I spent some time talking with a Home Missions Pastor and
wife this week and having been there myself 2 or 3 times, I was reminded of
some important facts.
1. Home Mission Pastors and wives often
feel ignored and insignificant. If you
Pastor a church of more than 50 people, take time and make it a point to go
over and speak to them. Even better
invite them to sit with you and fellowship with you after service.
2. Home Mission Pastors and wives struggle
with feelings of failure. Surprise them
with a visit to one of their services.
You would not believe how encouraging it is to see familiar faces walk
in the door, especially people that know how to worship and Amen the message.
AND PLEASE, leave a nice offering; they are probably funding most of
the expenses on their own.
3. Home Mission Pastors and wives are
fully aware that they do not have exciting programs, cutting edge technology
and glorious music backing a praise team.
Participate in the service; sing the songs, worship, back the preaching
with a few amens and pray in the altar service.
After the service, encourage them, tell them the things you enjoyed,
keep their deficiencies to yourself AND
PLEASE, DO NOT brag about everything that you are doing right.
4. Home Mission Pastors and wives have
usually tried a lot of things to attract new people; most of them haven’t
worked out the best. They welcome fresh suggestions
as long as they are not offered in a condescending manner. BETTER
YET, offer to bring a team over and help them with a service or canvass a
neighborhood or whatever other suggestion you have.
5. Home Mission Pastors and wives find
that Sunday afternoon can be one of the most discouraging times of the week. It may be that their attendance was “our four and no more” or a person they
have been ministering to has a “backset.” Facebook on Sunday afternoon is full of
success stories and how wonderful everyone’s morning service turned out;
although, they will never post it on Facebook, many of the services do not
reach the height of expectation of a Home Mission Pastor. So please continue to post your glorious
reports, but take the time to email or call a Home Mission Pastor with an
encouraging word AND PLEASE DO NOT
ask him how his service was today.
6. Home Mission Pastors and wives may celebrate success on a smaller scale than you and the celebrations may be few and far between. If you read a post that is celebrating a success, CELEBRATE with them. REMEMBER, it isn't a contest, NEVER, EVER, try to trump their success by posting one of your own as a comment. Keep your success as posts on your own page and give them their little moment of glory.
7. Home Mission Pastors and wives can feel
so lonely and they need the fellowship of other ministers and their wives. They look forward to conferences and
fellowship meetings but they also dread the inevitable question, “How
many are you running, now?” They
will smile and in an upbeat manner report to you the biggest attendance they
have had since they began. PLEASE DO NOT put them in this situation;
NEVER ask a Home Mission Pastor “How
many they are running, now.” If
they don’t volunteer the information, leave it alone. Ask about their kids,
their grandkids, parents or fishing trip, but NEVER, NEVER ask for an attendance report.
There are many ways to be a friend and encourager to a Home
Mission Pastor and wife. Look at their
situation, put yourself in their place for a moment and give them what you
would like to receive. God Bless all that have followed the Call
of God to Home Missions.
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