Archive for The Gathering Place "The Gathering Place" is a web community where people can gather and make new friends, share ideas, enjoy a few laughs and learn about many interesting things together. It is a safe place where friends can correspond with each other about what they love.
I found this on another site and thought it would be a good thing for others to put these in the mail boxes of your church members. Now the tricky part. Doing so in a way that the members don't think it was from the Pastor.
A periodical once gave ten commandments to the layman who desires to make a greater man and a greater preacher of his minister. These commandments are:
1. Pray for him
2. Believe in him
3. Stand by him
4. Talk him up
5. Give him a fair trial
6. Treat him generously in every way
7. Help him to conserve his time for study
8. Listen to him with an open mind.
9. Praise him when he preaches well
10. Criticize him only to his face and then always in love.
By observing these simple commandments you will be rendering your pastor a service that he needs, and which will find expression in your own spiritual development. Appreciate your Pastor and tell him so.
Author Unknown
What I Owe My Pastor
Respect — I owe my pastor respectful attention as the ambassador of God.
Affection — I owe my pastor affection, that he may be strengthened by the knowledge that the members of the church are with him in the bonds of holy life and unity.
Trust — I owe my pastor trust that he may be free to serve the church unhampered by fault-finding.
Generosity — I owe my pastor generosity, that if his Bible methods seem a little strange to me, I may not be silly enough to insist that he shall change them.
Prayer — I owe it to my pastor to pray for him each day, that God may bless him and make his service a blessing.
Protection — I owe to my pastor the protection of kindly silence by refraining from repeating the slander or unkind gossip that would burden him and prevent him from doing his best work.
Time — I owe my pastor enough time to help in his work, when and where he needs me.
Encouragement — I owe my pastor encouragement when vexations and annoyances make his work difficult or when he feels discouraged.
Appreciation — I owe my pastor a kindly word of appreciation when his ministry is especially helpful to me.
Consideration — I owe it to my pastor not to interrupt and hinder his work with petty and unnecessary calls upon his time and sympathy.
Attention — I owe my pastor the courtesy of attention when I go to church that he may not be annoyed by my careless actions.
God's Warrior
Those are truly words of wisdom, Ryan. Thank you for passing that on so that we can share it with others.
