Surviving Chaos

If you are the type of person who thinks that all a pastor does is spend an hour a week working, I would like to spend a little bit of time informing you to what an average pastor’s life en tales. Now, please understand, I am not complaining. Quite the opposite. I enjoy being a Pastor but struggle with those who think that the only thing I do is preach on Sunday Morning.

First thing to note about my specific situation is that I am a Solo Pastor (which means I do it all) at a small country church in North Central Kansas. When I say small, I mean my congregation is a little more than forty on an average Sunday. And when I say country I mean over twelve miles from the closest town and over 30 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. We literally live in the middle of a wheat field where our closest neighbor is 1/4 mile away. We are alone.

But back to Ministry. A typical week for most ministers consists of several areas of ministry. First is Education of the Church. This is the area which most people understand as the responsibilities of the Pastor; Sermon Development, Sermon Delivery, Bible Study Preparation, Sunday School Lessons, Membership Classes and any other type of class where the body of Christ is being mentored and matured. What people do not understand is that the preparation time for each type of class (sermon, ect.) can take anywhere from 2-4 hours per class and 8-12 hours per sermon. So a Pastor who is leading a weekly bible study and preaching twice a week can have at least 20 hours in preparation alone. And then another 3 hours for delivery time. In other words, half of an average 40 hour week can be spent in preparation time alone.

Another area where Pastors spend a lot of time is in the Caring for the Church. This is the visitation of Believers and non-believers who may of may not have any association with the church. These visits range from Hospital visits, Nursing Homes, Jails. They also include taking part in Men’s groups or Coffee with the Pastor. It may include going door to door or acting as the welcoming committee. Visitation can happen according to a schedule or it can happen randomly; like at a grocery store or restaurant. Being a Pastor who Cares for his/her church and community means living as part of the community. Visitation doesn’t have an hourly amount that can be associated with it because it is constantly part of ministry. When a Pastor stops and checks on you, he is sharing his precious time to make sure you are experiencing the Love of Christ in a practical manner.

When was the Last time you stopped and thank God for the leadership of your Pastor? When was the last time you thanked your Pastor for showing God’s love?