Looking for the Signs of Life

One of our primary responsibilities as pastors and church leaders is to find ways to inspire and ignite life within our congregations. For some this is simply a matter of finding ways to engage a body of believers who are ready to be led. In other cases, it may feel like a slow and arduous process as you try to re-energize a congregation that has grown tired and stagnant.

Unless your ministry is a new church development, your congregation will come with a history and a tradition. Sometimes those can be used as a catalyst for engaging in new and exciting ways of being the church in the world.  And sometimes they serve as an anchor around our necks that hold us back and become a barrier to any kind of meaningful change. Learning to discern what can be used and what needs to be discarded is an important skill for any leader interested in true revitalization.

Transformation is something that we all want for our congregations, but our results are often mixed. There is no secret formula to achieve it and there is no single strategy that will ensure success.  And very often achieving that sense of vibrancy and vitality depends on different factors in each congregational context.

What gives a church that special aura of vitality? How do we recognize the signs of life? While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, there are a number of factors that seem to be common to the churches that we would consider the most appealing.

Vitality requires a purpose – Churches that have an extra sense of life are motivated by more than just the desire to be together.  Sometimes it happens though worship, but often we find ourselves living out that purpose through a variety of activities, some social, some educational, some missional. Churches that exude a sense of excitement understand that there is a reason for everything we do together, and that ultimately reaching out to others in Jesus’ name is an important thing.  It is what motivates and encourages us and it is inviting to others who want to join our cause. 

Vitality focuses on mission – Our Christian walk compels us to reach out beyond ourselves. Mission can be realized in many different programs and approaches, but a sense that we are serving Jesus in the world, in ways that make a difference, is key to a sense of fulfillment within the congregation. Churches that are self-focused, where the primary attention is on the care of the building or making the budget or having meetings for their own sake do not share that sense of purpose.

Vitality is welcoming – Being a welcoming congregation is more than just greeting visitors at the door.  It also requires a sense that those in a congregation value and enjoy being together. Vital churches find the time to be in fellowship together, not out of obligation, but because they value the gifts and friendship of the body. That is why so often we find ourselves sharing together around the table, whether for a meal, a cup of coffee, or even to experience the love of God through the Lord’s Supper. The signs of life are realized as often over a piece of pie as they are in a service of worship.

Vitality depends on sharing – Churches are the strongest when their members join together to share the work and the responsibility of being the church. Life is most often found in those places where the people are engaged in ministry and don’t just assume that it is the job of the staff or pastors. I have yet to see a congregation, large or small, where there was not enough work to go around, but the big question is in how the work is distributed. Cultivating spiritual and administrative gifts and then allowing the freedom for our members to exercise those gifts, is one of the primary things we can do to encourage life in our churches. With that sense of confidence and responsibility comes an attitude of shared ownership in the mission and a motivation to serve God through the church.

Vitality values authenticity – Be yourself – it is the first rule of success in our life together. Vital churches do not need experts – they need servants who understand two things: 1) that we are all in need of God’s grace, and 2) that we can learn from each other. Successful ministry never results from telling others what to do, but rather by sharing together in this journey of faith. When pastors take the time to get to know the members of their congregation, and show that they are truly interested in understanding their lives and their gifts, then we set the stage for a ministry of mutual trust and service.

Vitality reflects our worship – Our worship begins in the sanctuary, but it doesn’t stay there. The way we express our lives together in Christ is one of the most important signs of life in any congregation. Our spiritual lives are encouraged and fed by the time we spend together in that place, but they are nurtured and nourished when we take what we receive there and apply it to what we do each and every day.  Worship takes many forms….in our prayers….in our devotions…in our scripture reading…in our service out in the community…and in the way we demonstrate that we are people of God. Vitality happens when worship becomes an irresistible expression of our faith and not just an activity that happens every Sunday at 10:00.

