Three Big Skills Every Small-Town Pastor Needs to Know

Three Big Skills Every Small-Town Pastor Needs to Know

by | Oct 4, 2021

Ministry in small towns and rural settings requires a special skill set. The congregations tend to be family-sized congregations with a long history but a shrinking impact.  At the same time, the role they occupy in the community is more important than ever.  Especially throughout the pandemic.

In this article I will zero in on three big skills every small-town pastor needs to know plus the #1 trap you must avoid in order to be effective.

The years I spent ministering in an isolated Wyoming community showed me the necessity of these skills.  More than that, their necessity has been confirmed through my work in Creating a Culture of Renewal® in which we serve small town, bi-vocational, and rural pastors (as well as urban and suburban pastors.)

 

Joys and Challenges of Small-Town Ministry

If you’re reading this article, likely you know that ministry in small towns and rural settings is both a joy and a challenge.

First, the joys: folks are committed to the life of the church; they don’t put on pretenses; and they are  resilient.

Next, the challenges. Smaller congregations have needs larger than their church size would indicate.  For instance, their communities have changed through economics, immigration, and age demographics. That means they are probably poorer, more diverse, and less able to reach out to young people and young families than they need to be. At the same time, their resilient congregational culture means they don’t easily change. Finally, they often can’t afford full-time ministers, so it’s harder for them to steer the congregation in a new direction. These hard-to-solve challenges can set you, the small-town pastor, up for a trap.

 

Avoid This Trap

I call this trap the give-more-time trap. This is the number one trap of part time and bi-vocational pastors. It’s based in the belief that if you really cared, or you were really called, that you would do it all: attend every meeting, event, community function and make every pastoral call possible; and that somehow through sheer force of will, you would be able to solve the community’s problems. Even if you’re part time. The other side of the trap is that if you don’t do it all, you are not a “good” pastor.

Both of these are lies.

Don’t fall prey to the give-more-time trap. Buying into it sets you up for over-work, resentment, burn out, and loss of faith. None of these are good outcomes. For you, the congregation, or the community. Forget about being a time-warper. Instead, focus on the following three big skills.

 

Three big skills small town pastors need

Three Big Skills

  1. Lead from the Middle

There are three positions from which to lead:  in front, from behind, and in the middle.  Leading from the front means you are generally moving faster than your people.  Leading from behind means you are either more risk-averse than they are, or slower paced than they are. Honestly, it’s hard to get buy-in when you lead from either of these positions; you are too disconnected from them. Instead, try leading from the middle.

To lead from the middle, find their natural pace of decision-making and speed up the pace one notch.  It’s like driving 5-7 miles over the speed limit. Leading from the middle also means working collaboratively rather than dominating or lagging behind. A great way to do this is to form a Bible study with your key leaders and decision-makers so you have natural points of additional contact with them throughout the week and month.

  1. Train and Empower

Because you can’t solve all the community’s problems—especially if you are part time or bi-vocational–you have to figure out the wisest way to use your time. A close study of the life of Jesus shows that even he didn’t try to do it all.  Instead, he used the bulk of his time to train and empower others. Remember how he sent out the 12 and the 72 ahead of him? By the time Jesus went to the cross, he had people who could carry on his ministry.  Emulate Jesus by training people to preach, teach, pray, exegete the scriptures, and lead meetings.  Then empower them to do so while you coach and encourage, disciple and mentor them.

  1. Be Community-Minded

In small towns and rural settings, the community is the congregation; and the congregation is the community.  When you show up at community events you demonstrate your love and leadership in tangible ways.  While you don’t have to serve on Rotary, volunteer to be the police chaplain, and attend all the hometown sports, do find ways to be present in the lives of the children and youth. In light of the pandemic, offering mental health and grief support may be the most effective way to serve your community at large. Remember, you may be the professional most equipped in your community to address these concerns.

