Leader To Leader Ministries

03/31/2022

One of my favorite pastors is in town this weekend. Tim Kern and wife Melissa pastored the Helena Chi Alpha ministry for several years before moving to Notre Dame and starting a ministry there some years ago. Tim and I shared a special friendship during his years in Helena and got together often for breakfast to encourage and strengthen one another. So good to spend time with this man!

02/23/2022

I just love pastors! They are some of the most delightful, hard-working people I know and often labor without a lot of recognition or fanfare. Of course they’re not in it for applause but serve because of a call on their lives by God Himself, but I still salute them for who they are. This man is Duane Weinmeister and pastors in Boulder, MT. He’s a gentle and loving friend who pursues God with his whole heart and loves his people dearly. He’s also a real cowboy and truly knows his way around horses and the outdoors. So today I honor you Duane! Thanks for being an amazing pastor and friend.

07/23/2021

A GREAT RESOURCE!!
I have heard many excellent preachers and teachers over the years and have learned from each of them. One teacher I heard years ago at a SALT conference (Chi Alpha days at Glacier Bible Camp) is a man named Dean Sherman. His teaching on LOVE, S*X, AND RELATIONSHIPS are still excellent and are a great resource for any leader, particularly those working with youth and young adults. Simply do a Youtube search for Dean Sherman. Good stuff!!

03/17/2021

“Things I’ve learned on the pastoral journey”

Don’t live by “Monday morning numbers”. As I pastored I would receive numbers from my secretary each Monday morning regarding the previous day’s attendance and offerings. If the numbers were good and encouraging, I would be encouraged. But, if the numbers were low, I would tend toward discouragement. Living by Monday’s numbers can be a difficult way for a leader to live.

Now obviously, keeping track of attendance and finances in a church is necessary. If the trend is continually downward attention must be given. However, letting those numbers affect us emotionally is dangerous. And, we are currently in a very interesting time with the Covid situation which has obviously affected church attendance and finances dramatically. My wife and I are presently serving a small rural church while the pastor is taking some much-needed time off. This church has had to go to two services due to county restrictions so you can imagine what a two service requirement has done to a small group. Numbers are low so we have chosen to look past numbers and know that God is present regardless of how many seats are filled. So pastor, whether you preach to thousands, hundreds, dozens, or a handful, be encouraged. Father God is so proud of you!

02/10/2021

I love pastors. Having been a pastor myself for almost 40 years I have met MANY brothers and sisters who have given themselves to this unique calling. They work hard, love God and people passionately, give of themselves sacrificially, and are simply wonderful folks. Here I am pictured with Chad Smith who serves the Chester, MT Assembly of God church. Chad and his wife Jill have dived into this northern Montana community and are doing a superb job of loving and leading people. I thank God for pastors like the Smiths who are God’s gift, according to Eph. 4:11. Many blessings to you Chad and Jill!

10/21/2020

October is Pastor Appreciation Month and I want to express my love and appreciation for Pastor Ken Ross. I met this man in 1977 and he married Corlynn and me in 1979. He has been my pastor, a mentor, my boss (I served on his staff at Helena 1st AG), a member of a church I pastored (after his retirement), and one of my dearest friends. He is a wealth of wisdom and has a rather delightful sense of humor. Pastor Ross (Ken as I now call you) I salute you, honor you, and declare how very much I appreciate you. Thanks for investing in my life over the years. You are truly a gift!!

10/07/2020

October is “Pastor Appreciation Month” and I want to give a word of appreciation to a dear friend of mine who was the first pastor I served with. I was fresh out of Northwest College in 1982 when Pastor Bob Fox took a chance on this young and inexperienced guy and hired me as his music pastor. He not only put me in charge of music but also let me grow in areas of teaching, preaching, counseling, hospital visitation, weddings and funerals, board meetings, and even let me become the church janitor! (Ah, those were the days). Bob loved me and was patient with me as I made mistakes and grew, and today he is one of my dearest friends. Because of his mentoring influence I am able to help younger pastors today become all they can be for Jesus. Pastors, watch for young leaders God brings in your life and honor them by pouring part of you into them. You’ll be blessed in SO many ways. Pastor Bob, I appreciate you!! I love you too.

