The [Un]Scheduled Pastor

Have you ever been asked, "What's a 'typical' day in your job like?"  If so, I'm guessing your answer was something like, "There is no typical day... they're all quite different."


Last week I asked the question [in my weekly poll], "How many weekly (repeating) meetings do you hold?"


Respondent's answers ranged from the (0-2) category to the (10-12) category.  Based on these results, a 'typical' day in the life of a college minister may include NO regular/weekly/repeating meetings - OR no more than 2 or 3 - which leaves a lot of unscheduled time to be well utilized.


This seems right to me.  I've had days, even weeks, where special events were happening, or student leader interviews were being conducted - something BIG that seemed to take up the majority of my time on campus - and it left me feeling a bit too tied down.  Do you know what I mean?


When I look at the life and ministry of Jesus I see Someone who was purposeful and intentional, but also open and available.

What's In The Center?

In my post yesterday I talked about the power of words and some of the different ways we wield them - both for good and for ill.  I asked you to take a look at a couple of well-crafted phrases that I've seen used to describe Christian universities and/or ministry communities and share what you thought the difference/s between them might be.  The two phrases were:

Student-Centered Christian Community

and

Christ-Centered Student Community

I didn't get anyone to bite.  I don't blame you.  I know it can be intimidating to scribe your thoughts to the wall of a blog when 1) you don't know who else might read it, and 2) you don't know where the author is headed.  Maybe today's post will evoke some response!

The Power of Words

Words can be very powerful.


Sometimes we forget this and can be very flippant and unintentional with our words.  We are unconcerned with what we are communicating and have the power to hurt others.


Some times we wield this power well as we use words thoughtfully and intentionally to encourage, love and support others.


There are also times when we are too intentional with our words... because we are so set on communicating just the right thing.  We can spend hours working through the precise wording of a phrase because we want it to succinctly communicate everything we want to say in exactly the right way.

Leading UP

How do you lead UP?

How do you effect decisions, or shape outcomes, from the position you hold?

We are all called to be people of influence right where we are... regardless of whether we feel our decisions impact a few... or many more.

When we're not the top, or final, decision maker in our ministry, or institution, it can feel like our opinions don't count. That our vision is less important. That what we believe might even be wrong, because it conflicts with those who do have the final decision making authority.

The reality is that you don't need to have the final say to be someone who influences people, ministries, institutions, etc. in profound ways.

It's called leading UP.

This is when we tactfully and strategically approach those above us the org chart with the hope and intention of helping them consider something different... a new initiative, direction, redirection, position, posture, etc. This can be an intimidating prospect, but one through which God might choose to work and move in powerful ways.

In attempting to lead UP, I think there are a few essentials we must keep in mind:

1. Be prayerful - It's amazing how receptive people can be when we've asked the Lord to create receptive space on one side of the conversation, and a right heart on the other. It's just as important that we pray for God to grant us with the appropriate heart and words - if not more so - than for the receptive ears on the other side.
2. Be humble - It's important to remember that your boss, supervisor, advisor, etc., is someone who has been placed in their position for a reason - even if you don't believe them to be the best person for the role... It's important that we recognize that God was at work in our setting long before we/others showed up.
3. Be confident - Keeping points 1 and 2 in mind, we need to approach our supervisor with confidence - fully believing that what we have to say truly needs to be said/heard. If we don't believe what we're saying... there's no way that they will. Likely, in hearing us out, the people we're attempting to influence are trying to discern whether or not they can go - in confidence - and convince anyone who may raise questions that what YOU have suggested is, in deed, the best way forward.
4. Find the right time - Timing is key. In the right place, at the right time, most people will be willing to listen to what you have to say. If, however, you approach them in the wrong place, at the wrong time, you could be jeopardizing whatever influence you may have had with this person simply because you inconvenienced and/or embarrassed them.
5. Be prepared - If we are going to be influential - or give our supervisors reason to listen well to what we have to say - we don't dare waste their time with passion-filled pleas that are not supported by evidence, or even theories, that support something other than what is currently being considered.

Being a person of influence often means that we are willing to follow the leading of Jesus, out of a place of safety, and into some the vulnerable position of going against the flow of the tide.

What about you?

Do you desire to be a person of influence?

How do you lead UP?

Is there anything that you think needs to be considered in trying to lead UP?

Who is your pastor?

One of the essentials of anyone doing campus/college ministry - serving as a pastor to so many on campus - is finding a nurturing, life-giving pastor that we can bring ourselves under.

It's called leading up.

And if you're anything like me... this can be something that is too often overlooked because of how busy we get serving and investing in the lives of others.

This practice of "leading up" is one that involves us as pastors bringing ourselves under the care, support, encouragement, accountability and blessing of one that is older, wiser, more experienced and solely interested in our success a fellow minister of the gospel!

Hopefully this includes a mentor in our field of campus ministry... it really needs to!

But it most definitely should also include the pastor at your local/home church!

Now, if you're ministry is a church-based ministry, this will be both easy and complex.  For you, the challenge has less to do with brining yourself under your pastor's leadership, and more to do with how safe you feel brining up absolutely everything to this person that also serves as your supervisor/employer.

For those of us that minister from outside of the local church - in campus or para-church settings - our need to be worshiping in the local church, under the care and leadership of a pastor that we respect and are willing to hear from, is paramount!

We cannot justify skipping out on the local church because of "all that we do throughout the week on campus..."

We cannot justify skipping out on worshiping in the local church because of the campus worship events that we lead or participate in...

We cannot justify not being a part of a local church congregation because we cannot find one that "fits" with everything we believe or desire...

We cannot justify it because we need it, our students need to see us in it, the local church needs it... and God requires it!

• Who's your pastor?
  
• How do you lead up?

• How significant do you believe this to be?  Does the amount of time you give to it congruent with how important you believe it to be?
  
• What changes do you need to make?
  

Leading up is an essential for the work that we do because it so significantly shapes the people we are becoming.