4 Signs a Pastor Is Becoming Irrelevant
Being “relevant” as a pastor or church leader has nothing to do with the kind of clothes you wear, how up to date you are on pop culture or what your hair looks like. These are obviously styles and trends that change with the seasons.
What makes that leader “relevant” or able to relate and influence those they lead has everything to do with how close they stay to the calling that Jesus has given us. Obedience is the key. Unhealthy churches are typically led by those who have some way or another drifted over time from that calling. The results are tragic and the communities around many churches continue to spiral downward as a result. Here are 4 Signs A Pastor is Becoming Irrelevant:
All Christian Friends- Let’s just shoot straight here. How can you lead your church to befriend, help and have an impact with people that don’t know Jesus if you are not personally building relationships with people that don’t know Jesus? One big sign that a pastor is becoming irrelevant is when all their friends and even aquaintances are Christians or from their church. The result is a warped view of reality-how real, unchurched people see the world.
No personal ministry- by this I mean you don’t have any ministry that isn’t directly related to your position at your church. This isn’t good and leads to a lot of other things that aren’t good. If you are not meeting opportunities when they arise in your family, neighborhood, and in the community, you are missing out!
Isolated from the world- Generally speaking, you have isolated yourself from anything non-Christian. Jesus said, “Go into the world and make disciples…” You have answered by going “away from the world to spend time with disciples.” People at your church are going to have a tough time relating with you. They need to see your example, as imperfect as it will be. They need to see you engaging in the world!
Heart- Sometimes you can just sense when a pastor or church leader is becoming irrelevant. By that I mean that sometimes you just get a vibe that the heart is not in the right place. The heart is not the heart of Jesus, but something different. Something manufactured. The younger generations sniff this out like a dog sniffs out a rotten fish. People know it isn’t real and they will not want to be a part of whatever this leader is doing or saying.
God’s Word is just as relevant today and completely applicable to the lives in our world. Let’s live it out and see what difference we may be able to make in the lives of those we lead!
What are other signs a church leader or pastor is becoming irrelevant? What can we do to work against the above examples?
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Chad you are so right on this one.
I don’t want to toot my own horn, and say I have all the answers but I noticed this recently within the last 3-4 years and decided on attending a church where there was more community involvement and more attention to the Great Commission.
I have noticed this growing irrelevancey with folks who still attend where I used to go and among other circles, only Christian friends, doing Christian things, creating “clubs”, qualifications, requirements, obligations, expectations that HAVE TO ABIDED BY in order to be a part of this fellowship. So I have observed that those folks are older, fatter, ignorant, aloof; cannot relate to those around them in the community, city, or the world. It’s like they’re living in a bubble, a Christian bubble and instead of reaching out, their lives are dull, insane, and imploding. These people react with surprise when given the idea hanging out with “non believers” and the way the sound comes through their nose when they say it(like an old operator, snooty almost). They’re awestruck with shame to discover one is reaching out to another over a bottle of beer on the porch of their home or enjoying a cigar with someone, or heaven forbid listening to music other than what’s popular on the local Christian radio station. I mean give me a stinkin break!
Yes we are in the world, but we’re not of it, I wanna share the love of Jesus with anyone(who’ll listen)and hopefully he/she has a love void wants to be filled. It may take a short or long period of time to uncover this void, but meanwhile, I want to be out there living my life, meeting people who need Jesus. He’s changed my life and when they realize love and grace make a difference I hope they choose Jesus as their savior! Its an ever changing world out there and we as Christians need to be aware of this and be relevant to the lost. We have the Answer, Jesus.
From reaching out to individuals (Christian or not) I’ve made more friends than I know what to do with, a fuller list of people to call, willing to reach out to others “out there” without prejudice, just unconditional love–because, that’s what people really need, is love!