Category: Pastors’ Forum
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Accessibility?
I’m a pastor who is endeavoring to balance church, marriage, family, work, etc. How accessible should I be? Should I be accessible 24/7 to everyone? Who should know my cell phone number? My house number? What is a healthy balance? I’d like to hear how other pastors manage their accessibility and make sure the people…
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Church Software and Apps for Today’s Giving
With technology changing at a rapid rate, it seems confusing trying to find the right user-friendly software to handle the giving records at church. I wonder what church software the different churches are using and why? Also, what apps and other systems of giving are churches using, and how are they working? Are such avenues…
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The End-Times
I believe I need to do some more end-time teaching than I have in the past. What are some of the approaches that other pastors take in teaching on such issues, and what are the basic things that pastors teach along these lines? I realize there are many different views when it comes to eschatology…
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More Helpful Funeral Tips from Various Pastors
It looks like I will be doing my first funeral as a pastor in the very near future. I’d love to hear from some seasoned pastors about what they’ve learned from their experiences in conducting funerals? How can I most effectively minister to the family and those in attendance? Are there some do’s and don’ts…
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Developing and Delegating
I’m curious how other pastors develop their leaders, and how they delegate responsibilities to others. I’d like to increase my proficiency in these areas, and would love to get insights from other pastors.
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Most Important Skills
What three skills help you the most in carrying out your pastoral ministry? How do they help you, and to what degree did you feel gifted in these three areas, and how much did you have to work to acquire and or develop them?
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Vital Statements
I would love to hear a collection of statements from various pastors. What are the concise statements they have which communicate the vision and purpose of their churches? These would include vision statements, mission statements, listings of core values, etc. I would even like to know the slogans and mottos that churches use. In addition…
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How to Be Abased and How to Abound
Paul said, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound” (Philippians 4:12). To be honest, I get really uncomfortable when church finances are tight. I’m not sure I’ve learned how to be abased and also be content. Also, I’d love to get some insight as to how to handle money very…
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Cleaning Up After a Guest Minister
I am a new pastor at a small church, and met an evangelist through a friend. I felt he would be a good fit for our church. After he came, I realized he was little more “over the top” than what I expected, and it seems that more damage may have been done that the…
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Which Translation(s)?
I wonder which translation pastors preach from the most? Study? If you use one predominant version in preaching, which other translations do you most often refer to in order to provide other shades of meaning? What is it that you like about the translation(s) you use the most, and why do you consider it to…
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Weekly Routine
I’m trying to get a handle on my schedule and bring some order into my world. Do other pastors have some kind of routine in their schedule? Do they do certain tasks (sermon preparation, time with staff and leaders, prayer, counseling, administrative tasks, time-off, etc.) in designated blocks of time on specified days, or do…
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Volunteers
What do other churches do to inspire people to become volunteers, to recruit them, to train them, and to appreciate them?
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Time Off
I tend to stay overly engrossed in my work as a pastor, and I’ve not been very good at taking time off. When I have taken a break or a vacation, I tend to not let go of the church or the cares of the ministry mentally. I’m wondering what other pastors do to relax?…
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How do you deal with stress in the ministry?
How do you deal with stress in the ministry? Do you have hobbies? How much time do you take off, and what do you do when you’re off? What have you learned in ministry that has helped you deal with stress and pressure?
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Strengthening Marriages
What does your church do to strengthen marriages? What kinds of resources (books, videos, classes, etc.) have you found helpful? Are there any special tools, such as personality inventories, etc. that you’ve found to be helpful? Does your church offer any type of counseling for couples, marriage retreats, etc.? How often do you teach on…
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Staying Focused
As a pastor, I find myself having to deal with so many interruptions and distractions that it’s hard to stay proactive with my schedule. It seems like I’m always putting out fires, and then I don’t have enough time for family, study, prayer, etc. The problems I find myself dealing with are legitimate and do…
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Staying on Track
As a young minister, I’ve noticed how many ministers seem to get off-track in some glaring way during the course of their ministries. I never want to do anything that dishonors God or become someone who brings reproach to the Gospel or misrepresents the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve always heard the admonitions about “the gold,…
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Staff Development
I’m looking for insights on how to work with and develop my staff, not so much what to expect from them, but rather, I’d like to know: “What are a pastor’s responsibilities toward his or her staff?” Read the responses.
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Staff Communication
As a pastor, I had a situation where a church member confided in one of my staff members about a particular matter (they are friends). Because of the way it was shared, my staff member never conveyed the information to me. I ended up making some church-related decisions and taking some actions which I never…
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Staff Meetings
What is the best way to lead staff meetings; especially with full and part-time staff, or even volunteer staff? What should the staff be expected to prepare for the meeting? How are agendas best established? How often should you have meetings to cover church business as opposed to providing training? Who should attend staff meetings?…
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Staff Evaluation and Coaching
As a pastor, I regularly observe the performance of my staff members and leaders. I don’t want to be a perfectionist or a micro-manager, but I want to see everyone given to excellence, thoroughness, and attention to detail. How do I instill these values in my leaders? How can I give them feedback (which sometimes…
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Small Groups
As a pastor, I’m looking to help facilitate small group fellowship among our people. What are other churches doing with small groups? What formats and approaches seem to work the best? I’d love to hear what types of guidelines, resources, curriculum, etc. that other pastors have used successfully. What are the pros and cons of…
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Sharing With My Spouse
As a pastor, I don’t want to keep secrets from my spouse, but I’m not always sure it’s wise to tell her every problem that’s going on in the church. Is it ever wise to guard and protect one’s spouse from certain information that would be hurtful or discouraging to her? What criteria do I…
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A Sense of Humor
I know it’s vitally important to keep a sense of humor in ministry, and I know it’s also important to not take yourself too seriously (even though we take our calling seriously). I’d love to hear pastors share some of their funnier moments in ministry, including their bloopers and blunders.