Going hunting...

Posts this week may be few and far between. Tomorrow afternoon I will hop on a jet and head for Saskatchewan, Canada, for a snow goose hunt. I will be joining my father-in-law (Bud), brother-in-law (Byron) and two of Bud’s friends. We will be at a small town west of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. I doubt that the motel will have free wifi!

Mrs. FullCourtPresby will be preaching next Saturday and Sunday. She will do a great job but I am sure that she would covet your prayers.

Those of you who do not care for hunting—relax. I will not put any photos on the blog that will upset anyone.

The Blessings and Challenges of Ministering in the Small Church (Part 7).

Blessing: The people of the church can know the pastor.

In the last posting on this topic we looked at the blessing it is for the pastor to know the people of the congregation. The flip side of that blessing is that the congregation can know the pastor—if the pastor is willing to let them.

Too many pastors are placed on pedestals. It is easy for this to happen when the pastor is larger-than-life. It is like the pastor is a “super person.” The problem with that is that no one can relate to super person. It is too easy for a pastor to not be a regular person.

The small church pastor has the opportunity to allow a significant portion of the congregation get to know him/her on a personal basis. People will quickly find out that the pastor is on the same journey that they are. People can relate to a pastor that they know.

The real me that the congregation knows:

• I wear shorts to the office on a hot summer day.
• I have blood sugar issues if I eat too many carbs first thing in the morning.
• I grow dahlias to keep my sanity.
• I look horrible in a swimsuit.
• I work far too many hours most weeks.
• My office is a mess.
• I struggle with “sin” like everyone else.
• I have good days and bad days.
• I am the chief cook in our house.
• My daughter is on the mission field in a country where “foreign” missionaries are not welcome. (She comes home in a couple of weeks so we can now talk about it a little more openly—my church has known where she is from the very beginning.)
• I have a sweet tooth.
• I love to sail but rarely get the chance due to working too many hours.
• I am like a good coach—pushing his players to get the most out of them.

The list could go on and on and on.

I believe that it is important for a pastor to let the congregation get to know the real person behind the pulpit. People will not always like what they see—but they will value the pastor willing to take the “risk” of being a real person.

Malibu Presbyterian Church destroyed!

Malibu Presbyterian Church was destroyed today by a wild fire. We got the news early this morning from some of our church family who are in Southern California for the baptism of their grandson.

Check out this link for details.

Please be praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ at Malibu Presbyterian Church.