A young college student came to my office one day. He wanted to interview me. This was part of an assignment in a class he was taking. He informed me that he was seeking God’s will and wanting to know if the ministry was in God’s plan for him. He asked me all about my work. This book answers that question! I received a first-class seminary education. However, I had much to learn that could not be taught in a classroom. Right out of seminary, I pastored a rural church on the outskirts of a mid-sized town. I needed a lot of guidance. In the medical profession, educators do not think of putting a doctor into practice right out of medical school. Physicians have a required internship under the supervision of older doctors. I have always thought this should be practiced in the ministry. A few Seminary graduates take Associate positions in larger churches. In that kind of situation the young pastor can learn much from the older pastor. Yet not every seminary graduate can work under an older pastor. I had to fend for myself and learn the slower and harder way how to do all the work needed in the local church. This book is designed to help the younger pastor with suggestions from an older pastor. I hope it will help both men and women who are making an honest effort to be faithful in building up the local church where they serve. Many books have been written and will continue to be written concerning the work of the pastor. I have never seen a book like this one that describes the five roles of the pastor. I have included practical suggestions in each chapter to enable the pastor to do a good job of shepherding God’s people. I have pastored churches for forty-seven years. Having met with some success in each of these assignments, I have learned much that comes from the daily work of the pastor. I have a special love for pastors that struggle in the smaller parishes. Recent surveys tell us that there are roughly 350,000 local churches in America. Of these churches, 90% of them have 300 members or less. Actually half of the churches have seventy-five members or less. It is obvious that most pastors will end up in a local church that is smaller and will stay that way without some faithful and loving work on the part of the pastor and the people. Churches can grow. I believe only a few, very isolated churches have little chance of growing. The great majority of churches can grow and meet with success. This has been my experience. I want to share what I have learned. Pastors in smaller churches can get into the “comparison” business and become discouraged. Granted, a few churches are experiencing phenomenal growth. Their growth often comes at the expense of the smaller churches in the community. We must not compare our work with others. Each church is unique. God has a special place in His heart for smaller congregations that meet the needs of people who would never feel comfortable in a large congregation. We keep our self- esteem strong by remembering the largest number of missionaries and pastors come from smaller churches.
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