Small church pastors labor under a great deal of discouragement.
They work unbelievably long hours (often full-time at a paying job in addition to pastoral ministry) with very little money (many supplement the church from their bivocational pay) and very little encouragement.
They are the unsung and unseen warriors of the church.
So, if you’re in a position to help a small church pastor, here’s what we need from you more than anything else.
4 Ways To Help A Small Church Pastor
1. How To Reach Out
If you’re
- A member of a small church
- A deacon/elder at a small church
- A denominational official
- A seminary professor
- A church growth writer or speaker
- A pastor at another church, whether large or small
- A family member of a small church pastor
Or in any other position of influence and relationship with a small church pastor, I want to ask a favor of you.
Call up a small church pastor you know. Offer to buy them coffee, lunch or something else that fits their very tight schedule. Don’t give up if they’re hard to pin down (we’ve been burned by offers of “help” before, so many of us are wary of this.)
Then, when you sit down with them, do one thing.
Shut up and listen.
That’s all.
2. Just Listen
Want to help a small church pastor?
- Don’t talk about your latest successes
- Don’t tell us what you think we need to hear
- Don’t give us a copy of the latest church growth book
- Don’t tell us about when you were a small church pastor before your church grew
- Don’t tell us what we must be doing wrong
- Don’t tell us how much you admire our sacrifice
- Don’t condescend to us
- Don’t try to fix us
Just listen to us.
