Pastor’s Lesson for the Week
“What Do Pastors Do All Day?”
Have you ever wondered what it is that your pastor actually does?
Last month we started a little series in the newsletter talking about what it is that the minister actually does in a church our size.
Everyone knows that the Pastor preaches, leads meetings, and does things like weddings, but the other stuff we rarely seem to cover.
This is unfortunate because there are many things that I do as your Pastor, and I want you to know about them so that I can be a better resource for you no matter where you are at in your life. Last month we looked at hospital and home visits, this month we are talking about outreach.
Matthew 28:19 is known as the “Great Commission.” In this verse Jesus proclaims “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” It is a command of the highest order from the Lord to go and talk to others about the joy that we have in our hearts… this is what “outreach” is. All of us who call ourselves Christians and take our faith seriously should view ourselves as missionaries in our own individual lives. Only you have your particular set of friends, family members, skills, job trainings, etc. The Lord has molded you perfectly for His greater plan (and your benefit!) to reach the world.
Think of it this way, a plumber will likely be able to reach other plumbers for Jesus better than that plumber’s pastor, even though the plumber may know less scripture. So whether you are a teacher, a stay at home mother, a retired individual, a doctor, or a pastor, you have a calling to use your gifts to reach the world as was commanded in Matthew 28:19. Your humble young pastor is no exception.
Originally when I thought to write this article last month, I was going to share about all the ways in which outreach occurs from your young minister in an official way. Things like making connections with folks outside the church as the church pastor, or leading outreach programs however, are pretty well understood and can be boring to talk about. I will put a little note on this at the bottom of my article in case you do want to know exactly what it is I do.
Rather, I want to share with you how I personally approach talking to folks about Jesus in the non-pastoral capacity in my life so that hopefully you would be inspired to share in ways the Lord has gifted you.
For me, outreach outside of church proper all boils down to three things:
#1 I love the Lord and am willing to talk about Him.
#2 I pray regularly that the Lord would use me wherever I am for His glory.
#3 When an opportunity presents itself to talk about Jesus I try to take it because I love the people I am talking to.
This means that when you see me at the gym or at the grocery store or at the post office that I am not separated from my life in Christ.
The regular conversations that I have may not always deal with Jesus, but there is always a chance that they turn that way. If and when the opportunity arises to talk to someone about what I believe I want to make sure that I share with them the truth. Note that this isn’t just about getting someone to come to our church or something, it instead is about sharing with someone else the soul-changing truth that is the resurrected Christ. Jesus says in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Further Paul encourages us to share our faith in Romans
10:13-14 when he writes “For ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” This is for us a matter of sharing the soul-saving joy that is Christ with those who don’t yet know it. For your pastor (and hopefully for you!) this calling to share Christ doesn’t end at 3:30 or 4:00 when I walk out the door of the church. It is ever present, and it is what we are called to do.
In case you are curious as to what it is that I do outreach wise in an official pastoral capacity, I am mainly involved in communicating with folks in the community and leading outreach programs. A practical example of this would be my involvement with the Kasson and Triton school districts. I am present at those meetings and functions in an official capacity, and so am doing outreach in a way that only a pastor can. Similarly, when I talk about leading any kind of outreach program, I am talking about being present for the things that our church does to connect with the community as the pastor. An example of that would be my presence at the annual Juul Bazaar. I am there to talk to people from the community as the pastor of this church, something only I am able to do because I am in this official position.
Hopefully this helps you to understand what it is that your youthful minister does outreach-wise both within and outside of the church. If you have any questions or would like to know better how you can do outreach in your own life, please feel free to get ahold of me. Next month we will cover how your minister is involved not only in the local United Methodist Church, but also at the larger conference level.
Many Blessings,
Pastor Jacob Hanson
Pastorhanson@kmtel.com
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507-634-7823
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Physical Address: 21927 650th Street
Kasson, MN 55944
Mail to: 801 5th Ave NW
Kasson, MN 55944
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Kasson UMC
KUMC is located just
three blocks west of the Kasson Pool
at 801 5th Ave NW, Kasson MN 55944
Pastor Jake Hanson
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Congregations of faith
Sunday 26 9:00 am Sunday Worship at KUMC 10:00 am Adult Sunday School at Pleasant Corners 10:30 am Sunday School at KUMC 11:00 am Sunday Worship at Pleasant Corners UMC
5:00 pm Worship Music Team
Mon 27 Have a Safe & Reflective Memorial Day!!
The Church Office will be CLOSED