08/07/2020

“Things I’ve Learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“YOU be in charge of YOUR schedule! Don’t let others make it for you.”

As I pastored I soon discovered people had needs, and most of them seemed like they needed to be dealt with IMMEDIATELY. At least that’s what the needy person communicated. They believed their needs were the most important thing I had to deal with on a given day and some were offended when I didn’t drop everything to come to their aid.

Now obviously emergencies happen, and emergencies usually need to be dealt with very quickly. Pastors understand this and will help in any way possible. But, the situation that has been simmering for years (marital strife, financial problems, work situations, etc.) can probably be discussed at a scheduled future date instead of RIGHT NOW!!

07/28/2020

“Things I’ve learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“Keep dreaming! Set aside seasons for getting away (privately or with others) for dreaming.”

Churches run on schedules. Weekly schedules, seasonal schedules, holiday schedules, etc. And then there’s the matter of “Sunday is a-comin’!” In other words, there is always something to prepare for, especially the next Lord’s Day as we call it. I discovered it was so easy to get caught up in schedules and keeping the machinery running that time for hearing from God and simply dreaming of the amazing things he wants to do sometimes went far down on the list.

Finally I began setting aside specific time to dream. Sometimes it was getting away for a few days by myself and listening to God. Other times it was getting away with staff or the leadership team to talk about great possibilities. Times like these are invaluable for keeping the BIG picture in mind.

So pastor, take time to dream. And dream BIG dreams because we serve such an amazing Father. God will drop a dream in your heart that will amaze you!

07/23/2020

“Things I’ve learned on the Pastoral Journey”

Be Yourself. Yes, be yourself. God only made one of you and he did so on purpose. He chose you to be who he made you to be. He wired you uniquely and you are the exact person he wanted you to be.

Recently I watched a video of the great Eugene Peterson being interviewed and he put it this way: “Authenticity is being content to be yourself, not someone else. There has been no one else like you from the foundation of the world.”

I love that! Sometimes it is tempting to try to be someone else, especially someone who seems to be very successful and is enjoying great favor. Now obviously we can learn from others and it is not wrong to try things others are doing as we are led by the Spirit of God to do so. There is great benefit in being teachable! But, you are who you are. God put you together in such an amazing way (Psalm 139) and is absolutely delighted with you. So dear friend, walk in the assurance that you are SO special to the Father who loves you and has called you for a very unique and wonderful purpose! Be Yourself!

07/08/2020

“Things I’ve learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“Be careful who you share your heart (deepest thoughts and desires) with. Only share with a select and trusted few.”

I tend to be a pretty open person. I enjoy developing deep friendships and often that has included sharing personal thoughts and desires. However, over time I discovered that was not always a wise thing to do. Sharing in that manner sometimes came back to cause pain.
Jesus said “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet.” (Matt. 7:6 NKJV). Now please understand I am NOT calling people dogs or swine. Never! However, it is vital that we treat precious things like our personal ideas, emotions, and deepest thoughts with great care. Make sure that the person you share these with can be trusted, and as you walk carefully in relationships and choose wisely who you share with, God will bless you greatly. Pastors need people to share with too!

06/22/2020

“Things I’ve learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“Daily time (intimacy) with the Lord is a must for every Christian, but especially for leaders.”

Time spent reading the Word, worshiping, and praying (with MUCH ‘listening prayer’) are so vital in order to stay sharp in ministry. Leaders speak out of their own relationship with Father God and when that relationship is strong they can truly lead well.
Oh, but this takes time. Time that is dedicated daily to God and him alone. And, daily time in the Word does NOT mean when you’re looking for your next sermon. No, it is time when Holy Spirit simply speaks from the eternal Word into your own spirit. So grab a cup of coffee and spend time with the One who loves you most!

