Brauns highlights for 2010 (D.V.!). We are thankful for your prayers.
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Okay, the move to Switzerland is temporary. Our church is giving me a sabbatical this summer (not to be confused with vacation – - see a Matt Schmucker article on sabbatical
here). As a part of the sabbatical, our church has been awarded a
Lilly grant which means that we will be spending 5 weeks in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland (as seen in this picture).
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I am writing a book with Moody the goal of which is to motivate equip churches looking for a pastor to call a pastor in a Word-centered way. This was the subject of my doctoral thesis. Can anything be more strategic for local churches than to call a pastor in a Word-centered way. You can read a portion of my doctoral thesis
here – - but, remember this is written in an academic way, whereas my book will be written for people in local churches.
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The Romans Project continues on Sunday mornings, but in the Fall, I will preach a new topical (but expository) series: Direction for the Journey: Confidently Stepping Forward in Life. These are such uncertain, confused times. Believers so often struggle to know what to believing about God’s will. This series will show people how to confidently step forward in a Christ-centered way.
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One of my most significant goals for the next 5 years is to see God continue to develop men in our church as leaders. This week I am meeting three times with men. I am focused on this goal.
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Our oldest daughter turns 16 this year . . . Since we brought her home from the hospital yesterday, this is an adjustment for me.
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I will be preaching mostly to the
Bricks, but also:
As Kipling said, leaders must, keep their heads when all men doubt them, yet make allowance for their doubting too. We must always be strong enough in our foundational commitments to Christ that we don’t topple every time someone questions us. Yet, we have to be humble and listen (Proverbs 19:20).
Still, no one has ever led anything without there being small critics who lob missiles from the cheap seats. If you are humble and on your knees before Christ, yet, you face a barrage of criticism, bear in mind the encouragement of President Roosevelt gave at the dedication of the Panama Canal: small minded critics are like bubbles that float down the stream.
Why, gentlemen, there never was a great feat done yet that there were not some men evil enough, small enough, or foolish enough, to wish to try to interfere with it and to sneer at those who are actually doing the work. From time to time, little men will come along to find fault with what you have done; to say that something could have been done better; that there has been some mistake, some shortcoming; that things are not really managed in the best of all possible manners, in the best of all possible worlds. They will have their say and they will go downstream like bubbles; they will vanish; butt he work you have done will remain for the ages. It is the man who does the job who counts, not the little scolding critic who thinks how it ought to have been done. President Theodore Roosevelt at the dedication of the Panama Canal. November 16, 1906
Many going into ministry assume that the greatest source of pain in the pastorate will be inflicted by those who do not profess faith in Christ.
D.A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge wisely counsel those considering the pastorate:
Read through Paul’s epistles rather rapidly in three or four sittings and observe that it was his relations with Christians that gave him the greatest pain. Should you end up in vocational ministry, your experience will not be any different.
Perhaps, the reason it hurts so much is that to be called to to the pastorate is to be given by the Spirit a heart for a flock. We’re always most vulnerable to those we love.
I read today to great profit Gordon’s recent book on preaching or the lack thereof. I would recommend it for pastors. (Gordon will make you feel a bit defensive at points which is a good thing). I would also recommend this book for pastoral search committees.
In a footnote Gordon had this bit on watching television. I’m guessing he is not a real big fan. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he buys televisions just so he can smash them.
Television-watching prohibits [the discernment needed to distinguish the significant from the insignificant]. One simply cannot regard the significant as more important than the insignificant, and then plop himself in front of a television for two to three hours an evening. The only way the conscience can survive such a colossal waste of a human life is for the individual to refuse to entertain the question of the difference between the significant and the insignificant.
He’s right, of course. But, it’s okay to watch 24. I absolve you. But, nothing else but 24 and Jack is underground for the summer. Turn the television off. Read something.
If nothing else, read through the prayer suggestions at the end.
Most pastoral search committes / pulpit nominating committees would say that they believe prayer is important. But, how many really pray . . . As always, it would be encouraging to hear if you find this helpful. You can e-mail me at chris at theredbrickchurch.org (or course, you have to use the @ sign without spaces).
Let me say at the onset, I do NOT think pastoral search committees or pulpit nominating committees should only interview a potential pastor about preaching. But, certainly, preaching should be a major part of what they interview a potential pastor about.Below are some potential interview questions about preaching. You probably won’t want to use them all. Maybe you will only want to use one or two. But, at least these give some idea of how you might interview a potential pastor about preaching.
I know the questions are all numbered one. When I pasted the material into my blog, it did that with the numbers, and I don’t have the energy to change them all right now. . .
If this material is helpful, I would love to hear about it. You can e-mail me at chris at theredbrickchurch.org.
Continue reading ‘Pastoral Search Interview Questions’
Pastoral Search Committees / PNC’s / Pulpit nominating committees usually say their first goal is a pastor who preaches well. Yet, few evaluate sermons against any objective criteria.
Below is an excerpt of material I wrote that gives suggestions for how search committees should evaluate sermons.
If you would like more information, you can e-mail me at chris at theredbrickchurch.org. Continue reading ‘Pastoral Search Committee Sermon Evaluation Form’
Arguably, the most strategic decision that a local church makes is calling a preaching pastor. When a local church calls a lead or senior pastor, they almost always want a pastor who will preach with excellence. Yet, often pastoral search committees do not know how to go about achieving that goal.
Unfortunately, there are essentially no resources available designed to help pastoral search committees / pulpit nominating committees succeed in calling an excellent preaching pastor.
Books and resources designed for pastoral search committees / pulpit nominating committees focus on areas other than preaching, and these areas are important. Yet preaching is the center of what their next pastor will do, and there is nothing available to help churches call a pastor who will preach with excellence.
You can read the below excerpt from my doctoral thesis which focused on developing a resource that will help local churches call a pastor who will preach with excellence. . . This is the introduction to my entire thesis – - it introduces the problem. So, it is written in a technical way - – It is not a portion of the manual I developed.
I am praying that the manual/resource I developed might serve a local church looking for their next preaching pastor.
Continue reading ‘On Pastoral Search Committees’
Brauns highlights for 2010 (D.V.!). We are thankful for your prayers.
