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Showing posts with the label "Just Say It" Series

What To Do First to Make a Profit

The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat  ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're  not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director.  Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year.  God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...

Just Say It Series:
Age does not always make
one worthy to be a mentor

Someone just asked me, "are you going to post any more in the "Just Say It" series?   Yes.  Here you go!  This week a friend mentioned to me that it bothers them that we [people in my age category] make up much of the mentorship in the church -- that we  are now the role models/mentors, and there seems to be a lack of elderly people who are utilized in this role.  While I notice more individuals in this role than they do, I also believe that people including my friend are often naive as to who really qualifies  [scripturally] as a mentor.  Age is not the primary qualifying factor -- I believe it's a biblical maturity issue as well as a heart/movitation issue.  Recently I wrote an article about this very issue for the Assemblies of God Women in Ministry Mobilized.  I thought I'd share it here  for those interested.  [This article was geared for women pastors but it applies to anyone.] During the time Larry and I ha...

"Just Say It" Series:

Honoring the PK's

Today's post fits in perfectly with the blog series I've been doing as of late, so here goes... My husband always tells church people, "if you want to bless me as your pastor, just love my kids."   It's so true.  Nothing matters more to pastors and pastor's spouses than the church members loving their children.   My children haven't always had positive experiences in their past, in fact as I blogged about recently, they have had to experience some healing through times they have had at pastor's kids retreat, summer camp and just talking things through with us, and a few other special people in their lives.  There are a group of people in our church that have been a MAJOR part of my children's healing process.  Today something awesome happened.  Pastor Appreciation was during the month of October but they wanted to extend it a week.  This morning, Pastor George and Irene and Becca came to the platform and did a presentation for our children...

"Just Say It" Series:
"For the good of the church"

*I'm headed to Sarasota today with some of my very special ladies, for a women's conference.  Will be blogging from there, God willing.  Here's the next post in the "Just Say It" series...with more posts in this series to come next week, so get ready!  Today's post is about people who think they are doing certain things for the good of the church...  Some people honestly believe they are doing God and their church a favor by criticizing their pastor or their pastor's family memberes.  They are what author Marshall Shelley calls "Well Intentioned Dragons" in his book by the same title.  There are those who are convinced  they are on a mandate to "clean up their church" or "straighten out the pastor" (or their family) or "set things in order for true revival" but they are  misguided individuals. I am not referring to when a pastor has a true moral failure, such as an embezzlement or an affair.  What I am ref...

"Just Say It" Series: Pastor Appreciation

I am currently in a church that is WONDERFUL about "Pastor Appreciation Month" not only in October but all year round.  I am so blessed.   However, I haven't always been in this situation.  And, I know countless others who experience pain not only every October when this rolls around, but all throughout the year.  Yesterday I received a letter in my box that is all too common.  I get these type of letters all the time, being that I am friends with many women in ministry and also due to the fact that back in 1998 I founded the Pastoring Partners Network , an international resource that helps and empowers women in ministry.  Through this organization, I receive much correspondence on a regular basis of this nature.  It is heartbreaking and gives me much to pray about.  I got this letter yesterday and asked the woman who wrote it if I could share it as part of this blog series.  She readily agreed, hoping it would h...

"Just Say It" Series:
People will be held accountable for how they treat pastor's children.

I was away this past weekend but I understand from folks at church that my husband preached an amazing message.  He spoke among other things about the way pastor's children are treated and what a difference it makes, for good or for bad.  Our children, particularly our boys, have had to have some real inner healing for things they have experienced in the ministry.    My husband always says to our church, "if you want to show me love and appreciation, the best way you can do it is...love my kids!"  At the first church where we served as lead pastors, our son Jordan was thrown across a room by a nursery worker.   We didn't last very long there.  Larry and I would not stay in a place where our children would be physically abused.    The next church that we pastored had a Christian school and during a part of our time there, the kids attended the school.  Keep in mind, all of the administration and teachers attended the...

