If you could tell your pastor one thing....

[ALAYMAN]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

 

[Tim]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

Study "Total Depravity" and get back with me if it changes or doesn't change your life.

 

[Twisted]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

An impossible scenario.  The ego is too great.

 

[Tim]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

An impossible scenario.  The ego is too great.

Not so much for me. But, I know certain subjects would probably present myself as perhaps a little too far away from our Churches doctrine. But, that said, I have been eager to share what I have been learning about reformed theology with my pastor and perhaps even pray that some of it would reach in and God would use to mold him to be a better pastor. My fear is "reprisal or retaliation" within my Church. The elders and others who may get wind of this might take things too far, and I never know how far is too far with my pastor.

One way or another it will come out.

 

[Fresh Air]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I had a wonderful lady walk into my office one day for a chat. She led our ladies ministry, went soul winning regularly, and was generous with her money. She was about to retire and I was about to ask her to start working at the church, though she didn't know that. Her husband was ornery and in bad health, came to church very occasionally. At any rate, she walked in, and in the space of ten minutes informed me that she and her husband were moving out West because the climate out there would be better for his health.

I was flabbergasted. All of a sudden I was losing my best church member not to mention 1/3 of our total offerings. She could tell I was upset. She started to cry a bit, and explained to me that her husband felt disconnected from our church since he could not come very often and no one ever visited him. Along with everything else, it dawned on me that I had never visited him. Yes, when he was hospitalized I had followed him all over Chicago, but once he got home and never came back to church I had not visited him once. In so doing I was not treating him any different than any other of our older people. I visited them in the hospital, but I had rarely done any shut-in visitation at all.

I looked at her and said, "Are you telling me that I have not been a good pastor to him? Are you telling me I am guilty of neglecting our shut-ins?"

She looked at me, dabbed her eyes with a kleenex, and responded, "I love you, Pastor Brennan. You have taught me so much. You've changed my life. I have been dreading this conversation for a long time. We both love you, and we know you will continue to grow as the Lord leads you, but he needs to go West."

It was the sweetest, gentlest, most compassionate way to read me the riot act as a pastor that I have ever encountered. My neglect of shut in visitation had hurt them (which also meant I had hurt others), then indirectly hurt our church, and now was hurting me personally. 

It took our church years to recover financially. It took me personally probably just as long to recover from my disappointment. But this morning I spent four hours driving all over the city visiting shut ins as I often do on Mondays.

She helped me to become a better pastor. It hurt, but she helped me.

 

[FSSL]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

To join the fun at the FFF!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[subllibrm]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

To join the fun at the FFF!

That will fix his little red wagon

 

[Tim]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

To join the fun at the FFF!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have considered telling my pastor and youth pastor about the FFF ... but I know that my pastor would tell me and the youth pastor to stop debating and keep your conversations private - not to publicly give people a reason to reject Christ. That, and he would frown on the publish bashing of people and such ...

Been there done that on Facebook.

 

[HeDied4U]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

My current pastor? Nothing. He does an excellent job.

Now my previous pastor, I would tell him he is not funny. Leave the jokes to the professionals and just stick to the Bible. I don't know if no one ever had the guts to tell him he wasn't funny, but if they did, he certainly ignored them.

 

[Recovering IFB]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I don't have "a" pastor,  but 5 elders.  And I don't have that "awe" factor with them that I don't think I can't tell them anything with anything to worry about.

 

[Ransom]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

That he's awesome and shouldn't change.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I had a wonderful lady walk into my office one day for a chat. She led our ladies ministry, went soul winning regularly, and was generous with her money. She was about to retire and I was about to ask her to start working at the church, though she didn't know that. Her husband was ornery and in bad health, came to church very occasionally. At any rate, she walked in, and in the space of ten minutes informed me that she and her husband were moving out West because the climate out there would be better for his health.

I was flabbergasted. All of a sudden I was losing my best church member not to mention 1/3 of our total offerings. She could tell I was upset. She started to cry a bit, and explained to me that her husband felt disconnected from our church since he could not come very often and no one ever visited him. Along with everything else, it dawned on me that I had never visited him. Yes, when he was hospitalized I had followed him all over Chicago, but once he got home and never came back to church I had not visited him once. In so doing I was not treating him any different than any other of our older people. I visited them in the hospital, but I had rarely done any shut-in visitation at all.

