In David Pinckney’s article entitled Survival Tips for Pastoring In Times of Upheaval, he concludes by writing, “He who has entrusted you with his flock will himself shepherd his people, including you!” Since that is true, are you humbly depending on God to shepherd you as you shepherd the flock? Are you availing yourself of his grace as you engage the hard work of small-town pastoring? In order to help you in this, I want to highlight two aspects of God’s good design for ministry that can reconnect you to his crucial, sustaining grace for your ministry.
OFTEN ALONE, BUT NEVER LEFT ON YOUR OWN
Let’s start by being realistic about the task before you. In small-town ministry, you are likely to be a solo pastor or at least have very limited “people resources” around you to help meet the many needs of your church. What’s more, this ministry is presently taking place in a global pandemic which is intensely amplifying many of these needs. In this context, it is extremely tempting to believe the lie that all this ministry work is yours to do on your own. But if you are going to maintain the grace and perspective necessary to keep ministering in these challenging times, you must not lose sight of God as your Shepherd. Yes, you are called to shepherd the flock entrusted to you, but remember that you are doing so as an undershepherd. As such, you are a sheep in need of the very same Shepherd whom you minister to others. In other words, you must be shepherded by God as you shepherd others.
Holding onto this perspective and more importantly, living it out, will attune you to the life-giving reality that you may be alone in ministry, but you are never left on your own. Even when you are the most alone and there is no one encouraging you and laboring by your side, your Shepherd is watching over your life and caring for all your needs. This is the situation Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he surrounded himself with his closest confidants and asked for their support in his greatest hour of need. As each of his disciples succumbed to the weakness of their flesh leaving Jesus alone, he did not consider himself to be left on his own without the help he needed. Instead, he fervently relied upon his Heavenly Father and Keeper who is always alert to our needs and never slumbers nor sleeps.
Following Jesus’ example, it is right and good for you to seek out a few trusted individuals who will walk alongside you, bear your burdens, carefully listen to your struggles, and pray for you in your ministry. But in moments when this is either not available or these people let you down, it is essential that you cry out to your Good Shepherd who is there with you and press into the reality of his care. His good desire is for you to be strengthened and buoyed up by his grace in this way.
CISTERN OR FOUNTAIN?
Not only is it easy to feel like you are on your own in the isolation of small-town ministry, but it is also tempting to frantically run around trying to be enough to meet all your flock’s needs yourself. Of course none of us would overtly claim to be self-reliant or sufficient in and of ourselves, but is this functionally reflected in how you carry out pastoral ministry? God’s Word challenges us to consider whether we have a cistern mentality or a fountain mentality in our approach to him. In Jeremiah 2, God contends with his people regarding two issues: forsaking him, the fountain of living waters, and hewing out cisterns for themselves (v.13). This passage confronts us with our human tendency to trade dependence upon God for reliance upon self. Sadly, we cobble together whatever cistern we can fashion with our human understanding and abilities. But it is not sustainable, and God awakens us to the harsh reality that our self-reliant “cisterns” are broken and can hold no water. Thus, going this way leaves us without the nourishment and help we need from him for life and ministry.
But there is also a wonderful invitation here to abandon our self-reliant attempts, in favor of depending upon the One who is the fountain of living waters. He is a never-ending supply of resources that nourish and sustain us in all that we face. We tap into this as we keep coming back to him to drink anew. He never intends for us to graduate from needing to come to him in this way. Practically, this will involve daily identifying and repenting of any ways you are attempting to be a master cistern builder, able to hold all the water needed to care for yourself and others. Go to God with your thirst and drink up his sustaining provisions through all the means of grace available to you, including talking to him, enjoying his creation, imbibing his Word, and connecting with brothers and sisters in Christ.
A BENEDICTION
I leave you with this benediction from Hebrews 13:20-21: “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Will you look to this great Shepherd to work this in you? As you embrace your intended role of undershepherd and humbly accept your need to always be shepherded by him, your need and his provision are beautifully woven together so you are sustained and satisfied, those in your care are helped and edified, and God is glorified in it all.
For more information about Small Town Summits, including upcoming Summits, click here.
Andy Engert
Andy Engert is the Executive Director at CCEF New England. He received his Master of Arts in counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and has completed numerous CCEF School of Biblical Counseling certificate courses in preparation for becoming a biblical counselor. He has a passion for supporting the church in New England and for helping people find real help in the Lord as they face the significant challenges of life. Andy and his wife, Christine, have three sons, and he also serves as the Music Director at Christ Redeemer Church in Hanover, NH.