Category: Ministry

Posted in Ministry

Role reversal

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I didn’t have to preach today. We had a guest preacher for the final week of a stewardship emphasis we had today.

Sometimes it’s harder to sit and listen to a sermon than to preach one. Know why? As a preacher you tend to over-analyze every sermon. You’re constantly critiquing the speaker’s style, content, stories and delivery, rather than just listening, expecting God to speak through that person. It’s not too much different than watching sports and second-guessing the plays that are called. You would have done things so differently. And you would have done so much better.

Perhaps part of the problem is that we get a lot of training in preaching, but very little in listening. Listening is hard work. It’s tough to shut down all the other things going on in your mind and shut out the distractions around you to truly hear what someone is saying. Plus, we preachers get a lot of practice preaching, but little in listening. I did most of my listening before I started preaching, but not much afterwards. I think I need to do more. That’s one resource that’s available to me. There are zillions of sermons I can listen to online.

So even though I really didn’t hear anything new or especially interesting this morning, I did get a message. I need to  learn how to listen better. And to do that, I’ll have to do some listening. I’ll let you know what I learn and who I find to listen to.

Posted in Ministry

Lenten series thoughts

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I am working on my midweek Lenten worship series this week. Good thing — Lent is just a little over a week away. I looked at a lot of published stuff for ideas, but wasn’t thrilled by any of them. I find it very hard to use someone else’s stuff. So I took out a harmony of the passion of our Lord and just read through it to see what catch my interest or imagination. I jotted down these images:

  • a kiss
  • hands tied
  • a slap in the face
  • spit in the face
  • hands washed
  • the tears of denial

Each led me to something we all deal with:

  • when you receive affection from someone who then turns on you,
  • when you feel like your “hands are tied and can’t do anything,”
  • when someone’s comment is a “slap in the face”
  • when you’re treated like dirt,
  • when you just want to be out of a situation, and
  • when the tears of failure come.

We find in Christ so many opposites, such as a God who wipes away our tears, who uses spit to heal, who washes feet, and binds up our wounds. I don’t have all the dots connected, but it’s coming together. I am thinking about tying it together with the theme Deal With It, but I want to let it simmer a little, and then I’ll taste it again.

Posted in Ministry

Keeping in touch

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We got our first look at an iPad last week. There are lots of rumors about what the next iPhone will be like when it’s released this summer. The way we communicate is changing in real time!

This is a challenge for the church. In order to communicate with all the members and regular attenders of our congregation, we have to utilize everything available.

  • We send out burst emails (to everyone who uses email.)
  • We update via Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, depending on which social media is preferred.
  • We hand out a printed weekly newsletter at worship.
  • We advertise in print and broadcast media.
  • We mail out information.
  • We display large posters and banners about upcoming events.
  • We text those who communicate best that way.
  • We make announcements on Sundays.
  • And yes, sometimes we actually pick up the phone and call, even though it seems like we get answering machines more than real people.

How effective are we? It’s hard to put an actual number to it, but for a given event, it seems like about half the people know what’s happening. That doesn’t sound like much, but I’d like to know how effective other churches are at communicating. And what would it take to reach 75% or higher?

What do you do about those who only check their email once a week or so? Or those who have stacks of unopened mail at home? Or those who don’t actually read the newsletter they take home? Or those who don’t have an answering machine? Or those whom you only see in worship once every six weeks or so?

I would imagine this is a universal problem. How do you approach keeping in touch?

Posted in Ministry

In and out of the hospital

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I just got back from visiting two of my members who are in the hospital. It’s unusual to have seen them four times; most hospital visits are very short. Thankfully, both are improving and should be home soon.

As I was driving home, I realized that in my get-togethers with my fellow pastors, both locally and denominational conferences, we don’t talk much about hospital and nursing home visits. We talk a lot about vision, attendance, programs, finances, buildings and staff. But we don’t say much about pastoral care. Is pastoral care still a prominent part of pastoral ministry today?

Reviewing one of my call documents, I see that the congregation authorizes and obligates me to, among other things, “visit the sick and the dying.” IOW, it’s part of my job description. This is no surprise to me, of course. It was modeled for me, I was taught to do it, and I’ve always assumed that hospital visits or visits to the sick at home would always be a regular part of my week. In my experience, these visits tend to come in bunches. There may be none for several weeks, then suddenly there are four or five people to visit. And then just as suddenly, everyone is back home and back on their feet again.

I generally enjoy going to the hospital, and always learn something new when I am there. After I return from a visit, I always ask my wife (a nurse practitioner) about what I saw and heard, and she teaches me something more about medicine. I am thankful that my mom (also a nurse) had me volunteer in a local hospital as a teenager. Because of that experience, I’ve never been uncomfortable in any part of a hospital. Plus, I get to see the healing power of God at work through doctors and nurses, treatments and medication, and spiritual care. It’s the same kind of thrill that those who witnessed Jesus’ healing miracles must have felt when someone could walk, see, hear, or speak again. When God’s at work, I don’t want to miss it.

So let me know if you’re in a nearby hospital. I’ll stop by.

Posted in Grace, Ministry

The fifth one is on us

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A few weeks ago, I met someone who didn’t attend church much, but came to worship with us one Sunday. I’m not sure how, but we got talking about the punch cards he carried in his wallet from various places he liked to eat. You know, where you get it punched every time you come in, and then when you have a certain number of punches, you get something free.

