DO YOU WANT a better pastor and/or staff member? Many churches not only want more effective ministers, they demand it. If ministers do not meet the increasingly demanding expectations of their congregations, they had better update their resumes.
Ironically, some of these same demanding churches provide no support for their ministers to update their training and resources.
Pastors face more and more expectations and demands. Their parishioners are better educated and more aware of social, moral and ethical issues. They want their pastors not just to be as aware as they are, but also to be able to speak insightfully to principles of the issues from a biblical standpoint.
People are facing greater challenges in their lives and want their pastors to be able to understand this and preach sermons that better equip them as they struggle to live Christian lives in an often hostile world. And they want their pastors to be equipped to provide counsel in all difficult, complex situations.
Many church members watch preaching media stars and wonder, “Why can’t our pastor preach like that?” They begin to expect that kind of giftedness in their pulpit.
To these pastoral demands of a more diverse membership, add the assignment of three sermons every week. To have good output in these sermons requires great input of study.
Ministers of music face the task every week of producing worship that meets the ever-expanding, diverse expectations of the congregation. And they are expected to produce programs of music for the special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, July 4 and other special times for the church.
Ministers of education must discover fresh approaches to the same organization that has existed since the 1800s. They are required to locate and present challenging curriculums and keep workers involved and inspired.
Youth ministers find their programs competing with the excitement of rock concerts, football games, school activities, computers, and on and on.
Realizing these challenges – and this article gives a quick glimpse of them – it is incumbent upon churches to provide opportunities of training and the resources for locating and acquiring materials appropriate to each minister’s tasks.
To see how your church does in equipping its minister(s), check your church’s budget.
A logical question from a church membership would be, “What kinds of resources should we provide?”
To answer that question, answer this: What are your expectations? Your provisions for training and resources should match your expectations.
A church’s ministers should be asked to formulate what they believe would be an adequate training program and resource acquisition for their ministry each year. They should be encouraged to provide three possible levels of programs. One would be their dream program. One would be a good program. One would be just a “getting by” program.
The church should do its best to provide the highest level program possible. But do not be surprised if these programs are more expensive than you think. Just in the area of resources, check out the prices of books nowadays. And the costs of training experiences get more expensive every day.
Providing its staff adequate training and resources is a wise – indeed, necessary – investment in a church’s ministries. Every occupation demands people with good training and good tools. Good employers provide their people with the best of these possible. Certainly, a church should do the same.