Jump Start # 2934

Acts 10:29 “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. And so I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

In the past few weeks I have been asked by several preachers about finding a church to move to. Moving is always a tough decision to make. When a preacher leaves a congregation, most times it involves also moving from one community to another. Selling a house. Finding a new house. Switching schools for the kids. When to move and when to stay, I don’t know if I or anyone knows the right answers for that. Some move too soon. Some hang on too late. Tough, tough decisions. Tons of prayers. Many tears. A lot of questions and uncertainties. I know, I have been there. One can’t run from problems, but there comes a time when the problems become so great that it tears the heart and soul out of the preacher and his family.

In this Jump Start, I want to address the process of hiring a preacher. I think many places need to take a serious look at the process. Many have never put much thought into this. And, as a result, the right fit isn’t found. And, much too soon, the search is on to find yet another preacher.

I love the question that Paul asks in this verse, “For what reason you have sent for me?” That’s a fair question to ask. Some want the preacher to come in and solve all the problems, which really isn’t his job. Others want a preacher, like getting the hired gun in the old Westerns, to drive all the trouble away. Again, that’s not the job of the preacher. Some just want someone to fill the pulpit and preach on Sundays. Not too much beyond that is expected.

Traditionally, what churches have done for a long time is to invite a preacher to come on a specific Sunday. Bring the whole family, they are told, so the church can meet them. The preacher brings his best sermons, which may not even be his own. He teaches a class and preaches on Sunday morning. A social meet and greet lunch takes place at the nearby community center. That evening the preacher presents his next best sermon. He meets with the elders for a few minutes. They ask him some hot topic questions. They find out how much money he currently makes. The preacher leaves with the promise that one of the elders would be calling him by the following weekend. During that time folks in the congregation tell the elders their impression.  If all is favorable, the phone call is made and “when can you move here” is asked. If things are not favorable, then the phone call tells the preacher that the elders have decided to keep looking. The best is wished upon him and the conversation ends.

That was my story in more than one congregation. That’s the method most congregations follow. It’s a mess. Little thought is given into improving that process. There are many things missing in this process. Here are some thoughts:

First, bringing a preacher in to speak before the congregation is not the first step that ought to be taken. In this day, it is so easy to listen and even view sermons that are on the internet. Even before a preacher is reached to begin the process, the leadership can listen to sermon after sermon and get a feel if that is what they need.

Second, phone conversations need to take place about vision, future, plans, work ethic, goals, the history of the congregation, the make up of the congregation. And, among those phone conversations the preacher or the shepherds may have heard enough to pass on each other.

Third, a personal face to face meeting ought to be the next step. Get the preacher there to look things over and to expand the conversations and have some more intense discussions. Now, the shepherds and the preacher are seeing if they are on the same page and looking the same direction. Do they have the same goals. Do they have the same drive. The work ethic of the preacher is now being examined. The vision, involvement and expectations of the leaders are also on the table to be looked at. Ideas are traded. Concerns are expressed.

This face-to-face meeting will cover a few hours. It may be necessary to meet this way again. In one of these meetings, the shepherds need to talk with the preacher’s wife and get her feelings about things. This is important.

An on the ball eldership will not just look to see what preachers are also looking. They will have in their mind the type of preacher they want and they will go looking for such a person. The shepherds need to know merely waving a few more dollars at a preacher is not enough to get him to change zip codes to move there. Does the church have the equipment, personnel, and vision to help the preacher reach his maximum potential? Discussion needs to be made about a long term relationship. Thought about retirement packages ought to be included. Nothing vague, but real numbers and real specifics ought to be put on the table.

By this point it ought to be getting very clear whether or not this will work with this preacher. Others can be invited to listen to his sermons on the internet. Some of the shepherds may want to go and visit the preacher at his home congregation. There they can witness how he interacts with the congregation and how he is at his home pulpit. Now, the preacher can be invited to come and preach before the congregation. By now, there have been so many conversations and so many phone calls that a relationship has already been formed. There is a comfort level and an understanding between the shepherds and the preacher.

All of this takes time. If a congregation is wanting to fill the preacher slot in a weekend, go back to the traditional method. But, if a church is willing to be patient, thoughtful, and careful, the right man can be found who may stay for decades and do a marvelous work for the Lord.

One of the most stressful times for a congregation is the hiring of a new preacher. Rarely is everyone happy with the selection. But taking it carefully and thoughtfully may make the selection the right fit. In the process of shepherding, teaching others how to do this is important. I have talked to many elderships who have never gone through this process before. They are not sure what is the best way to go about this.

When a formal agreement is reached, it needs to be put on paper and names signed. Copies need to be shared between the preacher and the eldership. People forget. This is the business side that I do not particularly like but it keeps everything transparent, above board and honest. How many vacations? How many meetings? What is expected? Put it on paper and put your name to it. Then stick with it.

I hope this article helps. I hope that it is something that would be stored away to help others learn and know. Talk to other preachers and ask them about how they would improve upon the process.

