Imagine Church is blessed with a wonderful Personnel Team that includes Amy Davis (Team Leader), Becky and Jimmy Ferguson, Susan Phillips, and the pastor. In recent days, the team has been meeting individually with members of the church professional staff to give them affirmation and encouragement and to see where any might need help and support. Each staff member has a job description, and the one for the pastor is three pages long. If I were to condense it, I would suggest the following seven things that I’ve come to believe are the most important things a pastor does.
Call upon God. My non-negotiable responsibility is that of chief intercessor. There is something deeply sacred about the office of pastor. It’s not a power thing; it’s about calling. I believe God still has things he wants me to know, and hearing God’s voice often and clearly is essential. I need to ask daily, “What is God saying to me today?”
Communicate the Word. For me, this is the fun part because I can’t wait for Sunday. There is a grind and discipline in the preparation, but what a cool thing because I get to teach the words of God! For most pastors, this is the greatest public work we do.
Cast the vision. The pastor is the primary vision-caster. Great vision is collaborative in its execution, but not in its origin. More often than not, God speaks to a man or woman, not a committee.
Carry the stewardship. To be blunt, the church needs money to move forward. It doesn’t sound spiritual, but it’s deeply spiritual. The Bible is very clear about our hearts and our treasures. Pastors cannot escape the reality and responsibility of raising faith and funds for their churches.
Create the culture. Every church has a culture. It’s either the one we want or the one that, over time, creates itself. I’ve never seen the latter go well. We can cultivate and guide the church’s culture or let it wander on its own and land who-knows-where.
Coach the staff. To have a staff like we do at Imagine Church that scores high in competence, character, and chemistry, investment is the key. Usually I talk more during the week with the members of our staff than anyone else, and I promise you, it has made a huge difference for me and for Imagine Church!
Cultivate the community. I need to be aware of what’s going on in Lake Wylie and Charlotte and in the world. I’ve been inspired and amazed at how many residents from our neighborhood, The Landing, have come into the Imagine Church family through our relationships or invitation.
I’m convinced I need to increasingly dedicate myself to these seven things, add my own personality to it, and then give it 100%. Our other staff and leaders will carry the rest of the load, but if I can concentrate on these seven things, I will be doing my job in a way that honors Imagine Church and, more importantly, honors God!
In the name of the One who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
Bruce Jones, Pastor and Co-Creator,
Imagine Church of the Carolinas
