The Toll of the Pastorate

Mike Hosey, Elder

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While researching the pastorate, I came across a variety of shocking statistics.

Consider these compiled by blogger Alan Fadling on his website:

• Churchgoers expect pastors to juggle an average of 16 major tasks. (I would add that they ask him to do this with meager compensation while also asking him to model the perfect family, visit everyone, attend all church functions, preach an inspiring sermon every Sunday, and grow the church numerically.)

• Two thirds (almost 70%) of pastors reported significant conflict in their churches in the 2 years previous.  20% of those conflicts were significant enough for some members to leave.
• The typical pastor's greatest impact is in years 5-14. Unfortunately, the typical pastor only lasts 5 years.

• 80% of pastors feel that ministry effects their families negatively.

Or how about these compiled by the South Carolina Baptist Convention on their website?

• 80% of graduates entering the ministry will leave it within 5 years.

• 50% of pastors say they would leave the ministry, but can't because they have no other way of making a living.

• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.

• 70% of pastors say they have a lower self-image now than when they started in ministry.

• 61% of pastors say they have few "close" friends. (I've seen one statistic that 70% don't have anyone they consider a "close" friend.)

Bivocational senior pastors deal with many of those stresses while also dealing with the time and resource constraints of their secular jobs.

Here at Fellowship Church, we don't believe God ever intended for one person to shoulder such a huge burden in His church. We believe He wanted all His children to share the load using their specific gifts. While we don't believe that senior pastor models are wrong, or that they can't be successful, neither do we believe they are the most biblical. We believe a strong plurality of pastors is the New Testament example, and we also believe that a group of capable men called to the pastorate working together will combat the statistics mentioned above, and we are thankful he has given us the opportunity to try it out.

The Culture of Entertaining Angels Unaware

Mike Hosey, Elder

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As a young soldier in the Texas National Guard, I had a rather foul mouth. I had picked up this language from the other soldiers with whom I had surrounded myself.

To be honest, foul language was a building block of our normal grammar.  A complete sentence had to have at least three parts; a noun, a verb, and a vulgaritive.

Not that this language was bad because of the words we used. They were just words, after all. Their meanings were no different than the clean versions of those words. What made our communication bad was our frequent disregard for how others may interpret the way we communicated. It was our continued use of those words in any public setting.

We weren't trying to be disrespectful with the language, we just didn't take the time to consider the sensitivities of others. This disregard was reinforced by the self-centered culture of our group.

That same culture reinforced something much worse than tactless language.  It reinforced (even rewarded) complaining and murmuring about every situation the unit found itself in.

Providentially, I got schooled on this problem and it allowed me to begin breaking free from that culture. Once, while setting up a field hospital in the dead hours of a cloud-covered, lightless night, a fellow soldier, obviously older than me approached and asked about morale and how things were going. With a string of colorful adjectives, I complained about conditions, and duties, and probably a few other things.  In fact, my attitudes and words were harming the morale he was asking about! In shock, after about the third volley of very decorative conversation, I realized that I recognized my comrade.  I often heard his voice on Sunday mornings. Coming from the pulpit. In the chapel. Er, uh, ahem, good morning sergeant chaplain's assistant!

Since then I've come to learn how important it is to surround myself with positive people who make  for a positive culture that will reinforce positive behaviors in me, and by their example, discourage negative ones (Phil 3:17). 

I've also learned that the scripture which says that we may sometimes entertain angels unawares is very true (Hebrews 13:2).

It's Not Just Kids That Can Learn From VBS

Mike Hosey, Elder

In Matthew 5:13 Jesus tells us that his people are salt of the earth. Recently, we defined that to mean that he calls us to be valuable growth agents for his Kingdom. (Listen to that sermon here.)

During Vacation Bible School, Fellowship Church acted as a fantastic growth agent for the kingdom. It was so wonderful to see so many children from our area learning about Jesus! And it was just as wonderful to see so many of our individual members investing themselves in fertilizing these little kingdom shoots! 

