New Pastors: Advice for the New Pastors: The what "to do's" and not "to do's" on Day One

[Rev. Charles Moore]

I remeber my first comments on the BPN was under Min. Lockett discussion regarding "My First Sermon." At that time I was like him "An associate minister, faithful, patience, prayerful, hard working, and preparing for the day when God's will would allow me to pastor a church. You hear the discussion all the time, "When I am a Pastor, I will do this and that. We dont covete the position but we see ourselves preparing for the opportunity. Well, my season is here. After prayer/fasting/listening I recently accepted the Letter from a church to Psator. Words can't describe how I have been feeling. I'm careful to request to stay in God's mercy, remain humble, listen twice before speaking once, trying not to fix things that are not broken, (that is another discussion) learning names, praying frequently, and teaching/preaching. Every Pastor who I know has called, emailed, & texted congrats but I'm looking for advice from some of the experience members of BPN to begin a discussion of advice to new Pastors. I would rather learn from others mistakes than make them. School can prepare you but on day one, life experinces re-train you. by the way, all those ideas you had racing through your mind before you became a Pastor seem to exit on day one. I would like to hear your advice to New Pastors. I have always been one to recieve advice and learn from it.

[BC Haynes]

Great advice Sir,, Thanks!

[TrustnGod]

Wow!

[Bishop M. Christopher Wilson]

Move from Religion to Spirituality

John 4:21-24 KJVR Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The essence of what Jesus was saying was that it is time to move from Religion to Spirituality; intimacy.

The Clark commentary says:

“The time was now at hand in which the spiritual worship of God was about to be established in the earth, and all the Jewish rites and ceremonies entirely abolished.”

We too are once again in a time where we need to see the importance of moving from the religious rites and ceremonial worship of God and once again engage Him with intimacy in our spirit.

Jesus speaks of “true worshippers”. For this statement to be made it is made with the underline understanding that there is a polar opposite to “true worshippers”. The opposite of true worship is worship that is the product of religion. Worship that is the product of religion is boxed into particular times, and places.

John 4:21 KJVR Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Jesus says that God is a spirit and if we are going to worship him it cannot be the product of religious ceremony or religious routines. We are to worship God in spirit and in truth. It is easy to see by looking at the many doctrines with Christdom that religion is only a particular group’s interpretation of what they call truth. Though it may contain potions of the truth, it is only in Spirit that we can find the truth that Jesus speaks of in John 4:23.


Dr. M. Christopher Wilson, DD; MTh

[Spoken And Motion Ministries]

Rev. Moore...
this is a wonderful forum. I just started a church in Connecticut 3 weeks ago..so I'm sure I will benefit from this forum. Also I would like to extend to all the New or Established Pastors as well as Interim Pastors that are in the Greater New England area to join a group I started here on BPN. This group is to establish a bond and fellowship of support to each other as we grow. The group is called "CONNECTICUT AND GREATER NEW ENGLAND MINISTRIES" we will be able to post events, services and conferences for this area without getting lost in the shuffle of over 5000 people on this network. Any questions or concerns please message me. Much Love and thanks again for a great forum.
Pastor Doretta Lee
www.ministerdorettalee.com

[TrustnGod]

Can't get to your site. What part of CT?

[Julian Lott]

Man of God, the very best lesson I have learned is the Law of Love. Loving God and loving His people proves paramount. Love aids in our ability to serve the people of God, even when they act contrary to biblical instruction.
Further, preach/teach what you know. People know the difference between theorem and practicum. Stick with the truths you are presently living out or stand fully convicted of. Never feel obligated to get a sermon together,be the message.
Ironically, I have been preaching since I was ten years old and have planted a ministry in Camden, AR. I believe people will only follow you if they can believe in you. Maintain purity. Live holy. Demonstrate the faith you want to see in them.
Always sharpen your ax. Find people who are doing what you want to do and support them. the principle of Ephesians 6: 8 is this: "Whatever you make happen for others, God will make happen for you through others also." Support your pastor. Let the people see how you treat your spiritual leader.
Anyway, I could probably go on and on and on. So, I digress. Who am I and what do I know anyway?
www.JulianLottMinistries.ning.com

[Prophet B.A. Craig]

Hello Pastor,

I was cruising through the forum and noticed your discussion. It is a very humbling and frightening experience to get a invitation to pastor a church. It is a very honorable position for any minister to be in also, because of the influence that you have on peoples' lives. One of things that I can advise you on is to let God lead you on how to deal with His people. Always remember that they are His, not yours. If this church had a pastor before you and they lost them either through death or some other way, it will be a difficult for both of you, because of the fact that they will expect you to be like the previous shepherd that they had. If you are pastoring an elderly church and you are younger, they will have to adjust to you being the pastor. It is hard to retrain people if they been doing it the same way all thier lives in that church. Now, if you have a younger congregation, it will be easier to mold them for the vision that God has given you to do.

It will be hard for me to advise due to the lack of information about the church, but this will apply to any church and to any pastor starting out. By the way, congrats!

Prophet

[Apostle Dr. Leon D. Williams]

If there is any advice I can give to any new pastor it would be dont go in changing things right away. Your job is to feed the sheep. So, FAST and PRAY much and STUDY DILIGENTLY so you can have a sound RHEMA WORD for the people every Sunday. Even if the music ministry is terrible when you first get there, and things are being done out order. If you focus on SEEKING GODS FACE, THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD, and CARING FOR GODS FLOCK, your church will grow spiritualy, numericaly, and financialy. Remember seminary and college only give you the theory of pastoring, Its the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and your experience with Gods people that realy teach you how to do it. So part of what you get in your first pastorate is on the job training.

