Pastor Appreciation How To

Pastor appreciation month was last month. I think back to many of the great pastors I've had over the years. I learned so much from each of them. (There were a few less-than-great pastors, and I learned from them, as well, but that's another post for another day.) My youth pastor, Carey, when I was in high school was hugely instrumental in my spiritual development. I don't know that I'd be in ministry today without him. So thanks to all who faithfully served and made an impact on my life.

Some churches do big appreciation moments during the service or give the pastor(s) a gift. Other times it's a card or something smaller. I had someone take me out this year for lunch, so that was really nice. (Food is always a winner.) 

It's nice to be appreciated and while gifts aren't necessary, it's not like I'll turn one down! It wasn't until I started as a senior/lead pastor, though, that I realized how important just showing up is for a pastor's morale. When Sunday attendance is strong, it's a real encouragement to the leader/speaker.

If you want to show your pastor how much you appreciate them, one of the best ways is just to be there on Sunday!

Now, For a Limited Time...

This came through my inbox today from Taco John's. According to the description: "The Honey BBQ Fried Chicken Taco is made with crunchy chicken tenders, fresh, crisp lettuce and cheddar cheese, topped with a Honey BBQ sauce that starts out with a sweet flavor from honey accompanied by smoky notes of hickory." Apparently it's a variation on a plain chicken 'taco' that they've had on the menu for a while, just with honey barbecue sauce.

My first thought was, "Really, Taco John's? Really? Anywhere else and this would be called a wrap." But my second thought was, "Hey, that looks pretty good. And you can get Potato Ole's to go with it!" Because, let's be honest, that's the best thing about Taco John's. And sometimes you feel like some Potato Ole's but aren't necessarily in the mood for regular Mexican fast food. But we'll call it a taco because that's more "on brand". Nevertheless, it looks pretty good.

That's the appeal of these limited-time offerings from places like this. We don't have a Taco John's near us, and when I'm down in the Cities I'll often opt for my favorites like Culver's or Chick-fil-a. But something like this may entice me to visit Taco John's when I otherwise might not. And then, beyond the quick sale, I might build a new habit and visit more often, which is the ultimate goal - loyal returning customers.

Which got me thinking about businesses in general and churches in particular. What is it about your organization that is "special" enough to get people to give it a shot? Anything you can do as a "limited time offering"? And then do you have enough other stuff to help them to return and become loyal to your organization?

Breezy Baptism Sunday

We had our annual church potluck picnic worship and baptism service today. It was a breezy day, but we had record turnout, great worship food and fellowship. 

One of my greatest privileges as a pastor is being able to baptize members of our church who decide to take this public step of faith and proclaim their love for Jesus. I was able to do that today, baptizing three of my amazing youth group students, Dakota, Madison, and Kierra. I love these guys!

 

 

 

Graduation Seasion

It's grad season now. (Which makes it sound like you can go hunting for graduates, which I am not advocating, unless it's to congratulate them.) We, like I think most other churches around us, are getting to honor our graduating senior high students this Sunday. Graduation itself won't take place until June 3, but with Memorial Day in there this Sunday makes the most sense as far as engaging with the entire church. This year we opted for a big celebration on Sunday morning during the worship service followed by our Grad Banquet.

This week is when I think it really begins to sink in for seniors that "this is it." Things are coming to an end for them as far as high school is concerned. Lots of "lasts" - last games, last classes, last time to see certain people.

As I'm developing my sermon for this Sunday I am thinking of all of the different types of advice that graduated typically receive this time of year. Some is cliche, some is helpful, and some may be both. How much do you think they'll really hear and assimilate? 

Maybe it's not about the advice itself, but about the fact that people care enough to offer some.

So what advice would you give to a graduating senior this year?

Act and Think Small to Win Big With Killer Ideas

I just read a fascinating article over at Advertising Age magazine's web site which discussed how bit companies can 'win' by acting and thinking small. Here's a clip:

Sure, being "big" has its advantages, but it's more likely that if you are acting your size, you are holding yourself back from your true potential. Acting smaller enables you to be nimble and flexible. It allows you to get great ideas quicker, work more of them, move on them faster and develop them easier. It's what will allow you to find true innovation vs. incremental line extensions and me-too products.

I was thinking of the implications of this for the church. As a church plant, it's easy to bemoan lack of resources, facilities, capital, etc., but there are some real advantages to being small. A church plant is by its nature quick and agile. It also encourages innovation - nothing has 'always been done that way before', so why not experiment with something that is potentially better. The author encourages rewarding ideas that are 80-90% there, rather than waiting for a 100% perfect idea to come along, which is impossible anyway.

This article goes on to say that, "By fostering a culture of fearlessness, you allow more ideas to enter the process from every angle and every position. Shift your paradigm and reward your employees for taking risks instead of punishing them for failures." Certainly risk-taking and a sense of fearlessness are a part of church planting!

I have noticed that a lot of former youth pastors (our own lead pastor among them!) move into church planting. I believe there is definitely something about the fluidity of ministry to students that helps prepare a leader for the challenge of church planting. A healthy youth ministry will look a little different every year and dramatically different in a five to ten year period (or less) due to the rapidly changing youth culture and challenges of reaching teens for Christ. A student ministry pastor needs to be able to adapt and change as necessary.

The real trick for any church is to maintain that culture of fearlessness and God-honoring risk-taking once the church grows out of being a church plant and becomes a 'big' church. It's exciting to me that Pastor Tim's first message at Journey North, titled "Don't Get Comfortable", tackled some of these ideas. One of our core values is that of change and innovation in order to reach people for Jesus!