06/09/2020

“Things I’ve Learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“Not every question needs an immediate answer.” Early in my ministry years I thought I’d better have an answer to every question that came up and have it right now. After all, I was a pastor and people expected me to know things and to have the correct answer! Ha!! That’s a laugh isn’t it? It took me a few years to finally realize I don’t have all the answers and never will. Some questions need to be handled thoughtfully and prayerfully and can be answered at a later time instead of off the cuff. And frankly, it’s also o.k. to say “I don’t know” when I don’t know. After all, NO ONE has all the answers except the One we serve.

06/08/2020

“Things I’ve Learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“Keep Marriage and family before the church.” Again, this seems like common sense but sadly I’ve seen and heard of many leaders who put the church first in all they did. The church came first in their scheduling, their energies, their thoughts, their planning, etc. And later of course they came to regret it deeply as it took a toll on their relationships with their children and even on their marriage.
We always attended our Network Pastor’s Retreat which came under a variety of names over the years but was an annual gathering for pastors and their spouse. Occasionally (not always of course) the speakers would mention a shortcoming of theirs being they put the church first and family/marriage came a distant second, and they paid dearly for it. After hearing that a few times I determined to not let that happen in our lives. Oh, of course there are seasons in church life where busyness happens and there is great demand on our time. But, when that becomes a regular lifestyle instead of an occasional happening it is a HUGE warning sign that change needs to occur. Pastor, God has gifted most of us with a wonderful spouse and family. Guard those relationships jealously! The rewards are great.

05/29/2020

“Things I’ve Learned on the Pastoral Journey”

“Don’t fear man, fear God only.” This is such a basic truth that should be recognized easily. What can man do to me when I serve Almighty God? However, I discovered the longer I pastored the more this became an issue in my leadership. Sometimes when people didn’t agree with me on an issue, or didn’t like a decision church leadership made they would pull out their trump card and threaten to leave the church. And of course their possible leaving would affect many areas of church life: general morale, attendance, finances, etc. So, I sometimes found myself bending to their wishes whether I wanted to or not. That’s called “fear of man.” And guess what. They often left anyway, even though we gave in to their wishes.
Oh pastor, I urge you to stand strong and never bow to this fear. It will only bring heartache and will never bring health to the church. God indeed is greater than any person and He is the ONLY ONE we should fear. And remember, He will supply every need!

05/29/2020

Several months ago a young man who was just finishing ministry training contacted me and asked me to share with him some things I’ve learned while pastoring. He gave me a couple of days to think and pray about it so I took him seriously and did so. Since then I’ve discovered the list is a “living document”. In other words, I add to it as things come to mind.
Pastoring is a joy, but there are also a few pitfalls to avoid. I’m going to share from my list from time to time. Some will be helpful, others not so much, but experience is a great teacher and perhaps I can be of encouragement to someone along the way. Remember leader, God is FOR YOU and is so grateful you answered His call.

05/29/2020

This sad story is one of many reasons we are offering Leader To Leader Ministries. Oh I realize this is an extreme situation and most pastors are not considering su***de, but the truth of the matter is that most of us as leaders have struggled at times with the pressures of ministry and have experienced a “dark night of the soul.” So, my reminder to each leader who may be reading this is that God is FOR YOU. He has called you and equipped you and is going ahead of you to make a way. Be encouraged dear pastor - Father God is so pleased with you!!

"His influence and impact cannot be measured."

04/28/2020

Pastoring. What a calling! To shepherd, teach, mentor, prepare, listen, pray, lead, cast vision, laugh, weep, comfort, lay awake, study, manage, and wonder if you’re doing any of these right. And very likely do several if not all of these in any 24 hour period. Yes, it is quite a calling to pastor a church made up of wonderfully imperfect people and to know that God chose you, a wonderfully imperfect human being to lead this bunch. But call us he did and he promises to never leave us or forsake us. So we press on amidst an ever-changing culture with the timeless message that God IS love, and there’s nothing we can do to get him to love us any more than he does right now.
So join me from time to time on this Leader to Leader page as I write about the joys and challenges of being a leader in the church. My goal is to be open and candid with fellow pastors as we walk this road together, and I welcome your input. Remember pastor, you are called of God and he’s so very proud of you!