I have never met a preacher who did not prefer to preach to a full house rather than to empty seats. Yet, every summer pastors face the same thing. During the summer months the attendance usually dips as people vacation and busy themselves with other activities. Pastors call this time of the year the "summer slump."
On such Sundays there might be more empty seats than people in attendance. Such times can be demoralizing. Other pastors preach to empty seats weekly in small struggling churches. Such worship services can be discouraging to the pastor and congregation alike.
It is a wonderful thing when the pastor can stand behind the pulpit with a full heart of the love and grace of God along with strong faith to deliver the word of the Lord even if the attendance is low. Such preaching can be blessed of God so mightily in the hearts of those in attendance the impact might be equal to the impact of a full house.
Preachers must keep their eyes set above where Christ is seated and not fixated on empty pews or chairs. If there are only two or three people present God is still in the midst. I have preached to a congregation of one before. Yes, you read that right. One!
That day is etched in my mind. It felt very awkward and of course I toned down the volume and intensity. I did not tone down the content of the scriptures. I taught that one all God had revealed to me earlier that week.
Like the rancher who feeds his cattle, so the preacher must feed the flock. The rancher feeds whether one cow shows up or the whole heard. The pastor must feed the sheep whether it is one individual or a crowded congregation. The size of the crowd should not dictate the fullness of the work of God in a pastor's heart. It does though.
Many pastors get very discouraged with small congregations. If the pastor keeps the heart full of the truth and work of God he cannot help but want to share that excitement with a congregation of a dozen, a hundred or even a thousand folks. God is the same for churches of all sizes.
At the end of the day the pastor will be judged on faithfulness. It is not enough to just preach. The pastor must preach with a heart full of truth and the anointing of God week after week irregardless of the size of the crowd.
No comments:
Post a Comment