What is it you have to do when you're not preaching?
Must be nice to only work one day a week.
I'd like to come see you this afternoon. It's not Sunday, I'm assuming you're free.
So what is it that a pastor actually does? The answer for any pastors is — lots of things. Lots. A day is seldom the same. The pastor wears many hats, and for many, the roles are ever changing. Sometimes things can get a bit overwhelming.
This unease however, isn't unique to the pastorate. I had lunch today with a friend whose company is undergoing an organizational overhaul, leaving thousands of employees wondering what their role will be in the new structure as it comes into focus. On a national level, as I watch the re-shaping of the presidential cabinet, I see many high level leaders wondering what their role in the new administration.
Many people are aware of the role a pastor plays as a counselor, a coach, or a volunteer coordinator, but what about the role of community ambassador? Our nation sends ambassadors to posts around the world to represent us and our ideals in a concise and positive manner. The role of the pastor in the community is similar.
The pastor represents the church in the community in many ways. First and foremost he is to represents the name of Christ to the neighborhood, as is the mandate of every follower of Jesus, but he also represents the name of the local church when he moves about the neighborhood. This is also a high calling.
In our context, I meet regularly with our Forest Elementary School Principal and look for opportunities for our church to meet practical needs of the under-served and under-fed children in his care. I speak often at the Christian Central Academy chapel services, as well as meet with the Fire Chief in the Village of Williamsville for coffee from time to time.
We are active in our church networks as well, where I have the honor of representing Randall in a more formal sense. While we remain an autonomous church, grounded in Baptist roots, these partnerships give us tremendous impact in WNY and around the world.
We are interacting on a weekly basis with the Frontier Baptist Association whose goals are to empower people for missions, encourage pastors for leadership, equip planters for disciple-making, and energize partner churches for kingdom thinking. I serve as a volunteer church planting catalyst, where I have the opportunity to survey new areas in our city where churches are needed and connect them with planters that have a burning in their heart to see people come to Christ, and establish a new gathering of believers.
We also engage on a quarterly basis with the Church of Western New York, an initiative piloted by the Chapel at Crosspoint for the purpose of seeing our region completely saturated with the Gospel. This is not a denomination or a building, but rather a collaborative of churches, church leaders, and pastors who long to see the Gospel proclaimed throughout our communities. I am grateful to be in network with these fine men and women of God.
It is my honor to represent Randall church in these spheres in our community. I am reminded regularly of the weight and responsibility of the role I have to play, and I pray that I would "exemplify a disciplined life doing what is right and just and fair" (Prov 1:3). If you are a part of our church, I hope you would pray for me often, and for the places I go throughout the week. In addition, if you know another pastor that serves in a bi-vocational, or volunteer manner please say an extra prayer for him. The number of hats in his closet are even greater.
I love my job! Thank you for serving Christ with me!
Pastor Milo
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