Tim’s question:
CB,
What practical steps do you take to 1) teach it in your church, 2) implement it in your church and 3) implement it in your own life?
Ok, I’m not sure if that is exactly what I want to ask, but it is the best I can do at the moment. Please, pray about it, and answer the “spirit” of the request.
Today, I’m kind of down. I’m stuck in the office, waiting until the UPS guy comes and drops off some stuff needed for Sunday. God would have to send a “person of peace” to my office right now, if I was to reach anyone for the Lord. That happens, but not often.
Tim
Tim,
First it takes time to break away from the mind-set that evangelism is only the job of the pastor or the job of the pastor and a group of “Super Christians.”
One reason that so many churches are not biblical in their evangelism is because so many pastors are unwilling to stay with them and plant their lives in a community long enough to develop a community of faith that resembles a New Testament church.
Pastors walk around with their resumes in their back pocket like a switch-blade knife so they can “whip it out” and use it at a moments notice if they see a better opportunity come along.
That opportunity usually means more people already coming and a bigger check every month.
You must stay with the “stuff” if you are going to develop a community of faith. Teach the gospel. Of course you are going to “preach” the gospel, but you must teach it also. This is the everyday job of the pastor. Teach the Spirit-filled life. Live out the gospel and the Spirit-filled life before your people.
Lead your people to venture out into some type of “cup of cold water” ministry. Train men to be missional. The American church has become too female oriented. Men need the challenge that only a complete missional perspective can produce.
Spend as much time, as you can, modeling a New Testament life-style before men in your congregation and the community you have been placed in by the Spirit.
Introduce people to Jesus as the Spirit brings them into your life.
(A secret here is to be constantly among the lost and unchurched so the Spirit does not have to send a “search party” to get us when he needs us.)
Others will catch onto the “life” as the Spirit of God moves them to pick up the cross and follow Jesus.
Pray constantly. Let me make that clear. Pray constantly.
In your life you must continue to walk in the Spirit. Be sensitive and lay down any and all things that hinder you.
You must live and breathe Jesus and His mastership over your whole being. Be quick to repent of sin and restore fellowship with the Spirit when you fail Him in your daily walk.
When your feet hit the floor every morning ask the Spirit to fill you with His power for the day. Ask Him to use you as His tool to advance the Kingdom.
Tim, sometimes you will get stuck in the office. That happens and when it does it is OK. You are a pastor and pastors do a lot of things that you were not told about in seminary.
Just remember to keep first things first. Pray for opportunities and be ready to walk up to the “gates of Hell” at the Spirit’s call and give them a good shake. It will amaze you as to how many people the Lord will use you to disciple and the peace in your life will be indescribable.
If anyone else has help for us, please feel free to chime in.
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Tim
on Jun 29th, 2006
@ 4:56 pm:
Wow CB,
Thanks!
Tim
P.s. Gonna sit in the office for 10 more minutes, and then I’m going to a peewee baseball game. I hope to be able to enter into a relationship with a “lost” person, and have a spiritual conversation if the Lord leads.
Tim
on Jun 29th, 2006
@ 5:05 pm:
Ok, this is something that I struggle with.
How do you get out, as much as possible, to be around the unchurched. Especially, when you are required to have office hours.
And, you know how many unchurched folks flock to you during your office hours.
Could you just give a few examples of what you do? I’m stuck with doing everything I can after the work day.
Tim
CB Scott
on Jun 29th, 2006
@ 5:27 pm:
Tim,
I am about to leave for a wedding rehearsal in another city. I will try to answer you late tonight.
If not It will have to be tomorrow night because I have two weddings tomorrow and I have to spend some time with my bulldogs when I get home.
They have to have some play time or they begin to want to go and play with the poodles down the street and that always causes hair to fly on our block–poodle hair:-)
cb
Jamie Wootten
on Jun 29th, 2006
@ 8:24 pm:
CB,
Ditto on the WOW! Great advice.
Dorcas
on Jun 30th, 2006
@ 3:14 am:
Perhaps part of the problem is a church requiring a pastor to be in the office for set hours of the day. I don’t know what Tim’s hours are but from the way he mentions it, sounds like it is an 8-5 sort of job in his situation.
A pastor’s job is necessarily fluid. I sure wouldn’t want to have a need for the pastor to visit me in the hospital or need to discuss an urgent spiritual concern only for a pastor to tell me “well, I’m really off the clock right now, if you are still in the hospital tomorrow when I’m back on the clock, I’ll stop by to see you.”
No, of course not, we would expect the pastor, or in large churches, at least someone on the pastoral staff whose duty it was to do so, to visit the weak and infirm, care for those in need, regardless of the time of day.
Why then require specific office hours that leave a pastor tapping the desk with a pencil impatiently wishing he could be out amongst those who need him to be salt and light in the world?
Sure, one or two office days a week is wise, so people can stop by with less urgent matters and know when the pastor is available for meetings, etc., but over all … I think in today’s culture, availability by cell phone and a 24 hour ministry heart serves the church’s need more than a pastor stuck in the office for 8 hours a day.
Just my perspective on it.
Tim
on Jun 30th, 2006
@ 8:50 am:
FYI – I’m expected to have “morning hours” on pretty much everyday. Then, the expectation is for member visitation, associational business, hospital visits, funerals, weddings, and office hours, etc. for the afternoon. If I’m not at the hospital or a members house, then I’m expected to be in the office.
