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

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.

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Congratulations and God bless you on your new appointment pastor! Let me start by saying that one of the first things I would recommend to you as a new pastor is to look and listen... Look at what is/has been going on in the church and listen to what is being said, but more importantly what is NOT being said... Actions do speak louder than words and you can learn a lot just by watching and listening to your congregation. The second thing I would recommend is that you not try to re-invent the wheel too quickly; don't run in trying to change everything to 'your way' on the first day as people are generally resistant to change. You may have to take a slow, gradual process of implementing changes and they may have to come in the form of "suggestions" to/ through your leadership staff (or however your church may be set up). People will sometimes be more receptive to change if they feel like they have 'a stake' in what's being changed. Above all, be true to yourself, your family, your call, and to the Lord... Do not allow your members to put you in any situation where your integrity can be compromised. Hope these few nuggets help you as you go forward in your new assignment. To God be the glory and congratulations again!

Bishop KD
Bless the Lord Rev. Moore and welcome to the great mandate and call to REAL servanthood. One thing I would like to say to you as a new pastor is that you are definitely on the right track. It will take you remaining humble to see God at His best in your life in this season. As a woman in leadership, when God began to pull on my purse strings regarding Pastorate I fought with every fiber of my being this call. I had all the odds against me. The biggest challenge was the fact that I AM A WOMAN. I was born and raised in the Baptist Church, my father was a Baptist Preacher and Pastor for all of my life and most of his. Where I came from, women were not embraced in formative ministry, we were not even accepted as Pastor's, etc. So tradition fought me first. The second challenge was the fact that God began to speak LOUDLY to me after a very bitter divorce. I had always worked as a co-pastor in ministry with my spouse. But now God was laying this burden on my shoulders. How could He do this to me?! The third challenge was the fact that I had no cheerleaders, no following, how in the world was I going to do this? I knew how to run ministry with my eyes closed. Of course I could get on the phone make a few phone calls to advise people of what God was birthing in my life, but God said no, "I am doing this and I need your undivided attention." He gave me directives. The first thing He told me is that just as the baby in the womb of a mother has to be nourished and fed for 9 months before it can be birthed so does vision and ministry have to be nourished if you are to be effective. God told me, "You will have to make a decision whether you want to be BIG OR EFFECTIVE." So I chose effective and I began to follow his directives for me to prepare for ministry. I went back to school. I began to writie the vision in its entirety. I established the foundation and attended to all the legalities that needed to be in place; Incorporation, 501 (c)'s etc. This took atleast 1 year to do. However, the most important thing I remember God speaking to me during preparation is, "You must EMBRACE THE WARFARE!" So many times new Pastors are excited and embrace the call to the pastorate but never prepare for the WAREFARE of the pastorate. Rev. Moore, this spoke volumes to me. Why, because what it did was prepare me for the GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY of ministry.
At this time going into my 3rd year of the pastorate, I must say that God has been sooooooo good to me. I am still humbeled and in awe at how He saw fit to use me to birth such a major work in the body of Christ and be EFFECTIVE. He has given me a wonderful group of empowered and engaged people. And yes, some of them, well a lot of them (smile) are a mess sometimes. But they love God and the vision. And I love them with the love of the Lord. I went into ministry with my eyes wide open and I have been able to jump through hurdles, put square pegs into round wholes and most of all EMBRACE THE WARFARE. I hope that this advise helps you and others as it helped me. We here in Tampa, FL at Well Pavilion Ministries will be praying for you and the awesome work that you have been called into. Pastor Tami Robinson, Well Pavilion Ministries, Inc. www.wellpavilion.org
Bless you my Brother. Isn't it a blessing to know when we need help.............and even more bless to ask for it !!. In responds to your asking...................I would have suggested before hand that you get and read a copy of The Purpose Driven Church..............By Rick Warren.I believe it will bless you with insight. If you don"t have a copy................go get one !
Hello Pst Charles and faithful in the kingdom

Greetings and your post actually got me to remember my own experience...quite different from yours but there is a connection “anticipated the pain” we go through for Christ sake...the hardest thing to do in ministry is getting people to believe your vision (Heb. prophetic word or utterance from God) and easiest thing to do is letting them go when they don’t understand the vision. We are living in a generation that knew not the Lord; they want things done in their timing and own ways, rather than the ways of Jesus. One of the things I had to deal with was members leaving the ministry when God asked us to establish the church...it was a prayer meeting for 1yr and half. Sad and painful to see those who stood by you leave and not just leaving, but took offence that you out of your mind because you choose to obey God rather than men. But I stood like Paul in Eph 6 having done all stand and I say stand. But God will always confirm his words with signs following the same empty seat are now occupied by believer’s even harder working.

