Developing Community Pastors Ministry
CCCC AWARDED GRANT TO DEVELOP PASTORAL COMMUNITIES
The training in New Hampshire was the first of several events that will be held in 2016.
The vision of our Conference is to develop Pastoral Communities for pastors led by trained and equipped Community Pastors. We believe that we are no stronger than our leadership and believe that these Pastoral Communities will strengthen the ministry of our churches and Conference as a whole.
The CCCC was blessed with a grant of $25,000.00 from the Pastoral Excellence Network for the training of Community Pastors and the development of this ministry. We are grateful for God’s provision and anticipate that the Holy Spirit will use these trained pastors to make a Kingdom impact in Jesus’ name in this generation.
—Ron Hamilton, Conference Minster
LENN ZELLER, DIRECTOR OF CONFERENCE CARE
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.”
Ecclesiastes 4: 9 – 10, NIV
According to statistics from Focus on the Family, 70% of pastors do not have close personal friends, and no one in whom to confide. (From www.parsonage.org) As the Scripture passage above says, “Woe to him who is alone when he falls.” Pastors who ‘go it alone’ are in a difficult and dangerous place. Mark Brouwer, in an article in Leadership Journal, lists some issues pastors are likely to face when they have no close friends or advisors to offer help, encouragement and counsel:
- Isolated leaders are more susceptible to feelings of sadness and loneliness.
- Isolated leaders are more susceptible to anxiety and stress.
- Isolated leaders are more susceptible to discouragement.
- Isolated leaders are more susceptible to temptation.
- Isolated leaders are more susceptible to doing stupid things.1
In recognition of the need of our pastors and sacred workers for friends, in the Biblical sense, the CCCC is developing the ministry of Community Pastors. The goal is to provide our sacred workers not just with friendship, but even more so with a place of safety in which to find the support and counsel to help them address and deal with personal, spiritual, ministry and relational issues as they arise, and find godly resources to deal with them in a healthy way … which will result in healthier pastors providing healthier ministry wherever God has placed them.
In that regard, we are training local pastors to lead small groups (“Communities of Pastors”) in their respective locations, so that more and more of our sacred workers can find that safe place in which to be open, vulnerable, and find healing and helping relationships. One such training event was held recently (March, 2016) in New England, with 14 pastors receiving that training.
It’s one thing to say we need community. It’s another to create it! The Community Pastor’s training cast great vision but also extended useful tools. It will be helpful, not only with our area pastors, but also in local church board development. —Rev. Steve Felker, Christ Chapel, Ithaca, NY
I really appreciated hearing the vision of Community Pastoring and how it fit with the overall passion, pathways and priorities of the CCCC. It was great to have meaningful discussion with other CCCC pastors about the challenge to relate on a deeper level with other pastors (and not just talk shop!). Camp Brookwoods couldn’t have been a more beautiful and restful spot to have fellowship with other pastors. God is good.
—Rev. Pete Balentine, Hope Community Church, Newburyport, MA
We are excited about what God is doing through this Community Pastors ministry and the training events. Two more are planned, one in western Pennsylvania in April and one in Minnesota in May. Please pray for God’s continued blessing and grace, and for His ongoing work in our Communities of Pastors across the nation.
1 “The Friendless Pastor: How to address our perennial problem,” by Mark Brouwer, 2014, LeadershipJournal.net