Some silver lining on this dark cloud called COVID-19.  A long-standing prayer of mine may be in the process of being answered: the return of Psalm 23 pastors to the church of Jesus. Call them “undershepherds” of the Great Good Shepherd of John 10.

TECHNIQUE-BASED PASTORS: 

Members of Journey Pastoral Coaching know that I am no fan of technique–based ministry. You’ve read the articles that fill the internet: “Five Steps to Church Growth,” “Seven Tricks to Turn On Your Team’s Talent,” etc, etc.  

Before you jump, yes, techniques have a place in pastoral ministry. Pastors have to know “how” to carry out certain tasks.  But techniques cannot be the basis of pastoral ministry. Techniques might be a basis for being a good golfer or a skilled plumber, but not a healthy and effective pastor whose life and ministry thrives over a lifetime.  

In pastoring, a technique approach is a ministry engine that is built to fail. Eventually, it will fail not only the ministry that the pastor serves, but the minister himself, and those whom he leads. Technique-driven ministry requires far too much upkeep and produces too little energy to sustain itself. Like miles on an engine, it produces wear and tear in the life of the minister and church. Over time, the ministry machine runs down and must be replaced by new parts. Techniques produce a lot of activity but not much advancement, a lot of animation but not much movement, like a great looking car that requires never-ending maintenance as it inches forward. Over time, the parts (ie, the leaders and volunteers) wear down and have to be replaced

I hear it all the time from former ministers and volunteers. I hear it from current pastoral staff members. 

RELATIONSHIP-BASED PASTORS

Not only am I not a fan of technique-driven ministry, but neither is Jesus. He makes this clear in the example of his earthly life, his ministry, and his teaching. 

In John 15, Jesus tells his leaders-in-training: 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

He’s teaching the Twelve at least three truths about our life and our ministry in Him: 

• It’s not technique-based, but relationship-based: our ministry to others flows from our relationship with Jesus, channeled through our calling as pastors; 

• Ministry is not me-produced, but Jesus–grown and Father–pruned: I abide in Jesus, the Father prunes me (Me, not my techniques) to make me and my ministry more fruitful;     

• Ministry is not doing-driven, but being-driven: the source of ministry fruitfulness is in my being – me being a healthy branch in Jesus, not my doing for Jesus.

No relationship with the vine? Then there’s no fruit on your branch – not in life and not in ministry. Oh, you may have great numbers, beautiful buildings, and large budgets but if it doesn’t flow from the Vine, it’s not the fruit of Jesus-life; it’s the fruit of your doing.  And just how long can you maintain your doing in your own strength before YOU break down? How many megachurches have found this out the hard way in recent years?

Relationship with the vine? Then there’s fruit on your branch – in your life and ministry. Oh, you may have unimpressive numbers, simple buildings, and a small budget, but if it flows from the Vine, it’s the fruit of Jesus-life; it’s not the fruit of your being. And just how long can you maintain your being in Jesus before HE breaks down?

We express it this way in one of Journey’s twelve core values: Doing flows from being. 

IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING 

Question:  What does God DO?  Put aside your lists of things He does and ponder the larger question: What does God DO?

Answer: He does who He IS.  All God does is the flow of who He is, His person, and His being. Nothing He does is outside of or contrary to Himself, but is simply the expression of His character, His essence, His being. 

Whatever we try to do in ministry, eventually who we are comes through: we will do who we are. So the pastor who tries to fake care and compassion will eventually reveal his true nature. The pastor who pretends to be deeply spiritual will inevitably be found out. Just as water always finds its level, our being always finds its level and is revealed in our doing. We can only fake it for so long, but we can be who we are forever (if we have the courage, that is). 

It’s true first as we are disciples.  And it’s true as we are pastors. We lead others in what Jesus is leading us in.  As we know Jesus as our shepherd, we help our people know Him as their shepherd and us as His faithful undershepherds.  

A PSALM 23 PASTOR

In the language of Psalm 23, The daily experience of every Psalm 23 pastor looks like this . . .

