Pastoral Ministry

A. Compare the terms shepherd and pastor. – In the New Testament the bible says, and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers (KJV Ephesians 4:11). The word pastor used here in Greek is ποιμήν, or poimēn meaning shepherd, is to tend as a shepherd or as a supervisor; to rule. The truth is, the word pastor(s) is used only one time in the New Testament with the word being translated to mean shepherd. In today’s society we use the word pastor in many different ways to describe the leaders of the church. The word shepherd is the more appropriate translation for the word. The word shepherd is used at least thirteen times in the King James New Testament. B. Contrast in house calls and personal visits. – When looking at the work of the pastor, visitation plays a role in part of the pastoral ministry.

Depending totally on your definition of personal visits, they could be just that… to stop by for a chat or some personal matter on the pastor’s part. This does not mean that the pastor cannot be encouraging, uplifting at the same time. The house call is more than a personal visit, it is planned and it has a set goal with ministry involved. Getting to know the people in the congregation and the various needs they may have in life is necessary. House calls are a way for the pastors to know how to minister to his congregation more effectively. There is always a variety of needs in every person’s life, and most people welcome the prayers of a truly concerned pastor. C. Describe your personal plan for visitation. – One thing for sure this course has opened my eyes to how visitation should be done.

Not that I haven’t done visitation, but having a systematic schedule for visitation the way it’s described in the IST something I’ve never done. Visiting new families, visiting the sick and making hospital visits are done on an as needed basis. This is something that I have found is actually difficult to do in today’s society. People are so very busy, and are pulled in every direction for time. It is usually during times of sickness, or tragedy that people slow down long enough to visit. D. Explain to what extent should the pastor should be involved in counseling. – The IST makes a very true statement about the pastoral ministry and counseling, they go hand in hand one with another. There is not a pastor on the planet that does not deal with people.

There will always be a need for individuals to be able to speak with their pastors. Pastors must make time in their schedules and be approachable for such times, it may be just to lend an ear by listening. Sometimes as pastors there will be a need to counsel individuals with more difficult problems. E. Distinguish the different types of counseling. – There are different types of counseling, individual counseling with the directive approach. The directive approach is usually done on a one to one basis for problems to overwhelming for the individual. The pastor usually gives them advice and gives them direction. Individual counseling with the nondirective approach more is needed than for the pastor to give just advice. The pastor guides the individual to find answers for themselves in this approach. Then there is Group counseling where there is more than one individual. There will be at least two people, or maybe several members in a group who have the same problem.

A. Explain the mission of the church. – God has given His church a mission in this world. Zig Ziglar says, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” The church must know its purpose for existence, so that is does not get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. One thing for sure is the churches mission has to be founded on the Word of God. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

On the authority of Jesus Christ Himself, the mission of the church is to win the lost by proclaiming the good news that Jesus died for their sins. He went to the grave and on the third day He arose again to live for evermore. B. Analyze how the pastor’s priorities coincide with the mission of the church. – The pastor is ultimately the one responsible to have a working knowledge of the mission, and the set goals of the church. All members of the church are valuable in carrying out the mission of the church, but the he pastor is the one to pray as the leader of the church, seeking clear direction from the Holy Spirit as to how the mission will be carried out by the church. C. Describe how the pastor can control the use of his or her time.

– With all of the hectic lifestyles being lived out today…it is essential for a busy pastor to have schedule to keep from wasting valuable time that can never be regained. When it comes to the mission of God and His church we must set goals for our own lives. The way to do that is by planning ahead, and making a schedule in advance. The schedule that is made must be planned with the idea of keeping up with how much time will be used for each activity. Remembering how much you time you will need for prayer, how much time for sermon preparation, how much time for visitation and so on. The times will have to be prioritized from most to least important, and remember that there will always have to be flexibility in the schedule.

A. The mission of the church. – When I look at our church, I can clearly see where we have much room for improvement when it comes to the mission of the church. We have many programs and activities for the people of the church. After studying this course, “The Work of the Pastor,” I now see a need for us to have a more defined set of mission’s goals. The activities and programs are good things, but with them there needs to be a mission and a purpose for having them. Are they bringing people more close to God? Are they reaching the lost for Christ? Does the program have a defined goal to reach the community of unbelievers that are around us?

God has already given us the mission to win the lost to Christ through the authority of His Word. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Are we doing everything in our power to fulfill the mission He has given us? We have the programs, we have the activities, but are we being the salt and light that Jesus calls us to be? B. The overall work of the pastor. – As pastor I understand the importance of sustaining a well -rounded ministry. As we have already mentioned earlier the pastor is a shepherd, not the Great Shepherd, but the under – shepherd of the flock of God. I believe with my whole heart that of all of the different “hats” the pastor wears, feeding the people of God is one of the most important of all. Jesus asks Peter in the Gospel of John, “Do you love me?” If you do, Jesus said,” feed my sheep” (John 21:17).

A pastor must prayerfully consider the people God has entrusted to his charge. Taking the time to study God’s Word so that he will be able to feed the flock of God, giving them the nourishment they need for the journey set before them. A true shepherd cares for his sheep when they are sick and when they wonder astray from the fold. The pastor will fight for those he loves, going beyond what most would call normal means to keep them safe. A pastor is also an evangelist at heart, reaching for the lost around him with every opportunity that is afforded to him. Not just for the cause of building his own personal numbers, but because he cares for the souls of men, knowing that Christ died for them. C. Your church’s environment and culture.

– Our church is a church with a cheerful loving environment, one that people are proud to be a part of. There are many areas in our church that could stand improvement. I always like to see new visitors surrounded with members expressing an overwhelming joy for their choosing to join our church on a Sunday morning. Our church is located in an extremely rural community in South Alabama, close to the Mississippi state line, where hospitality is still in existence. With that being said we have to be very careful not to grow complacent in our growth, being happy where we are, with no room for others.