What are the signs of life in your church? It comes from different places and in different forms.  It also comes from both the pastors and leaders of the church as well as the everyday members who make up the family of faith. As you get to know them in their own contexts, take note of what seems to give them energy or the areas in which they demonstrate a passion for their faith. In this new era in the life of the Church, it is important that each of us has our eyes on ways that we can effectively cultivate vitality in our work together.  It doesn’t matter whether your church is large or small. We cannot afford to be complacent, inflexible, or worse yet, boring. But we must also be faithful to the leading of the Spirit and to the Word of God.  We are given a mandate to share the good news from the God who loves us. Let us find ways to accomplish that responsibility by encouraging those around us, while also reaching out to a world that is still waiting.

Can Pastors Celebrate Christmas?

That wonderful season is upon us again, that time when we gather together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus.  For a short while our everyday routines are disrupted by decorating trees and stuffing stockings, opening presents and singing carols.  From family to family the traditions differ, but at the heart of the holiday itself we all have one thing in common – that baby who was born in a manger so many years ago.

But Christmas is not just for our members. Pastors need to celebrate, too. Not just in the leadership that we provide or the quality services that we design, but in our hearts. For as we say year after year in our holiday sermons, the whole point of this season is found not in the presents or songs or even in the event of our Christmas worship itself. The real impact of Christmas is found in how our lives are changed by God’s intentional presence with us. That is easy to overlook in the midst of the busyness of this season. But it is what makes the difference between just celebrating another Christmas holiday and actually living out our love for Christ in our day to day lives.

It is hard to imagine that such a small child could have caused such a commotion.  But our traditional Christmas readings from Matthew and Luke assure us that the few people who were there recognized that it was indeed a very special event.  Some came from a great distance, just to see and praise the child.  The story of the wise men is hard to forget.  They followed a star until it led them right to the place where the child was.  And it is important to remember that in the same way, we all follow a star today.

Our star is the gospel message; the Word of God as we read it from the Bible, proclaim it from the pulpit, share it with each other, and show it in our care for one another.  That star is one of the few guarantees in life.  For we are assured that if you believe it with your heart, follow it with your faith, and live it with your life, it will lead you straight to our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

This is an incredibly busy time for rural pastors. The services are numerous, attendance is usually up, and activities abound.  We are often challenged and perhaps even a bit stressed by the many obligations that crowd our calendars and by our perceptions that each activity is essential to providing a meaningful experience to each of our members.  In the process of “doing” Advent and Christmas it is actually possible to miss out on our own celebration of the season.  I have to admit that there have been times when I have come up for air after the Christmas Eve services and realized that everyone else has been celebrating but me.  And while it is understandable how we might fall into that trap, it is completely unnecessary.  Because the most basic lesson that we learned in seminary applies to this time as well – it is not about us.

Pastors and church leaders are more than just paid employees in the Christmas service machine. Like everyone else in the church, this time is for us as well.  When God came to be with us, he came to be with all of us.  Not just those in the pew, but everyone who calls Jesus Lord. Therefore, it is up to each one of us, pastors especially, to make an effort to remember that this season is not about what we do, but what we receive. And the greatest gift of all was given in the name of the child we celebrate this week. I hope you will take the time to experience the Christ, not just tell others about him, as you celebrate the nativity with your family, your church community, and your own faith.

That star didn’t disappear when the wise men went home.  It is still there, waiting to point you to Christ, ready to lead you on your journey of faith.  Even those of us who have committed our lives to God and who serve as leaders in the church need to be reminded of this every now and then. We need to remember to celebrate with our lives and our families and our faith, as well as our work and service to the church.  And that, put very simply, is what Christmas is all about!

Take time to celebrate this week. Christmas is for pastors, too!

Welcoming Visitors Through the Back Door

This seems to be the season for church dinners, particularly in rural congregations.  In spite of the logistical challenges, I am pleased to see that many churches are maintaining this tradition. Whether your church hosts a turkey dinner, a chicken and ham supper, or a pork chop festival, there are several things you can count on – delicious food in abundance, fellowship and fun between your members, and an opportunity for visitors to come into your church building.

