Recently, I wrote about the necessity of keeping the church small by walking slowly through the crowds. Jesus practiced this and so should we. If you would like to read the previous post, it’s called Growing Your Church Small.
The question is: How does a pastor or other church leader have the time to walk slowly through the crowds? What is a practical way to get that accomplished?
First, look for a crowd. You want to find a crowd and wade in! Any time there is a crowd, learn to work the crowd and see as many people as possible. Frankly, I am rather shy. I’ve had to learn this and make myself do it, but I’ve found it to be an excellent practice worth all of the difficulty.
Second, plan for opportunities. Arrive earlier than necessary and stay later. I understand that you have a life outside of church and that you might wish to be a little less on display, but these people are our calling. It’s really easy to forget why we do what we do. When I taught at seminary, we professors used to laugh at ourselves and say: “this wouldn’t be a bad job if we didn’t have all these students.” Church is like seminary; we have jobs because we have people.
Third, deliberately look for times to connect with people. Being available allows you to handle some of your counseling load without adding to your already full schedule. Let me give you an example. Wednesday nights at our church is a time of fellowship before all the various classes begin. Many people eat a meal; others enjoy a cup of coffee. I find that time to be a perfect opportunity to answer a biblical question or to give a word of encouragement. Many times people only need a few minutes. If they came to your office the meeting would last for an hour; meeting people in the foyer or the fellowship hall frees up time to know more people and to give time to those who have intense needs.
The church is the people of God. As a pastor/teacher (Ephesians 4:11) we are called “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).
Learning creative ways to meet people will help us to build up the body of Christ.
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3 Responses
Great post. We, the membership, can also benefit by using the same strategies in a slightly different way. Seeking a crowd puts us out there, being available to assist each other and those lost who want to connect with us. Sometimes it’s not what you say, it’s your presence that makes a difference.
This and the related post should be required reading for church leaders, Waylon! I remember reading a quote from a women’s ministry leader who said it this way (about making yourself available at gatherings): “Be all there.” I believe most church members crave knowing that they matter to their pastor and other church leaders, and what you advocate (and obviously do) can accomplish just that. And those who feel cared for and appreciated will certainly want to please their leaders by being better disciples, which in turn will honor God and promote growth in all ways that matter.
Withhold not good from whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hand to do it; & Do not give dogs what is holy: are two sides of the same coin. Jesus’ walk through the crowds is the example we have of the application of the coin. “Who touched me?”