For some time, I’ve been feeling like our church is isolated from our community. I know that I’ve spent so much time focusing on the sheep that I haven’t gotten involved in the community as I should. What are some of the ways pastors connect to their communities personally, and how do they lead their churches in having great community impact?
As a pastor who loves to encourage and nurture others, I find it difficult to confront people. Can you give me some do’s and don’ts and how-to’s (or how not-to)? When do you confront and when do you simply overlook something? Can you give me some advice on how to confront a staff member, a volunteer, or a church member about an issue? Also, are there some preventative, “up-front” types of things I can do so that I don’t feel a need to confront issues as often?
We have never had official “membership” in our church, but I’m thinking about initiating it. I’m curious as to what experiences other pastors have had with church membership. What are the pros and the cons? What requirements should we have for people to become members? What is taught in the membership classes and how extensive are they? What reasons are there for having or not having church membership?
As a pastor, I feel pretty good about most aspects of my responsibilities (spiritual, preaching, pastoral care, etc.), but I’m recognizing a deficiency in the business-side of ministry. I don’t have a business background, and I realize there’s a lot I need to know in those areas. I’d love to hear seasoned pastors share a few tips about the business lessons they’ve learned relative to their leadership in the church. Could you please share some “business sense” with me?
As a pastor, I preach and teach the Bible regularly, but I don’t always feel that I am connecting with the people. I observe other ministers who really seem to communicate and connect effectively with their audience. Can some experienced pastors share some thoughts with me about how to be a better communicator and how to really connect with my people? I know to “preach the Word” and to “be anointed,” but I guess I’m looking for other insights—maybe even natural things—on becoming a better public speaker.
We are looking for guidelines, resources, and training ideas to help make our workers more effective in helping those who have responded to altar calls. What procedures do other churches use to train their altar workers? What process do you take people through who respond to altar calls, and how do they do it? Are there any resources or outlines available for training altar care workers? What materials do you put into the hands of new converts, and how do you follow up on them? We want to see our altar care team better trained, better equipped, and more effective. What suggestions do other pastors have?
