Where did 5 years go?

As of this week I have been the Pastor of Mount Herman Christian Church for five years. It seemed to go by quickly, but much has happened during this time and I can't help but reflect on and evaluate my years here.

Here are some things that have changed:

-  Membership and attendance have dropped significantly since I arrived.

-  We have fewer programs going on at the church than when I arrived.

-  We have less paid staff than when I arrived.

-  We have a smaller budget now than when I arrived, although we have adjusted to live within it.

-  Closely related to the above facts is that it is much more difficult to maintain our facilities now than when I arrived.

-  We have a much more biblically educated congregation than when I arrived.

-  We have less conflict than when I arrived, as many people have matured in their faith and handle problems in a more biblical and graceful way.

-  We are more equipped and enthused for going into the world to reach the lost than when I arrived.

- We have a greater commitment by parents to disciple their children/youth than when I arrived. Parents no longer see children/youth discipleship as primarily the child/youth leaders job.

-  We are far more Gospel centered than when I arrived. Not that the gospel wasn't preached before, but now the person, work and teachings of Jesus Christ are truly at the center of our ministries.

How would I evaluate these past five years? By looking at my job description and seeing if what I have done matches what I was expected to do!

Several scriptures come to mind as I think about my job description:

First, a very general description of the ministry the church is called to carry out, and the leaders (Pastors/Elders) are expected to keep the church focused on:

Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Next, a passage with a little more specifics regarding the role of those called to pastor and teach the church:

Eph. 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Finally, Paul's evaluation of his own ministry:

Acts 20:25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

Have I done what I have been called to do? I have tried, but know I have fallen short in many ways. However, it seems very important that many of the things that could easily be taken as the tests for success, the first five points I mentioned at the beginning for instance, are not really a consideration when evaluating my last five years against the job description I have received from Christ and His word.

Therefore, I can only hope that I have been faithful to the Lord up to this point, and seek to lead and teach the flock at MHCC from His word, to accomplish His purposes as His church in the years to come!

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."