Now, that sounds harsh. In reality, the job description is a lot worse than the reality. I have a very understanding church.
I was stuck in the office (all day) yesterday, waiting on the ##### UPS guy to show up. Which, he never did! I really need that stuff for Sunday. So, now I’m back on Friday, which is supposed to be a day off. Honestly, other than some Saturdays, I don’t remember taking a Friday off.
That being said. Where during the “work week” does a full-time pastor find unchurched people? You might find some stay-at-home moms, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to go over there alone.
It seems that most opportunities present themselves at night and on the weekends. Like, the Summer basketball league, or something like that.
A part of me wants to do bivocational ministry, just because I would have a better chance at being around lost people during the day. This may sound selfish, but I would like at least a couple of nights off to spend with my wife. But, the night (before 10pm) seems to be the best time to get out amongst the people.
That is why I asked the questions. I think that I may be missing opportunities, during the day. That is why I asked for examples of how CB, as a pastor, gets out amongst the unchurched during the day.
Again, I’m not sure if I expressed myself correctly. But, I think the spirit of it comes thru. I want to be amongst the unchurched. What do you do?
Tim
Dennis
on Jun 30th, 2006
@ 8:54 am:
Tim,and everyone reading this post,
there is a revolutionary new equipping, Every Believer a Witness, that can help you and your church. It is uniquely designed to motivate (in a non guilt way) and then train Sunday morning attenders to share their faith daily.
It can be taught as a Sunday-Wednesday Evangelism Training Revival, OR the pastor can be trained to teach it over 5-6 Sunday mornings.
Not only can it get the majority of the church involved in sharing the Good News, but it will definitely motivate the pastor and give him specific ways to be focused daily on keeping evangelism a priority.
In addition, it is a great feeder for F.A.I.T.H. or any organized outreach program a church may do.
I encourage every reader to check this out at http://www.livingthenewlife.org
IN HIS NAME
on Jun 30th, 2006
@ 9:21 am:
TIM,
My HEART goes out to you and YOURS.
This is a sad State of affairs that SHEPERDS have to BABY SIT their SHEEP. If the church members really know CHRIST, I feel a SHEPHERD has enough on his hands or plate, if he is feeding the SHEEP. All I ask is that my Brothers and Sisters lift me up in Prayer and if they have time and feel a need to visit with me, that is fine. Maybe this is carryover because some people need LAST RITES. The BAPTIST want to get so far away from the ways that early ASSEMBLES did things, which are BIBICAL, they must have missed this one.
GRACE TO YOU
BrianinMO
on Jun 30th, 2006
@ 9:38 pm:
Outstanding advice! I do agree with dorcas about the pastor and office hours. The key is to be available to people and have a servant heart. I’ll have to write about this sometime over at my blog, SBC Blog for Truth. Thanks again for the post.
CB Scott
on Jun 30th, 2006
@ 11:03 pm:
Tim,
I will be leaving this place as soon as Uncle Art gets back from camp and takes a real bath and gets all the tics out of his hair:-)
I would like to talk to you about these things so if you want to you can email me your phone number at cb5512@charter.net. I will call you. I have free long distance so it will cost you nothing.
A couple of things about office hours and evangelism programs:
1 You will have to work with your people about this office hour thing. I have not had office hours in years even though I have a staff. There is a way to handle that and I would like to share it with you.
2 Your church does not need to implement any evangelism program at the moment. It will be just another program. I am sure some will disagree with me on that, but history and statistics will support me in that statement.
Your church needs to first learn to walk in the Spirit, develop a missional attitude, and learn the role of the Shepherd among them (1 Peter 5:1-4).
When I say I do not have office hours that does not mean I work less. It means I work more. It also means the church gets “more bang for its buck” because I usually work from 70-80 hours weekly. Today started at 6:00 A.M. and will end about 1:30 A.M. I sleep little. T^hat is the way I am made and I like it that way.
I formerly worked for Dr. Paige Patterson. Once during a conference wherein he was speaking and I was operating the recruiting booth I heard him speak about the daily work of a pastor in one of the sessions. He was brilliant.
One thing he said that I had not heard a conference speaker say at such a meeting before was something that I have always believed but never stated because I had always thought I was just a “freak of nature”.
He said that pastors just plain sleep too much.
I agree with that. Why do we need so much sleep. How can anyone sleep 8-10 hours a day and expect to get anything done?
Most of my best study time is late at night and early in the morning.
I know Dr. Patterson is the same way. He is telling the truth about his sleep habits. I was his next door neighbor for years. Some nights (or mornings) the lights in his study would go out before mine and some nights mine would go out before his.
One thing that no one can ever say of Dr. Patterson is that he is a lazy man. He has a strong work ethic.
You can lead your church to understand that you are really a 24/7 person. It will take time, but it can be done if they are willing and you are willing to pay the price.
I am not saying that your church should never learn FAITH or some other plan. I am saying they must first learn what it means to take up the cross and follow Jesus every day in all areas of life.
I have enjoyed the time with you on Uncle Art’s “dime”:-) Give me your number and I will call you next week.
I do not have all the answers. I do not even know all the questions, but I know WHO does and I will talk to HIM with you and I will give you anything that I have even though it is little.
IN CHRIST FREE,
cb