Every Pastor is a POET

Mike Stallard

From Paraklesis, a resource of Baptist Bible Seminary (Summer, 2014). Used by permission.

What exactly is the pastor’s job? Some churches expect their pastor to speak 20 times a month. Another church demands only three sermons each month. In some churches, the pastor cannot delegate the setting of the temperature on the thermostat. Different churches go to the other extreme and require the pastor to preach and do not let him do anything else.

One pastor took a survey of his church members to find out what their expectations were for how he spent his time. One person put down more hours than there are in a week for the pastor’s average work week.

While tradition plays a role in understanding what a pastor’s job description happens to be, it is the Bible that should prescribe the details of the pastor’s job. God has designed the office of pastor, elder, or overseer. If churches are out of balance or are missing some of what is needed, they will suffer loss in their ministry. The acronym POET is a helpful learning device for remembering what the Bible teaches about the pastor’s role in the local church.

Discussion

Does your church have a coffee bar?

Ed Vasicek

I am not asking if your church offers coffee, but does it offer expresso, latte, etc? Wondering how widespread this is, and how it is correlated to city/rural.

Poll Results

Does your church have a coffee bar?

Discussion

Seeking an Assistant Pastor

vancinad

Heritage Baptist Church of Frankfort, IL is seeking an Assistant Pastor.

We are an independent fundamental Baptist Church which uses traditional music and places an emphasis upon personal godliness. We utilize the King James Version, strive for a balanced doctrinal position (non-reformed), and seek to challenge believers to a personal walk with God.

Discussion

State fair or county fair church booths

Kevin Miller

Has your church ever had a booth at a state or county fair? When I was growing up, the Minnesota Baptist Association would set up a booth each year at the Minnesota State Fair, and my church would provide people to staff it on one of the days of the fair. I’m not sure why they stopped, but it probably had to do with either cost or difficulty finding people to man the booth. I can think of a few goals a church might have in mind when setting up a booth. Evangelism is one, of course.

Discussion

Do you embrace the national revival paradigm for ministry?

Ed Vasicek

Not everyone accepts that the Old Testament “revivals” were all that deep, and many do not accept that they are a model for the church (or the present form of the Kingdom). Some look at the subject of “revival” as more of a national thing, when believers experience a time of special commitment and lost people embrace Judeo-Christian morality.

Discussion