"Just Say It" Series: How to help your pastor when they are bombarded

Yesterday I talked about pastors being bombarded before and after services.  I'm a big believer in giving SOLUTIONS and not just talking about PROBLEMS. So, for all you church members out there across America who are reading this...here are some practical things you can do to help your pastor with this issue. First of all, make sure you personally don't do the things I mentioned yesterday.  You might think you are a different case or in a different category, but you aren't.  One of the most frustrating things for any pastor are those who think, "yeah, my pastor deals with that, but it doesn't include me...I have a different relationship with them...it's not the same when I do it."   YES IT IS.   And yes, they mind.  And no, they won't tell you they mind.  They are too nice.  But I've put the pause on my "nice" button today and I'm telling you.  You aren't different and they get just as irritated when  you dump things...

"Just Say It" Series: Before and after church bombardment

As I said in a previous post , some ignorant people think that pastors work one day a week.  Actually we are on call 24/7 and our work week is generally six days a week.  There are times I go to the office on Saturday to work, but more often than not I am working from home on that day.  Other misinformed individuals think that because we are working from home it is a day off, but far from it.   It doesn't matter how hard you work Monday-Friday, there is always more to do to wrap things up for Sunday.  But that's not the topic of this post. Today I'm going to address the fact that while your pastor works many hours a week (your average pastor works about 60 hours a week) the majority of people will bombard the pastor right before or after a service with whatever they need.  You cannot even imagine how frustrating this is.  I've tried all kinds of things to avoid this, but nothing has worked 100% although it has improved...

"Just Say It" Series:
Honoring your pastor

Yesterday morning in service, one of our board members, Bill Letaw came to the pulpit and gave a beautiful speech that could have been straight out of a Hallmark card.  The church was continuing with this month's Pastor Appreciation and Bill had some wonderful words to say about my husband and I.  Then at the conclusion of the remarks, he presented me with bouquet of roses (pictured here) and when I came to receive them, the congregation gave me a standing ovation for a few moments.  It meaning was so deep to me as Bill was filled with emotion giving the speech, his passion and gratitude coming through in a profound way to all who were present. Churches all over the land are celebrating "Pastor Appreciation Month" in October. While this is a time to focus on specifically appreciating your pastor, churches should be living in such a way as to honor all year long. It doesn't just come naturally and as uncomfortable as it is for a pastor to ...

"Just Say It" Series:
Are you a trash can?

If you listen to people talk about your pastor in a negative fashion, you are not special.  Please realize this.  Even if you don't respond to the trash talk and you  are just "giving a listening ear", you are not being trusted with the information because you are  respected, or revered.  The truth is, the person gossiping about your pastor admires you as much as they do a trash can.  Sometimes people in the church will come to the pastor and say, "You know Pastor, Sally said some things to me the other day that were on her heart about you and about the church, and she trusted me with her feelings on all of this.  She feels comfortable in sharing with me out of concern and asked me to pray about it,  because I've been here at the church for a while, and well, she trusts me.   I just feel that it would be a good idea for me to tell you all of her complaints and see if you can change things so she'll be ...

"Just Say It" Series:
You think you know...but you don't.

Last night I made a list of everything I want to say in this "Just Say It!" series.  I knew I had quite a few things to share but after I actually started listing the topics I'm going to cover in the coming weeks, I realized it was way more than I ever imagined.  There is so much that most of you don't know about that your pastor deals with.      The first thing I thought I'd start off with today is the fact that a lot of you  think you know quite a bit about your pastor's life, but you really don't.  Even staff members think they know because they work at the church but truthfully unless they live with the pastor, they will not even come close to understanding.  I know this from actual experience. Years ago at a previous church we hired a youth pastor from another state and when coming on staff they  had a hard time finding a house at first.  So, being the kind of people Larry and I are, we said, "move in with us...