So You Think You've Been Called to be a Pastor?: Pastoring 101 (Encouragement for New Pastors) Inspired words. A workbook. A journal.

By Gwendolyn Wheeler

So You Think You've Been Called to Be a Pastor?: Pastoring 101 is a workbook primarily written for new pastors and ministers who think they have been called to be a pastor. Yet seasoned pastors can benefit from this book as well. Someone said that 50 percent of new pastors give up after their first year. In my humblest opinion, many who feel they are called to be a pastor have never been properly mentored. They are not prepared for the various seasons that will take place within their ministry. Someone needs to tell them about pastoral fluctuations: the bitters and the sweets, the unpredictability of membership and finances, betrayals, apathy, childishness, and the perpetual delays that come with growing a church. By writing this workbook, I have officially accepted the assignment to be that someone. In this age of mega churches with multi-million dollar programs, it is easy for pastors of small churches to feel like failures; we don't measure up. This workbook provides practical information to help pastors successfully navigate through various pastoral seasons. This workbook is divided into fourteen sections. A few sections are: "What to Expect as a New Pastor," "The Danger of Being a Carbon Copy of Someone Else's Ministry," "What Do You Do When the Pews Are Not Full," and "Members Say and Do the Strangest Things." At the end of each section, there is a "Fireside Chat." Various questions will be asked, and I invite you to daily RELAX: R - Rest and renew, E - Eat healthy foods, L - Laugh a lot, A - Ask God (pray always), and X - Xercise your body and mind. There is also a space provided called "My Journal." Write whatever you want. This is a practical handbook that should be given to every new pastor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781641142427

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So You Think You’ve Been Called to Be a Pastor?

Pastoring 101

(Encouragement for New Pastors)

Gwendolyn J. Wheeler

Inspired words. A workbook. A journal.

ISBN 978-1-64114-241-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64114-242-7 (Digital)

Copyright © 2017 by Gwendolyn J. Wheeler

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

296 Chestnut Street

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

This book is dedicated to true pastors everywhere who are appointed, anointed, and sent by God. It doesn’t matter if you felt qualified or what others thought about you. You obeyed our Father’s call.

You may have resisted the call at one point in your life; I know I did. Unlike other pastoral candidates, I did not come into this assignment with rose-colored glasses on. I am a preacher’s kid. Growing up in a pastor’s house gave me firsthand information about how difficult it can be for a pastor. It was more difficult for pastors back then; people didn’t believe pastors should get paid well. When you have a house full of children, that can be really stressful.

In chapter 6 of my book Good Morning World, I Am Here! (Chosen by God to Make a Difference), I wrote these words:

Many people are unpredictable, self-centered, unreliable, unfaithful, immature, and come with a whole lot of baggage. They want you to give them a quick fix and get mad when you are unable to fix the mess they took thirty years to create.

Additionally, you encounter people at the best and worst times of their lives. You bury and marry your members. If you are a hands-on pastor like me, you witness members taking their last breath and then try to comfort family and friends who are torn by their death. You are a coach, a referee, and a therapist. Members fight among themselves and leave the church even though you, the pastor, haven’t done them wrong.

So I congratulate you on sticking it out through your ups and downs, good times and difficult times.

Don’t know where you are on your journey to destiny, but know that the Lord will provide and guide you to wherever He is taking you. He will never leave you alone. We all just have to keep the faith, trust God, and be patient. We will get where we are supposed to be at our appointed time!

Introduction

There are different reasons why people became pastors. Some became pastors because they and other disgruntled members did not like the way their former pastor was leading the church. They were sure they had a better way. Please note: there is a right way and a wrong way to leave a church. If you caused discord before you left that church, you will reap exactly what you have sown.

Then there are those who started a church because some well-meaning person or persons thought they would be the ideal pastor. Unfortunately, those same well-meaning persons might be the first to jump ship when things go wrong. Please note: if you start a church depending on others to support you continuously, you have already set yourself up for failure.

Another group became pastors because their father, uncle, grandfather, husband, or cousin was the pastor of a church and died. They believed they were the most likely candidate to become the successor. Time will either prove or disapprove that theory.

Still, others just thought it seemed like a great idea. They watched others over the years who were pastors of churches, and they felt maybe they should give it a try. My father used to say, If God didn’t send you, the people will send you back.

The last group I want to mention are the ones who became pastors because they were appointed, anointed, and sent by God. It didn’t matter if they felt qualified or what others thought about it. This book is for you, the sent by God.

Many who feel they are called to be a pastor have never been properly mentored. They are not really prepared for the various seasons they will have to walk through or the changes that take place within their ministry. Someone needs to tell them about the ups and the downs, the bitters and the sweets, the twists and the turns, the unpredictability of membership and finances, betrayals, apathy, childishness, and the delays, the delays, and the delays that come with building a church. By writing this book, I have officially accepted the assignment to be that someone.

This book is meant to be exactly what it is called—inspired words, a workbook, and a journal. At the end of each section there is a Fireside Chat. Various questions will be asked after each section. In each section, we invite you to daily RELAX:

R—Rest and renew

E—Eat healthy foods

L—Laugh a lot

A—Ask God (pray always)

X—Xercise your body, Xercise your mind, stretch it a little

At the end of each section, there is space called My Journal. Write whatever you want.

In addition, I have included two Pastoral Addendum Pearls: Ministers Hurt Too, and A Fourteenth Pastoral Luncheon Excerpts.

Section 1

How Do You Know You Are Called to Be a Pastor?

My first question to the pastor-elect is how do you know that God has called you to pastor a church? Make sure you have a confirmation from God, not from well-meaning people. If you receive a prophetical word, it should serve to confirm what God has already spoken to you on the inside. There should be a quiet witness within your spirit and a growing passion with developing gifts.

My journey to becoming a pastor was a twenty-year-plus process. God began dealing with me during my early twenties about building a place of worship, where His presence could heavily abide. The vision would fade and then resurrect again.

In 1987, I was appointed assistant pastor of my brother’s church; I was thirty-three years old. During that same year, I received this prophecy: I see you pastoring your own church and leading the church in worship.

In 1995, during a revival service another prophecy came forth: God is putting something in your hands. They would think it should be given to a man. After the service, I spoke to the evangelist, and he said, You have a pastor’s heart. I was still my brother’s assistant pastor, and I was forty-one years old.

My brother and pastor, Thaddeus J. Wheeler, died in June 1997. Two brothers, Thaddeus and Sherwin, died in 1997, five months apart. The following year, I was fortunate to attend Holy Tabernacle Church in Boston in order to receive healing. It was a safe haven for me, and God allowed me to stay