at the door (the current idea of how to "be friendly"). The key is something else, but they don't know what it is. They only know that the feeling is real.
In every church, there are strong personalities (often among the women), but they seem to play out in very different ways from church to church.
What have I learned? That I know almost nothing.
Seriously, when it comes to a church, I come in as a stranger. I don't know anything. I don't know who is sound and who is unsound, or who is a troublemaker or who is a peacemaker. I don't know what traditions the church has (some are really odd) or why they have them.
So, as a new pastor, the first test is to get to know them. Do not come in and just start changing everything, because I don't know who they are. Some pastors just want to walk in the door and "take over" and make everything fit some plan they brought with them, but that is a foolish arrogance. Get to know them before you start telling them what to change.
Years ago, a young pastor I knew took a church which had always been a "typical" church, with deacons chosen for popularity. After he had been there for several months, the church year ended and it became time for deacon elections. He preached on the biblical standard for deacons. The next week, the entire deacon board came to him and said that they were convinced that, during their election, the people had not known the biblical standards, so they all wanted to face the congregation for re-election. The whole church joined in returning to a biblical view of the office of deacon. Not because the pastor told them to, but because they saw the truth in his preaching.
The pastor never suggested that the deacons needed to be changed. He just preached soundly and consistently and allowed his people to come along and learn.
Get to know people. That is what a new pastor needs to do. Once you know them, and they know you, then you can start correcting things that need correction.