Table of Contents

Matters of the Heart

The condition of an associate’s heart affects the ministry atmosphere and communicates messages that go far beyond spoken words. Matters of the heart are revealed in our reactions, attitudes, and prayer times.

Here are five areas that keep an associate pastor’s heart spiritually healthy.

1. DEVELOP A HEART FOR THE WHOLE CONGREGATION.

Look at the areas of the church you are neither directly involved in nor responsible for. Are you happy with the success of those in charge of other ministry areas? Are you burdened to pray for someone else’s area of ministry? Are you willing to help out in an area that isn’t your ministry? Do you serve joyfully and with a shepherd’s heart? A senior pastor must keep the whole congregation in focus at all times—so must an associate who is going to be a blessing to the pastor. Certainly there are specific areas an associate is assigned to and must focus on, but that focus should never be to the exclusion of seeing the big picture. When I was a youth pastor, I would have preferred to specialize rather than diversify. At the time I could not see the value of my involvement with shut-in visitation, music, funerals, or hospital calls. Over time, however, it proved helpful in giving me more comprehensive ministry experience. As a youth pastor it was helpful for me to be involved with the young people’s family members at various seasons of their lives. During times of focus, don’t get blinded in your peripheral vision to the ministry needs of the entire congregation. A helpful associate is one who can serve various places as the need arises. And a valuable associate is one with a general working knowledge of the entire church and its ministries.

2. REPRESENT THE SENIOR PASTOR’S HEART TO THE PEOPLE.

When you interact with people of the church, whether it’s conducting a leader’s meeting, filling the pulpit, or visiting the hospitals, do you communicate the senior pastor’s heart? In a larger church with multiple staff, the senior pastor may not be able to personally interact frequently with every group and every individual.

As the associate you are the conduit of the pastor’s heart to the congregation and sometimes other staff members. This requires you to know the pastor’s heart. How does the pastor feel about the congregation? What is the pastor’s vision for the church? Make it your responsibility to learn these things. You can know the pastor’s heart if you listen carefully, ask good questions, and pray together.

Watch for opportunities to verbalize the pastor’s sentiments to the people. For example, as you conclude a hospital call, tell the patient, “Pastor (name) will be thrilled to hear how well you’re recovering. He and Mrs. (name) have been very concerned about you.” Or when training leaders or conducting meetings, you might say, “As volunteer workers, you are instrumental to the ministry of this church. Pastor (name) is really depending on each one of you.” Be sure to keep the pastor informed (either verbally or in written reports) on pastoral care issues.

Young people are always interested in what the pastor thinks of them but many times have little direct interaction. A good youth associate communicates the pastor’s heart often. The youth should hear you pass on encouraging remarks from the pastor such as: “Pastor (name) and the staff are praying for you,” or “Pastor (name) was so proud of you when I told him how well you did at the outreach last Saturday.”

An unchecked heart, however, will take this same tool and misuse it. Have you ever been tempted to say, “The pastor would not want us to do it that way,” when you don’t really know how the pastor feels about a particular issue? It’s sometimes easier to make such statements than take responsibility for your own leadership decisions.

3. MAINTAIN A PURE HEART TOWARD THE SENIOR PASTOR.

Situations arise continuously that have the potential, if not dealt with, to cause jealousy, apathy, or hurt in your heart toward the pastor. Here are some practical steps to help you keep your heart right.

• Realize the pastor is human. Like all of us, the pastor has strengths and weaknesses. Part of the reason you are positioned in the church is to provide balance to the ministry team.

• Remember the pastor in prayer daily. There’s something about praying for people that keeps your heart right toward them. Seeing God as the source of the pastor’s help will take the burden off you to try to make changes.

• Resolve conflict according to Matthew 18:15. When it comes to one of the most critical of relationships in the church, that of the pastor and the associate, we often pass our offense off to our spouse or another staff member rather than seek resolution.

• Resign if you continue to have heart problems toward the pastor. Better to minister elsewhere than to cause conflict for the senior pastor.

4. MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF AND FAMILY MEMBERS CLOSE TO THE SENIOR PASTOR’S HEART.

Work hard to manage relationships that are important to the pastor. These relationships may be with church board members, custodial staff, office workers, sound/video/lighting technicians, or family members. Protect and foster those relationships from the pastor’s perspective rather than from yours. Consider how a damaged relationship will cause grief for the pastor. Be a peacemaker and don’t create conflicts the senior pastor will have to arbitrate and repair.

5. DON’T TAKE IT TO HEART WHEN PEOPLE PREFER THE SENIOR PASTOR.

There is a special place in the congregation’s heart for the senior pastor that cannot be filled by any other staff member. There will be times when you work with people who will go around you to the senior pastor for their ministry needs. In the case of a funeral, personal counseling, a wedding, or time of sickness—things you can do as well—people may simply prefer their senior pastor. Don’t take it to heart and be personally offended when this happens. Be sensitive and honor the special relationship a senior pastor has with the congregation.

CONCLUSION

An associate pastor wears many different hats. Whatever tasks your portfolio includes, always remember that you haven’t truly succeeded until you learn to keep yourself in good shape daily concerning matters of the heart.

Donna L. Barrett is associate pastor at Bethel Temple, Parma, Ohio.