We can do better…

Roger

Jump Start # 1654

Acts 10:29 “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

  Our verse today is part of the opening conversation Peter had with Cornelius. God called Peter to go to Cornelius’s house and preach to him. Cornelius was a good man. He was a Roman soldier. He was generous. He was god-fearing. He was a man of prayer. Yet, he was not a Christian. At the end of this chapter, Cornelius is baptized into Christ. He becomes the first Gentile Christian. Powerful and important story in our Bibles.

It is that last expression of Peter’s that I want to consider, “for what reason you have sent for me.” It seems that things go in seasons or cycles. Now seems to be one of those cycles when both preachers and congregations are making changes in the pulpit. I know several congregations that are looking for a preacher. I know several preachers that are looking for a new place to preach. All of this makes us consider “for what reason you have sent for me.”

Why do preachers move? That’s a good question. Sometimes it’s something on the preacher’s end of things. Other times, it’s on the congregations end of things. It’s stressful when a church changes preachers. Finding the right fit is hard and generally not everyone is pleased with the choice. Some folks get so upset over these things that they leave.

Sometimes it’s time to change preachers just to get a fresh voice and some new ideas in the place. Preachers can grow tired and stale and a change motivates both them and the congregation. There was a time a generation ago, when about every four or five years, congregations changed preachers. That was hard on everyone, especially the preacher’s family. This may be one of the reasons so many congregations also owned “the preacher’s house.” They moved preachers in and out so often that it just made since to own his residence. Times have changed. Preachers are staying decades and decades with the same congregation. Preachers now buy their own homes. But even with that, there comes that time now and then to make a change. This is hard because some have fallen in love with the preacher and his family and they don’t want to see that change.

The process of letting people know and how it’s handled can be good or it can be a disaster. More harm can be done because of the way some have dealt with the changing of the preacher. Short notices, leaving with a chip on the shoulder, feeling cheated can ruin feelings and hurt reputations for both the preacher and a congregation.

Back to Peter’s words, “for what reason have you sent for me?” Fair question.

• Is it to solve all the problems a congregation has?
• Is it to make more money or save more money?
• Is it to do what the members ought to be doing themselves?
• Is it about image?
• Is it to run the place?
• Is it to teach and preach the Gospel of Christ?
• Is it an opportunity to do more?

It is important that both the preacher and the congregation do some investigating and homework into each other. It’s like a date. One doesn’t pop the question on the first date. That would be a disaster. The process of dating is to know each other and to see if there is a future together. Too often, a decision is made too hastily and an ugly parting comes later on.

The typical way a preacher is “hired” is somewhat a flawed pattern. Generally, a preacher is called in to “try out.” He and his family show up on a Saturday afternoon and stay with one of the members. On Sunday, he teaches the class, and preaches one of his best sermons in the morning. A pot-luck is held for lunch so people can get to know him. Most don’t. He preaches that evening, his second best sermon, and meets with either the elders or the men in a business meeting. Certain questions are asked to verify that he has the right answers to the common doctrinal controversies of the day. He is asked “How much money do you need.” That is kicked around for a while and the meeting ends with handshakes, smiles and “we’ll be getting back to you.” By the end of the week, he is either given a formal offer from the church or told that things weren’t a good fit. If he is given the offer and the preacher likes it, then he accepts and is hired. I have journey through this process several times.

If neither side asks the right questions, both could walk right into a mess. The preacher may be blind as to what the church wants and why the last preacher left. The church may be blind to the preacher’s work ethics. One Sunday…a few questions…his best sermons and a preacher is hired.

Maybe it would be more helpful if the preacher and the elders met a few times before he ever came and preached. Maybe it would eliminate some future problems if they talked and understood what each were looking for and how each worked through some situations. This takes more time. This requires more effort. But relationships are built and both the preacher and the leadership can determine if they are eye to eye on things. In this meetings it could be understood “why have you sent for me.” Goals, plans and expectations can be sketched out and it is then that both parties can see if this will work or not. It’s like that dating process. The “marriage” came about after a period of getting to know each other.

Some churches don’t want to put that time into it. They will not wait that long. They will bring a preacher in on a Sunday, if he has a good sermon, he is hired. That’s it. That’s all. Months down the road, both realize what a mistake it was. The marriage becomes a nightmare and the talk of ending the marriage becomes a reality.

As hard as it is to hire a preacher, having to let one go is even messier. This too often is done with little thought and is too cold and calculated like the business world.

The preacher needs to ask questions. He needs to look around the place and see how the people take care of it. That is often an indication of how they take care of other things. Ask about discipline. Ask about finances, of the church. Ask about what life would be like on a day to day basis. I know a place that required the preacher to fill out a time card for his hours in the office. They required him to list all his studies and all of his visits. That reflected a major trust issue. I wouldn’t do well there. I’d be asking for the member’s time cards. It is a two-way street. Can you imagine a young lady listening to her date envision their marriage. He talks about her cleaning the place. He talks about the food she’ll cook. He talks about her doing the laundry, taking care of the kids. Before long, she’ll run believing that he is looking for hired staff and not a wife. Some preachers ought to run and some churches ought to run for the same reasons.

