WAR ROOM
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 Wednesdays we focus on praying for Youth & Children's Pastors, for those coming behind us are facing a world, many of us, thought we would never be dealing with.
It's even more difficult when your world changes in the blink of an eye, and you find yourself dealing with issues you never imagined would happen, let alone, happen like this and/or this quickly. That said, we interrupt today's prayer focus to share with you the need of a church in Pennsylvania. The Senior Pastor of Glad Tidings Church was involved in a motorcycle accident while he was riding with his wife, this past Sunday night. Pastor Bryan Koch has had his leg amputated. Abdominal surgery was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, which went well. Another surgery is scheduled for Friday, 6/12, regarding his right hip Sadly, his wife, Lynn did not survive the accident. The church's website has requested prayer for Pastor Bryan's recovery as well handling this news, as he become more aware of his situation and the loss of his wife. Specifically pray for the following:
Please, cover this church family and the Koch family in your prayers, not just for today, but as the Holy Spirit brings them to your remembrance. May the miraculous be done in this life-changing ordeal, for His glory and His Honor. You can follow their updates @ www.gtaog.org -PNC
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 Our Worship Pastor has spoken on this topic on a couple of occasions in the past year or two, and I was reflecting on it, yet again, as I considered the role Associate Pastors play in the church.
While Associates, whether overseeing a college/career group, leading worship & the arts, a seniors group, or whatever their title may be, are not "calling the shots" if you will, concerning the overall direction and vision of the church, they are in positions where they have the opportunity to lead by example. It's so easy to get "caught up" in the position and the responsibilities and in the 2015, the technology that comes with ministry. but as the pic and song declares, worship comes down to an audience of One. Or as it was stated in one of my favorite television shows, a constituency of One. It was stated yet again, the other day, that for a leader, if nobody is following them, then it's just someone taking a walk. Whether it's in worship or some other group within the church, the effectiveness of Pastors is more loudly preached through the consistency of their lifestyles than what they say from the front of the room. This shouldn't be a surprise, since people "in the pews" hear the same thing throughout the week, whether on the job or online...consistency counts. As you prayer for Pastors in various "Associate" roles, pray for a consistency in their lives; that the depth and maturity of their walk with God will be made transparent to those who "follow" where they are leading. And it's more-so, God leading through them, than anything else, especially if they are keenly aware of the comparison made in this posts' title. Pray that members of these groups would be encouraged and challenged throughout their times together, to increase in the understanding and knowledge of God and the impact they are able to make in their worlds,as they apply what they've have learned. -PNC  The title of this post is a statement spoken by our Senior Pastor in practically every prayer offered during the first minutes of the opening lines of his sermon.
As he offered these words during Sunday nights' message, the phrase stuck with me, as I considered the struggle Pastors face, in delivering a fresh sermon every service. The position, the influence, the attention of people coming to you with so many interests, requests and opportunities. Add in the business matters of operating a church and if a pastor isn't careful, they could find themselves preaching a sermon biased towards any number of situations that may have come to their attention in the previous days and weeks. By comparison, imagine the effects of a sermon on individuals, where they know the Pastor doesn't have for-known knowledge of a matter in their lives...the message truly becomes a poignant and relevant word from God; whereby the Holy Spirit can work and God's purpose for their lives transpires to a whole new level. Pray for Senior Pastors today, as they lead their churches and congregations, that there would be an increased desire to bring forth an inspired and timely message. Pray that God give them discernment, that would allow them to prepare an unbiased sermon, and that the power of the Holy Spirit to work through them. Pray for a humbleness, that people would come for the message and an encounter with God, not just for the person behind the pulpit. Pray that the humanity of man doesn't hinder the divinity of God and that there would be a continued awareness that it's the Word of God that changes lives, not just the delivery behind the pulpit. -PNC  We always talk about goal-setting and task-completion. Risk versus Reward. To do list and how quickly it becomes a done list. (seemingly NEVER)
Decision makers want to know your work was effective. "Bean counters" want to know your work was efficient. Both qualities are essential to church functionality and longevity. A congregation growing in maturity in their relationship with God and each other will spur them on to think and act with eternity in mind and how they can be effective. The longevity of such growth will prompt greater insight and discernment in how they can increase that effectiveness through being and/or becoming more efficient. Pray that the work done through out the week will lead to eternal accomplishments. Pray that Sunday services will see an increase, not only in attendance but also in the depth of spiritual maturity. Pray for healing and the miraculous to be done in peoples lives, in all realms of situations. Prayer for divine words, relevant to their place in life, where those who hear would respond and understand, "Wow...I needed that." Pray that Sunday is a day of fruit abundance and not of decline. These are days we need to be beacons of light, not flickering glimpses. -PNC  Christ' return has been talked about with imminent terms since He told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for us!
