The Little Things

I have been trying to do the following little actions while I am the interim pastor of this small coastal church.


Although I have thoroughly enjoyed myself up to now, and I have surprisingly learned a few things about myself and my God; my wife and I are still operating on the assumption that our tenure there is only until the end of June. And that means that there is not a whole lot of time to accomplished what God would have us do.

So, that means we have to be quite focused and intentional in regards to ministry. Their initial need in a pastor that they wanted filled was, in this order, to show pastoral care as a shepherd, to be strong as a preacher, and finally to be able to conduct out reach.

I set up a visitation sheet for the members in which to sign up. Since I am only there from Friday through Sunday, this sheet would give me the ability to visit those who desired one on one time with the pastor. To date, there have only been four who have utilized the sign up sheet, but hopefully in time more will use the sign up list. And for those who thought the wanted a pastor who would visit his members, the sheet shows my attempt in this area.

They also wanted someone who was a strong preacher or speaker. This is the area I am the most confident in. I am not saying that I am wonderful at speaking, but I try very hard to communicate clearly and in a way that can be understood. And apparently I have a lot of stories to share. I make sure every word is thought out and either used or not used depending upon the need.

The third is outreach. How this small band of believers can effectively be light to a community who thinks differently than they do is the challenge. Since the holidays are upon us, this is a natural time for reaching other people. But when January comes, our church will have to intentionally focus on reaching a people who do not know Jesus.

But now, back to the little things. And I know that they may, on the surface, seem insignificant, but I pray that they are being useful.

1. Since I am only there on the weekends for face to face, I have started e-mailing the people who attend our church, at least those with e-mails, a couple of Bible verses with a little commentary on my part. I call it “Mid-Week Musings of the Minister”. I am picking verses in the Psalms. My intent is to share comfort, give encouragement, and show how much God care about us.

2. Every week, before Sunday morning, I will write a note on the dry erase boards in the children’s and youth classroom. It is usually something short like, “Hey, don’t forget you are loved by the King”, but I think and hope they like it.

3. On Saturday, I have been walking the sanctuary and looking at each seat that will be available for the service on the next day and I say a quick prayer that the Lord would bless those who will come and sit. I also pray that I would be able to communicate His word accurately and clearly.

4. Even though for most of the time we have been at the coast, we have experienced a lot of wind and rain, I have been able to walk the few short blocks to the church building from the cottage where we are staying. The bad weather seems to take a break at the time I need to leave. Well so far, anyway. When I arrive at the church, I stop at the sign where there is a small red cross sticking up from the top of the sign, and I pray. I pray for the service to come, for the people attending the service, for the people leading the service, and for the people who won’t be there at the service. I pray that we will be used to honor God.

5. After I arrive at the church building on Sunday morning, I will go into the study and listen to one of these songs. And with decent volume, I might add. “It is You” by Newsboys; “Jesus Messiah” by Chris Tomlin; “Let the Worshippers Arise” by Phillips, Craig, and Dean; or “I See You” by Rich Mullins.

There you have it. Little things I know. And the ramifications of those little things are yet to be determined, but they are something that I believe are important. Perhaps, it is the little things in life that set the stage for the great things that will happen.
So, my advice to you is, “Stay little, stay strong!”