Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
Pastor, How Should You Respond when You do not Meet the Expectations of Others?
I have never been able to meet the expectations of every church member. I do not know of one pastor in America or around the world that does.
The expectations many people have for leaders and pastors are absolutely out of control, and simply put, unreasonable. I could refer to case after case, whether relating to ministry, education, politics, or business. However, let me go straight to the bottom line.
As a Pastor, how should you respond when you do not meet the expectations of others?
1. Evaluate everything, beginning with yourself.
When we do not meet the expectations of others, the easiest thing for us to do is to point fingers at others, situations, or even make excuses. We can even get into a combative situation. Regardless of the conduct toward you, you have to take the high road. While it may be true that others may have affected the outcome, and situations beyond your control that may have influenced the present condition, the wisest thing to do is push pause. When you do this, begin with evaluating everything, including yourself.
- Are the expectations reasonable?
- Are the expectations attainable?
- Could I have done anything to improve the outcome?
- Can I do anything now?
- Should I do anything now?
2. Elevate the process, not the end result.
National championship football coach, Nick Saban, stated on “60 Minutes” that he tells his team at the University of Alabama not to look at the scoreboard, but the process; perfect the process and the scoreboard will take care of itself. Nick Saban is exactly right. Far too many times in our culture, we are bent on focusing on the end result rather than the process itself.
Pastors, we can learn from this. We need to learn the importance of knowing the right process to follow and elevate biblically in leading the church daily.
Therefore, let’s remember these things:
- The process always precedes the product.
- If you want a better product, change the process.
- Elevate process even more than your expectation.
3. Expand yourself and the rest will take care of itself.
Expanding yourself is not about increasing yourself, but about growing personally. Pastors, we must never stop growing and evaluating ourselves personally.
One of the greatest blessings that can happen from not meeting the expectation of someone else is that you can grow toward maturity as you grow through it personally. God wants to use all things in our life and leadership to make us more like Him. Ministry can be a wonderful teacher if you are willing to learn from it.
Therefore, it might help to ask yourself these questions and answer honestly:
- Am I teachable?
- What did I learn?
- Where will I go from here?
- How will I change?
- What will I do differently?
- What does God want me to do in this situation?
- What does God want to teach me through this?
Pastor, if you are willing to grow through the unmet expectations others have of you, the rest will take care of itself. Therefore, do not treat these unmet expectations as enemies, but embrace them as friends and teachers in your life.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
How a Pastor Should Handle a Problem in the Church
Every church has problems. Because the church is comprised of people, we will have problems to deal with periodically. Therefore, I want to suggest these things to help you deal with problems when they arise in your church:
1. Be Biblical: Handle the problem in a biblical way.
Take a biblical approach to bringing resolution to the problem, which usually involves confronting the problem, not ignoring it.
Be careful listening to the voices of other people so much that you fail to listen to God’s voice through the Scripture. As a pastor, you are to always remind your leadership and staff of the biblical approach. If you do not, perhaps no one else will.
2. Exhibit Leadership: When a problem arises that affects the fellowship of the church, it has now become a problem for you.
As a pastor, you oversee the fellowship. No one else has been called to this leadership. You cannot will problems way or sweep them under the carpet; you have to be the one to lead through them biblically and strongly. Therefore, you must get to the root of the problem so you can lead through it biblically.
3. Gather Your Leadership: When a problem rises up in the church, gather a team of leaders that can walk through it with you.
If you are in a smaller membership church, this means that you must gather your lay-leaders that can walk with you through the problem. You need their input, support, and prayer. They can also help bring balance to your perspective.
If you are in a larger membership church, certain members of your staff team can walk through the problem with you. Depending on the problem and the way your church is governed, you may also need to gather lay-leaders to walk with you. If nothing else, informing them can be helpful in the long term.
4. Bring Your Church Along: While this may be rare, there are times when specific church problems need to be brought before the church.
The level of the problem will determine whether your church needs to be informed publicly. Again, while this may be rare, there are times when we need to bring the church along. Usually, if it comes to this, others are already aware. How the issue is dealt with reflects on the integrity of the church.
Rather than mentioning specific problems, let me just say this: It is through these moments of crisis when leadership is often born. Always be biblical. Seek godly counsel. Be wise. Move slowly when needed. Move quickly if needed. This is why you need others around you as a leader.
5. Be Prayerful: As a pastor, depending on God is far wiser than depending on yourself.
While prayer cannot keep you problem free, God can use it to deliver you of many problems. Prayer moves the heart of God and the hearts of people. I have prayed away many problems. I have seen God step in and do miraculous things. I have been on the brink of having to deal with a problem, but then God delivered.
Prayer also changes our heart and view of the problem. We become wiser when we pray. We become more compassionate when we pray. We become more courageous when we pray. As a pastor, one of the wisest things you can ever do is pray daily through challenges you are facing.
Pastor, God will see you through. Depend on Him.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.