The Everyday Pastor Build a Culture of Discipleship
7 snips
Jan 27, 2025 Practical strategies for equipping members to care for one another and shift pastors from sole caregivers to trainers. Training elders and lay counselors for visible pastoral presence and crisis referral gets attention. Concrete ideas for mentoring, hospitality, and tangible ministries like meals and bereavement teams are explored.
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Train Elders To Shepherd Not Administer
- Equip elders to see themselves as shepherds, not merely a board, so they engage in spiritual ministry like visiting the sick.
- Ligon Duncan described an elder already at a dying member's bedside before he arrived, showing immediate pastoral presence.
Women Initiated Long Term Care Partnership
- Women in Duncan's church ran tangible short-term care well but identified long-term care gaps like families with permanently disabled children.
- They partnered with the deacons, asking deacons to lead while women supported implementation.
Use Bless Catalyze Own To Respond To Initiatives
- Be responsive not passive: bless, catalyze, or own member-led initiatives rather than imposing programs from elders.
- Matt Smethurst gave examples—VCU evangelism, youth group, and pro-life sidewalk counseling started by members, later blessed by elders.
