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EPISODE NOTES
In this episode of the Transforming the Church Podcast, Pastor Derwin begins a three-part series exploring the insights and lessons he wishes he had known before stepping into pastoral leadership. This episode focuses on effective pastoral leadership, emphasizing the importance of serving beyond preaching, the necessity of excellent systems and processes, and the inevitability of resistance to change. Join us as we delve into the heart of ministry, discovering how to lead with love, humility, and resilience in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Here are a few of the practical things you’ll learn in this episode:
- Ministry as Service: Ministry is about serving the Lord, the body of Christ, and those yet to know Jesus. It is rooted in the priesthood of all believers.
- Beyond Preaching: Effective pastoral leadership involves more than just preaching. It requires sharing life with the congregation, demonstrating Christ-like character, and working hard in service.
- Systems and Processes: Healthy leadership necessitates excellent systems and processes. Organization and teamwork are vital to managing the pressures of ministry.
- Resistance to Change: Expect and prepare for resistance when leading change. Understanding and addressing fears of power loss, status, and the unknown are crucial.
- God’s Calling and Empowerment: God, who calls and seats leaders, empowers them to be servant leaders through the life of Jesus within them.
QUOTES
- “Ministry means this: To serve. We are serving, number one, the Lord, because He
served us first with His grace.” – Derwin L. Gray - “Leading and serving a local church is more than preaching.” – Derwin L. Gray
- “Excellent systems and processes are essential to healthy leadership.” – Derwin L. Gray
- “Expect resistance to change.” – Derwin L. Gray
PODCAST RESOURCES
• More from Derwin: www.derwinlgray.com and www.transformationchurch.tc/podcast
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• The Transforming the Church Podcast is part of the ChurchLeaders Podcast Network.
CONNECT WITH DERWIN
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/derwinlgray
• Instagram: @derwinlgray
RATE, LEAVE A REVIEW, & SHARE
If you’ve been impacted by this podcast, please leave a rating and a review, and share with someone in your life.
SHOW TRANSCRIPTION
Podcast is for pastors and ministry leaders. And you know what that means as ministry leaders? It means also those who are not on church staff because we believe in the priesthood of all believers. And we get that from the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:9, that all of us are called into ministry. And what does that mean?
Ministry means this. To serve. We are serving, number one, the Lord, because He served us first with his grace. Number two, we are serving those within the body of Christ with our time, our talent, and our treasure. And we’re also serving those who are yet to discover Jesus.
And so Transforming a Church Podcast is just that, to transform the church to reflect the glory of Jesus, the ministry and the mission of Jesus. If this content is encouraging you and inspiring you, I want you to subscribe. I want you to share with your family and friends, even your cray cray uncle. Share with everybody. All right.
And I also want you to drop a review. So thank you. The Transforming the Church podcast is a part of the Church Leaders Podcast Network, which is dedicated to resourcing church leaders in order to help them face the complexities of ministry. Church Leaders Podcast Network supports pastors and ministry leaders by challenging assumptions, providing insights, and offering practical steps that will help church leaders navigate a variety of cultures and contexts. Learn more@churchleaders.com podcast network this is what we’re going to do.
Something a little bit different. I’m excited about it. We are going to do a three-part series entitled this what I Wish I Would have Known Before I Became a Pastor. What I Wish I would have Known Before I Became a Pastor. Now this is going to transcend not just pastoral roles, but other ministry roles.
But also if you are engaged as a follower of Christ in serving people, all of this is transferable and will help you. What do I mean by help you? This is what I mean by helping you see Jesus for all of his beauty and his worth. It will help you come to an understanding of who you are in Christ and then it will help you serve others. In case you don’t know, this ministry is difficult.
And why wouldn’t it be? We are in an epic cosmic battle. But the good news is we know who won. Because on the third day he rose again. And as Revelation 12:11 says, it is because of the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of the saints.
So we have victory. So this first part of what I wish I had known before I became a pastor is effective pastoral leadership. I wish I would have known what effective pastoral leadership is. So before I became a Pastor, I was never on staff at a local church. I was an evangelist.
But I saw as I traveled the country that there were not. Matter of fact, I don’t ever remember going to a church that was multiethnic except for one, and that was Ken Hutcherson up in the Seattle area, Antioch Bible Church. When I saw Antioch Bible Church, I was like, it is possible for a New Testament church that it is multiethnic because of the gospel, ethnic reconciliation and on mission. So I had spoken all over the country and I saw one. And so I wasn’t on staff anywhere.
But I knew, lord, this is your heart for the New Testament church. But here’s some things I wish I would have known about effective pastoral leadership. Number one, leading and serving a local church is more than preaching. Leading and serving a local church is more than preaching. Man, in the early days, I thought you just show up and man, you just preach the gospel, preach the paint off the walls, and there we go.
What I’ve come to discover is this preaching is literally about 5% of my role. Now. Preaching is very important. Apostolic preaching is important. What I mean by apostolic, I mean what the apostles preached about Jesus, right?
About the gospel, the good news, the kingdom. That’s really important. But there’s also other aspects of leadership. And the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:8-12 gives us a glimpse and he says this. We cared so much more for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives because you had become dear to us.
I’m afraid at times people in ministry can see those they serve as stepping stones instead of precious lambs that they’re called to shepherd and to feed. People are not stepping stones. People are image bearers to be served, not to serve us. Verse 9. For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters, working night and day so that we would not burden any of you.
We preach God’s gospel to you. You are witnesses and so is God. How devotedly, righteously and blameless we conducted ourselves with you believers. Let’s pause here. They had a work ethic.
They worked hard. So let me put it to you like this. If you don’t work hard, now, I’m not saying burn yourself out, but if you don’t work hard from the resources that God people gives you, you’re robbing God, you’re robbing yourself, you’re robbing them. Ministry is hard and it requires hard gospel work. And you can work hard and be spiritually healthy.
But notice these other words, 2 and verse 10. They witness their devotion, their righteousness and blamelessness, and how they conducted themselves. There was. There was character there, Christ likeness there. Listen, pastor, ministry leader, lay Christian, who, who serves your character and conduct of how you love people is a reflection of the depth of your intimacy with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Your gifting is not what’s most important. Your holiness in expressed through love and humility is most important. We need to recapture and reclaim the idea that people in ministry are godly and devoted and live in the power of the Spirit. Verse 11 says this as you know, like a father with his own children. Wow.
Like a father with his own children. We encouraged, comfort and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Intimacy into me. You see, we want to be intimate with God. We want to be intimate with our people so that they can see God in us and inspire them to walk with the Lord.
So it’s more than just preaching. Not less than. I mean, preach it up. Preach the gospel, exalt Christ, but it’s more than that. Number two.
