HOW TO GET TO KNOW YOUR PASTOR

Get to know your pastor because pastors play an important role in the daily life of your congregation and the community.  Despite their churchly profession, fancy robes, and knowledge of Greek, pastors experience the same kinds of ups and downs as everyone else.  They value member efforts to meet, connect with, and support them.

Connect with your pastor after worship.

After the worship service, join others in line to shake the pastor’s hand.  Sharing a comment about the sermon, reading, or hymns lets the pastor know that his or her worship planning time is appreciated.  If you congregation doesn’t practice the dismissal line, find other ways to make that personal connection.

Pray Daily for your pastor, because he or she doesn’t just work on Sunday.

Your pastor has many responsibilities, like visiting members in the hospital, writing sermons, and figuring out who can help drain the flooded church basement.  In your prayers, ask God to grant your pastor health, strength, and wisdom to face the many challenges of leading a congregation.

Ask you pastor to share with you why he or she entered ordained ministry.

There are many reasons why a pastor may have enrolled in seminary to become an ordained minister.  Be prepared for a story that may surprise you.

Stop by your pastor’s office to talk, or consider making an appointment to get to know him or her.

Pastors welcome the opportunity to connect with church members at times other than worship.  As you would with any drop-in visit, be sensitive to the fact that your pastor may be quite busy.  A scheduled appointment just to chat could provide a welcome break in your pastor’s day.