Wayne Hedlund

Pastor Jack Oats

Written by

Wayne Hedlund

in

,
image compliments of Matthew Stumphy

I know you have a given name and title at your church. I’m sure you are proud when you hear them spoken (most of the time at least). However, is it possible that you could also go by the name Pastor Jack Oats. If so, you are very likely ignorant of the fact. If you aren’t ignorant of the fact, then perhaps you need therapy.

OK. That wasn’t very helpful. You are free to go by the name “Pastor Jack Oats” if all or most of the following is true:

  • You preach every Sunday of the year.  Bonus: you lead worship each week too.
  • You teach every Wednesday of the year.
  • You also teach a Sunday School class almost every week.
  • You create the bulletin and/or sermon note-taking guide each week. Bonus: you make the PowerPoint too.
  • You run sound on Sunday mornings.
  • You count the offering each week (with or without someone else present).
  • You are available 24/7 to your congregation in case someone needs to talk.
  • You order and organize the Sunday School curriculum. 
  • You provide ongoing counselling to several people each week.
  • You lead the youth ministry on Friday nights.
  • You created and maintain the church website.
  • You organize and run VBS every summer.
  • You do a lot of the cleaning and mowing around the church. Bonus: shoveling too.
What do you think? Does that hit pretty close to the mark? Does this describe a good chunk of your weekly activities? If so, then I hereby dub you, Pastor Jack Oats. How did I know? Just check out the first word of every bullet above. You.
Andy Stanley has said, “Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing.” 
Here’s the deal, YOU can’t do everything Pastor Jack Oats! (aka: Pastor Jack Of All TradeS)

“WAIT! You don’t understand! I serve in a small church and have to do all of those things!”

I know there’s a chance I may have just offended a few of my readers. Please understand that I’m not trying to offend. I am trying to challenge. I know you have a lot of responsibility and there are a lot of things you need to do. I know that often you are the ONLY person who can or will do them.

However, sometimes it’s easy to get into a rut in thinking that you are the only one. The fact is, if you have a congregation of 12 people, it’s possible to ‘spread the responsibility’ of ministry around. (I didn’t pick the number randomly . . .) I’ve come across a few pastors over the years who:

  • Have gifted people in their church, but don’t think to ask them to serve.
  • Assume everyone is too busy to do some of the things they do.
  • Are afraid to ask others to get involved.
  • Enjoy doing lots of things and are unwilling to give them up to others.
  • Want to be in control and prefer to do things themselves.
  • Don’t trust others to do things the way they want them done.
  • Believe they don’t have time to recruit and train others to do things. It’s easier to do it themselves.
  • Believe they don’t have anyone in their church who can do the necessary tasks.
Friend, if this is you then I urge you to reconsider. There are gems sitting in your pews and in your communities who God has called and gifted to serve His body alongside you. It is His plan that you equip your people to do the ministry. That is what you are called to do. It is a holy and biblical mandate from God himself (remember Ephesians 4:11-13). 

Comments

One response to “Pastor Jack Oats”

  1. Phil Avatar
    Phil

    Excellent challenge Wayne. THANKS!

More posts