Yet, this week, like so many prior, is replete with news items that are beyond common sense, beyond good for the body, mind, and soul; heartbreaking, mentally-confusing, belief-challenging and making life feel like a religious & political game of "hot potato". Non-Christians telling Christians they don't behave as such and Christians being called everything under the sun for simply stating an opinion, let alone calling it a "closely-held belief". Society seems bent on having nothing to do with the church, yet society clamors for a solution. So, a return to God and a repentant heart is either too simple to work or too hard to accept. And yet, a return to Christ is simple and easy. It just goes against too many social and political agendas for people to come to terms with it all. So we need to pray for congregations and communities alike. Pray that Christians would focus more on their personal relationship with Christ, that as we become more like Him, may the change in us cause the world to notice Him more than what we have to say and waiting for something in our lives to be contradictory in their eyes. Pray for our communities...there is an interest in spiritual matters, but bad life situations, bad life experiences, and bad interactions with previous Christians and/or churches has caused them to look everywhere but to God. Pray that there would be a shift in the hearts and lives of Western culture...the mission fields around the world are experiencing the gospel in incredible ways and outside of what we consider the "four walls" of our church buildings. Pray for a softening of hearts and an understanding of minds, to the point that we move past political and social agendas and realize...religion is not the solution, but a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ -PNC  One of the sweetest couples you could ever meet, are a part of out church...and in fact, are missionaries to Africa. They have been stateside for the past year, maybe closer to two, until a month ago this past Tuesday, when the wife succumbed to Glory, after a long battle with MS.
My heart goes out to her husband, and the three boys, the oldest who serves in the US Armed Forces, the middle is about to enlist, if he hasn't already, and the youngest, still in middle school. The husband spoke at our men's ministry meeting this past Monday and among his remarks on missions and the situation in Africa, was the sentiment "I can't wait to go back". I've tried to imagine my life without my wife. You think you might be okay, but it's one of those things, you'll never know unless or when it happens. My heart goes out to my friend...and his wife, the dearest and one of the most beautiful souls to grace this fallen world. Among my friends' remarks during that meeting, were the opportunities he passed up during Africa because of his wife's condition. I shared moments later, a thought I had weeks prior, that her passing would allow a release and an empowerment for him to accomplish for the kingdom what the disease had challenged. It's just one of those things...when it's that kind of a situation, a whole list of things get shuffled, wait-listed or unattended altogether. The downside of not being in two places at once; which simply emphasizes the point, that, wherever you are; be all there. Pray for missionaries around the globe. The challenges are great and complex and any health issues, let alone, something like MS...I can't imagine the frustrating and mental and emotional taxing that must take, while trying to accomplish eternal tasks. Pray for strength and wisdom. Energy and discernment. Pray for renewed vision and sense of purpose, especially for this friend; focused and ready, yet still recognizing his life is forever changed by the loss of his wife and the mother of his sons. Pray for encouragement and provision, and for my friend and many like him, healing for mind, soul and spirit as he grieves...but not as those without hope. Pray his hope is restored, to overflowing, that he might give to those on the mission field.  Every organization and business will tell you, that even though it may start with one individual and an idea, growth requires moving beyond self.
To accomplish purpose and vision, it requires duplicating yourself. To make those accomplishments a reality, it requires multiple perspectives, input and wise counsel. What's incredible about the church is the people who come together who would rather use their gifts, skill sets, and creativity for eternal purposes; often sacrificing, among other things, the financial compensation they might receive in the secular market for their skills and intellect. The bottom line, the face of the church, Monday through Friday, are the Deacons, Administrators and Staff who make sure all the bases for effective ministry are covered. Pray a special anointing for the critical decisions these people participate in and offer insight and concerns as to what happens after decisions are made. Pray for a blessing on their lives, for what they have given up, in order to use their talents for an eternal purpose. Pray for strength and energy, for the efforts that go in to facility maintenance and preparation and transition b/w events, services and the like. Pray that conversations are seasoned with grace and that opinions and perspectives are offered in healthy and respectful manner, that foster an enviroment of wise counsel and are consistent with the values of the church and Christianity-at-large.  Don't you just love your teen years? Tons of great memories w/ some awesome friends...tons of drama too.
