Tag: pastor

7 Essential Guidelines for Pastors Entering a New Pastorate

What's the Word Wednesday

7 Essential Guidelines for Pastors Entering a New Pastorate

As sure as there is a right way to leave your pastorate, there is an excellent way for you to enter a new pastorate. Dare I tread into this highly opinionated subject? Somebody needs to go there. Right?

The proper way to enter a new pastorate begins with leaving your former pastorate correctly. Read about “the right way to leave” here. If you did not exit with the right motives, you are destined for a rough landing.

Deal with any unresolved issues before you move forward (read “How Not to Leave Your Pastorate” here). If you left the last church because you were running away from problems, they will catch up with you. You will find another set of similar issues in your near future. Difficulties in ministry cannot be avoided. Therefore, deal with them as they arise and learn all you can from them. This will help you and the congregation maintain spiritual health.

Assuming now that you left the last place with the proper motives and according to God’s timing, you are ready to move forward. You are spiritually healthy and prepared for the next assignment. Right?

What is your modus operandi? 

Is this your second, third, or fourth pastorate? Have you learned anything about proper transitions?

Every church is different. Every pastor is different. 

Some churches want no change, regardless of what they told you during the candidating process. Some new pastors wish to change everything as soon as they arrive. Both extremes should be avoided to the uttermost.

Here’s my reality. No one can provide a proven strategy, guaranteed to work with every pastor and church match-up (tweet this). Each process needs to be customized by how the Spirit of God is leading that particular transition.

Nevertheless, I can share some thoughts to serve as guidelines. Use these to develop your entering strategy and the rate at which you facilitate change.

  1. You are not the only player in this drama.

     There are lay leaders and staff members for which this transition is tricky too. Give them some Christ-like tender loving care.

  2. You will have an immediate request for a brief meeting from a handful of folks in your first few weeks.

     Be careful with this interaction. Some want to tell you that they campaigned for you to be their pastor. Some are not mature and seek to manipulate you. Some are power players that want to set you straight. Proceed with caution. Love the people and pray for them but do not cave into premature pressure for unclear agendas.

  3. You should not make any promises that would bind your future.

     For example, upon entering the pastorate, you could say, “I won’t be making any changes for six months.” That’s a vow you shouldn’t make. Change is a part of this transitional process. There is no need to smother what could be God’s will.

  4. You should know that both assumptions and presumptions can be dangerous.

     Some congregations assume their new pastor has taken the time to research their history and knows the obstacles that tripped former pastors. Some new pastors like to presume this adage; “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.” Both can lead to early troubles.

  5. Your beginning title is, pastor, but you are not really in charge.

     This means you are not the church’s chief decision-maker. Most congregations of less than one hundred will not trust you to be that person for a few years. In the eyes of the most influential in the congregation, you are the preacher and the family chaplain. That’s not ideal, but your role can evolve and improve with tenure.

  6. You need to build relationships with the key people of your congregation.

     Who makes up this group will vary depending on the congregational size. Board members and staff members are where you should begin. Listen, learn, and befriend them. You will find it much easier to lead your congregation and reach your community with a group of friends than with a group of adversaries.

  7. You should get to know the outgoing pastor, if possible.

     You might not become best friends, but it could be a beneficial relationship. Don’t assume your predecessor was a know-nothing hireling. There was likely some sound reasoning behind most of what you’re walking into. Don’t feel threatened by your predecessor’s insights.

On the way to getting established, I would advise you to ask questions. Ask lots of them.

Therefore, I must ask you, what have I left out of this list? What else would you add to these guidelines? Join the conversation, leave a comment, and let’s pray for pastors and churches in transition.

Written by William Strickland. Pastor of Harvest Christian Center in Cantonment, FL. Husband to Lisa and father to three kids. To read more of Williams’s work, take a look at his blog and be sure to follow him on social media. 

Looking for a new position? Stop by MinistryJobs.com and have a look at the jobs that are available! Ministry jobs are hard to come by and job hunting is no fun. We help ministry job seekers find their ideal role in their next ministry – for free! More than 6 million search for a job every day. Be found! Looking to list a job or an open position? We help churches and organizations get job openings in front of potential candidates. We have several plans and packages available. Today is the day!