Welcoming visitors to worship is a primary goal for most congregations, with much of the conversation focusing on how we get our members to invite their friends and neighbors or how we can become a more welcoming church.  However, we often overlook the value of events that get visitors into our building at other times during the week. When those hungry masses come to your church for your annual church supper, they do more than just sit at the tables and eat.  They also learn about your congregation by what they see and who they visit with. For many, it is the only time they may come through your doors, but they will form an impression based on the ambiance of the building and the friendliness of your members.  And for a few, that may be what it takes to get them to take a chance some Sunday morning.

Take a walk through your building sometime looking at it from the perspective of a visitor. What do you see? Is the building well cared for and clean? Are the rooms cluttered with years of old curriculum stacked here and there or unused furniture piled in the corners? Do the bulletin boards and displays appear to be up to date and tell the story of an active congregation or are they historical relics from another era? Can you tell that children are welcome here? Are there signs that this is a church that reaches out in mission? Can you tell that the people who call this place home love Jesus? Believe it or not, your building says a lot about what you believe and what happens in this place.

Watch the interaction between your members and visitors. Even at a dinner where the primary focus is on food there should be a sense that hospitality matters. Do your members interact with guests and help them to feel welcome? Do those who are working huddle together and have private conversations or do they make an effort to converse with those in line or at the tables? Is there a feeling that this is a private club or a sense that they are excited to open their home to others?

How do you welcome others into your building? Even if you do not have an annual church dinner, nearly every congregation has events that welcome visitors to come in through the “back door.” The most common is Vacation Bible School. If your church is like most, that summer event brings in kids who are not a part of your congregation, if only for a week. The question is do we make the most of that opportunity?

There are things that every church can do to improve this outreach.  Making the children feel welcome, sharing about other programs that they can participate in throughout the year, reaching out to parents when they drop off and pick up their kids are all ways that we can interpret the work of our congregation and help to develop the sense that this is “their church.” Having a program at the end of the week, whether on a Friday night or a Sunday morning in worship is a great way of inviting those families to worship with you and to reinforce a sense that they do belong here.

When a church building is available for other uses throughout the week, there is an opportunity to help visitors feel welcome walking through your doors.  Many congregations host preschools, food pantries, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, 4-H groups, AA, and other community organizations.  Do you make it easy for those groups to use your empty rooms or do they feel like outsiders asking for a favor? The more hospitable your building feels the more likely non-churched participants will feel that in some way your church is “their church.” Of course, the added benefit is that you are in the position to promote other church events, even worship, by posting inviting posters and signs that they will encounter as they enter the building or walk down the hall.

In small towns and rural communities, the pastor is a very public person.  In many ways, you are part of the identity of the church and when it comes to hospitality, your presence speaks volumes. No one expects the pastor to be present every time an outside group uses your building.  But showing up occasionally when groups are gathering or greeting visitors as they come in the door lends a sense that you are both accessible and available. When visitors know who the pastor is and can call her/him by name, they are far more likely to feel an affinity to that congregation, perhaps even paving the way to wander in your front doors some Sunday morning.

Evangelism is a priority for every congregation and welcoming visitors to our community of faith is essential to our mission and ministry. But every church needs to take a closer look at how we invite guests and the messages we send every time someone new comes into the building. If we only focus on those who come in through the front doors, we are bound to miss great opportunities to welcome those who come into our church in other ways.

Our Changing Calls

Is it possible for a pastor’s call to evolve over time?  How about a congregation's mission?  Most definitely.  That's really what this blog and this website have been all about.  In this day and age, it is rare when a pastor stays in the same setting for the entirety of his or her career.  Most pastors will move to another church at least once, and some do it many times. In other cases, we might  find ourselves moving into different types of ministries, often serving God in places beyond the parish.  And in my case, I moved from life as a parish pastor into theological education and then back again.  It has been a most unusual and rewarding journey.

Churches themselves need to face the changing dynamics in the local community and the way faith is viewed and lived out in a world that doesn't always value God's teaching and very often plays by a different set of rules.  We are in the process of finding ways to be God's ambassadors in a 21st century world, often with fewer resources, fewer members, and limited opportunities in our rural contexts.