I looked at her and said, "Are you telling me that I have not been a good pastor to him? Are you telling me I am guilty of neglecting our shut-ins?"

She looked at me, dabbed her eyes with a kleenex, and responded, "I love you, Pastor Brennan. You have taught me so much. You've changed my life. I have been dreading this conversation for a long time. We both love you, and we know you will continue to grow as the Lord leads you, but he needs to go West."

It was the sweetest, gentlest, most compassionate way to read me the riot act as a pastor that I have ever encountered. My neglect of shut in visitation had hurt them (which also meant I had hurt others), then indirectly hurt our church, and now was hurting me personally. 

It took our church years to recover financially. It took me personally probably just as long to recover from my disappointment. But this morning I spent four hours driving all over the city visiting shut ins as I often do on Mondays.

She helped me to become a better pastor. It hurt, but she helped me.

Tom, you and I disagree on so much theologically, but I appreciate the humility you display and your willingness to learn from mistakes. Thank you for sharing that, for learning and doing the right things. Though we disagree on some pretty major stuff, I still respect you.

 

[Twisted]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I had a wonderful lady walk into my office one day for a chat. She led our ladies ministry, went soul winning regularly, and was generous with her money. She was about to retire and I was about to ask her to start working at the church, though she didn't know that. Her husband was ornery and in bad health, came to church very occasionally. At any rate, she walked in, and in the space of ten minutes informed me that she and her husband were moving out West because the climate out there would be better for his health.

I was flabbergasted. All of a sudden I was losing my best church member not to mention 1/3 of our total offerings. She could tell I was upset. She started to cry a bit, and explained to me that her husband felt disconnected from our church since he could not come very often and no one ever visited him. Along with everything else, it dawned on me that I had never visited him. Yes, when he was hospitalized I had followed him all over Chicago, but once he got home and never came back to church I had not visited him once. In so doing I was not treating him any different than any other of our older people. I visited them in the hospital, but I had rarely done any shut-in visitation at all.

I looked at her and said, "Are you telling me that I have not been a good pastor to him? Are you telling me I am guilty of neglecting our shut-ins?"

She looked at me, dabbed her eyes with a kleenex, and responded, "I love you, Pastor Brennan. You have taught me so much. You've changed my life. I have been dreading this conversation for a long time. We both love you, and we know you will continue to grow as the Lord leads you, but he needs to go West."

It was the sweetest, gentlest, most compassionate way to read me the riot act as a pastor that I have ever encountered. My neglect of shut in visitation had hurt them (which also meant I had hurt others), then indirectly hurt our church, and now was hurting me personally. 

It took our church years to recover financially. It took me personally probably just as long to recover from my disappointment. But this morning I spent four hours driving all over the city visiting shut ins as I often do on Mondays.

She helped me to become a better pastor. It hurt, but she helped me.

A great story.  At least you visited when he was in the hospital.  I once had a pastor who wouldn't visit you when you were in or out of the hospital.  A real deadbeat.

 

[prophet]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I don't have "a" pastor,  but 5 elders.  And I don't have that "awe" factor with them that I don't think I can't tell them anything with anything to worry about.

Boo, hiss, boo

earnestly contend

 

[ALAYMAN]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I don't have "a" pastor,  but 5 elders.  And I don't have that "awe" factor with them that I don't think I can't tell them anything with anything to worry about.

Pastors, like elders usually possess good inter-personal relationship skills, consequently know which congregants to tune out and when, but they won't be obvious about it towards you so go ahead and take your concerns to him/them. 

 

[ALAYMAN]

To join the fun at the FFF!

He has, but finds it beneath his dignity.

 

[ALAYMAN]

... just stick to the Bible.

But what would the assembly do for the other 55 minutes???



  ;D

 

[Tim]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I had a wonderful lady walk into my office one day for a chat. She led our ladies ministry, went soul winning regularly, and was generous with her money. She was about to retire and I was about to ask her to start working at the church, though she didn't know that. Her husband was ornery and in bad health, came to church very occasionally. At any rate, she walked in, and in the space of ten minutes informed me that she and her husband were moving out West because the climate out there would be better for his health.

