Feeding the Feeders

As a leadership team we are working through Marcus Honeysett's helpful book 'Fruitful Leaders' one of the questions it posed us as a leadership was how do those who feed us get fed?  How do we as a church ensure that our pastors are not drained and exhausted by feeding us every week?  It is a brilliant question.  Pastors are privileged to be set aside to devote themselves to studying the bible, praying and preaching but we also need to recognise that can be drained especially at certain times.

We concluded that actually it wasn't something we thought about very much as a church, or as pastors.  We all know that we can feel low and tired and a bit spiritually run down but we do little to address those needs in pastors who are expected to teach us and pastor us.  It is hard as a pastor, especially when you are ministering on your own in a small church to be fed, it is also hard not to cast envious glances (or lingering long looks) at those in team ministry or those working for organisations like UCCF who are brilliant at this sort of feeding, stretching and equipping of its leaders.

Here are some reflections on things that have helped keep me going and fed me as I look to feed others:

1. Gospel Partnership
There are various gospel partnerships which churches can join and which have benefits for pastors.  Last week we had the Yorkshire Evangelical Ministry Assembly which was brilliant.  (Talks are available as MP3's here: http://www.ygp.org.uk/audio.asp .  It is a chance for pastors to get taught, to stand back, to think, to encourage one another and get fresh perspectives and is vital.

But that is only once a year, a new innovation for us in YGP South is our twice yearly training.  Last summer we had a day looking at teaching Deuteronomy, next month we have a day with someone teaching us on 'Preaching to the Heart'.  These times of refreshing and fresh teaching on bible handling and pastoral ministry are vital and refreshing

2. Preaching Group
About every 6 weeks a group of us get together and preach our upcoming sermon and then help one another deconstruct and reconstruct our sermons.  Again we spend time sharing and praying and support one another.  A great reminder, support and chance to be taught God's word afresh.

3. Reading
I'm a voracious reader, I love it and it is vital for my ministry.  It is another opportunity to hear fresh ideas, be stimulated, be reminded, and sometimes when you read something heretical to engage in and sharpen your understanding of God's word.

4. Other Ministry Opportunities
One of the things I have valued most over the last few years has been the chance to preach in CU's.  It is brilliant to be among young keen Christians, especially from a church where our students leave us to go to uni.  It is refreshing to step out of my normal ministry context and see something else entirely, and often be ministered to by the students themselves.  The missions I have been involved in have been a particular blessing to me in refreshing spiritually even whilst tiring physically.

I am incredibly grateful to God for his graciousness in keeping me, in teaching me, in giving me the resources and loving people around me to sustain ministry.  But as I look long term and across the church in the UK I think this is question we need to ask ourselves and our elders and pastors, who is feeding the feeders?