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Effective Pastoral Transitions in the Time of COVID-19

How can a pastor moving from one congregation to the next make a successful transition, given the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis? Lovett H. Weems Jr. says the challenges of the day demand creativity and flexibility. But it is also more important than ever to follow normal best practices for making a right start.

Leaving Well

For pastors, the first step in an effective transition is drawing to a close the ministry in the church they are leaving. COVID-19 adds layers of complexity to an already emotional time. The sense of grief and loss that accompanies transition will be heightened for everyone. It is more important than ever to attend to the emotional dimensions of transition and to communicate strength, comfort, and hope.

It is still important to say goodbye to church members and community leaders. But the conversations may need to happen in different ways — by phone, letter, Zoom, or video. Similarly, a farewell celebration or closing worship service may need to be conducted virtually or with proper social distancing, depending on local safety protocols.

Parsonages, Offices, and Moving

Pastors and congregations understand the importance of having clean space ready for a new pastor’s arrival. However, this year the preparation of a pastor’s office or living space has become more important than ever. In cleaning and sanitizing the pastor’s office and parsonage, congregations should follow the procedures regarding COVID-19 on the CDC website: “Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.”

It might be beneficial to allow a buffer of time between the departing pastor’s move out and the new pastor’s arrival. Where there is no parsonage, remember that it may be more difficult for an incoming pastor to sell a previous home and/or find a new one. Alternative housing options may be necessary in the interim.

Entering a New Congregation and Getting Acquainted

One key to a smooth arrival in a new church is spending as much time as possible getting to know members. Learn as much as possible about the church, the community, and the people. This listening and learning often happens in face-to-face meetings, social events, or house parties. Some of these early visitation practices will need to be replaced by other forms of communication — a video introduction, phone calls, Zoom gatherings, personal notes, and so on.

People may be experiencing displaced grief, especially if they did not have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to the former pastor, so be gentle with yourself and others. Given the state of flux, many things you need or want to accomplish will take extra care and extra time. Be patient with people, systems, and processes.

Preaching and Worship in the First Months

In a time when many congregations are not worshiping in their buildings, stepping into the “pulpit” for the first time comes with a whole new set of challenges. Depending on your location you may need to begin worshipping online, so be prepared!

If the congregation is worshiping online, continue to use whatever video/virtual platform was used before transition. Work closely with the those responsible for putting together online worship and give them plenty of lead time. Remember, congregations have already experienced seismic shifts in their worship due to COVID-19 restrictions, and more change is coming. It is even more important to be sensitive to the ability to absorb change.

An incoming pastor’s early sermons are an important way for the congregation to become familiar with their new pastor, especially in this time of limited face-to-face interaction. Use the first several sermons to introduce yourself. It is also essential in light of the collective experience of COVID-19 to speak hopefully about the future. Preach trust, faith, and the importance of caring for people and community.

Congregational and Community Financial Stress

Coming to understand a church’s financial picture is always a priority for an incoming pastor. The COVID-19 era makes the subject more urgent. There is little time to waste and the stakes could be quite high. Because the pandemic is closing churches for months and stressing the economy so profoundly, it is critical to learn all you can as quickly as you can about the church’s financial heath and stability. Do not assume the new situation is like that of your former church.

Clear communication and sensitive leadership are required in this time of financial uncertainty. It is important to be attentive to how COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have impacted church members and the larger community, and it is important to affirm whatever the church has done to continue ministry under difficult circumstances.

Article from Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Lovett H. Weems, Jr., is senior consultant at the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, distinguished professor of church leadership emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary, and author of several books on leadership.

Looking for a new position? Stop by MinistryJobs.com and have a look at the jobs that are available! Ministry jobs are hard to come by and job hunting is no fun. We help ministry job seekers find their ideal role in their next ministry – for free! More than 6 million search for a job every day. Be found! Looking to list a job or an open position? We help churches and organizations get job openings in front of potential candidates. We have several plans and packages available. Today is the day!

Desire -VS- Calling

Desire is not the same thing as a calling.

We’ve all come across people who think they’re really talented at something when in reality, it’s quite the opposite. It makes me think of the all too familiar TV show, American Idol. In the early stages of the season, some people try out who really have no business singing in the shower much less in public. On more than one occurrence, I’m sure it went thru my head, “Why hasn’t someone told them that they can’t sing?”

