Three Things Every Pastor Should Focus On in the First Year
Blog post by Justin Nash
Pastors and churches often began their relationships with great expectations and zeal for positive change. This can manifest itself in all sorts of ways – new programs, new worship styles, new outreach efforts, increased emphasis on evangelism and discipleship, crafting new constitutions and by-laws, etc. Most of these things are good and well-intentioned, and even greatly needed. But often new pastors can allow their zeal to overwhelm their wisdom. Looking to do too much, too soon in a ministry can damage a church and quickly end a pastorate. I’ve heard numerous seasoned pastors offer this sage advice – don’t change anything at the church for the first year of your ministry. This counsel comes from a place of experience and ought to be heeded. So, what should a pastor do in his first year at a new church? I’d recommend every pastor, regardless of age or experience, focus on three things that first year. Prioritizing these three things will lay a solid foundation on which to build years of fruitful ministry.
Preach the Bible
This may seem obvious, but just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean we should take it for granted. Faithful preaching and teaching of Scripture is essential for a mature and fruitful church. Some churches are not used to good scriptural exposition and must develop a taste for it. Giving them a steady diet, week after week, for that first year will help develop their spiritual palate. Further, prioritizing preaching in the first year will hone the pastor’s discipline and commitment to preaching. Other things can easily crowd out time preparing to preach and teach. Making the decision to focus on preaching and teaching can teach a pastor what is truly important in ministry, and it helps the church to learn the value of sound biblical instruction. Finally, pastors don’t change people’s hearts and minds – the Word of God does. In your first year, trust that the Word of God is living and active. Trust that the Lord’s Word will not return to him void, but will accomplish exactly what he pleases.
Pray A Lot
Regardless of a pastor’s skill, wisdom or experience, no pastor is capable of shepherding a church well in his own strength. Building and maturing a church is something only God can do. Faithful preaching must be accompanied by faithful praying. The Holy Spirit works to transform people’s hearts and minds through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Pastors must develop the habit of constantly and consistently going before the throne of grace to ask for God’s transforming work in the hearts and minds of the church. Under-shepherds need the wisdom, strength and resources of the Chief Shepherd to care well for the flock. It is good to teach on prayer, to preach on prayer and to read about prayer, but eventually, we must pray. Pastors will do well to make praying for the church and its members a regular daily activity. Remember, only God can give life to a church. Pray fervently that he will do so.
Get to Know Your People
Pastors often fail in early change efforts for two reasons. First, they don’t really know their church. Second, their new church doesn’t know or trust them. If pastors will focus on spending time with their new congregation, they will really get to know people, their joys, their burdens, their scars and their needs. Often, new pastors do a hot take on the situation, thinking that they have accurately evaluated a church’s condition. But because they haven’t taken time to get to know the people and culture of the church, they misread the situation and prescribe solutions for the wrong problems. Taking time just focusing on getting to know the people and culture of a church will go a long way in helping rightly understand where the strengths, needs and opportunities are in a church. Also, new pastors don’t have the relational capital to lead much change. If people don’t know you, they aren’t likely to trust you. Spending the first year developing relationships builds knowledge and trust that serve to store up goodwill for leading needed changes.
Conclusion
Some new pastors will rush in and begin making changes in a new pastorate. Sometimes, radical change is necessary. This would be true of church of closing within one or two years. But generally speaking, making significant changes early is unwise and unlikely to bear positive fruit. So, play the long game and take your first year as a pastor and really focus on these three things – preaching, praying and building relationships. Doing so will go a long way toward having a long and fruitful pastorate.