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Pastor's Points - June 2019

How to Pray for Pastor Alan While He is on His Sabbatical
(Excerpts taken from “8 Prayers You Should Pray for Your Pastor” by Stephen Altrogge)

In some ways, pastors are sustained by the prayers of their people. Obviously, God is the one who ultimately sustains pastors, but one of his primary means is through the prayers for pastors. When it comes to why you should pray for your pastor, take the words of Charles Spurgeon to heart: “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” Do your pastor a true kindness today. Pray for your pastor.

#1 – For Protection From Satan - (1 Peter 5:8) - If Satan can take down a shepherd of God’s people, the odds are much higher that God’s people will scatter. That they’ll  become bitter and disenfranchised. They will question everything they’ve ever been taught by that pastor. Satan targets pastors because the damage is exponential if they fall. Pray for your pastor that he would be kept safe from Satan.

#2 – For Protection Against His Own Sinful Heart - (James 1:14-15) - Pastors don’t fall because one day, out of the blue, they decide to dive headlong into sin. The slide into sin happens slowly, over time, in small increments, as the pastor believes the lies presented to him by his flesh. Pray for your pastor that he would be on guard against the lies of sin. Pray that he would have a proper fear of God.

#3 – For Deep Spiritual Encouragement - (Romans 1:11-12) - Pastoral ministry can be brutal, discouraging work. Pastors find themselves in the midst of terrible situations on a regular basis – divorce, death, apostasy, and much more. It’s also challenging because they don’t see progress in the sense that other jobs do. Christians are always in progress. Because of this, discouragement and depression can be a regular companion of the minister. Pray for your pastor to be encouraged.

#4 – For Wisdom - (James 1:5) - Many elements of pastoral ministry are not black and white. A husband and wife are in serious conflict, and the husband has one story while the wife has another. A church member needs financial  support but has a history of mismanaged finances. A young man struggles with same-sex attraction while still wanting to follow Jesus. Pastors need God’s wisdom to navigate these gray areas.

#5 – For Doctrinal Faithfulness - (2 Timothy 1:14) - Pastors can be tempted to modify or even abandon biblical  doctrines for a variety of reasons. Cultural pressures, vocal church members, even legal actions can press hard upon pastors, making them feel that the only way out is to give up the clear teaching of Scripture. They need God’s grace to stay faithful to the good deposit of God’s word.

#6 – For A Healthy Body - (1 Corinthians 9:27) - Ministry can take a tremendous toll on a pastor’s body. Yes, our bodies are temples, but they are often broken temples. Long nights at the hospital, high-stress situations, and ever-present discouragement can quickly lead to burnout and body betrayal. Not only do pastor’s need spiritual strength, they need physical strength as well. Pray for your pastor that he would be sustained in body and mind.

#7 – For A Strong Marriage and Family - (1 Timothy 3:2-6) - Church history is littered with the skeletons of pastors whose marriages and families fell apart under the strain of pastoral ministry. And as 1 Timothy states, if a pastor can’t manage his family, how can he manage the church of God? Satan loves to sabotage a pastor’s family, and your pastor needs prayer that God will give him a healthy marriage and family.

#8 – For Meaningful Friendships - (Proverbs 18:24) - Pastoral ministry can be surprisingly lonely. Something about being in a position of leadership isolates the man. People look to him to be a teacher and leader, not be their close friend. Pastors need close friends who will encourage them, hold them accountable, and push them toward Christ.

Pastor's Points May 2019

Dear Church Family,
I want to take this opportunity to speak in to the recent announcement of my ministry sabbatical that will begin on May 20^th.  First, I want to explain exactly what a ministry sabbatical is. The word sabbatical is drawn from the word Sabbath.  The Hebrew word for Sabbath means to ‘close’ or ‘rest’ and is connected with the last day of Creation when God rested.  (Genesis 2:3)  God both models and commands Sabbath rest for his people.  Rita Hannon of Broom Tree Ministries shares that, “A ministry sabbatical is a  period of time, when ministry leaders and congregation set aside the leader’s normal  responsibilities for the purpose of rest and renewal toward sustained excellence in    ministry.  A ministry sabbatical is a release from the routine of the call for the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being of the ministry leader.”

By now you should have received a letter from me that informed you of the plan for me to take a planned five- week time a way that will begin on May 20^th. On May 19^th I will have been at Oakhill for thirteen years, and they have been the most fruitful years of my ministry.  I am so thankful to be the pastor of Oakhill Baptist Church, and I pray to be your pastor for many more years to come!  But for this to happen, I need to take this break from the day to day responsibilities of ministry to allow me to rest, renew, and hear from the Lord.  Please believe me when I say that there is nothing wrong.  I am not on the verge of a nervous breakdown J, and I am surely not looking to leave and go somewhere else.  Actually, just the opposite is true.  I believe I need to take this time so that I can continue to be a part of ministry with my church family for many more years to come.

But the reality of the ministry is that it is a calling.  I do not punch a clock, and I am never really off the clock. Ministry is consuming, and this is not a complaint. It is just the truth of the reality of ministry.  As I get older, I want to work smarter.  And part of that effort is to allow the other ministers that I serve with to develop their ministerial abilities as well.  So, during my sabbatical, Pastor Nick will preach two times, Pastor Bryan G. will preach two times, and Pastor Brian Van Doren will preach once.  These pastors as well as our two lay elders, Mike Schloss, and Nick Kessler will make sure that the pastoral care responsibilities of our church are covered.  And our deacons will be ready to help care for the needs of our church as they normally do.  All the ministry of our church will continue as normal.  Ultimately nothing will change.  I just will not be here in the day to day operation of our church during these five weeks.

You may be thinking, well what are you going to be doing while you are away?  Well I am going to rest.  And please pray for me because this may be the hardest thing I will try to do.  I have trouble “turning my mind off” when it comes to ministry.  I am always thinking about the ministry of our church, and the people that make up our church.  I am sure that many of you are the same way with your career.  You find it hard to “turn your mind off” as well.  It is a real struggle, and I must do better at doing it.  Please pray that I will truly rest so I can renew.  I want to hear from God.  I want to be    renewed in my spirit.  I want to grow in my walk and faith.  And to do these things I will be seeking out a few different pastors to meet with to be invested in and learn from while away.  I will also be reading of course God’s Word, but also a few books as well.  One book is called, Leading with Love, by Alexander Strauch, and the other is called Church Unique written by Will Mancini.  I am praying for God to use all of this to make me more into His image.

I love you and I love being your pastor,