Being a part of a worship staffing company called Froot Group, I regularly see videos that worship leaders have submitted for their profiles. Some are talented and some I’m left with asking that question – Why hasn’t someone told them that they can’t sing? In all of my conversations that I have with candidates, I always ask how they got into music ministry. It always starts out with the “I was called” story.

Called.

What does that even mean? Being “called” primarily means being obedient to the ongoing direction of the Lord’s leading in your life.

Someone might ask though, “What happens when you’re not so great at your calling?”

Today’s church has grown to have many distinctive differences from the church we read about in the Bible. One of the most prevalent is having unqualified church staff. Many pastors never develop leadership skills before being assigned a position within the church, so much of pastoring becomes on-the-job training. We find that these leaders have not been spiritually vetted and therefore are not fit for leadership in the church. You always run the risk of causing a disaster when putting someone in a position who has not been proven and ready for it.

We’ve heard of so many young Christians who say that they’ve been called to ministry. They know how to say moving prayers and know scripture yet maybe they just don’t have a love for people. Maybe they love people but just don’t have the talent for music or teaching like how they believe they do. It’s easy to confuse skill with talent. Skill is something that you’ve worked to acquire. It is developing the talent God has given you. You can be very talented but not have any skill. If we are going to be effective in serving the church, a lot depends on skill.

When Moses had to find men to oversee the construction of the tabernacle, he chose men whom God had gifted with “skill and intelligence” (Exodus 36:1).  When David looked for a Levite to lead the singing it says he picked Kenaniah “because he was skillful at it” (1 Chronicles 15:22).  Excellence has a purpose in church. It’s to focus people’s attention on God, on His attributes, on His promises, on the things that He has done for us. We want people to be completely focused on God.

So the question still stands, what happens when excellence is untainable with the people that have been hired for those positions? For starters, the church should be understanding and supportive of opportunities for the pastor to learn from others. The church needs to also find ways to share information more readily with the pastor, without arguing and complaining — because that’s not biblical.

In regards to the pastor, they need to be humble enough to admit the need for further training. This requires great humility on the part of the pastor to allow input into their leadership. The pastor needs to learn the art and humility of asking questions to see what areas they’re struggling. The pastor also needs to build an accountability structure of people who have been given the authority to speak into their life. You may also want to take some next steps in training and affirmation, including mentoring and discipling from seasoned pastors at your church or in your community.

So how do you handle a conversation like this? What is the best way to speak the truth without breaking someone’s heart? Just remember that you will never avoid offending people but your kindness and honesty will create the best possible situation. They might feel you’re being unfair, critical, and harsh, but that doesn’t mean you are. You just need to tell them. But “how” you do that makes all the difference. If the pastor is bad, you owe it to the church to be honest. Getting back to those American Idol contestants – no one was honest with them. Some of them faced national humiliation as an audience of millions watched, astonished by their lack of talent, and clarity. Any time I’ve had to tell someone they shouldn’t be on the team, I’ve tried to help them see that serving on the team keeps them from using the gifts God has given them. In my opinion, it’s best to mentor those who can be mentored, and be honest to those who will negatively affect your team. True leadership is about taking everyone forward not keeping everyone happy. Someone has said that the “secret for success I do not know, but the secret for failure is trying to keep everyone happy”. I know confrontation is difficult but It must be done prayerfully, respectfully and intentionally.

So what are your thoughts? Take a moment in the comment section share what you think –  agree, disagree, add your two cents, or ask questions.

Written by Meggan Jacobus. Meggan is the staffing manager at Froot Group, a worship staffing and consulting company.

A Bigger Picture Of Worship

I’m going to jump right into things this week.  I’m discussing worship…a topic that’s near to my heart.  But before we get started, I have a few questions:

What drives you to worship?  Not just on Sunday, but throughout the rest of the week?  

What keeps you in a frame of mind that is set upon worship?

What is worship, anyway?

