Three Priorities of a Pastor

I was recently asked what I would do if I were to plant or revitalize a church. I did not think long because I was doing this in my church. I told the person that I would do three things: Pray, Preach, and Pour into the men of the church. He was a little surprised by my answer, but after being in full-time ministry for over thirty years, these areas make the most impact over the long term.

The church has many problems, but most stem from a lack of the Holy Spirit’s movement, a lack of Biblical truth being taught, and a drastic shortage of Godly leadership. If a church is experiencing the work of the Spirit, a weekly feast of God’s Word is being taught, and Men who are both filled with the Spirit and the Word leading, that church will not only survive but thrive. For that to happen, you must lay the foundation and put in the time to make it happen. These three “P”s are necessary to do that.

Prayer

Prayer is the most powerful tool any pastor can use to plant or revitalize a church. The sad thing is that prayer is given lip service. People say they are doing it, but I am skeptical. Why? Because there are so many dead and dormant churches. If pastors were truly praying, God would be doing a mighty work in their churches. Now, I know some pastors are praying and are in the midst of a difficult season where Satan is attacking the work. Stand firm and keep going to battle. This season will pass.

Regrettably, many pastors do not fully commit to prayer. They may offer cursory prayers for the offering or meals, but few engage in the life-altering, groundbreaking prayer that can profoundly change things. Few pastors intercede for people, beseech God for revival, or walk their neighborhoods praying for the salvation of souls. This lack of commitment is evident in surveys that show pastors devote little time to prayer and consider church prayer meetings a waste. It is time to change this mindset and understand the urgency and importance of prayer in our ministry.

If churches are to experience revival and renewal, they must recommit to Holy Spirit-fueled prayer. They must carve out time in their schedules to kneel and stand in the gap between their people and God. They must saturate their messages and services with prayer, walking the sanctuary, and praying for each seat. They need to walk their neighborhoods and pray for the souls of those homes. I am convinced that prayer is a pastor’s most important work. And the good news is, if we are consistent in this over an extended period, we will see the Holy Spirit move powerfully in our churches, bringing about the revival and renewal we long for.

Preach the Word

I would encourage new pastors to devote most of their time to studying and preaching the Word of God. Your Sunday morning message is the main thing you do. It is when much of your congregation is together. When you come prepared and preach substance, you instill confidence in your leadership. People want to know what the Bible says and how to apply it to their lives. Sadly, most sermons are sugary motivational speeches that encourage you to be a good person. There is little life change that happens.

The book of Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is living and powerful, able to split bone and marrow. Is that evident in your preaching? Is the Holy Spirit free to convict people of their sins? People want to be part of something bigger than themselves, but it must start with them. Committed time to studying God’s Word and delivering it with power will connect with people’s hearts. Do not dampen its power by trying to be funny or tickle their ears by pandering to their latest whim.

There is one more powerful principle when we make preaching the Word the most important priority, we grow in our knowledge. That, in turn, impacts our hearts, builds up our people, and lends credibility to our leadership. Scripture should reach our hearts before we expect to get a hold of others. When you are committed to consistent study God speaks to into your life. That consistent study also encourages our people in our interactions with them outside of the pulpit. Counseling sessions are richer, lunches are more profound, and conversations are more encouraging. Many pastors are more committed to learning the latest leadership principles from business gurus than to implementing time-tested principles that have been around for centuries.

Pour into the Men

The final area to which pastors need to devote their limited time is pouring into the men of their church. Did you know that only seven percent of churches have a men’s ministry? Yet study after study shows that as the man goes, so goes the family. If the man of the house is saved and attends church, the children are eighty percent likely to be saved and attend church. If the mom is the only parent saved, that number slips well below fifty percent.

Sadly, many churches only appeal to middle-aged women. The decorations, songs sung, and activities all appeal to this category. The men who do come are typically subservient men who are trying to make their wives happy. I am over-generalizing to make a point, but I think you would find this in many churches across America. We need to do something to not only minister to the men, but we need to create a culture where these men are saved, discipled, and raised into leadership positions.

The bi-vocational pastor would be wise to use his limited time to take the few men in his church and start a Bible study, breakfast, or group activity that appeals to them. Churches with strong male leadership thrive. As trust is built and these men mature, they will be more than willing to step into roles that need to be filled. Two to three years of investment could pay off in decades of benefit.

I would add one more “P” to this list: Purge. There are many things a pastor should stop doing to prioritize these three. So many useless tasks bog down the busy pastor. I would encourage you to start a “Not to Do” list. On this list would be everything you are no longer going to do. I would talk with your board and let them know the three priorities you are going to focus on and then ask them to help you eliminate everything that can prevent these from being accomplished. Your church may balk at first, but over time, they will not miss the things you stopped doing and will see the benefits of what you have been doing.

Chuck Musselwhite