Thank you Fellowship Church for being the salt of the earth in Alachua and High Springs.

I'm always amazed at how the lessons for these young ones are good enough for the adults as well.  Take a look at what they learned this week:

1) They learned that God has an ultimate plan to save each individual human from sin, and that His plan included a sacrificial love for humanity.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)."

2) They learned that God has ultimate power to meet the difficulties in our world. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

3) They learned God provides an ultimate rescue from death. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies (John 11:25)."

4) They learned that we can place an ultimate trust in God. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35)."

5) They learned that God expects to us to love others with his ultimate love. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).

So thank you Fellowship Church for doing your part to teach these mighty truths to this next generation of Jesus followers!

Three Habits Every Christian Should Form For A Better Walk

Mike Hosey, Elder

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It  has been said that wisdom is discipline and that discipline is wisdom.  Most of us unconsciously know this truth. 

We know that it is wise to discipline ourselves in every important area of life.  For instance, what happens if we don't discipline ourselves with a budget?

For most of us, our lives would, at best, be less than they should be, and at worst, a disaster!

Well here are some spiritual disciplines to help us be everything we should be in our daily lives -- both spiritually and relationally.

1) Make it a habit to put God first in everything every day. This is a very basic, but very important truth.  If God is not the first priority  for you then someone, or something else will be.  And when that happens, you will begin to serve those things more than God. But you weren't made to serve those things, you were made to serve God.

2) Make it a habit to pray often throughout the day.  Short one sentence prayers like "I love you God, forgive me God, or God give me wisdom," are perfectly fine. Speak to Him when you get up in the morning, and when you go to bed at night. This does two things. First, it allows you to communicate with God, and to foster your relationship with Him. Think about it, how would you feel about your friend, and how would your friend feel about you, if you never spoke to him or her? Second (and perhaps more importantly), it helps to keep God in the forefront of your mind - which helps you maintain habit #1 above.

3)Be committed to others like you are committed to yourself, or as Jesus teaches, love your neighbor like you love yourself. So if you wouldn't let yourself go hungry, try not to let your neighbor go hungry. If you forgive yourself easily, then you should easily forgive your neighbor.

These three disciplines, practiced daily will go a long way to enrich both your relationship with God, as well as your relationship with those around you!

Reminiscing About A Heavy Load

Mike Hosey, Elder

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Last year I hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail with my teenage son, Caleb, and my nephew Justin Avinger.

The trek took us through roughly 60 miles of wilderness.

We began at Amicalola Falls, Georgia, and ended up at Unicoi Gap. In that distance we climbed and descended 13 mountains!

It was at times cold, at other times hot, at one time muddy, rainy, and wet, and at all times physically and mentally demanding.

In the very first leg of our journey we happened upon a laundry bag cast on the side of the trail. It was full of heavy clothes and thick blankets. Odd.

A mile or so further down the trail we came across a heavy cast iron skillet, and some steel cans of dog food. Strange.

Resuming our adventure, we came across more items, usually heavy, and usually abandoned just off of the trail.

Then, as we were descending into a gap between two mountains we came across the folks who had been leaving their stuff behind. A young couple and their dog. They were exhausted. Their dog, with long thick hair ill suited for the Georgia climate, and panting heavily, sprawled himself out before them, clearly as exhausted as they -- if not more so.

Spread around were pieces of gear that betrayed their poor planning - a heavy, pole tent, large thick foam pads, more canned food, and kitchen pots.

Unless you are Paul Bunyan there is no way you can carry all of that stuff through those mountains. With it, you won't reach your destination, and ironically, you won't be comfortable, either. I felt for them because I knew they couldn't make it to the next point, and that they would have to leave all their stuff on the trail and return to start.

They had not counted the cost (Luke 14:28-31).

It reminded me of Hebrews 12:1 which tells us to cast off everything that hinders us in our race. When I read that verse, I now always think of their exhausted faces! And I have to ask, "what hinders me in my race?"