PastorMentor.com

Top 10 Things Pastors Would Like to Hear from Their People

The majority of Christendom has no idea what it’s like to be a pastor. Pastors think a lot about the words they use, and about the words they hope others will use. I figure Letterman will never get around to this, so I’ve developed the list. In case you’ve ever wondered, here are some of the words pastors dream about hearing. Some of them are tongue-in-cheek; others are straight from the heart. I'm sure you can improve the list. (Post yours below.) Enjoy:

10. “Last week we read that the pastor who preaches and teaches is worthy of double honor, so we’re doubling your salary.”

9. “We’ve funded a line item to send your kids to college. There’s enough for each of them to attend Harvard. While we were at it, we’re paying for your doctorate - and for your wife to get her Masters degree.”

8. “The President’s secretary called. He wants you to do the Invocation for his inauguration. He told me he thinks you’re the next Rick Warren.”

7. “Look Pastor! Outreach Magazine put you on their cover this month!”

6. “Zondervan just called. They want to make your latest sermon series into a book. They’re pretty sure it will be a best-seller.”

5. “Pastor, your sermon last Sunday was better than Billy Graham.”

4. “You’re the godliest man I know.”

3. “We think you’ve earned a six month Sabbatical. The first three months will be in Hawaii. We hope you’ll use the other three months to write a book – which we’ll make sure gets published. We know you’ll be hard to replace in the pulpit, so we’ve convinced Chuck Swindoll to fill in while you’re away.”

2. “Every member of my family has come to Christ now, thanks to you.”

1. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Hal’s newest book The Bible Questions comes out this September. He’s praying it will launch a Bible reading revolution among seekers and believers alike, and is hoping you and your church will join New Song for this six-week Church-Wide Campaign. Go to http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Questions-Shedding-Important/dp/0830856129/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332286835&sr=1-2 to pre-order, or visit www.pastormentor.com in July for quantity discounts and Campaign materials.

Here's the FOREWORD to My Next Book - with thanks to Sergio De La Mora

This coming August, InterVarsity Press will release my newest book, The Bible Questions. I'm praying it introduces thousands who have never read Scripture to the wonders of God's Word, and inspires tens of thousands of believers to develop regular Bible study habits. Today, my friend Sergio De La Mora finished the Foreword to the book. I think I can show it to you without breaking copywrite. So here it is, with deepest thanks to Sergio:

FOREWORD:
On every level of humanity, there is a deep yearning within us. We want to know more than what we can see and understand at face value. And on no other platform do we encounter more questions than in the confines of faith-questions that stem from our profound longing to further grasp what my good friend Hal Seed refers to as "the bigger picture of God and the Bible."

Every one of us seeks answers to the questions that arise from our beliefs. We thirst for understanding, development and maturity . Most people would openly admit that their greatest desire in reading the Bible is not just to know something but to be known by someone. When we admit this, we arrive at a place where answers are found; but more than that, an intimate, fulfilling and lifelong relationship with God is discovered. This process of discovery is the ultimate goal of not just the Bible, but also Hal´s book The Bible Questions .

The Bible Questions is more than simply a reference book or study guide. It´s a deeply thought-provoking and theologically sound manuscript that leads you through a historical journey and helps you discover the tools to answer some of the most poignant and philosophical questions we have asked since the beginning of our existence. The Bible Questions provides the fundamental keys to helping us answer the what, why and how of our own story with God.

Through meticulous detail of historical facts and brilliantly inspired personal insight, Hal invites readers to begin to experience the Bible for themselves and unlock the incredible wisdom and practical knowledge found within. As a pastor and friend, I thank God for Hal´s theological and doctrinal strength and for his commitment to help people think accurately about God.

As you make your way through this book, see it as a journey toward a greater sense of honor and reverence for the authenticity and authority of the Bible. Commit to give your best, and I believe God will give you his best through every revelation in his Word. Begin today to unlock the mysteries of the greatest book in history as you turn the page and answer The Bible Questions.

Come on somebody!

Sergio De La Mora, lead pastor, Cornerstone Church of San Diego, and author, The Heart Revolution

Forecasting

One of the great tools in every communicator’s box is the forecast. People want to know what you’re about to say. Forecasts are so important that service organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis spend up to one-third of each meeting telling you what’s coming in the next meeting. And these clubs require their members to attend.

 

The forecast formats people’s mental disks so they can receive and store what’s coming. “Ah! Now I know what I’m listening for!”

 

I try to forecast for my audience within the first 3-4 minutes of every sermon. My general pattern is to begin with something that will get them interested – a compelling illustration, story, fact, or slice of humor. I then segue to why they need to hear what I’m about to say. This first movement of a message is completed when I tell them what I’m going to be telling them: “So we’re going to cover just exactly that today. If you’ll get out your Message Notes, I want to show you XYZ.”

 

If you want to hold your audience, forecast what’s coming in your message. If you want them to return, end your service or time together by forecasting what’s coming next week.

The First Two Questions

The first two questions every listener asks of a speaker are (1) Why do I want to listen to you today? And (2) What are you going to tell me?

 

Until you can answer those for me, I have no reason to listen and no framework for capturing what you’re going to tell me.

 

Great communicators know they have between 30 and 45 seconds to capture their audience. So come out of the blocks with a compelling story, illustration, fact, principle, or – best of all – a humorous slice of life that gets people laughing, loosens them up, and leaves them vulnerable to what you’ve got to say.

 

Here’s an example. During church yesterday, the guy who did our announcements ended with this: “Yesterday I was in Barnes and Noble. I picked up a book called, ‘Dog and Cat Theology.’ The book said, ‘Dogs think, ‘”You love me, you feed me, you serve me, you must be God!”’ ‘Cats think, ‘”You love me, you feed me, you serve me, I must be God!”’ Let’s worship like dogs today!” We laughed, and then dove into worship with greater focus and appreciation.

 

With so many blogs out there, what do I want to contribute? My focus is on helping church leaders improve on the big and little things that move a ministry from good to compelling. I hope to help you enlarge the kingdom of God wherever you serve.