If I am honest with myself, I struggle with answering these questions.  I’ve found there’s no easy answer even with many years of practice.  For some backstory, I’ve been involved with some level of “worship” (the part you see and hear on stage) since I was in my high school and college years.  I remember leading a youth group praise band with my electric guitar; my Epiphone Les Paul (oh yeah!).  And then in college, I led worship at my school’s Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship chapter.  I helped lead while attending North Dakota State and our worship team actually included the gal who is now my wife.  (Just fair-warning:  your future spouse might be someone who’s on your team!)

With all that experience and many more years under my belt in ministry, you’d think I’d start to have a grasp of what worship is.  That maybe I’m at some expert or mastery level.  But in reality, I know I have as much to learn now as I did all those years ago.  Worship is so much deeper than what I think it is.

I think those initial questions are hard to define because we speak of worship in somewhat ambiguous terms.  We talk about worship as a church service.  It can also be a song itself.  Or maybe even a style of music.  Worship as a music style has grown so much over the past 20 years that it has gained its own genre and subgenre within Christian music.  

But is worship solely limited to those things?  Just a song or style of music?  Or just the 20 minutes of time that lasts between the announcements and the sermon?  I surely hope not.  

Through my own study of this topic through books and the Bible, through hearing sermons, and by just being around other Christians, I’ve come to this conclusion:  worship is SO MUCH BIGGER than the box we put it in.  In fact, it’s really not about music at all.  It’s an attitude of the heart.  Music is one way to express our worship to God and it’s a great way to do it.  But I’ve come to embrace the fact that worship is all-encompassing.  Therefore, everything I do becomes an act of worship to God.

That means how I serve my wife and kids is worship.  

How I spend my time and money is worship. 

How I treat my coworkers is worship.

What words I allow to come out of my mouth is worship.  

Who I am when no one else is around is worship.

In each of these things, I am allowing myself to ascribe worth and value to something:  hopefully in each case, to the Lord.  

I think if we come before the Lord each day seeking Him and pursuing a lifestyle of worship, it becomes that much easier to enter into worship and praise on Sunday.  When we’ve been living it in the trenches Monday-Saturday, we realize Sunday is just the capstone; the culmination of all we’ve already been doing throughout the week.  Through that, we praise and we thank God.  It’s as important to worship corporately (i.e. on Sunday) as it is individually (outside of church).  

This summer, I’m urging you to find space and margins in your day and week to reevaluate what worship looks like for you.  I find it especially important with the busyness of fall soon approaching.  Consider this a gentle reminder that we need to constantly and consistently pursue Christ and set aside time to seek Him and His will for our lives.  It just won’t happen by accident.  If you are struggling to find rest, to unplug and listen to the Lord, here’s a blog I wrote earlier this year that might give some guidance:  Learning To Rest .  

If I point a finger at anyone in all of this, it’s at myself to ask “How well am I worshipping today?  Am I giving God my best?”  He deserves our best but until we understand a bigger picture of worship, we run the risk of giving Him less than He deserves.  I don’t want to give God my leftovers.  I want Him to have the first fruits.  Worship is how we do that and it’s happening all the time…24/7.

God bless you!  Much love to you and please know I’m praying for you!

I can be reached at info@derekcharlesjohnson.com 

God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.  John 4:24

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:2

Written By: Derek Charles Johnson. Derek is a friend of the Froot Group family and is a church worship leader residing in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Check out Derek’s website to find out more about who he is, listen to his songs or read more of his blogs. We think he’s a swell guy and you will too!

Shooting An Amazing Smartphone Video

Forgive me Father for I have binged! I sat down for an extended amount of time (for I will not disclose) and watched YouTube. One video leads to another, which leads to another and before you know it you’re asking yourself what you started out doing before you started in on the binge. You spend hours and hours laughing at the videos that people have posted. You ask, “What was he thinking?” Sometimes you’re blown away or pleasantly surprised by the talent or quality.

Here at Froot Group we see videos of all kind. One of the top things that stop a worship leader from proceeding along in our process or even landing a job, is the lack or quality of their video. We can’t stress enough how important your introduction and worship leading videos are. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video may be worth a thousand pictures.

Almost all of us have a smartphone these days or know someone who does. I wanted to provide you just a few suggestions to help improve the quality of your video.

