On the Verge of Greatness?
I’m preparing to conduct a 6 week seminar for pastors in the Caribbean. The challenge they are facing? They have been great at evangelism but a failure at discipleship. As a result, the pastors are getting to retirement age and there aren’t the needed younger pastors in place to take over. I look forward to Zooming with them, but my heart aches with the thought that it may be too late to fix the problem.
Success without a successor is failure.
Ministry is complicated and can be a dangerous calling for the unprepared.
So who is preparing the next generation of pastors? It should be the job of every pastor to prepare a Timothy as Paul did, a son I the faith. Paul spent years preparing this young pastor for ministry.
This is not a job that can be done by Bible Colleges or Seminaries. This is not a job being done by denominations.
I was blessed to have older, wiser pastors who mentored me and exposed me to world class spiritual leaders. I received on-the-job training to prepare for me for the inevitable hardships that go with engaging in the battle for the hearts and lives of people.
Today I see many bright and talented young people entering into the ministry:
They are passionate about planting new churches.
They are part of churches who are strategizing to plant churches locally and abroad.
They are being asked to lead, not just be on the bench with new initiatives.
My concern is that these young ministers are missing out on what I had as a young pastor, older pastors who were investing in my training, providing a cadence of accountability, while teaching me to get organized in building a ministry team of volunteers.
I had someone to talk to when my plans failed. I had someone to pick me up and give me perspective when dealing with gossip, or moral failure or insubordination on the ministry team.
I had wise counsel to help me navigate the inevitable challenges that go with and ever-expanding ministry. Sometimes ministry is hard and sometimes it is downright dangerous.
The future of the church has the potential for greatness, but there is a great need for older Christ-followers to stay engaged with the younger ministers, providing encouragement and coaching to assist them in maintaining a fruitful ministry.
This is why I believe that every young minister needs a coach. I believe that every Board should provide the funds to hire a ministry life coach, to help young pastors navigate the dangers that are picking off so many pastors today.
We need more older pastors who are still engaged, coaching and encouraging and being hero-makers, setting the next generation up for success.
Galatians 6:9 (ESV) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
The term for “give up” is “feint.” Picture someone who is highly skilled and well educated. If that person feints, then all the education and training will do him/her any good while passed out on the ground.
Coaching is about helping the next generation stay in the game without feinting!
A good coach prepares the individual for the challenges and difficulties that are sure to come.
Howard Hendricks, the great prof at Dallas Theological Seminary often said,
“Everybody needs one hand up and one hand down. One hand up to a Paul and one hand down to a Timothy.”
So here is my challenge:
Young ministers, where is your Paul? Who is an older spiritual leader that you can ask to coach you? Be like Elisha, who continued to chase Elijah, wanting to receive a double blessing of his coach and leader.
Veteran ministers, where is your Timothy? Who are you coaching? Are you willing to be a hero-maker, using your wins and failures to set someone up for success?
With regular Zoom calls coaching is no longer bound by location.
So what is your next step? What is your excuse for not doing it today?
