Pastoral
The Most Insidious Cult of Them All
Forget the Sunday afternoon door knockers with their magazines, or the mantra chanters who leap up and down in Swanston Street, or the duo cyclists in their suits and ties. When it comes to the cults, they are small fry. We have already been sucked in, comprehensively seduced by a cult that has wrought enormous […]
When Is It Time for a Pastor to Move On?
Of all the dilemmas which confront pastors, there is only one which is more tantalising than the acceptance of a call to a new ministry. It is the timing of one’s departure from a church. Despite all the practical counsel we may offer to others in helping them understand the will of God, when it […]
When a New Ministry Commences!
There are few challenges greater than commencing a new ministry with a new congregation. Such a step is the culmination of much prayer, thought, conversation and heartburn (probably as much for the church as yourself on all counts). It is helpful to keep some important issues in mind as you take up this new assignment […]
Macro Faith – At a Store Near You!
If only Paul had known about Macro Faith! It could have transformed his ministry. MF (especially designed for caring pastors with moderate computer skills) is a windows wonder. At long last the intricacies of pastoral leadership have been simplified to maximise your day. User friendly MF will alleviate all the headaches which go with Christian […]
Time Management for Pastors
Don”t Look Now But Next Year’s Coming! Diaries, like fire and water, are wonderful servants but dreadful masters. Given that the day to day exercise of the pastoral ministry has such an unknown quantity about it, planning ahead may seem to be an exercise in futility. We frequently complain about shortages of time and the […]
Who Rings the Door Bell Now?
Is the home visit finished? Has this classic pastoral care strategy finally fallen by the way side? It seems that the door bells are not being rung as often these days. The preacher cum house caller model of pastoral leadership is fading. The old adage of the “home visiting pastor producing a church going people” […]
Pastoring the Powerful
It seems that there is no shortage of powerful people in our churches. In response to an earlier Ministry Perspective,’ many pastors disclosed their own struggles with those described as “TMs.”‘ Some even wondered if the paper had been written with specific people in their congregation in mind. Since it appeared that a nerve had […]
Part Time Ministry – It’s a Tough Call
Paul’s tent making business represents one of the earliest examples of bi-vocational ministry. Part time pastorates have been a crucial dimension of our church life here in Victoria throughout our history. With the number of churches opting for part time leadership increasing, this will remain so. There are some serious implications for pastors which need […]
The Subtle Signs of Impending Conflict
One of the amazing phenomena in the life of the local congregation is the apparent ease with which conflict seems to sneak up out of the blue and catch everybody by surprise. It is all the more remarkable when it is realised that the signals of impending trauma will have been around for a while […]
In Defence of Little Old Ladies
Uncertainties about the value of pastoral visitation are sometimes expressed by busy ministers in the well worn declaration, “I do not have the time to have cups of tea with little old ladies.” Now what’s wrong with cups of tea and, more particularly, with little old ladies who apparently do not need active pastoral interest? […]
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