After graduating from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in the mid-1980s, I served congregations in Vail, Iowa and Worthington, Minnesota. Both churches were full of faithful, caring people who loved the Lord and had a heart for mission and ministry beyond the walls of the church building.  Looking back, they were patient teachers who helped me understand the importance of sharing Jesus’ love in contexts where hard work, faith and family connections were both valued and essential. They reminded me that regardless of the size of the congregation, most ministry is very personal.

After 17 years as a pastor, I was invited to serve as Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Ministry at UDTS, where I had the opportunity to share my pastoral experience with men and women who were learning to become leaders in the church. I was privileged to be involved in theological education during a period of incredible transition in both the church and the academic world.  Part of my calling was to help interpret the needs of the larger church through the lens of one who had been there. Through it all I never stopped being a pastor and after twelve years and hundreds of students, a strange thing happened – I felt that God was calling me to go back out into the church to practice what I had been teaching.

I am now serving as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff at the Oswego Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Illinois, a dynamic congregation that straddles both rural and suburban contexts. And every day when I go to work, I am grateful for the lessons I learned along the way. The experiences of my earliest congregations are still formative for me as a pastor.  And I am still a teacher, just as I was at UDTS, but in a context that requires me to practice what I teach and not just lecture about it. Although the church is a very different place today, those basic lessons first learned in the seminary classroom and now practiced in the congregational context, are as relevant now as they were then.

No call stays exactly the same for very long.  How is your church changing?  How is your call evolving?  How can you as a leader and your church as a representative of Christ, reach out into your local community in more effective ways?  Those are questions that every rural pastor must face as we serve God in this rapidly changing world. Change is not to be feared or dreaded.  The fact that our churches are not the same as they were in the past does not mean that we cannot be effective in the ministries we now have.  Helping our members realize that change represents new opportunity rather than an attitude of decline is the first step in developing a new sense of identity and purpose, both within the congregation and to the larger community as well.

The Keys to Self-Care

Benefits for Both You and Your Congregation

Guest Columnist, Dr. Elmer Colyer

We all know that it is one of our dirty little secrets as clergy. We are trained to take care of other people and we do to the very best of our ability.  However, we often are not as adept or as conscientious at taking care of ourselves. This lack of attention to our own lives often leads pastors into ill health and/or deep discouragement. In addition, the issue of self-care and severity of the problems it creates when we don’t engage in it gets worse as we get older. 

I am not contributing to this blog to make anyone feel guilty, ashamed, or further burdened in the midst of our very challenging vocation of pastoral ministry.  I understand the struggle as it has been on ongoing issue for me for the entire 36 years I have been in ministry.  In addition to being a seminary professor, I have been a pastor since 1980, including serving churches on the side for 12 of my 25 years as a professor.  I am currently working with a troubled and conflicted congregation helping them move into a better future.  So I might be able to be helpful because I have had many years of experience, plus a fair amount of reading and research in this whole are of clergy health and wellness.

In addition, I am an elite bike racer and a USA Cycling Level 1 Certified Power-Based Training Coach, the highest cycle coaching certification in the USA.  And I am 60 years old.  Ya, a geezer-jock, as some label us.  LOL.  I have found that I am way more effective and way more efficient in ministry because I have been an avid cyclist since 1984.  I did not start racing bikes until my sons were all raised and out of the house and I had a bit more time.  Prior to that I biked and did some other forms of exercise for fun and for health and wellness.  So let me share some things I have learned that might be helpful in this whole area of clergy health and wellness.

One of the interesting studies that done within the last 25 years is the Harvard study around aging. Harvard studied people who aged well. For most of the 20th century geriatrics and the medical professions perspective on health and wellness in the second half of life was based on studies done earlier in the 20^th century of people who did not age well.

The Harvard study has revolutionized our understanding of the aging process. What we know now is that life after 45 does not have to be a gradual slide into the grave.  Indeed what we are discovering is that people can live incredibly healthy lives, even athletic lives, much longer than we ever dreamed possible before the Harvard study. 

One of the spin‑offs of this change is that we are finding that aging athletes perform incredibly well against their younger competitors beyond what anyone would have dreamed possible 30 years ago.  So a couple years ago at the USA cycling Masters National bike races, the fastest 40K time trial of all of those competing from 30 on up was done by a guy who was 51 years old.   He literally beat dozens and dozens and dozens the top amateur athletes in North America between 30 and 40 years old despite being over 50.