Like most Youth Pastors, mine when I 16, was relatively newly married, and hadn't started his own family yet...but helping, directing, teaching, mentoring and leading young people. What a daunting task!! Fast forward to 2015, and our Youth Pastor added to his young family...he and his wife bringing #5 into the world, just a few days ago. He joked about naming the baby "Omega", symbolizing that they were done. Our Senior Pastor joked about selling the family one of the church's 15-passenger vans!! (maybe their not so done...ha ha) At any rate, Youth Pastors hold a special place in ministry, as do Children Pastors; for it is always difficult to balance church responsibilities w/ family responsibilities and so often, the family gets jolted too quickly in the wrong direction. But to manage your own children, then a couple times a week, plus any one-on-one interaction that goes in, add all the church kids into the mix...plus whatever friends they invite to a service or event??? If that weren't enough, our church's Youth Pastor also happens to coach basketball for a local charter school in our community. By comparison, handling my two kids should feel like an afternoon nap! Pray for a "double-anointing" on Pastors whose ministry emphasis is on college/youth/kids groups. Pray God grant them wisdom and strength in managing and raising their personal families, while effectively providing spiritual guidance, teaching & mentor-ship to church families. Pray a special touch on their marriage,s as they handle conflict, disciplinary and household responsibilities, not to mention the scheduling issues that probably arise more than one would want to know, or pastors to admit. Pray for a redeeming of time, that neither their kids at home, nor kids at church would feel abandoned or neglected b/c of the delicate balance in trying to be a Godly Parent as well as an effective Pastor... Even as I'm typing this out, just thinking about the challenges feels overwhelming...and this isn't my life. Lord, help them overcome!! -PNC  A situation that could have been avoided the other day, resulted in spending a couple hours w/ a young "Family Life" Pastor, whom I had never met, nor stepped into his church, until I found myself in need of some help...that one simple decision would have prevented needing in the first place.
The result, put me very behind schedule...ultimately to the tune of 4 hours. But the time spent w/ this young man, helped get me through my frustrating morning, and I can only hope our bits of conversation encouraged him. I still don't know why that morning played out the way that it did, but as I reflected on for the past few hours, I can't help but wonder what God needed to accomplish in either his life or mine. But as I've thought about it, I'm reminded to keep him in prayer. He's been at the church for a couple years now and his wife just finished her degree and is in search of employment. As if young married life didn't have it's own challenges, it seems to multiply itself when ministry is factored in. While Senior Pastors face great challenges in the "big picture" of what is going on in their church, Associate Pastors carry a great burden in helping carry out the vision and ministry operations of their churches...it's a critically important role, that goes well beyond "supporting" and assisting Senior Pastors. They have their own talents and gifts to which they must remain true and accomplish their ministry purpose while subjecting themselves to the focus and direction of their Leadership. Pray that God would strengthen and renew Associate Pastors and their families, as they carry out God's will for their lives and ministry focus. Pray that their efforts would not go unnoticed, nor taken for granted by Lead Pastors and Church Deacons. Pray for creativity and vision, that would bring clarification and focus to help increase church effectiveness and efficiency in the various outreaches within the church and community. Finally, pray that God would continue to provide for their families, in every way, and redeem the time they spend together as ministry obligations and demands can quickly take their toll on spouse and kids, making them feel second-rate to the needs of other families in the church and community. -PNC  Can you believe it's June???
And in a few weeks, Pastors will begin wondering what happened to those who normally fill the pews and chairs that face him each week! It's vacation time...which is exciting for most, but for the church whose position can already feel somewhat shaky, whether for financial reasons or volunteers or whatever, experiencing a drop in numbers during the summer months always feels a little dicey. This can even be the case for churches who run pretty strong attendance numbers on Sunday mornings.....larger congregations means on any given Sunday, a larger number of families could potentially leave a bigger gap in the sanctuary! Pray on this 1st of June, that Senior & Lead Pastors will be encouraged, that their best summer is ahead of them. Pray that summer programs such as Vacation Bible School sessions will be a great success for kids and new families to hear the Gospel and discover a great community of believers in their area. Pray that as Pastors hopefully get a chance to "get-away" with their own families, that there will be a time of refreshing and renewal, of strengthening and quickening, a fresh Word for the next "season" that their church may be facing in the coming days, weeks and months. And pray that God provides financial blessing. Families and business alike, hate seeing a drop in revenue and income, but for churches who depend on financial resources to accomplish an eternal purpose, it's incredibly discouraging, especially when it translates into shortened or cut programs and ministries....maybe even services. I've stopped by a couple of churches, ready for a good service, only to find out they weren't having that one particular day or evening. Kind of a bummer for a Christian...perhaps even more-so for someone truly in need something from the body of Christ. |
AuthorJust a man, attempting to fulfill God's plan. Husband, Dad, Dreamer. Blogger. Archives
February 2019
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