Still There

 It is the way pastors greet each other at conferences and conventions. How is your church doing? Are you still at the same church? These are innocent enough questions. But when you have been at the same small, maybe struggling, church you might take the question a bit differently. We live in a world that values success. And church ministry is no different. There is a great deal of pressure placed on pastors to grow their churches. We go to conferences and events, listening to how others broke through barriers to growth. We take that information and try to apply it in our own field, only to be disappointed in the results. 

    If the church is not growing, well, then there must be something amiss. Perhaps the pastor is not working hard enough. Maybe there is unconfessed sin in the church. It could be the people are not interested in growing. So “are you still at the same church?” becomes “why are still at the same church?” And if the church has a reputation for being difficult the question becomes “how are you still there?” It can be frustrating. Causing some to consider leaving the church, maybe even leaving ministry all together.

    I can relate. I have been at the same church for 26 years. We have gone through the cycle of growth and decline several times. We push to reach that somewhat elusive goal of 100 in weekly attendance but are unable to sustain those numbers. There have been times when I asked God if it was time for a change. I have had friends in the ministry offer to recommend me to other churches. So why am I still at the same small church? It would seem that when churches would contact me, I did not feel the leading of the Holy Spirit to leave. The times I felt the need to leave, there weren’t any churches calling. 

    I think of Moses and how he and God could never get on the same page when it came to Israel. There were times when God was angry with Israel and threatened to destroy them and Moses persuaded the Lord to relent from His anger. And there were times when Moses was frustrated with Israel’s complaining and did not just want to quit leading the people, but actually asked the Lord to let him die. Can you imagine what would have happened if God and Moses had ever been in agreement to start over?

    I am grateful to still be at the same small church and can only imagine what would have happened, what I would have missed, had I left. The many blessings that I have received over the years. The relationships that have been built. The opportunity to see the children you baptize grow into adults serving the Lord. To not just hear the stories but to share in the memories of the people you pastor.

   Do I want the church to grow - absolutely! I pray that I get to be around long enough to see it grow. To see the fruit of my labor for the Lord.

   To the pastor of the small church who is thinking about leaving, do not give up. Serve God to the best of your ability where He has placed you.