A couple of days ago I ask my Facebook friends:
“ What's the one thing you need most from a pastor (or any minister or vicar or priest for that matter)?”
“What's the most important bit of advice you'd give me, as I start as Pastor at Diamond Valley Baptist Church?”
I got an amazing and insightful list of answers ranging across many perspectives. When I cut and paste all the comments into Pages, it came to over twenty-five valuable pages! Below is a random (and often abbreviated sample of comments). The full thread is on Facebook, somewhere near HERE
“We were always told that the best part of us was that we were ‘real’, shared our lives (not pretending everything was always OK).”
“Being open and honest. And not a phoney! Actually caring helps.
“Listen and really hear.”
“Someone who refuses to do my bible reading and praying for me”
“Leading your church in relevance and servanthood to the wider non-church community.”
“Being as Christ would be to those we meet, not coming in with theological jargon.”
“What I think is most missing (across many churches) is the gospel…”
“I want someone who will bother to get to know me. Someone who will talk to me, ask questions and remember the answers I give. It makes all the difference when you believe your pastor actually cares about you.”
“ I want to hear real stories of regular people I knew hearing from God.”
“Hearing what God is doing in others lives (and their pastors) not just what God [in the past] did for them…”
“In the busy-ness of life, to feel like someone has 'time' for you, was what I needed most.”
“Make eye contact and not scan the room for..more important people to talk to!”
“Humble, vulnerable, truth-telling servant leadership…”
“Unhurried approachable-ness when talking to people. Nothing worse than feeling that I'm keeping my pastor from someone more important or interesting than me.”
“Loves Jesus.”
“How do we the Congregation meet the needs of our community? How are we Jesus to Australia and the world? How do we who work full time walk His walk rather than sprinkle a religion that is tainted…”
“Be Christ-like, within the person that God created"
“Don't try to be everything to everybody and be open about when you are having a bad day.”
“Discovering how to connect with the fast paced, time poor digital generations.”
If I had to summarise all the different themes I’d say there are four key points that I am hearing from people.
People need their ministers .... Read on....
People need their ministers .... Read on....
- To be genuinely relational: To listen attentively and non-judgementally and to take give people time, real time. To be vulnerable and authentic too. To be a model and a catalyst for community. To be alert to the varying relational needs of different demographics in the church.
- To grow people: To empower and equip members rather than just spoon-feed. To build people who can be responsible for their own faith. Adults who can grow from dependence into inter-dependence. This is actually key if a group is to grow from a creche to a faith- community. As one person put it: “To be a shepherd who grows sheep [who can also care for others] rather than ‘mothering’ them.”
- To teach people: To invite and challenge people out of their comfort-zone by ‘sound’ teaching. It’s what some would call the role of being the local theologian and prophet. There was also reference with equipping people with the ‘tools’ they need to to feed themselves.
- To mobilise for mission: To remind and lead the church into community engagement. Helping the congregation hear and see [interpret] what God is up to and to get on board. Evangelism, advocacy and social issues are all ingredients in mission.