Most important, turn your phone sideways: By using the “landscape” (horizontal) orientation when shooting video, you get more of the worship center and musicians in the shot. Another reason is that you don’t want your viewers to see those black bars on each side of the video when it’s played back on social media, or viewed on a computer desktop or widescreen television.

Hold your phone steady: You can position yourself and try to be as still as possible but your best option would be to pick up a monopod or selfie stick at your local dollar store. If you have access to one, it would be even better to get ahold of a collapsible tripod. Having a still video will ensure your viewers don’t get turned off by a shakey video.

Composition rule: Sometimes you only got one chance to capture a great worship experience. If you want your videos to look professional, consider the “rule of thirds”. Break up the phones viewer screen into two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, and place your subject wherever the four lines intersect. Think of it like a Tic-Tac-Toe board; our eyes naturally look at one of these intersection points.

Lighting is important: Pay attention to the light around you, and take advantage of it. Good lighting – be it natural or artificial — can make or break a video. Play with the angles until you like what you see. Don’t shoot subjects near a window or with their back to the sun, as they’ll look like a silhouette. Even though you might be tempted to chose the auto feature on your phone, it’s ok to revert and play with the other features. This will allow you to make up for any differences that you may have for natural lighting.

Sound advice: Don’t underestimate the importance of good sound. This is one of the most important features of a great video. Your best option would be to have a professional microphone but if you can’t, try to get as close as possible to capture the clearest audio. You’ll be surprised how good your smartphone’s mic can be. If you’re too far away, you’ll get some of those ambient noises in your recording. Although you’re not going to avoid everything (sneezing, baby crying, etc) in a worship service, it will at least be better if you’re closer to the person you’re capturing.

Edit away: Video can live forever so you might as well make it as good as it can be. Tweak it on your phone – or better yet, on a computer with its larger screen to assess your work. This includes cutting, cropping, adjusting color and brightness, adding transitions, special effects, music, narration, captions, and more. Always keep the original just in case, but spice up your videos a bit before giving it to the world.

If you stumble upon someone to shoot a professional grade video for you definitely jump on the opportunity. Just remember though that if a church is investing enough in you to bring you out for a visit to their church, you should invest in them by having a great video.

Written by: Meggan Jacobus. Meggan is the Staffing Manager at Froot Group, a worship staffing & consulting company.

The Power of Excellence

I’m a perfectionist! It’s one of my greatest assets and one of my greatest struggles! Perfection is actually not a healthy goal. It’s actually not even a healthy mindset. And it’s definitely not biblical. So why do we strive to be perfect, when we know for a fact it’s unachievable? I mean the reason that Jesus gave his life for us was to be the perfect sacrifice that He knew we could never and would never be. So why do so many of us struggle so much with this ideal of perfection? Because it’s Godly, and we are called to live a holy and pleasing life? Maybe?

So how do we shift our perspective and objective to be healthy and pleasing, rather than unhealthy and trapping? The answer is something I’ve spent years learning… excellence. Excellence vs perfection is something that will release you from disappointment, shame, guilt and  burn out. Not only as a human being, but as a team and even a church.

Working out the freedom of excellence is a very important lesson to learn! Excellence is simply doing the best you can, bringing your best offering, working to be the best you can be at your gift, calling, job! And letting go of unrealistic expectations, so that you are free from burning out or giving up on some impossible goal you may never achieve.

A mentor once told me “the only person you can compare yourself to is the you that you were yesterday.” This is a mantra I carry with me! As long as I’m trying to be better today than I was yesterday at the task at hand or the gift I find myself using, I’m doing okay!

Cultivating this mental shift within yourself and your team, will release an atmosphere of excitement, learning, and grace! You will ignite a passion for the things you can achieve and set goals that you work towards with realistic standards. The end result will be a much healthier mental space, a much healthier team, and a much healthier church!

So release yourself and your team from perfection and strive for excellence and see how God will work in and through you!

Written by: Kelli Wright

Kelli is the Consulting Director at Froot Group, a worship staffing and consulting company.

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What do you use to encourage your team? Do you tell the speaker that they just preached a great sermon after that early Sunday morning? Do you tell your favorite worship leader that their voice sounds angelic every time they steps on platform? How about the chairs team? Do you thank them for all their hard work and faithfulness to the church, and the ministry that God is using them for? Absolutely. Continue reading →