I was flabbergasted. All of a sudden I was losing my best church member not to mention 1/3 of our total offerings. She could tell I was upset. She started to cry a bit, and explained to me that her husband felt disconnected from our church since he could not come very often and no one ever visited him. Along with everything else, it dawned on me that I had never visited him. Yes, when he was hospitalized I had followed him all over Chicago, but once he got home and never came back to church I had not visited him once. In so doing I was not treating him any different than any other of our older people. I visited them in the hospital, but I had rarely done any shut-in visitation at all.

I looked at her and said, "Are you telling me that I have not been a good pastor to him? Are you telling me I am guilty of neglecting our shut-ins?"

She looked at me, dabbed her eyes with a kleenex, and responded, "I love you, Pastor Brennan. You have taught me so much. You've changed my life. I have been dreading this conversation for a long time. We both love you, and we know you will continue to grow as the Lord leads you, but he needs to go West."

It was the sweetest, gentlest, most compassionate way to read me the riot act as a pastor that I have ever encountered. My neglect of shut in visitation had hurt them (which also meant I had hurt others), then indirectly hurt our church, and now was hurting me personally. 

It took our church years to recover financially. It took me personally probably just as long to recover from my disappointment. But this morning I spent four hours driving all over the city visiting shut ins as I often do on Mondays.

She helped me to become a better pastor. It hurt, but she helped me.

Tom, you and I disagree on so much theologically, but I appreciate the humility you display and your willingness to learn from mistakes. Thank you for sharing that, for learning and doing the right things. Though we disagree on some pretty major stuff, I still respect you.

I 2nd this! Tom, that was an awesome post.

 

[sword]

If you could tell your pastor one thing without any fear of reprisal or retaliation what helpful thing would you tell him?

I had a wonderful lady walk into my office one day for a chat. She led our ladies ministry, went soul winning regularly, and was generous with her money. She was about to retire and I was about to ask her to start working at the church, though she didn't know that. Her husband was ornery and in bad health, came to church very occasionally. At any rate, she walked in, and in the space of ten minutes informed me that she and her husband were moving out West because the climate out there would be better for his health.

I was flabbergasted. All of a sudden I was losing my best church member not to mention 1/3 of our total offerings. She could tell I was upset. She started to cry a bit, and explained to me that her husband felt disconnected from our church since he could not come very often and no one ever visited him. Along with everything else, it dawned on me that I had never visited him. Yes, when he was hospitalized I had followed him all over Chicago, but once he got home and never came back to church I had not visited him once. In so doing I was not treating him any different than any other of our older people. I visited them in the hospital, but I had rarely done any shut-in visitation at all.

I looked at her and said, "Are you telling me that I have not been a good pastor to him? Are you telling me I am guilty of neglecting our shut-ins?"

She looked at me, dabbed her eyes with a kleenex, and responded, "I love you, Pastor Brennan. You have taught me so much. You've changed my life. I have been dreading this conversation for a long time. We both love you, and we know you will continue to grow as the Lord leads you, but he needs to go West."

It was the sweetest, gentlest, most compassionate way to read me the riot act as a pastor that I have ever encountered. My neglect of shut in visitation had hurt them (which also meant I had hurt others), then indirectly hurt our church, and now was hurting me personally. 

It took our church years to recover financially. It took me personally probably just as long to recover from my disappointment. But this morning I spent four hours driving all over the city visiting shut ins as I often do on Mondays.

She helped me to become a better pastor. It hurt, but she helped me.

Tom, you and I disagree on so much theologically, but I appreciate the humility you display and your willingness to learn from mistakes. Thank you for sharing that, for learning and doing the right things. Though we disagree on some pretty major stuff, I still respect you.

I 2nd this! Tom, that was an awesome post.

I am impressed as well. If pastors would share their mistakes and lessons learned with each other I think it would help our churches greatly.

I think being willing to learn from your mistakes and even share them with others makes you a good leader.

 

[JackyBoy]

I would ask if I could court his daughter......