Tips For Pastoring A Church

Pastoring a church requires a pastoral heart that creates a shepherding culture. This leads to a mentality that seeks to care for the people of God.

What is needed when pastoring a church?

We can define pastoring a church as ‘cultivating Kingdom character and community through coaching, counselling, and care’. ‘Pastor’ means ‘shepherd’ and like a shepherd to his sheep, this ministry loves people, lives with them, watches them, cares and tends them, trains and challenges them, and knows how to walk with them through different life seasons. The goal is to see increased Christlikeness and sanctification as a result of this pastoral heart.

Why is a pastoring in a church important?

People mature spiritually, breaking off sin and strongholds, and are able to feed themselves and others.

What does a healthy pastor bring to a church?

1. A pastor reminds the apostolic that there are people in the mission.
2. A pastor keeps the prophetic attuned to people’s sensitivities.
3. A pastor shows the evangelist that discipleship is the goal, not conversion.
4. A pastor connects the teachers to the needs of the people.

What happens if a pastoring is lacking?

Without a pastoral heart, the church becomes inward-looking, needs-focused and takes its eyes off mission. People will not mature and grow the way they are intended to.

What helps when pastoring a church?

• A larger front door than back door – more people join and stay than are leaving
• A pastoral council to share the pastoral caseload.
• Access to specialist/trained counsellors, whether internal or external.
• Inner healing and deliverance ministries.
• Robust, reliable small group network with some specifically pastorally-focused.
• Groups/ministries for specific life seasons, such as youth, singles, parents groups etc.

Key Questions

How healthy is the pastoring in your church?

Is it shepherding, as in, helping people move onwards and upwards on a journey of spiritual growth and increasing Christlikeness?

Is it heartfelt, as in, a ministry served by leaders who genuinely love people, and not those who are reluctant to walk with people through tough times?

What Next?

1. Discover how the health of your current pastoral culture impacts other areas of your church in my FREE Fivefold Health Check.
2. Learn how I help churches like yours define, grow and develop their pastoral ministry by going here.
3. Download a FREE chapter of my book ‘Keys to Church Health’ by clicking here.
4. Review the other Keys to Church Health by going here.

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