There are times when a pastor is launched into the role of being a community pastor.
- An influential person in the community or a popular youth dies and you are asked to do the funeral
- Tragedy that attracts media attention occurs involving church members
- Natural disaster and your church is heavily involved in the recovery
- You are asked to speak at a very public event
For brief moments in time…an hour…a day…a week…all eyes are on your for spiritual guidance, comfort and a sense of direction.
What do you do in those times?
As our church has grown over the last few years, we’ve found ourselves in this position on a number of occasions.
These settings can come regardless of the church or community’s size. When they do the way you respond is of Kingdom importance.
Here are 5 reminders when you are the community’s pastor:
Speak truth in love – Don’t water down truth in these occasions, but don’t beat people up with truth either. Be like Jesus, full of grace and truth. Share God’s Word, but don’t use it as a weapon against the community. You will never be taken serious if they see you as judgmental and uncaring. Win them over with genuine love and helpful truth. These situations may give you a greater opportunity for influence for Christ in the days to come.
Don’t recruit for a church recruit for Jesus – There’s nothing worse, in my opinion, than a pastor in a community setting who spends more time trying to recruit for his individual church than he does sharing the love of Christ. In settings where everyone sees you as the pastor, but not everyone is from your “flock”, use it as an opportunity to lift a Christ banner high, not your church banner. If they are impressed with the Jesus you proclaim, they’ll be likely to find your church.
Don’t hold out for denominational tenants – Be mindful of doctrinal divisions that have divided people denominationally for years. In strictly church settings, you can be free to express your doctrinal stance, but in public settings where different theological views are joined together, let the main thing be the main thing. Keep your focus upon the things upon which all of mainline Christianity can agree.
Be truthful but encouraging – More than anything in these settings, share hope. This is likely not the time to bring forth condemnation, even if it’s shared under the disguise of truth. Don’t back away from truth, but make sure whatever you share is clearly seen in the context of a God who IS LOVE.
Be likable and natural – Let the crowds see you as real and approachable. Take time to shake hands, embrace, cry with people who are grieving if necessary. The more they see you as a man (just like Elijah…James 5:17) and not like someone above them positionally, the more likely they’ll be to trust the comfort you bring and cling to the God you serve.
It doesn’t happen often, but on these occasions where you have a larger, community audience, allow God to use you for a greater and longer term benefit to the Kingdom.
Have you ever been the community’s pastor? What would you add to my list?
