Time Moves at a Necessary Pace

Please read Luke 19:11-27

Time is one of the things that we as humans hate to abide due to the fact that we are unable to control it. Since we have no way of manipulating time, we naturally see it as our adversary, when in fact, it is a supernatural tool used by the almighty to help us grow and develop into the individuals and groups that we must be to begin to do the good work that he desires of us.

Understand that the time that passes between the moment that a pastor vacates the office he holds to the point at which the Almighty directs another to assume such that vacant position, the group that remains is on a journey of growth and reconciliation in preparation of that coming as well as the work that must be done for the Kingdom of God. You as a leader in the church during the absence of the pastor must not only know that the time that elapses from one pastor to another is necessary, but understand that its movement is paced for your progress and for the completion of the tasks necessary to be prepared for this new shepherd.

FAR too often the pace that is desired by a church is hasty and foolish. We want our pastor and church to mature like a Hot-Pocket in a micro wave oven…and when we follow such an impatient timeline that is more-or-less what we get. We find ourselves with a pastor that is only slightly passionate for the people of the church and clothes himself like a soggy, undercooked crust of what otherwise might be a filling meal only briefly concealing the cold and often frozen center of the hearts of people who have not been prepared for Good Work.

Instead, we must take each step of a timeline and do good work to prepare the church for the true work that lies ahead. Keeping in mind that the meal being prepared for the fellowship of the believer must be much more than a pizza-filled pastry, we prepare ourselves for the feast provided by the Holy Spirit of God. Time and effort must be invested in the preparation of our people as well as ourselves; that we might find ourselves having produced a profit with the minas with which we have been entrusted.

See Value in the Timeline

One of the most valuable aspects to having a real understanding of the timeline involved in the pursuit of a pastor, as well as the time spent without a pastor in a church is the active involvement of the membership and leadership of the church while there is a noticeable need for such involvement. A properly formed timeline can help the entire church prepare for a pastor because they begin to see needs for activity as they are associated with marked goals and agendas for the production of a church that is ready for a pastor.

Sadly, pastors leave churches under a cloud of turmoil far too often. These are times when the leadership of that particular church must produce a timeline that is concrete, concise, and goal oriented. Such a timeline will help those ready to work know what is most important at that particular moment, as well as those who are not yet ready to work but are being developed into future leaders and workers for you church. Keeping in mind that the timeline must be able to change at any time will help you to maintain a living nature to your church instead of falling into the trap of a one size fits all approach to this critical time in the life of your church.