Friday, August 08, 2008

Leadership Pressure

To be honest this has been a difficult week. Being in my dream "job" has incredible highs. To be paid to concentrate fully on building God's kingdom is the most unbelievable privilege. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming and other times I want to bang my head against a wall so I can wake up from a nightmare.

The expectation place on "church leaders" sometimes is like asking a brand new manager to win the premiership with Mansfield Town. (For those of you that don't know football its just not going to happen)

I could go on at length about the expectations place on church leaders but let me choose just one that although I have not encountered this week, I have in the past.

Pastor I am just not being fed in this church!

My answer: Its not my job! You are supposed to do that for yourself. How can the pastor feed a person for life in a 40 minute window a week on Sunday morning. (Actually its less than that the average attendance at most churches 2 weeks in every 3 at best). It is only ever meant to be a launch pad for us to feed ourselves.

John Burke said: It is not our responsibility to make people grow. It is only our responsibility to create environments for them to grow.

These are services, courses, devotions, Life Groups, seminars etc. To grow you've got to be in the environment. Its your choice.

Anyway in the words of John Maxwell - Most Christians are educated well beyond their obedience.

(A Friday afternoon rant! Sorry)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

you are quite right some christians are too busy too lazy to feed themselves they expect the pastors to feed them you are always in our prayers

Anonymous said...

tell those inconsiderate christians they got to work out their own salvation i will back you up pastors cannot do it for them

Anonymous said...

They enjoy been breast fed by their pastors god help us

Anonymous said...

Encourage your flock to attend conferences elsewhere, listen to other speakers from time to time for spiritual food. They are mature enough to know to take the meat and throw away the bone or to reject the food if it is contaminated but it will help them to grow. A natural child cannot grow on one type of food that child at times eat elsewhere, various types of food and from others same with the spiritual child

Billy Ritchie said...

Seminar, Conferences, Podacasts, Video on internet, DVDs, books, friends, TV? and even reading the Bible. There are so many oppotunities to learn and be fead. Of course Leaders and Pastors have a responsability as well. But always remember the quote by Gothee - Give a man a fish you feed him for a day teach him how to fish you feed him for a life time.

Anonymous said...

i like this comment they enjoy been breast fed by their pastors at time the pastors' breast are dry their is no milk no spiritual food If a member say that it could be the voices of others/congregation/other sheep Take it serious it is serious your are the shepherd mmmm rethink re your supply top it up speak to the Holy Spirit

Billy Ritchie said...

Yes - Leaders have a great responsability to keep close to God. A shepherd though mainly leads the sheep to pasture the sheep then eat. He does not suckle every individual sheep. More care over lambs but older "Mature" sheep know the drill.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmm your sheep may look like sheep in the natural but they are spiritual lambs so give this some thought Do you love Jesus?
Jesus said feed my sheep,tend my sheep (x2), feed my lamb (x1) there is a reason why he spoke about feeding the sheep twice. There is a lot of pressure im the world today hence we need to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance
this is a lovely devotion re your comments i love your site

Anonymous said...

help!Is Jesus simple command still relevant for today /modern pastors and leaders for the body of Christ. Feed my sheep ,feed my lambs or are they to follow the sayings of other writers please help!

Billy Ritchie said...

Thanks for the comments. Without doubt Pastors and leaders have a responsability to lead, tend, feed the flock of God. But we also believe in the priesthood af all believers. We all have access to God. Most pastors I believe pray, study and seek to bring the word of God to individuals whilst studies suggest that so many Christians rarely pick up a Bible from one Sunday to the next. You can not live like that in the natural and you can not live like that in the Spiritual.

Hey it would be nice to have some names instead of talking to Anonymous.

Anonymous said...

your answers are very good anonymous is more fun keep up the good work very good explanation

Anonymous said...

your site is full of life because of anonymous it is not boring

Anonymous said...

I'm Anonymous, and so is my wife.

Anonymous said...

He's not Anonymous...... he's a very naughty boy.

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