 

Embrace the Joys and the Challenges

Every ministry has its own joys and challenges. The same will be true for you.  When you embrace the three big skills of small-town pastors, you’ll find more joy than challenge.  Have you identified another skill you would recommend?  Or not sure what your next step should be? Reach out for a one-on-one consultation and let’s talk.

 

Copyright © 2021 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.

Women, Leadership, and the B-Word

Women, Leadership, and the B-Word

by | May 6, 2021

Women, Leadership, and the B-Word

 

When a male leader is direct or decisive, he’s often known by a C-word:  Confident.  Competent. Charismatic. He’s prized as a strong, natural leader. Women in leadership, however, are often stuck with a less desirable word. With less desirable connotations.

With Mother’s Day just past, a day that has become not just about honoring our mothers, but about honoring women and their many strengths in general, I had to wonder why this is.

I told my husband about the title of this blog and asked him what he thought the B-word was. He answered tongue in cheek. “Bright?  Balanced? Bold?” I laughed. The truth is, we both know that very often a strong, competent woman is more likely to be known as bossy. Or worse, a b#tch.

Women and the B-Word

Strangely enough, it’s not just men that make these pronouncements. Other women do too.

Experiencing resistance as a Methodist minister myself in the past, I often wonder why women would be wary of female leadership? Is it because women are afraid of their own power?  Is it because women fear the backlash that comes when another woman displays such qualities? Or maybe traditional female gender socialization is so ingrained that it’s simply hard to accept this sort of female leadership.

I’m not sure.  But I do know this.  Women, as well as men, are naturally shaped to be direct, confident, and decisive. As well as tender, compassionate and collaborative. Traditional gender norms tend to skew socially acceptable behaviors. But in studies about personality type, all of the above qualities occur almost equally in both men and women. Moreover, since each of us is made in the likeness of God, there are no mistakes about how we turn out.

Strong, decisive leaders who are confident, competent and charismatic are what the church needs. As well as compassionate and collaborative. And the church needs them in both the female and male versions.

women in leadership

So how do we move beyond the negative monikers of bossy and b#itchy? I have three suggestions for women in the pews, pulpits and communities:

1. Remember the power women from your past. 

Identify women from your past that shaped their families and communities with their insight, intuition, and ability to get things done. You are part of that history. Women have always been leaders, even if not in the public square.

2. Mentor the next generation of women.

Elizabeth supported Mary when they both carried miracle babies who would change the arc of history. Mentor younger and older women in developing their own confidence and skill.

3. Own your inner boss.

Get comfortable with your own power. The power to move a conversation forward, to motivate a congregation, to envision new possibilities. A female colleague gave me a prized mug that says: “I’m not bossy. I am the boss.”

There is one more B-word that is under-used when it comes to women. One we should wholeheartedly embrace: Bishop.

In 2006, I attended an international United Methodist celebration of the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women. All of the female United Methodist bishops in the church were in attendance. They told their stories, spoke on panels, and cheered each other on. I was amazed not only at their leadership, but at their everydayness. Navigating airports on the way back home, I thought about these women. If I had seen any of them without their episcopal robes or name tags, I wouldn’t have known they were bishops. They looked like other women I knew:  grandmothers, mothers, sisters and friends.

The United Methodist Church has come a long way since it consecrated its first female bishop. Even so, both church and society itself need to continue taking the vital steps to truly acknowledging the many women leaders around us. Women who accomplish amazing things in their communities, families, and in the Kin(g)dom of God.

We need you. True, in some settings, you may be thought of as bossy, or even bitchy. But let’s not forget, you may also be thought of as bishop-material.

Chances are, YOU are a leader! Whether clergy, bishop, laity, community advocate, or mom, you’re leading in powerful ways. I hope you’ll join me on my free 90-minute seminar, “How to Create a Culture of Renewal.” You’ll not only be taking the next step in your leadership role but learning the life-giving miracles that renewal can bring.
Three Tips for Church Leaders in Weird and Crazy Times

Three Tips for Church Leaders in Weird and Crazy Times

by | Apr 13, 2021

Three Tips for Church Leaders in Weird and Crazy Times

How do you lead well as a church leader in a weird and crazy world?

