Pastoral Ministry

A Call to the Higher Standard

In mentoring his son in the ministry, Paul challenged young Timothy with these words, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12, ESV). Throughout his Holy Spirit-inspired counsel to this young man in the ministry, Paul stressed the need for a transparent character, an excellent reputation, a humble integrity which would allow others to see Christ in and through him.

The Manner of Preaching to Today’s “Whatever” Listeners

^{Note: Part 1 in this series surveyed the mindset of today’s listeners as well as the pitfalls to avoid when communicating to them. Part 2 addresses the specific means by which to engage this mindset and to avoid the aforementioned dangers.}

Whatever. Our culture today uses this word frequently. Its breadth of meaning within its pronominal usage spans from meaning anything or everything (“Take whatever you want.”) to a statement of surprise (“Whatever made you think that?”). The word’s adjectival meaning is similar as well (“He ate whatever food he could find.”). Perhaps the semantic range of whatever shines most brightly, however, in its use as an interjection.

For the last 22 years, I have been on the same church staff. For six years, I was an associate under Dr. Ed Nelson. After his departure, I became the senior pastor. Over these many years, I have hired numerous staff members in various capacities. Frequently, I tell people that I look for three essentials in a prospective staff member. First is character. Does this individual have the kind of Christlike character that is essential for vocational ministry? Second, is competence. Does he have the requisite skill set to do a standout job in the area he is being hired to minister in?