Letter to a Future Pastor ~ staff edition

Contained within each faithful response to God’s guidance, is the seed of the next possibility. 

Ruth Haley Barton, in Invitation to Solitude and Silence 

You trust God’s guidance has brought the church to the threshold of a new chapter. In a few weeks’ time the new pastor will arrive in town. Everyone is filled with anticipation, including the church staff.

Naturally news of the new pastor coming leads to a great deal of activity. Eager to make a good impression, the staff busy themselves putting scores of people to work. There are receptions to plan, guests to invite, parties to host, banners to hang, boxes to pack, projects to complete, and newsletters to be sent out. It is a dizzying time. 

Space to pause and reflect on the road ahead can be in short supply, especially for the staff. But a bit of quiet solitude is precisely what their souls probably need most. Time spent pondering what it will be like to work with a new pastor, can be time well spent. 

Here’s an idea: to help spur reflection, you might invite leaders to write a letter to the future pastor. Providing writing prompts can help ~ something I enjoy about working here is…; something I appreciate about our staff culture is…; a hope I have for our work together is... For a copy of my ‘letter to a future pastor’ template contact me or add a comment.

How do you nurture seeds of the next possibility?