Pst please obey God rather than man. Finally, many will pick offence against a man when he brings change into the ministry, people are always afraid of change and change is the only constant word – Change. When bring change that leads to you obeying God, in the natural he seems like he is craze by in the spirit he is wise and time will reveal. Please don’t be offended and walk in unforgiveness...it will affect your faith, preaching, anointing, family etc...Please apologise sometimes when you are right..Why i don’t want you to be ignorant of the mind of the Devil. 2cor2:10 - 11 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices(thinks, mind, thoughts, purposes),

Finally be prepared to go through rough times, because God will not take you to your destiny, but through a journey to your destiny and in the word through there is a word rough, rough times will bring out your anointing and you able to bring other when they call for counselling and mentorship help! I charge you to walk in light God has called you to walk...fear now he will be with you as he has been with us in the land of Goshen in Africa. Prophet Careca
Well God bless you. I thank God for you insight, but no one can give you exact advice, because each house has it's on need. However, what ever you do don't act before praying when a situation arises.
I love the comment made by Pastor Doretta Lee. Do God. I am so familiar with that story. There is so much that goes on in the name of God that,,,, OH WELL. I went through that for soooo long. Waiting on other men and women of God trying to get established, building kingdoms and bridges for others and not obeying God for myself, I became stagnant, and quite ill. There is no greater fullfilment than hearing God's voice, obeying His voice and watching Him work through the Holy Spirit. Loving the people through Him. Obeying the people through Him(UHMM!). Correcting the people through Him. Faith and Obedience to Christ and His Word are synonymous. It is the best policy for church and every day life. I was chatised for trying to fix every one's problems. Remember offences must come. Don't become offended by other folks ill willed agendas. I love Pres. Obama. Remind the people you are president every now and then(only when needed). The buck stops with you even when the deacons and trustees think they run the throne room of God and Jesus is their baby brother. Remember The Father has a sense of humor too, Psalms 2:4 . Stay humble. You are going to be an excellent Pastor. God will use you mightily. May the grace of God continously be upon your life and your ministry greatly be established. May your vision be multiplied.
Listen to your new members and visitors. Sometimes when you visit a Church it seems like there are members who seem to be deliberately blocking you from approaching the Minister! He see these people all the time so why not let someone whose visiting approach and have a word with the Pastor. I wouldn't want to be lead by someone who I can't even get close enough to say hello to! I can't tell what kind of person you are just from hearing you preach. I actually want to know who is claiming to be my leader.
Great comment: To remedy this occurance.....we have set up a Welcome Center for our guest. It is a special area where they are escorted to prior to service ending and they have a one on one meet/greet with myself and the staff. We have united many members while visiting in the Welcome Center. Maybe this will help.

Be Blessed
Pastor Moore
I'm not currently Pastoring a Church, nor have I ever. I am simply a Young Man with a Vision. But in my years of being involved in the Church and involved in Ministry in many Churches I have seen many mistakes repeated over and over, and many Pastors/ Leader/Ministers & Evangelist don't even know that they're doing it. The Mistake is forgetting the "Consult God First" seems like a simple suggestion huh? Yeah, it is. But it carries a large impact with it. God's called people sometimes after getting called to a church seem to lose there first calling. By losing their first calling, they lose there feeling of how it was when God first called them. That excitement, then the nervousness, than unsurity, and ministry becomes more of a Job then a calling. All because they get so busy doing what they think God wants, or what they think that Church needs instead of just Consulting God First.

Pst. J. Phifer
I also am a Minister/Evangelist... it really doesn't matter the title. All I know is that I have been called to do a job for the Lord. He has also given me a vision to help young girls/young adult women and women in general. I was called in 2006 and God is continually giving me this vision. Somehow I tend to get down, because I feel as though the pastors, evangelists, ministers in the church have just hung me out to dry. But I do put God first in all I do and find myself telling the devil to constantly get behind me. It's like the song writer says sometimes we have to encourage ourselves. In order to remain encouraged I do keep the word of God in me daily. I do understand the excitement, then the nervousness and unsurity. I must say that following God's guidance does pay off. He lead me to ask the women of my church to do a Womens' Conference, and about 2 weeks ago it paid off tremdously. So I know that putting Him first makes all the difference. Follow God, not man.

Sis. S. Cooper
Praise Him! It is refreshing to see someone young on fire for the LOrd.
Let the Lord use you as He wills. Fight the good fight.
Hold on to the unchanging hand of God and let Him lead you into all truth.
Be Blessed my brother!
God Bless! asst Pastor Teloria Williams
Holy Ghost Powerhouse Worldwide Ministries
Wonderful Topic..Im so glad the holy Spirit led me to this site...Im called to preach and seeking God's wisdom to know where, when and how to start...The replies in this topic are priceless and God sent!!

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