Preaching/Teaching
Diligence. I believe the pulpit ministry (preaching and teaching) is the primary duty of the head/senior pastor of a local church. Diligence should be given to 1) preaching the whole Word of God. Empasis on the Old and New Testament. 2) Expository preaching of books of the Bible – keeping track of what books have been preached. 3) Diligence given to study and knowledge of the passage and the topic at hand.
Enthusiasm. I believe the Word of God is alive and exciting and the Word of God should be preached accordingly. When the congregation sees your passion in regards to the Word, they will likewise begin to share that excitement.
Practical. There should be an emphasis to make sure the preaching of the Word of God has practical application to the recipient. Make it applicable to the everyday life and needs of the hearer. Make sure you answer the questions they may have.
Answering: Who, When, Where, Why, How. This is a simple rule I use when I preach. I want to generally answer these questions throughout the message/lesson. Who is this passage written to or about? When was this passage written (if applicable). Where did this event/story/account take place? Why was this passage given to us? How can I apply this passage to me and my congregation today?
Expositional/Context. The text must always be kept in context. Even when a topical message is preached, the passage should be looked at entirely.
Pace (not bogged down): I preach through a book or series of messages at a chapter per week (average) pace. I tend to not teach series that are longer than 10 weeks. This keeps the people interested and the information fresh each week.
Time: I preach/teach for 30-35 minutes – seldom more than that. It seems you can keep someone’s attention for that period of time. I am consistent on the time that I end our services – this is an effort to help our Children’s ministry teachers know when we are ending. I have found people overwhelmingly appreciate a consistent timeframe of our services.
Counseling
I have learned through the years that most counseling consists of listening. We should always be able to make a Biblical principled approach or answer to each situation. It is best, but not always possible, to counsel with both sides of a disagreement (like marriage counseling). I never counsel a woman without someone else present – not in the room, but in the vicinity. I have put together a binder with specific notes on a variety of topics such as: Marriage, Children, Addiction, Anxiety, etc.
Outreach:
Outreach is first and foremost a fulfillment of our responsibility to the Great Commission. I believe it is the Pastor’s responsibility to provide the tools necessary for the congregation. This includes tracts, booklets, video, postcards, bumper stickers, brochures and more. I believe it is also the Pastor’s job to train the congregation in how to share the Gospel and to be familiar with applicable verses.
Equipping
It is the Pastor’s responsibility to equip his congregation to do the ministry that they have been given to do. Teachers should be given the right curriculum and all of the classroom tools they need. Deacons should know what the Pastor’s expectations are for them. Youth leaders should be aware of their budget, their options for teaching, expectations and more. Equip the congregation with tools for devotions, with evangelistic materials (as mentioned above), with policies, and with expectations.
Administrative
Financial. I believe the Pastor is very involved in the financial areas of the church without having access to the actual money. Currently, Pastor Wes cannot withdraw money from the bank accounts, cannot sign church checks and has no record of who tithes or how much they individually give. Pastor Wes does approve all bills for payment. They must be approved by Pastor Wes before disbursement is made by the church treasurer. Pastor Wes is solely responsible for the church credit card and purchases made with said card. Pastor Wes is very involved in the annual budget preparation each year. At CHBC, Pastor Wes is able to spend/approve up to $500 without board approval.
Facilities. It has become necessary in most churches for the Pastor to take a lead role in the management of the facilities of their church. Co-ordinating repair/service work, working with maintenance volunteers, co-ordinating parking lot plowing, insurance details and surveys, township permits, etc. Facility management is a significant responsibility and time demand each week.
Work Ethic. It is an essential value of the Pastor to have a strong work ethic. The Pastor should be evaluating and looking for new opportunities within the church ministry.
Remote Work. With the influx of technology into the church ministry – remote work is becoming more available. I will use tools such as OneDrive or Dropbox to work on church documents almost anywhere. Church audio and video can be edited and uploaded from home computers. Slides used in services can be created at home.
People
Conduct. I will deal with each person with decorum, kindness and patience. I will be even keel and consistent in my attitude.
Dealing with Adversity/Criticism. Adversity will happen anywhere there are people. Be kind, listen to others concerns. Be respectful.
Optimism. I will always put forth an upbeat, optimistic attitude on the church.
Visitation: I will do my very best to visit people who are in the hospital for more than two days. I make my visits 10 to 15 minutes. I will have a word of prayer with them and wish them well.
I make other visits as I am able and wish I had time to do more.
Social Media / website. I believe we should access and use social media as much as possible to the benefit of the ministry. If these tools are used – they should be kept up to date. An outdated page is worse than not having one. Be current and relevant. The same rules of conduct listed above apply to all social media posts.
Church Board/Deacons. The Pastor should have a good working relationship with his deacons and church board. Appreciation should be shown and thanks given regularly.