Most church leaders were trained to lead congregations during times of relative stability. You knew you would have to work harder than your predecessors to keep and attract young people. You knew you would have to don more hats and roles than those who came before you. You even knew you might have to steward churches through the process of closing their doors. All of that was trying, stressful. But in retrospect, it was easy compared to the times you’re in now.

Today, you are doing all the above while leading congregations through succeeding waves of a global pandemic. At the same time, you’re dealing with ongoing racial reckonings and trying to keep political division from derailing your ability to preach the Gospel.

Seminary didn’t give you a playbook for leading in times like these.

That’s why I’d like to give you three tips for leading in these weird and crazy times. Plus, I’ll share with you the beautiful flip side of weird and crazy. Finally, I want to give you a hint about how long to expect things to be this weird and crazy.

Our spiritual superpower.

Let’s start with the flip side of weird and crazy.

While the world is spiraling out of control, a new era of human cooperation is also taking shape. It’s as unexpected as all the weird and crazy stuff. But it’s the stuff of hope.

The most obvious example is how scientists from around the globe quickly collaborated to produce at least three highly effective vaccines using innovative technology, developed in part through the genius of female scientists. Remember when public health officials speculated that there might never be a vaccine? Now, hundreds of different vaccines are being tested. Crazy, huh?

Less obvious is the way that strangers came together to support people whom they never met. For instance, the crowdfunding site GoFundMe raised $625M in just six months for COVID relief. At the same time, giving to advance racial justice skyrocketed. Meditation groups multiplied all over the world as people brought spirituality into their homes. Online worship numbers soared even as yoga classes, 12-step meetings, and concerts streamed directly into people’s living rooms. Crazy good.

These two extremes—both the chaos and the creativity—remind me of Deuteronomy 30:19: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse: therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.”

That choice is still before us. It will remain a stark set of choices for at least the next five years, a period that correlates with increased solar activity. Solar flares are historically correlated with the highest incidences of human reactivity—like revolution and civil war—as well as equally high incidences of human flourishing—like breakthroughs in the arts and sciences. This time of volatility will last through 2025. So, expect to be working with the energies of change for a while.

Church leadership, a candle symbolizing energies

Church leaders, your role is to channel these energies. Here are three important tips on how to do this.

  1. Don’t underestimate your influence as leader. You have the distinct privilege of channeling these energies. There’s a reason the biblical writer noted that “without a vision the people perish.” Leaders bring vision. Vision paints a positive picture of the future that guides people’s focus, resources, and imagination. Visionless people, on the other hand, wander; they can wander into chaos or creativity.
  2. Use your influence wisely. Actively steer folks toward being spiritually grounded, and emotionally centered. The more self-regulated they are, the more they will be able to tap into creativity and collaboration, instead of chaos and grievance. Capitalize on this season of change by calling your people to their own greatness. They will rise to the occasion and join you in your positive vision.
  3. Declare what you are FOR. When your vision is “against” or “anti” you exacerbate the energies of division. As tempting as it is, don’t go there. Being against something reprehensible may strengthen you, but it also strengthens “them.” When you choose what you are FOR, however, you draw forth the energies of collaboration. When you are FOR something, anyone, even “them” can join in.
Yes, these are weird and crazy times, church leaders. Not only because of the health, economic, and societal challenges we face, but because of how much good is taking place! Share on X

The human family is coming together to create a global network of resilience. Strangers far and wide are eager to help bear one another’s burdens. We finally get how interconnected we are. Faith leader, this is your time to lift up Jesus, his dream of the Kingdom, and the Beloved Community that calls us all.

You don’t have to weather these weird and crazy times alone.  Join me for a free seminar, How to Create a Culture of Renewal, in which you’ll learn the barriers to achieving renewal, the miracles renewal can bring, and how to take your next step—a “must attend” for church leaders.

