"50 things I would do - If I were a Pastor"

[EA]

Neck, you go ahead and preach without notes at your church.

You will end up with malnourished saints.

Or no saints.

[Neck]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

Oh he had a great thought but lost it because he didnt have notes! Age will do that! (he was in his late 60's)

I can not imagine sitting anyone down for rambling, a pastor would just look like a control freak imo.

Our singers do use notes, songs are in a binder, especially helpful when learning a new songs.

There is nothing about being a control freak.

When the person behind the pulpit represents God almighty.

I am the furthest from being a control freak.

That picture can only be painted by the praise from my wife and kids.

They know me best...

[EA]

Originally Posted by Neck

That is the single reason that I have not chose the path that so many wanted to chose for me.

If I could not be comitted to doing it right then I would not do it.

Again that is my own process.

Why am I getting challanged on what I would do.

Tell me how you run your overly successful, thriving and healthy church.

That's a horrible reason.

Are you called to pastor, or not?

If you are, who cares what everyone else thinks? You'd better do it to the best of your ability and quit worrying about making millions in a board room.

If you aren't called, this whole discussion is a little loopy.

By the way, you are getting challenged because your posts have been insulting, acerbic and infantile.

Nate, I think your a great guy, and I am glad you're my friend, but honestly Bro, this is silly.

[Neck]

Originally Posted by Stephanas

Ain't that the truth!

• 10 hours per sermon x three sermons per week equals 30 hours plus 10 hours "in service" time for a total of 40 hours per week before you read a book, pray a prayer, visit a hospital, shuffle paper, counsel, clean, etc, etc, etc, etc. Good bye to the dream of being "Mr Model Family Man."
  
  
• Turning a blind eye to the list of supporters of the church is irresponsible. The end result is to allow the direction of the congregation to be determined by people who don't care enough to invest in the mission of the Church. Trustees who freeload, Sunday School teachers without enough faith to invest in the church, worship leaders who have no sacrifice on the altar. Sounds like a fine mess to me.
  
  
• A true open door policy in a church office is an invitation to insanity. It's laughable really. Say good-bye to the ten hours of sermon preparation and say hello to the retired, unemployed, bored, and people who measure their importance by being the pastor's buddy - they'll take turns walking through that open door, every single day.
  
  
• Six months in a pastorate would work wonders with this list and its thinly veiled criticisms of working pastors. It's easy to criticize the guys in the trenches, but arm chair generals don't win wars.

If you study for future sermons and keep good enough records.

The process of time would build to hours for each sermon.

My Uncle Dr Ronald Prince who was in the Southern Baptist Convention and pastored a mega church in Minden, La.

Next to T.W. Barnes, in fact they were friends.

Was one of the most prepared men in the pulpit you would ever find.

He was always working on sermons and ideas for the future.

Again I spend more that amound of time preparing for my customer presentations.

I get calls all the time to and get out of bed to work on major outages.


Some of you guys would never make in the business world.

Where we work 80 hours a week and think that is normal.

I think many of these points have given me what I needed...

[rrford]

Originally Posted by Neck

Sounds like you ministers are Bill Murray not me.

i would love to see some in the board room negotiating a 55 million dollar.

10,000 site voice and data application converged network.

Having to rely on notes.

Do we use Powerpoint in the presentaion room.

Yes we do.

But we have the majic up on a visual screen.

We do not have our PC open and clicking our mouse and reading from a screen no one else can see.

Again I am not mocking anyone.

Did you ever see Nathaniel Urshaun pull out his yellow pad?

Boardrooms are not churches. As I said before some of us have been in business. Apples and oranges. But you only see through rose colored glasses based on your experience of being a Pastor's kid but never a Pastor. Sorry. Your lack of experience is no different than you wanting to indict pastors for lacking business experience. You can't have it both ways.

[Neck]

Originally Posted by Stephanas

Ain't that the truth!

• 10 hours per sermon x three sermons per week equals 30 hours plus 10 hours "in service" time for a total of 40 hours per week before you read a book, pray a prayer, visit a hospital, shuffle paper, counsel, clean, etc, etc, etc, etc. Good bye to the dream of being "Mr Model Family Man."
  
  
• Turning a blind eye to the list of supporters of the church is irresponsible. The end result is to allow the direction of the congregation to be determined by people who don't care enough to invest in the mission of the Church. Trustees who freeload, Sunday School teachers without enough faith to invest in the church, worship leaders who have no sacrifice on the altar. Sounds like a fine mess to me.
  
  
• A true open door policy in a church office is an invitation to insanity. It's laughable really. Say good-bye to the ten hours of sermon preparation and say hello to the retired, unemployed, bored, and people who measure their importance by being the pastor's buddy - they'll take turns walking through that open door, every single day.
  
  
• Six months in a pastorate would work wonders with this list and its thinly veiled criticisms of working pastors. It's easy to criticize the guys in the trenches, but arm chair generals don't win wars.

Again why are my thoughts on what someone asked me.

What I would do as a pastor offend you?

I am only telling you what I would and could do.

I perform it everyday in business...

[Neck]

Originally Posted by TJJJ

Neck;

I have pastored, done missions and evangelized for years now. I would love to always work without any notes. The problem is, I can't. My memory is not the best in the world. believe in inspiration, and love it to preach. When it comes to teaching, give me notes.

Your list is an ideal to work towards, and then there is reality.

I do agree that many minister need a little more business sense, it would help them out.

I do like your list and I have cut and pasted it to word to study. It shows a thoughtful insight from the pew side.

Thanks TJJJ

Again my comments were what I would do.

They wre in response to what the question someone asked me.

Not a slam on anything anyone else would do...

[EA]

Originally Posted by Neck

Some of you guys would never make in the business world.

Where we work 80 hours a week and think that is normal.

I think many of these points have given me what I needed...

Nate, why haven't you pastored? Has God even called you to pastor? Do you feel pressure to live up to "daddy?"

It seems you know simply EVERYTHING about pastoring, so why haven't you tried it?

[EA]

Originally Posted by Edward Anglin

That's a horrible reason.

Are you called to pastor, or not?

If you are, who cares what everyone else thinks? You'd better do it to the best of your ability and quit worrying about making millions in a board room.

If you aren't called, this whole discussion is a little loopy.

By the way, you are getting challenged because your posts have been insulting, acerbic and infantile.

Nate, I think your a great guy, and I am glad you're my friend, but honestly Bro, this is silly.

Originally Posted by Edward Anglin

Nate, why haven't you pastored? Has God even called you to pastor? Do you feel pressure to live up to "daddy?"

It seems you know simply EVERYTHING about pastoring, so why haven't you tried it?

bump

[berkeley]

What an awesome thread. Maybe I'll start a thread to elevate myself.