Some churches want an office boy, not a preacher. They want someone to answer the phone, make copies for others and do secretarial work. That is their vision of a preacher. Paul told Timothy to “preach the word.” That requires spending time in the word and then getting the word out of Timothy and into others. It means pulpit work. It means private studies. It means writing and making videos. It means meeting with people. It means answering questions. A man who doesn’t like to read won’t make a good preacher. A man who doesn’t like people or doesn’t connect well with people won’t make a good preacher. A church that won’t let a preacher do his work is not a healthy place.

Someone called me recently and said that their preacher was moving. He said, “We’re looking for a preacher.” I ask him why? He didn’t know how to answer that.

For what reason have you called for me…a good question to ask. A question that ought to be able to be answered.

Roger

Jump Start # 928

Note: Monday is a holiday so there will not be a Jump Start.

Acts 10:29 “This is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me?”

Our verse begins the conversation between the apostle Peter and Cornelius. This was huge. Up to this point the Gospel has been preached, especially by Peter, to the Jews. Philip began preaching to Samaritans in chapter 8. Cornelius was not Jewish nor a Samaritan. He was a Roman army officer. Unlike the typical Roman soldier, Cornelius was a good man, who knew about God and loved Him. He was not cruel, mean or a hard nose like some Romans became after the fighting that they did with other nations.

During a prayer, God acknowledged to this Roman that his prayers were heard. Peter was sent. He tells Cornelius about Jesus and the doorway to the Gentiles bursts open.

Peter’s question, “For what reason you have sent for me,” is a great question. It’s a question that all preachers need to consider. It gets into the purpose and planning of preaching.

Today is Friday. Most love Friday, because the weekend comes and there are days off. The preacher views Friday differently than most people. It’s Friday, and Sunday is coming and I have to get everything finished. A preacher ought to know by Friday what he is preaching on Sunday. Some don’t. Some have had a busy week and are still working on things.

The choice of what to preach on is huge in all the things that a preacher does. Finding the idea is one of the hardest. It comes easy for some. Others really struggle with that. Something interesting. Something needful. Something helpful. The thought has to be given to what the congregation needs, where are they spiritually and how can a lesson help them.

I’m saying these things for a couple of reasons. The choice of sermon is as important as the sermon itself. Picking easy things…or safe things…or things that will make the preacher more loved is not what God wants. Timothy was told by Paul to preach the word. He told him to be instant, in season and out of season. There are sermon topics that are needed but not the number one choice of the crowd. It may not even be the number one choice of the preacher. The purpose of sermons is to help, encourage, warn, teach, and connect with God.

Some preachers like to dwell in the land of controversy. Of all the things that they could preach, they pick something that is out there, that most often only they have given thought to and are concerned about. The thoughts are radical, often not even thought out. Instead of helping, it stirs everyone up. Words are said. The preacher gets upset. The church gets upset. Most of this came from pushing the envelop on controversial things that could have been handled so much better.

Other preachers plow through a book of the Bible which is helpful but too often doesn’t address what is going on with the congregation. Times of death, stress, worry, joy need to be focused upon and directed with God’s word. Hearts are enriched by timely lessons. Long ago, the advice given to young preachers was to have a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other hand. The point, current events are current. These are the things that are happening now. These are the things that folks need to know how to deal with in accordance with God’s word.

Timely lessons are just that, they are timely. Many factual lessons come across as college lectures that are full of info and facts but are not practical to everyday living. The preacher must give that some thought. He must be wise in what he preaches about.

The best way to do that is to be with the brethren. He knows what they are going through. He knows the heartbeat of the congregation. He is one among them.

Sunday sermons ought to be a great help to you personally. They ought answer questions, fill you with faith and remind you of who we are and where we are going. Sunday sermons need to be filled with Scriptures. They ought to build hope and strengthen our resolve. The preacher is to preach the word, and not his doubts. He is to point the way. It is not a time for him to get back at someone, air his pet peeves, or push his own agenda. He is to preach God’s word and help God’s people. Each audience has a mixture of people. Some who want to be there and some who don’t. Some who understand and some who don’t. Some who are trying and some who are not. Some who are with you and some who have doubts. Some are ready for depth and some still need some spoon feeding. It’s a challenge to connect to such a diverse audience. It’s a challenge to find something to preach about week after week.

The challenge to be interesting, factual, Biblical and helpful takes a lot of thought, practice and talent from God. I’m blessed to now sit at the feet of a gifted and extremely talented preacher in our congregation that has helped me so much. Do not take such men for granted. The good ones are rare. The ones that are truly making a difference need to be honored. It is a delight for me to be taught by Zack, who I consider my preacher. Young, passionate, strong, helpful, thoughtful and talented. A true thoroughbred among God’s people. Open the barn door and let ‘em run!

Do you have someone like that? When you find one, keep him. Help him. Let him know you are behind him.

Preaching is so much more than just standing behind a pulpit and talking. It begins long before that with finding what’s best to preach on each week. That choice can make all the difference.

Roger