The Lord is my Shepherd. Because He is my Shepherd, I shall not want; I shall not need to look elsewhere to satisfy my soul. My soul lives in fullness. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him so that they do not want to look elsewhere in vain attempts to satisfy their souls. Their souls live in fullness. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures – my soul is fed and at rest in the ever-new nourishment He provides. He leads me beside still water – my soul is refreshed and at rest in the calm and life-giving waters He gives me. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him so that they, too, will live soul-satisfied and at peace. Green pastures: no ground of death. Still waters: no swirling confusion. My shepherd leads me to life and peace, and as I satisfy myself in these life-giving elements, I know where to find them, and I know how to lead His people to them.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even as I follow my Shepherd, I remain human, and in need of restoration in my soul. He does not refuse me and He does not send another, but comes Himself to breathe life into me. As He does, He leads me from the ways that would wound my soul and back into the ways that will keep my soul in strength and wholeness. He does it for His name’s sake; He does it to show Himself a faithful and true Shepherd, a Shepherd worthy of all trust and obedience. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him, who is the restorer of their souls. Human and living in a fallen world, they can come again and again to Him who lives ready to renew their souls. They can walk with the One who is always ready to lead them in the way that keeps their souls in the way of life so that they and all the universe might know that He is the faithful and true Shepherd, the Shepherd worthy of all trust and obedience. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me; His rod and staff comfort me. In this fallen world, it will fall to me to walk in dark places, even places of death. But because He is my Shepherd, I can. And I will. I can and I will because He is with me: He will use His rod and staff to defend me from attack, to correct me when I leave the path of righteousness, and to pull me back into His safety. His defense, correction, and rescue comfort me.

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people through valleys, shadows, and the nearness of death. So strong is His presence at work through me as His undershepherd, that His people will not fear the presence of any evil. The great Shepherd will faithfully guide me as I strive to carefully lead His people through these places, His wisdom instructing me in defending them, correcting them, and rescuing them. He will be their comfort.

He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; He anoints my head with oil; my cup overflows. Not after the battle, but in it, my Shepherd pauses and prepares a table of feasting for me in full view of those who would destroy me. In quiet calm, He anoints my eyes, my ears, my mind, and my thoughts with His with His life-giving oil. He fills the cup of my soul with more blessing than I can hold.

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him and His table. There, they will know His anointing on how they see their world and their life in it; how they hear of the world and their place in it. There, they will know the refreshing of His Spirit in their worried minds and troubled thoughts. God will use me to help them know the life of an overflowing soul.  

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Because He is my Shepherd and I am following Him, I know with absolute certainty that goodness and mercy are following me. They shall follow every day of my life. The end of my journey with My Shepherd will lead me to His house, where I shall dwell forever in Him. The Lord, my Shepherd today, will be the Lord, my Shepherd then. Then as now, my soul shall not lack anything. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people in looking behind them at their pursuers. There, they see His goodness and mercy running with all their might to overtake them and possess them, today and every day of their life, in good times and in bad, in days of wondering and in days of wonders. 

Because all of this is true and I am experiencing this truth, I have the address to His dwelling place! I know the way to:

His house where there is no want, 

• His house surrounded by green pastures and still waters, 
• His house of soul restoration and righteousness, 
• His house where His comfort dwells, meaning death and evil cannot come harm me, 
• His house where His table of plenty is always set for me, His oil of anointing always awaits me, and 
• His cup of blessing is always in my hand, 
• His house where goodness and mercy make their residence as my gracious sisters. 

Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; I shall not need or even want to look elsewhere to satisfy my soul. My soul lives in fullness. As His chosen undershepherd of His people, He enables me to lead them to Him so that they, too, do not want to look elsewhere in vain attempts to satisfy their souls or even to calm their fears. Their souls live in fullness. 

Because the Lord is my shepherd, I can lead my people in living – living in – the truth of Psalm 62.8:

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; 

God is a refuge for us. Selah

FINAL THOUGHT

Are you tired, Pastor? Tired from endlessly maintaining the techniques, oiling the machine, and skipping from ministry fad to ministry fad?  

Your pastoral staff and your people are probably tired too. 

Go back to the beginning. Back to the author and finisher of not only our faith, but the ministry to which you are called.  Go back to the John 15 Jesus.  Go back to the Psalm 23 Shepherd and follow. 

—————

NOTE: Journey Pastoral Coaching exists to provide pastoral coaching to Millennial ministers.

Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.

We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry. 

Now, more than ever, we need your help. 

If you or your church would like to help Millennial ministers in 20 US states and 5 nations build strong for a lifetime in ministry, please click here to contact us by email or to support Journey monthly or with your one-time gift. Thank you.

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“In the early years when I was becoming a pastor, I needed a pastor.” 

 Eugene H. Peterson, The Pastor: A Memoir