Apostle Leon D. Williams

[Victoria Clark]

The greatest advice I believe that I could give would be to stay in the presence of the Lord. He knows the sheep because they belong to Him. Get under an umbrella the will mentor you, someone that you can speak frankly with, without judgement and all ways be honest with that person. We as humans no matter how high the calling need accountability. It will make you study when you don't think that you have time to, the prayer time you devoted prior to taking the office should double now. Be the man [not gender; True Manifested Son of God] that the Father intended you to be and you will do a wonderful job for the Kingdom. Don't ever forget that you have been pre-qualified and pre-destined and pre-ordained for this position and there are no failures in the Kingdom of God only soldiers and some things come only by going thru. God bless you my brother and may His everlasting mercy continue to smile down upon you from an open heaven!

[AJ Watkins]

Hello Pastor Moore,

This is Pastor A J Watkins. Pastor A J, "that's what they call me." I will address this issue for you.

Pastor Moore, your job is to lead the new church that you are over into new directions. As a pastor "passes the mantle" to the next pastor, if you are called by God, you will not have any issues in seeing the vision of taking the church to the next level of spirituality.

You are to be the epitome of the Christian Character in your thoughts, words, and especially deeds in the church and in the community that your church directly affects. You are to preach, teach, pray, sing (if you can), fast, and live the Word of God for the sheep. You are a shepherd, and they will listen to your voice. The sheep will follow you all over God's vision as long as you lead them to green pastures and cool still waters. You are to feed the sheep, not "BREED" the sheep. You are not their babysitter, you are their pastor. You are to preach the word in such a way that they grow to know your technique of sermon delivery and your teaching methodology. I will tell you this, get God in their minds Pastor Moore and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

When you council with single ladies, have your wife, a deacon, or mother close by so that she cannot say you took advantage of her in her weakness. When dealing with children, have the same presence. When dealing with the brothers, it is often a good idea to have another brother in good standing in the arena with you too. Believe it or not, there are sisters and brothers in churches all over this nation that would like nothing better than to tear down God's Kingdom Builders. They live to do it. They are Lucifer's tools and they allow themselves to be utilized as such.

You do not have to worry about programs. When someone tells you, "Pastor, God told me to tell you...." You accept what they say and pray over it yourself. If God told it to them, believe me, God will have placed the idea in your spirit already and you were just wondering who would follow through with that idea for your ministry. Believe me, it works. After they tell you what God told them about a program, have them staff the program and present you with the rough draft. Once you see it and approve it, let them carry it out. It enhances their spiritual growth and lightens your burden.

Last warning, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check out anyone that you will allow to preach to your congregants. Make sure they are preaching theology and not meology. Your are the guardian of God's most precious possession. The souls of men, women, boys, and girls. That is why you are their pastor, they like your style. A treat every now and then is alright with the congregants, but always have a message ready just in case they are a "no show." The people want to hear their pastor preach. I hope this encourages you to step out on faith and the word. Lead them, guide them, pray for them, pray with them, love them (even when they are contrary and giving you hell), and most of all be their living example of what Christianity is all about.

Always place your wife (if you have one) in the forefront. This sends a clear message to anyone that may get all "HOT-AND-BOTHERED" for YOU, not GOD when you are up in the pulpit. Always lift her up in front of the people. If you do not have one, wait until God unites you with that potential one. Do not present a GIRLFRIEND TO YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE IF IT DOES NOT WORK OUT, YOU AND THE CHURCH WILL FACE UNNECESSARY EMBARRASSMENT. I LIVED THAT ONE PERSONALLY.

All The Best & God Bless,

Pastor A J (That's What They Call Me...LOL)

[Michelle V. Williams]

Pastor AJ, thanks for those words of wisdom, much of which was confirmation about things I had been praying about. May God continue to bless you and all that concerns you.

[Rev. Charles Moore]

First, I want to thank everyone for their kind words and advice. We are nearing the first 100 days since the installation and God is truly blessing. The Church has embraced us dearly, as we have begun to follow God with such vigor and energy. Being a young person and Pastor, I am amazed that there has been such a wonderful transition. The demands are far more than imagine but God has brought us through every one.

One Word - HUMBLE

I fight to maintain my ability to remain humble as I hear the praise of the people but remember it is not about me but about God. The growth at the church has exceeded everyone's expectation and we are thankful.

Next Word - PRAYER

I'm spending more time talking to God than before. I never realize the pains of the lives in the flock until now. Hurt comes in so many forms but the source of the healing is the same. We have witnessed a transformation in the Church as many are stepping out on faith and renewing their trust in the Lord all over again. Most people are coming to God for the very first time. Many are moving into a higher relationship with the Father. Change is not a dirty word when done through the power of God. (My next blog/post will be about how we have learned open ourselves to the complete power of the Holy Ghost/This ain't your ordinary baptist church)

Last Word - God

God gets the last word............period. There is nothing you can debate, discuss, or reply......The last word comes from God and we accept what God says. There is no questioning God, No second guessing God, we trust God........Every day I trust God more and more; God provides, reveal, orders my steps, lights ny pathway, and comforts my fear........because I walk with him every step of the way.

Please continue to pray for us and we will pray for you.

We have a little motto at our church.

We often remind everyone.......God loves you, we love you too, and there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it.

Thanks
Pastor Charles N Moore.