Wow! Powerful Message to Pastors

 I originally published this post in 2019, and it even rings more true today. 

            Proverbs 23: 1 -4: (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” x This is the Lord’s declaration. 2 “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, y banished them, and have not attended to them. z I will attend to you because of your evil acts”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 3 “I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, a and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous. b 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them. c They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.” d This is the Lord’s declaration”

I was recently reading this passage and it jumped off the page at me, there have been to many shepherds (pastors) that have hurt, destroyed, betrayed, and scattered the flock (the church) because of their own greed, lust, agenda, lack of compassion, or yes even being too stupid to rightly teach the word of God. 

            I’m convinced that God is going to raise up Men and Women who are going to shepherd the church onto the next Great Revival, they are going to be men/women of integrity, and they going to have the skills to read, study, and proclaim the whole word of God not simply what tickles the ears of the listener. However, before this happens, I see God doing some serious surgery on the Body of Christ.

1)       I see him REMOVING from the pulpit men/women who are willing to compromise his message for the sake of looking compassionate or loving in the world. I’m so tired of hearing men/women preach everybody can get to heaven in simple faith, or that is not really what God met when he said that about sin.

2)      I see him REBUKING men/women that personally are in it for the money, or the fame, and holding them accountable before the church. 

3)       I see him REPLACING so-called men/women who have stepped into the anointing of ministry by the hands of men/women and not the calling of God.

 

Before God does the next Great Revival, I’m fearful that there is going to be a mass exit of men/women from the ministry, not because of their own choice. However, it will be because God has started to clean the house.  It is time for the REVIVAL to start not in the church, but in the Ministers study.   

Pastor/Minister is God going to use you or remove in the next great revival?

Pastoral Theology: How We Do Ministry

             Over the past forty-five years I have loved to study, teach and attempt to understand the How and Why we do ministry, Pastoral Theology is study of that topic.

Charles Finney was founder and President of Oberlin College of Ohio and a great theologian, preacher, and writer in his own right, in one of his greatest works “Finney's Unpublished Lectures on Pastoral Theology, Lecturer on Revivals while teaching at Oberlin College from his manuscript notes of 1872, 1874, and 1875, he shares with the students the following: 

“A good shepherd’s care of the sheep is fourfold: (1) Feeding; (2) Guiding; (3) Guarding; (4) Healing” 

Jeremiah 3:15 states in the King James: “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Should be noted that several translation uses the word “Shepard” in place of the word “Pastor” clearly God meant for the Pastor/Shepard to care for his sheep (the church members).

As Pastors we are given the amazing task (let me help folks understand when I’m talking about pastors, I’m also referring to the Associate, Assistant, Children’s Pastor, Youth Pastor, or any other member of the church that is in a role of leadership. I personally have spent 40 years in ministry, over 36 years has been in the role of Associate Pastor, other area of responsibility.  I consider myself a Pastor that God has given some unique responsibilities to serve HIM (God) however and wherever he leads. As I reflect on Charles Finney statement and Jeremiah 3:15 let me help us understand our responsibility “AS I SEE IT”.

            As I write this blog post I understand that Pastoral Theology has several sub-topics including: Homiletic (preaching/teaching), the Sacraments, Ethic’s, Pastor Counseling, Church Leadership. All of these are relevant to the how the church functions. However, if we are doing the following all the other are not relevant.

1)      Feed the Sheep (members) … We are to preach/teach the word of God, not as we think it should be, but as God wrote it. We are to preach the reality of Heaven, as well as the reality of Hell. Clearly teaching the Biblical view of Sin and the awesomeness of His GRACE.  As my pastor Dr. Don Lougheed used to tell us “Preach the Book, the Blood, and the Blessed Redeemer” …. he would also say “Preach the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, and remember always run for the Cross”

2)      Guide the sheep … Wow how many preachers failed in this one today, so many pastors are failing to Guide their sheep into a deeper study of the word of God, or in some cases setting a bad example of what is acceptable behavior based on God’s word, not an individual opinion.

