I Tried to Slip By

I was keeping very quiet about our approaching 5th anniversary with Dublin Bible Church. I figured that if I didn't say anything, no one would notice, and no one would make a fuss. I want to be very conscientious about a church busying themselves with loving Christ and loving one another rather than putting too much focus on the pastor. We've all seen unhealthy situations where the church had an imbalanced sense of the pastor's role.

However, my aversion to a fuss is a poor excuse to not celebrate what God has done in the last 5 years.

I am grateful to all the co-conspirators, of whom Debbi and Betty Ann are the chiefest, for the Christ-focused, well-done video shown in church last Sunday. God is indeed at work at DBC, and it was uplifting to celebrate what He has been doing among us. But it's not because of anyone you hired - it is because He is sovereign and because the people of DBC are making themselves available to His work in their lives. That's where credit is due.

I said before, and I repeat it here: The most that can be accomplished in ministry is to help other people get into that place where God is at work in their lives. Perhaps that work is to build up what needs to be built up, perhaps that work is to tear down what needs to be torn down, but always that work is good. A pastor can accomplish no more than this, but if he does, he has accomplished much.

It is a greater privilege than you realize to help people at DBC get into that place and then to sit back and watch God work. I truly get more satisfaction and sense of accomplishment by watching God at work in you than by any words or gestures of gratitude. In other words, if you really want to encourage your pastor, grow in and humbly serve Christ! Be busy about knowing Jesus personally - that's far greater than any pat on the back could ever accomplish.

Thank you for being tolerant of crazy ideas gone awry, jokes that have fallen flat, words that could never quite find their way out of my mouth, and holes in the set of skills pastors "ought" to have. You have truly been gracious and forgiving. You have been generous with the pats on the back and stingy with the kicks on the backside. (Although, a few well-placed kicks are vital to keep your pastor sharp!)

Also, much of what has been good at DBC over these last several years is the product of hard work, sacrifice, and an unfailing commitment to pray on behalf of your Elders. The "front man" gets a lot of credit for what they have worked hard to accomplish. There is little I can point to that has been good in DBC that doesn't have the Elders fingerprints on it. They should know that you know this to be true - so tell them!

Please also remember to thank and encourage our other staff and volunteers. There is so much work being done by those crews that don't get the spotlight as much. The less visible, harder working saints need even more of your appreciation than those who are easier to notice. Please don't forget them in your prayers, and in your acts of appreciation. More often than not, their work is the "front edge" of ministry, where the Word is brought face-to-face with real lives.