Believe in Your Potential

Believe in Your Potential

by | Mar 22, 2021

Believe in Your Potential

As vaccinations for Covid become increasingly available and case numbers begin to fall, the many impacts of this virus linger on—the loss of work, the loss of human contact, and, most devastating, the loss of life. With new variants of the virus seemingly hitting the news on a weekly basis, the loss of a predictable future looms large. When will life truly return to normal?

Will life ever return to normal? The uncertainty can be debilitating.

I wonder, though, if this loss of certainty, of predictability, is what Jesus felt as he set his face toward Jerusalem. If so, your Lenten journey is likely more closely aligned with his than ever before.

Jesus had to deepen his faith to make it through an uncertain future. The same is true for you. I want to tell you how Jesus did it, and how you can too.

Believe in your potential

During this 40-day journey, we have been exploring how to expand our faith from simply believing in Jesus to believing like Jesus. This expansion accompanies the move from discipleship to apostleship. Are you ready to take the next step?

Jesus Believed in His Potential

Because Jesus believed that he and the Father were one and that he did nothing apart from the Father, he could maintain an abiding belief in his own potential. In other words, Jesus trusted that with God, he was capable of accomplishing what he had been sent to accomplish. That he could be all he was meant to be. Even on the way to the cross—in the midst of great suffering and uncertainty—Jesus leans into this belief. Listen in as Jesus talks with God: “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17: 1, 4). You can hear the trust and confidence in Jesus’ prayer.

But what does this prayer actually mean? I had to look up glory and glorify to be sure myself. The glory of God refers to the radiant presence of God. To glorify, then, means to confer this quality on another. It’s done as a sign of divine approval. Jesus, through the quiet confidence of his belief, is asking to share in the glorious presence of God as a sign of God’s divine approval.

Soulful Step 

When you are facing extreme uncertainty, belief in your own potential is essential. It is one thing to know that God fully approves of Jesus, and that the Divine presence and radiance is with him. It is another to know that Jesus and God fully approve of you. And that the radiant presence of God dwells within you. Yes, it truly does.

Check this out. After Jesus prays for himself, he reveals his desire for every believer to be welcomed into divine unity. “I have given [all believers] the glory that you have given, that they may be one as we are one.  I in them and you in me.” (John 17:22-23a)

Embrace the Belief

Do you believe that you can fulfill your potential? Or do you wrestle with the 7 fears of highly effective leaders? If fear gets the best of you in uncertain times, you are not alone. So, let me ask you this: Would it make a difference to know that you bear the radiant glory of Christ within you? Not as an afterthought or an earned reward, but simply by virtue of your connection with him? Most of us yearn for God’s “attagirl” or “attaboy.” The scriptures say you have it.

As you embrace this belief, it becomes easier to believe in your own potential. Your ability to do what is in front of you.

Forty Days of Apostleship: Six Soulful Steps to Believe Like Jesus - Rebekah Simon-Peter

Perhaps you have heard of the “human potential movement.” It’s the idea that even ordinary people have extraordinary untapped capacity. While it’s a movement that gained footing in the 70s, it’s actually a biblical concept. If mere fishermen could be trained into apostleship, then you can rise to COVID-19 and the leadership challenges it presents.

The truth is, you not only have untapped human potential, you have untapped spiritual potential. Share on X

Believing like Jesus means that you have divine partnership, your prayers have power, you have superpowers, and a purposeful life. The more you believe like Jesus, the more your spiritual potential begins to take shape.

Apostolic Action: It’s time to let the glory of God shine through you. Co-create a positive future with God, by rising to the challenges that are before you now. Join me on my free online seminar, “How to Create a Culture of Renewal” to reconnect your pandemic-weary congregation to the spiritual values of the gospel.

Finally, practice seeing the glory of God in yourself, and in the people around you.

© Copyright 2021 Rebekah Simon-Peter.  Adapted from the upcoming volume, Believe Like Jesus.