"I feel like quitting when...."

In one church, I had a godly deacon, no question about his allegiance to the Lord and to the church. He felt it was his divine calling to object to everything the pastor presented. Believe me when I say he meant well. I decided to pay him a visit and run an idea by him. He thought it sounded good. So, I suggested he present it at the next meeting, and I would back him up.

He did. It was his idea. I never had a problem with that deacon again in the 7 years I was pastor. There is always a way around, over or through a problem, and God is good.

Cheers, and never let your day make you, you make your day.

Jim

 

Amen - I feel like quitting when you work and pray and preach the word of God and with folks in a small church plant and rather than stay and help get the church going they run off to a church that has "more to offer."

 

C4K, yes that is always frustrating. People like to go to the big church in town so they can hide, instead of rolling up their sleeves and getting to work to serve the Lord.

 

I guess that maybe I'm the odd ball....
Though I am like everyone else in that I also get discouraged, I've never thought of quitting the pastorate. I figure that it's God's church, and He'll take care of the problems.....I'll do my best to stay faithful to His call; and if He calls me into something different, then I'll go.

I agree with the other pastors that there is heartbreak, discouragement, and other difficulties that are part of being an undershepherd to Our Lord's flock; but I also believe that it is among the highest callings one can have upon their life..........

To paraphrase the US Navy recruiting slogan: "It's not just a job, it's an adventure!"

 

I aint "the" pastor, but I understand the ins and outs of our calling as a family. We get disheartened at seeing people go through the motions of worship week after week. Then hearing "spiritual" people do nothing but criticize things they are unwilling to help with. But we're not gonna quit!

 

We seem to be drawing a division here between those whohave "felt like quitting" and those who haven't.

You notice that those who have "felt like quitting" haven't done so?

Perhaps that their dedication is just as serious as those who have never felt like quitting?

 

I had some of the same concerns in my church as Sularis did, a pastor who wouldn't let people serve and wouldn't listen to the ideas of a little ol' woman like me. It was a difficult decision, but I saw that I was only causing divisiveness and I'd never be comfortable with how the church was run. I found another church where I'm happy to be under my pastor's "Authorituh!", and I am encouraged to serve in ways I've never tried before. I don't want to steer the ship, I just want to help row! The advice given above about asking someone to find a new church has merit. Sometimes there are just personality conflicts that can't be overcome in our sinful state. The pastor has to be the one in charge, so if you're not happy and there is no immoral behavior involved, look around.

 

BeThouMyVision wrote "a pastor who wouldn't let people serve and wouldn't listen to the ideas of a little ol' woman like me," and it reminded me of a church I used to attend.

I was the Assistant to the Children's Minister, and was director of the sixth grade department. There was an older gentleman who taught a class in that group who just always did his own thing, irregardless of what I or the Children's Director recommended, and a it seemed that no matter what the lesson was, he managed to turn it into a put down of people. We tried to talk to him several times, and one day he blurted out. "I am a man, and God never intended for men to listen to women so I'll teach whatever I want to teach." The Associate Pastor told him, "We'd much rather have teachers who taught what GOD wants taught."

Another wonderful Pastor I had (he retired) used to preach, "If you don't like women leading in the church, be the man God wants you to be and lead so they don't have to."

 

I remember being told in my youth, the pastor's job is to preach and lead his way out of a job and move on to fresher pastures.

In other words, preach the word and train the people to manage the work. An ounce of willingness will gain a tonne of benefit.

Success is not always surviving for 30 years in the same church.

Well, TexasSky, you know the scripture: "Here am I Lord, send her....." For many years, it seems, woman were the willinging soldiers to venture the dangerous mission fields to make known the Lord in dark fields. Many a prayerful woman kneeled before her God and upheld the pastor's arms when he was weary in well doing. Rather than complaining that women shouldn't be doing men's work, I praised God that a godly person did fill the void.

Cheers, and God bless,

Jim

 

I feel like quitting when i preach my heart out and get blank stares back in return...which is also what my worship leader tends to get when he leads music, blank stares.

 

In one small church, I had a man who always sat in the back corner pew. He came late and left early. I can't tell you what I thought. I decided to pay him a surprise visit one day. He lived close to the church.

One inside his home, I noticed reminder notes all over the place. I asked if he was forgetful in his senior years. He smiled and said, "Oh no. They are my prayer notes. Each service you reminded us who we were praying for and I made a note for when I got home. See, this is my prayer cushion. I kneel here morning and night and offer these names up in prayer."

I mentioned his leaving early. He said, I am very hard of hearing, and I sit in that back corner pew because the sound is best for me. I arrive late and leave early because I find it hard to communicate with the people owing to my hearing problems.

Long story, short. This was the most godly man I met, and I short-changed him in my thoughts.

I arranged for a hearing test and got him a hearing aid. We also installed a hearing device at the pew where he sat. After 3 years, he finally came before the service started and stayed longer, He began to enjoy the fellowship he missed all those years. Perhaps, we as pastors, miss a lot more than we think.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Yeah, that really stinks, doesnt it bobbyd?

 

Wow...I have a similar experience. Some of the folks sitting in the back and I couldn't figure out why they acted the way they did. I finally figured out after talking to a few of them that they sat in the back because we have a pair of "intercom" type speakers just over the back row and they can hear the speaker (including me) much better - but they were sour about the music because it was "too loud." Those speakers weren't meant to handle anything other than voice, and they sound terrible when music is applied at volume.

And all this time, I just thought they were being contrary...we're getting new speakers...

 

Hey, wish loud music was due to the deaf speakers in the churches I've been in, that way you could get away from it!

When music causes physical pain it is too loud in my own opinion of course.

 

Well, people get used to sitting in their own pew, don't they!...and don't want to move.

Trust me, it was the speakers.

 

"Well, people get used to sitting in their own pew, don't they!...and don't want to move.

Trust me, it was the speakers. "

?? wasn't arguing with your account nor questioning your truthfulness, was complaining about loud music in the churches I've been associated in.

 

yeah we wouldn't want to wake anyone up

 

actually, it has nothing to do with hearing or speakers here.
We are having A/V problems and had to take down our projector and are using a borrowed one from our youth building that has us running powerpoint from the choir loft. I ran powerpoint a few Sunday nights and the same blank faces i get when i preach are there when they sing too.

It was then i figured out why our worship leader often says, "Are you glad to be here this morning? Then tell your faces".