The Pain of Pastoring

One of my best friends recently posted this on his blog. It really captures how I find myself feeling so many times. So I thought I would just repost his thoughts and write "ditto."

The Pain of Pastoring

by Greg Peters

For some time I have had some thoughts rolling around on my heart that I am going to articulate for my own processing and also as a way for me to share my heart with you. I am thinking that I will take a couple posts and share a few different parts of pastoring that cause me pain. I also believe that you may be able to easily associate with similar pain in your own lives.

One of the biggest pains of pastoring is when people leave the church! Just earlier today I left a voicemail for a friend who used to attend Parkview. Not only was I close with this guy but so were our families close. I watched the family experience Life Change, in fact, I recall baptizing every member of the family at different times. I also remember when the husband lost his job…I remember walking that road…helping him be ok with being lied about and fired without cause…he moved to another state.  About a week ago I called a friend who used to attend Parkview. He is one of the most godly men I know. I saw incredible leadership potential within this man and prayed we would minister together for years…he moved to another state. On a regular basis I see posts and comments from former Parkview congregants on Facebook. Just today I saw a funny post from a former church leader, they said something about their son, who was friends with my son…they moved…my son cried that day.

Just in case you wonder if the only pain that is felt is when someone moves – that is not the case. On other occasions people have left without moving and that hurts too – sometimes more. Here are a few things that come to mind:

• they leave and can’t really explain why
• they leave because God is leading
• they leave because somebody has hurt them
• they leave because their spouse is pushing the issue
• they leave because they quit on God
• they leave without saying anything
• they leave and don’t want to meet and discuss
• they leave because they have other needs
• I am not sure I care to continue to think of more reasons or situations

I am friends with a number of pastors and some at a very deep level. They all feel the same way and have experienced all of the above…I am not alone. Without crying and whinning I would state that I have something unique that I deal with that many, not all, of my pastor friends do not – I pastor in a city that has an extreme amount of turnover. Palm Coast is transient unlike many other cities – if you live here you know what I mean, if you don’t I will spare you the details.

To be clear, I am not blaming those who leave, nor do I fault them. I am just talking about my feelings – it hurts; if it didn’t then I guess I should get another job. I believe the Lord gives the shepherd a shepherd’s heart. I also greatly appreciate all those who have grieved with me in their departure.

Better to have loved and “lost” than to have never loved at all.

A Little Bit Of Everything

Summer has come and gone (always a little too fast IMO). The kids are back in the school routine. And I'm finally getting back on routine (like posting on my blog). It's been a while so I thought catching up on everything would be a good idea.

Mega Sports Camp - We had our largest group of kids 70+. I think the best part for me was seeing how many great volunteers gave their time to make this event happen. I'm guessing that it took about 500 volunteer hours to make this happen. But every hour was worth it. We have seen a few of these families come back to church a few times and been able to connect many of the kids with our children's ministry.



Vacation - I always plan our end of summer vacation right after Mega Sports Camp because Cecil and I are always desperately in need of a break when the week is over. For the 6th time we headed out to Angels Camp, CA. People always ask us, "What's out in Angel's Camp?" The answer is "Nothing." That's why we go :) Our week if filled with swimming, eating, watching tv/movies, walking around downtown, and not much more. This is one vacation that always refreshes and renews us. I look forward to the slow mornings drinking coffee on patio overlooking the golf course and getting to catch up with Cecil.

End of Summer BBQ & Baptism - As aways, baptisms are really the highlight of our ministry. It is always a great joy to watch as others proclaim the Lordship of Jesus and publicly identify themselves as  His followers. This one was especially meaningful as I was able to baptize a good friend of mine who has attended our church from its very beginning. When he first started attending he was far from Jesus but over the years God has worked in his heart through relationships, sermons, small groups, and lots of conversations. I think that baptizing him was one of the most powerful moments I've ever enjoyed!

Church Building - as many of you have heard our current location is being sold. We have been praying for the past 6 months that God would open the door for another facility. This Sunday I shared a few of the details about a possible site. I believe that God has answered our prayers and opened up a fabulous opportunity. This new site will require a lot of work upfront but the end result should be awesome.