Not only is it necessary to know the hierarchal structure that is expected at your church, which we will discuss in a future post, you must begin to interact with and get to know the individuals that help to lead your church. As a staff member or lay person, you will never be able to fulfill the role of the pastor’s office on your own, nor should you try. It is important that you begin to tighten the connective tissues between the leaders of your church. It is also impossible for you to create or strengthen the relationship between two other people, no matter how hard you try. You are only able to impact the relationships that you have with other people.
Invest in these people!
One of my foremost failures when dealing with the loss of a pastor has been the underdeveloped nature of my relationship with the other leaders of the church. It is difficult to begin to pick up reigns when other people are holding slack those tethers. When you as a leader have not introduced yourself as a person to whom the church can turn in times of trouble, when troubled times come, you may not be able to be viewed this way at all.
No matter what your relationship situation is when you lose a pastor, YOU must make it a priority to get to know these other families and leaders. Take them to dinner, invite them to your home, and don’t restrict your conversation to matters of the church. Invest in them as though there was no ulterior motive. Just as we discussed with the timeline, make sure you create relationships that will outlast the absence of the pastor.
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