Pastoring In A Pandemic Podcast

Welcome to thinking out loud with PJ

A podcast that explores the mind and heart of a pastor.

My goal is to help you take the next step in your christian growth and the next step in your christian service.

1 Cor 1:26 says Consider your calling.

Look around you - God didn’t call many wise or mighty or noble.

God called the fools. - God called the regular people like you and I.

Look around and realize nobody else is coming to do the job.

It’s time for you to step up and be a disciple of Christ and a disciple maker for Christ!

That’s what this podcast is all about and that’s what we are going to talk about today.

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Thinking out loud allows me to do just that - think out loud with you about whatever is on my heart.

Pastoring in a pandemic has not been fun.

When we were not meeting in person for church it was some of the busiest days of ministry.

It was definitely the most stressful.

Not only did I have my normal responsibilities as a pastor.

But - I was trying to shepherd my people through difficult times when I couldn’t be with them.

We were live streaming daily.

I was trying to learn life streaming and talking to a camera.

We were starting things like online giving.

Plus the overall concern for my flock went up.

I didn’t even realize it but I was working 12-14 hour days.

I was incredibly relieved to get back to meeting in person.

Yet for our church the pandemic was not bad - we are thriving!

We had spiritual mentoring relationships born.

Others were strengthened.

I watched our people take care of each other.

When we came back together, we found several new families that are regularly attending.

We continue to live stream and reach more people than we would imagine.

Not to mention this! (YouTube / Podcast)

However, as the cases of COVID began to rise in Michigan and more restrictions were looming...

The weight began to come back.

That same burden I felt before.

Knowing some people will think we should have church.

Others think we shouldn’t

Some may be unemployed.

Then we had people in our church testing positive and we made the decision to do a Sunday online only.

I could really feel it.

I started asking all the same questions again.

Why me - I’m a pretty simple guy - you need to be pretty smart to lead through times like this.

Why, of all the times, did God choose now to make me a lead pastor.

How would I ever be able to sustain leadership through another round of this?

I am not good enough for this.

I am not cut out for this.

There must be others who would be better fit for this.

A record number of Pastors are leaving the ministry.

Then the still small voice of the Holy Spirit began to challenge me.

I was first reminded of 1 Cor 1 - nobody else is coming.

God has chosen people just like me.

Then my mind went to the book of Esther - and this is where I want to land today.

Esther started her life as someone that should be written off.

She was an orphan who was raised by her cousin.

Esther is a Jewish girl who is beautiful.

She wins a beauty contest and becomes the queen.

Haman - the king’s second in command - devises a plan to kill all the Jews.

Mordecai gets word to Esther and tells her to talk to the King.

Esther 4:14 NKJV

14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”