For some strange reason, I thought, “I can do that.” I made him a “frequent worshiper” card for our church. “Attend four worship services, and the fifth mass is on us!” I laminated it, punched out one of the church logos for the Sunday he was here, and sent it with the usual letter thanking him for worshiping with us. I haven’t seen or heard from him yet, but I hope he found it as amusing as I did.

Afterwards I got to thinking, “What would it mean for worship to be ‘on us’?” I mean, we give freely because of all God has freely given us. I guess it could mean you didn’t have to put an offering in that week. Or maybe you could get something from the plate when it was passed around. Although I wouldn’t recommend it. Our ushers are pretty tough.

Actually, this isn’t such a unique idea. We have churches in our community that have given out gas and coffee gift cards to first time visitors. Some will take you out for ice cream if you bring a friend to youth group. My idea was meant to be taken lightly, but hopefully it will help strengthen the connection with this individual.

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

People of influence

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Tomorrow, as the first part of a stewardship emphasis at our church, I’ll be talking about the influence we have in this world. My sermon is based on Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus says we are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

One way to look at this is to see how influential Jesus says we are in this world, making as much difference as salt and light make when something is bland or dark. (If you’d prefer to think of salt as a preservative, that works, too. We make as much difference as salt and light when things are rotting and dark.) Anyway, I think we sometimes forget how influential we are as Christians. Feeling outnumbered by other faiths and atheists and agnostics, the temptation is retreat into our own worlds or let ourselves be influenced by others.

Whether we like it or not, God shakes us out of the saltshaker and puts us into the workplace, the marketplace, the schools, and our communities. There, whether we realize it or not, we bring some of Jesus with us. By that, I mean we bring what we’ve received from him, things like forgiveness, love, humility, patience, etc. And that is the stuff that salts, brightens, and changes the world. Wrap your mind (heart, soul, and strength) around that, and you might even do it intentionally, realizing what a difference God makes through you.

We are anything but ordinary, bland, and dull in this world. We’re salt and light.


Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

Thanks, God

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I just listened to a message on my answering machine from someone we’ve been praying for who needed some tests done. Pretty serious stuff and a little bit of anxiety. Well, the news was good and the voice on the machine sounded suitably relieved! You’ve got to love a message like that.

Just that moment of joy and the chance to thank God for His care also made me realize that I don’t get to find out what happens to a lot of people for whom we pray. Our petitions for help and healing far outweigh our prayers of thanks and praise.

That’s one of the reasons I keep a list of prayers in the back of my daily devotional journal. That way, I can go back and remember what I prayed for a week or months ago. I would say nine times out of ten, something has happened in that situation, and I become aware of God’s response to a prayer. Without that list, I’d forget, wouldn’t think about the response, and would miss out on seeing God at work in our lives. It’s definitely a faith-building experience when your petitions are replaced by thanks and praise rather than just more petitions.

I do this when I teach prayer in confirmation class, too. We post our prayers on a bulletin board and revisit them each week to see what’s happened. I am just as amazed as the students at all the answers. Of course, not every issue is resolved. Some things remain in our ongoing prayers, but that’s OK, too. Our persistent prayers remind us of our dependence on God and his grace, and build our endurance, character, and hope.

Posted in Ministry

Shallow faith

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I think this entry is a testimony to how shallow my faith can be sometimes. Even though I’ve been getting to meet and minister to an average of one new family per week over the past months, my world was rocked by a rumor about one of our families who may be looking for another church. I don’t even know if that’s a fact, but just the idea is enough to hit my heart like a dart of failure. I know that is a totally ridiculous response, but it is what it is.

Immediately, my mind switches into guilt mode. Was it something I said? Or something I did? Was it something I didn’t say? When did I last see them? Call them? Pray for them? No wonder they’re looking somewhere else. What kind of a pastor am I?

Then I quickly change channels to defense mode. After all I’ve done for them? Hour long drives to visit them in the hospital and rehab. Coming up with money to help them get through a tough time. Support, encouragement, prayers, whatever. What more could they want? What in the world is the matter with them?

After I get all that out of my system, then faith kicks in again. It might not have anything to do with me at all. It might be a part of their faith journey. People leave other churches to come to ours; some leave to go to others. And really, there’s just one church, right? We’re not in competition with each other. They may be the blessing that another church needs. And another church may be just what they need.

I will try to call them again, just to talk with them. I would really like to know more about the next step in their journey. Recently, all I get is an answering machine.

Posted in Ministry

Unresponsive

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I didn’t get much response to my sermon today. We observed Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, and I think I got one comment after church and one emailed comment in the afternoon. Period. Why so little reaction? Could it be that I played it too safe? That I really didn’t say anything that warrants a response? It’s possible. Or could it be that the word need to incubate for a while before a response? That’s possible, too. But like most people who want instant results, I want an instant response. But the response may not come today. Or tomorrow. It may come sometime in the future. I may never see it or hear about it. This is where faith comes in. God says his word never comes back void but always accomplishes what he wants. I can only trust that God is right, that the word wasn’t preached in vain, and that somewhere, in some heart, something is happening. I should know better by now to not expect any useful response. But a part of me still hungers for that.