The same physiology that enables aging athletes to perform so well is accessible to the vast majority of people over 50 years old. What this means is that by switching to a healthy diet and consistent exercise, people over 50, even those who not in very good physical shape, can not only improve, but can actually become biologically younger than their numerical age.  Because of various biological changes after 50 our bodies need not only cardiovascular work (walking, running, biking, swimming, etc.), but also strength training and stretching routines so that we can maintain our range of motion and not lose our muscle strength.  This doesn't mean that you have to go to a gym and pump iron. There are a bunch of exercises that we can do by simply using our body weight as resistance or using inexpensive stretchy thick rubber bands designed to produce the resistance that muscle needs.

The even bigger pay-off that comes from moving to a healthy life-style is its affect upon all the other areas of life.  We human beings, not bodies with an additional "soul" different from and residing within our bodies.  We are totally interconnected.  So when we eat an unhealthy diet and live a physically unhealthy lifestyle, it affects everything else, including our mental abilities, our emotions, our relationships with others, etc.  Healthy eating and exercise for the vast majority of people actually have an incredibly positive effect upon their emotional state, self-esteem, and overall sense of well‑being.  A healthy diet and exercise are huge in warding off stress and in dealing with depression, and they increase our energy level and reserves.  There is a reason why we hear some athletes talk about a runner's or athlete's "high" that comes with exercise.  There are deep biochemical reasons for this.

So one of the key steps we pastors can take to improve our quality of life is to start our self-care at the bottom level of our hierarchy of needs: our physical well-being simply because it will contribute positively to our well-being at the higher levels as well.  I promise that if you take some steps to improve your diet and engage in regular exercise it will have a tremendous positive effect all many areas of your life and it ways that may even surprise you.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Start with several doable small steps.

-Eat healthy for 2 meals a day or 5 days of the week or 75% of the time as your first step in the right direction.  IF you don't know the basics of eating healthy, do a google search and you can learn the basics in 10 minutes.

-Go for a 10-15 minute walk or bike ride 3-4 times a week, and build up to 30-45 minutes.

-Find someone to go with you on this journey, a friend or a spouse for support and to help you keep at it.

2. After a month, if you want to get more serious I highly recommend the book, YOUNGER NEXT YEAR, by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge.  It is a very funny but extremely helpful book about staying healthy as we age.  It will tell you most of what you need to know to live healthy.

3. If you are really out of shape and over-weight, you will want to see your doctor before you launch into a vigorous exercise program.  Doing too much when we are not ready can be dangerous.  I make every athlete I coach get a physical before I put them into rigorous exercise program.  I guy I have coached for a number of years hit 55 this year and I suggested that it was time for get another complete physical.  His physician discovered a 4 cm aneurysm on one of the arteries supplying blood to his heart.  Needless to say, we quickly modified his training program!  It is always good to see the doctor before launching into an exercise program.

I have peddled away a lot of frustration and stress over many years.  I have also had some profoundly moving times of prayer while peddling my away up and over the rolling hills around Dubuque.  Some days it is just plain fun.  And some days it is totally boring and I don’t feel like doing it.  But eating healthy and biking have been a huge blessing and benefit.  Maybe I will see you out on the road or even at a race.

I would be happy to answer questions or be helpful in other ways if you are interested in moving into a healthier life in that amazing vocation we call pastoral ministry.

El Colyer

Dr. Elmer Colyer is an experienced pastor, professor, and coach.  He is an ordained pastor and elder in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church and serves as Professor of Systematic Theology and Stanley Professor of Wesley Studies at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, where he is also Director of the United Methodist Studies Program. In addition to being an elite bike racer and coach, he is also deeply committed to clergy coaching. I am extremely grateful for his wisdom and friendship, as well as his willingness to contribute to Rural Pastors.

The Crisis of Comfort

I love my chair. It is soft and familiar and well-worn in all the right places. It fits me just right. When I come home from work after a stressful day I know that my chair will be waiting and that I can ease myself into it and feel a sense of comfort, even when everything else is swirling around me.

