As pastor, I believe my ministerial priorities are:

To bring God's "good news" to a hurting, dying, helpless world.
To see people saved and set free from the bondage of sin by God's mighty power.
To help new believers experience all God's fullness in ever-increasing measure day after day.
To help God's people together to be a living body of Christ in the community I live in, by doing our day what Jesus did in His day.
To help the church keep it?s focus on Jesus, by knowing Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death.

As my priorities, these things help me to keep my focus on my purpose.It is easy to become primarily involved with administering the organization instead of ensuring that each member was growing in Christ.I could give myself to building buildings instead of building homes and families in the experience of the fullness of God.I could spend time teaching methods rather than teaching "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).I could spend so much time "counseling" that I would have little or no time for "prayer and the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4).

Buildings, budgets, committees, planning and personal counseling are necessary, but they are never primary.God's people and what is happening in their lives is primary, with Christ having preeminence in all things.

As a believer in Christ, I hold in my life what God wants for every person.The world cannot give it; it is mine to share and to enjoy.I must always guard my heart and life and never cloud or lose my purpose.

My job is to ..

• Shepherd the flock
• Provide spiritual oversight
• Lead as a mature man of God
• Be a faithful steward of the ministry entrusted to me by God

PERSONAL PRIORITIES AS A PASTOR IN A NEW PLACE...AND WHY?

Consider God-centered questions such as ....

• What has God been doing in this place?
• Where has God brought these people for whom His Son died?
• What has God been saying to them?

It is not up to me to bring my program, methods or vision to the people.I am to remember that I am the steward but that God is the owner. I am called by God to join Him in what He has been doing, and now wants to do through me for them.

So I keep the following in mind ....

• God has been working in His people long before He calls me there.
• God was working with these people under the former pastor before I arrived.
• Listen to the people as they express what they honestly believe God has been doing and saying to them.
• Affirm everything I possibly can.
• Honor the Lord Himself who has been doing it all
• Be a "spiritual catalyst" to help bring about the deepest possible experience with the Living Christ.
• Be careful to ....

• Preach faithfully the Word of God

• Pray earnestly for each of the members, and especially to seek the assistance of the Holy Spirit as I pray

• Love people deeply as I do the Lord

• Seek earnestly the fruit of the Spirit

• Function always with a deep sense of stewardship's of the people of God, whom He purchased with His own blood and loves as His treasured possession.

Passages that guide me ....

Deut 4:9Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.

Pro 4:23Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Pro 4:24-27Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech[8][Or lips ] far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze[9][Or eyelids ] be fixed straight in front of you.
²⁶ Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

I Tim 3:2-7An[Lit The ] overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not addicted to wine or[Lit not ] pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
4He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
6and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred[Lit of the devil ] by the devil.
7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Col 3:17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Pro 28:13He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

I must guard my heart and nourish my soul so that I can do all I do from the over flow of my walk with the Lord.Healthy pastor - healthy church. 

A healthy church is comprised of "healthy" believers in Christ.This is accomplished through strong, strategic discipleship process.

What does this look like, when it works

• True discipleship produces total personal transformation, not mere assimilation into a community of church members.
• True discipleship is witnessed by people who are determined to be a blessing to others ? people who are never content to simply accept and enjoy God?s blessings. 
• True discipleship creates Christians who aggressively pursue spiritual growth rather than passively experience spiritual evolution. 
• True discipleship spawns individuals who develop renewed lifestyles instead of believers who mechanically check off completed assignments on a developmental agenda. 
• True discipleship results in people who are more concerned about the quality of their character than the extent of their knowledge. True discipleship builds churches known for their culture of love, commitment, and service rather than for their events, information and programs. 
• True discipleship facilitates people devotes to a lifelong journey to imitate Jesus Christ rather than completion of a short-term regimen of tasks and responsibilities. 

John 15:7-13

A disciple is someone who:

1. Remains in Christ through the Word and PrayerV. 7
2. Bears much fruitV. 8
3. Demonstrates love and obedienceV. 9-10
4. Radiates joyV.11
5. Loves others as Christ loves V. 12-13

What it looks like:

Acts 2:42-47

Teaches us how God builds strong churches through:

• Teaching
• Prayer
• Community
• Outreach
• Worship

What do I want our "disciples" to look like in the Church?

• Read the Bible daily (five chapters)
• Have a growing relationship with Christ in Prayer and Sharing
• Have a clear grasp of the basic, orthodox statements of the Christian faith and be able to apply them to your daily living 
• Be a member of a small group that meets regularly
• Attend and participate, regularly, in public worship and apply the truth to your personal life
• Share your spiritual gifts with the congregation
• Bring your financial resources to God in tithing and offerings
• Experience the joy of Christ in an atmosphere of love, acceptance and forgiveness
• Become bringers and includers,