After 26 years in the pastoral ministry, there aren’t too many “firsts” anymore. Long ago I preached my first sermon, conducted my first wedding , and performed my first baptism. I’ve had EMTs arrive for someone having a medical emergency during worship. I’ve conducted a funeral for a family of 5. I’ve had a lot of “firsts.” And now I’ve added a new one—I’ve gone to another church.
I was assigned to Trinity Lutheran Church in Crete, IL and served there for 26 years. I had a number of different roles over the years—youth pastor, part time band director at Illinois Lutheran High School, worship pastor, chaplain, and lead pastor. But a few months ago, I accepted a call to St. Paul’s Lutheran in Muskego, WI. And once again, I’ve had a lot of “firsts”: First time preaching to over 1,000 people (St. Paul’s is BIG). First time meeting a completely new staff. First time moving to a new city with my family. So many new things.
So, what are some lessons I learned? And more importantly for you, what have I learned that can help you or your new pastor adjust to a church?
To make things simple—think of three words: What, Why, and Who.
What
When a pastor arrives at a new church, there can be so many things that are different. Of course there is still worship, Bible classes, catechism class, hospital visits and so much more. But each church does things in unique ways that they have found work best to reach their people and their community.
I’ve asked “what” a lot since I came to my new church. Or maybe “how” is a better word. I preach a sermon. But how do we do that here? In the pulpit? Out of it? With slides? Do we use video illustrations in the sermon?
There are a lot of details in churches—things everyone else knows, except the new guy. I’ve had to ask “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” “Where do I park?” “How many sermons do I need to print out for people to read?” “What’s the budget?” “When do I need the sermon outline in the worship folder by?” … and so many more.
Here’s a suggestion that will show you were prepared to welcome your new pastor—write down the procedures that answer all those questions. Doing this ahead of time shortens the learning curve and lessens the pain and embarrassment of him having to ask over and over again.
Why
Asking why we do things at a new church is maybe even more important than asking what. The “why” gets to the thinking, the philosophy, behind decisions. Philosophy of ministry is probably what makes churches so different from each other.
The longer I’m at my new church, the more I remember and am comfortable with the “what.” But the thing that keeps me in line with everyone else is understanding the “why.” I don’t want to mess things up. So I need to understand the “why.” I know why we did things at my previous church. I was part of the conversations and thought process. Being the new guy, I don’t have that history here. I’ve really grown to appreciate the “why” answers at my new call.
Who
Ministry is all about making relationships and sharing God’s Word. So knowing who your people are is critical. Knowing who you work with is also important. I’ve spent time in the hallways, in social settings, to get to know my fellow staff members and, little by little, the thousands of members at my church.
Knowing and understanding each other is key to doing ministry together. Having both gone through and taught S.H.A.P.E.D. classes at Trinity and now with Faith Unleashed Consulting has helped me tremendously to understand where people are coming from and the conflicts that can arise between different personalities. I know that my lead pastor is a Lion. He likes to get things done, and done now. I am a Beaver. I need details. Knowing those differences means I don’t get upset or anxious when I don’t have the details. It means I know that I need to ask and find out what I need. But I can only do that if I know who to ask.
Challenge
In my ministry I’ve always been part of a staff—multiple pastors. Here at St. Paul’s we have 4 pastors, 4 staff ministers and many others. So I have people I can ask “what, how, and who.” But if you are the sole pastor at a new church, you don’t have that continuity. That means you really have to rely on your leadership. If you have a church secretary, she knows everything about church. Make sure you treat her well. You need her. Maybe have a list of topics and go through a few each time you meet with your church president.
Not My Kingdom
Most importantly, remember, the church is not your church. It’s God’s. You may not like something or be comfortable with something at a new church, but it’s not your church. It’s God’s. Starting a new call requires a lot of humility and confidence. Humility in that you realize there is a lot you don’t know. Confidence not in yourself, but that God has put you at that church, in His kingdom. And He does not leave us alone.
If you are a pastor at a new call or your church has just gotten a new pastor—God’s blessings as you learn and share the what, why, and who of your ministry!
Pastor Italiano was such a blessing at Trinity. Our church grew through his leadership. We started many new ministries. We have a Caring Casserole Commitee to send food for people who are having a difficult time, and a Jesus Cares Class to teach Bible stories and lessons for people with learning disabilities. He also introduced an idea for buying Bibles, marking certain passages, and handing them out to new members.
Thank you for the kind words. None of this would not have been possible without the church using their gifts to serve the church, and with blessing from the Holy Spirit.
I babysat all of Pastor,s kids when they were baby’s