But not everyone sees my chair the same way, not even everyone in my own family. Instead of well-worn, they might say that it is worn out and that it has seen better days. They might say that I should get a new chair, one that looks nicer and fits with the rest of the décor. You see, the problem is that my chair is located right in the middle of the living room, between the sofa and the more stylish upholstered furniture.  It doesn’t match any of it and my wife has had to build the rest of the room around my sacred recliner. I know my family thinks that it is old and out-of-place, but I stubbornly hang on, refusing to sacrifice my safe space for the sake of developing a living room motif that actually looks good and makes sense.

The other night as we were discussing the virtues of relocating my chair, it struck me that this situation is very similar to the way we often approach ministry. Within our churches and even within our ministries themselves, we have practices, approaches, and strategies that have become comfortable through repeated use. We repeat them because they work. We use them over and over again because we like the results they achieve.  They become familiar, both to us and to our church members, and in the process they may even become a part of our tradition. There are many practices that we have ritualized over time and that are both valued and appreciated by pastors and worshipers alike. The way we celebrate communion, the activities that express community in our congregations, our personal worship leadership style, even the way committees do the work of the church – all are a part of the particular fingerprint of a congregation. Perhaps you have practices that enable you to do particular ministry functions – the process you use for sermon preparation, the way you meet with families at the time of a death, your approach to visitation within the congregation and the larger community. Sometimes our strategies are comfortable because they work.

But what happens when our context changes around us?  Our churches are rarely static.  Sometimes membership or attendance increases – or decreases.  Often the nature of the community in which we live evolves in unexpected ways. Now and then we discover that events that used to work well seem to have outlived their usefulness or their practicality. As the world in which we do ministry takes on a new shape, vital churches frequently need to change with it, so that we can more effectively reach out and minister in God’s name.

Very often change is hard. Perhaps we have reached the point where we don’t need that second service, or maybe the choir doesn’t have enough members to sing every Sunday, or it may be that the Men’s breakfast Bible Study has just run out of gas.  But change is not always due to decline.  Sometimes it happens as we grow. There are times when we have run out of room in our Sunday school rooms, or we need to think about adding staff to help with our ministry responsibilities, or heaven forbid, maybe there are some who are tired of the old blue hymnal and think that it is time to upgrade.

Change opens up possibilities for new and different ways of doing ministry. But it is a bit like changing the furniture in the living room.  We can add a new sofa and a new lamp, but if that same old recliner is still in the middle of the room we can’t get the effect we have hoped for. When we get caught up in our comfortable way of doing ministry and refuse to see the possibilities that come with a change of scenery or a change of programming or a change in practice, our crisis of comfort is a bit like my refusal to get rid of my old chair.  We can actually impede the progress that is in the best interest of our church.

Now don’t fall for the old myth that any change is good change. That is simply not true.  But change that comes with a purpose and a dream and an opportunity to bring glory to God is worth examining.  Very often we as pastors are concerned that we cannot get our church members to buy into new ideas that we want to try.  But every now and then, we may be the ones who stand in the way. Sitting in our comfortable easy chair, doing things the way we have always done them, and failing to see that we ourselves may be the barrier to growth.

Think about your ministry. Are there ways you are experiencing a crisis of comfort that is actually a barrier to the change your church actually needs? Sometimes that chair is perfect right where it is and sometimes it needs to go. How can you be a catalyst for the kind of change that will bring new vitality to the work and mission of your congregation? Try moving the “furniture” around a bit. The results may surprise you.

"The Changing Landscape of Rural Ministry - Update"

The Presbyterian Outlook has posted a link to my recent article, "The Changing Landscape of Rural Ministry." 

You can find the complete text at Presbyterian Outlook . 

I would also encourage you to examine the other resources available through the Outlook, including several other articles on Rural Ministry in the July 4, 2016 issue. Jill Duffield and the staff at the Outlook have been very supportive of our efforts to bring resources to rural and small town pastors and leaders and continue to provide an important service to the Church.