Psalm 23 draws a beautiful picture of a shepherd taking care of his sheep. Across dangerous terrain, unyielding environmental conditions and predictable predatory behavior, the shepherd faithfully stays with the sheep. The sheep depend on the shepherd, and the shepherd depends on the sheep. This image can be applied easily to the relationship between congregations and the pastor.
The shepherd takes care of the sheep, but who takes care of the shepherd? God most certainly provides for shepherds, but does that exempt the congregation from participating? Beyond salary and the occasional sabbatical, I hope we learn there are other ways to take care of those who have cared for our souls.
Pray for pastors.
Members of a local congregation can provide care for their pastors by praying big, wide and deep. Pastors have a specific role in the life of Christians, and Christians can pray in specific ways for their pastors.
Pray with depth and substance for them and their families. Pray for their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Pray God will guard their hearts and minds from dangerous devices and distractions.
Designate days of the week to pray for specific areas of their relationship with God, family and the church body. Each day, pray for a different aspect of their lives, such as discernment, personal devotion, how they minister to others and God’s anointing to preach the gospel.
Pastors intercede for the congregation daily. Let us return that energy by praying cheerfully for them and their families. We expect a lot from our pastors. May our prayers for them go even further.
Guard their sacred spaces.
Protect their sacred spaces—their time with God, self and family. Give them time to sit with God in prayer, meditation and study.
On Sunday morning, make room between their arrival to the building and the start of worship for them to spend time with God. They can get pulled in many directions in the space between their study, the sanctuary and the pulpit. Guard their steps between, so they can stay engaged intimately with the Holy Spirit. You can honor God by protecting the time he has given them to be with him.
The pastor’s family also is a sacred space. Bless them with the room to be present consistently with their family. Give pastors room for refreshment and recreation.
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Congregations expect their pastors to be “on” at all times. Establish a respectable distance where they have space as a person without the weight of being your pastor. Congregations do not own them. They belong to God alone.
Encourage them to take time for activities they enjoy. Many pastors have a day of the week they use for sabbath, but it frequently gets filled with pastoral duties. Honor this time and help them protect it.
Give them grace.
Give grace to your pastor. Pastors are not perfect and will make mistakes. Pastors have problems of their own to manage, while also taking on the weight of everyone else’s problems.
Pastors serve others daily, while they are wounded and exhausted from their own journey. There are many times when pastors need help. By sharing grace, the congregation is affirming it is OK for pastors not to be OK all the time. Grace is the chance to get better.
Get to know them.
Get to know your pastor. The journey of a pastor is a lonely one. They lead the hard conversations. They make tough turns to unpopular decisions.
Along this journey, you are not trying to become best friends. You want to know them well enough that you learn about them and how to help them. Learn by listening and observing.
You may have observed preaching is of the utmost importance to many pastors. One way to help them stretch the preaching beyond worship is to share sermon highlights in daily conversations with others.
Listening and observing also reveals how to encourage them. You can invest in their continual learning as a means of encouragement. You also can offer encouragement by sharing with them how God has been moving in your life and leading you. Let them see the fruit the Spirit is producing while under their care.
Getting to know your pastor is not about proximity and favor. Getting to know your pastor is about learning how God has placed you there uniquely to share in the privilege of kingdom work.
Serve in ministry.
A pastor’s nature is to take care of the souls of God’s people, and they model this daily. We can help further this care by modeling sacred care to the pastor and the people around us. You can help by serving in a ministry and volunteering in various activities. By serving, you are participating in God’s great work on earth.
As a member of the local body of Christ, you are one of many who can go beyond the walls and help make every space better. Share the promises of God with others, just as your pastor has shared in taking care of you.
Mahcoe Mikel holds a Master of Arts in Christian ministry degree from Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. He serves as campus minister at Westpark Springs Rehabilitation Hospital in Richmond, Texas. The views expressed are those solely of the author.
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