3)      Guarding … I will be honest over couple the past decade I have become very concerned with pastors allowing false teaching, and destructive doctrine within their church.  It is our job to challenge the members of our church in what they are listening to, and move them toward appropriate preachers, in other words, it our responsibility to guard their hearts.

4)      Healing … I know the first place all my Pentecostal and Charismatic friends are going is Divine (physical) healing and yes that is important, and we need to continue to see God move. However, if you read the writing of Charles Finney his first and foremost thought was the Healing of the Soul. It was all about “Does that person know Christ” … it is stated that Finney would walk in a room and people would fall to the floor in conviction of Sin and cry out and repent in other words his life was about Healing (changing) the Sinful ways.

Pastoral Theology is about how we minister to the church in our care! I have been watching Pastors both old and young I see three things that must happen, or the church is doomed!

1)      We need men and women of God to get back to PREACHING THE BIBLE, not opinion or what is popular or acceptable but preaching what God states as truth.

2)      We need to see men and women of God FALLING AT THE ALTAR of the church and CRYING OUT FOR THE MEMBERS that God has given them to shepherd.

3)      We need to see men and women of GOD STANDING IN THE GAP against any and all false teaching coming in their church's door.

Let me make myself clear, I have been a pastor of churches ranging in size from 20 to 120, and have been an Associate, Youth Pastor, Men’s Ministry Director, or Children’s pastor of churches ranging from 80 to 3,000. I personally don’t care the size of the church, small, medium, large or mega it is your responsibility to “FEED, GUIDE, GUARD, AND HEAL” … I know pastors today that are doing this with all their heart and I rejoice in their success and commitment. However, others need to REPENT AND RETURN TO THE CALLING THAT GOD GAVE YOU.

 

 

How do I determine a successful Men’s Ministry event…

The following blog post was written back in 2013. However, I feel the content is relevant for men ministries today!

How do I determine a successful Men’s Ministry event?

I have been involved in pastoral ministry for over 45 years and have been Ministering to Men for the past 20 years.  Over those years I have seen several things work, and I have seen several others fall flat. However, what is interesting is that some ideas I implemented were successful in one place, and a failure elsewhere.  This difference in success from place to place can be found in the attitudes of the attendees and the opinions of the leaders.  As a leader, I would sometimes view an event or activity as a failure or unproductive, but this may have been the farthest thing from the truth. 

I have spent a great deal of time looking at the activities and events I have encouraged men to partake in, trying to determine the success and flop of each. The only formula that I have come up with is what the Lord has laid on my heart.

• Was the activity/event Christ-centered?  Personally, this is the most important aspect.  If Christ is not the center of the activity, then there is no reason to have it. 
• Did the attendees see Christ lifted up through my actions, and speech, and those that participated in the event?
• Did the men engage and participate in the activity/event?
• Do you see a number of the men making changes as a result of their participation? 

Planning an activity or event that provides the following principles will help you to answer yes to the questions above.

• Use a variety of methods that will reach, engage, and challenge men of various ages and cultural groups. 
• Avoid the trap of only ministering to one age group, because that is where we feel most comfortable, and it is the path of least resistance. 
• Ask your men questions, such as what are your men interested in doing? How can you make their interest a successful event?
• Be willing to think outside the box.
• Remember … an outcome is simply a matter of someone’s opinion!
• Continue to try, and improve on those that work.
• Understand your personal limits and search for help from others who have a special skill that will help you.

For Example … I love to write, but my grammar is really bad (most editors say I “write like I talk”) So over the years, I have surrounded myself with some awesome editors, who take time to proofread and clean up everything I write (Including this post).

The key to success is simple …

Keep trying and give God the glory!

Update and Vision of Allen Ministry Resources!

 I realized that it has been over 18 months since we posted on our blog, authored a book, developed a study guide, or created curriculum for those that depend on us for resources to use in their ministry. I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the reasons for such a gap in the ministry.

In September of 2023, I was hospitalized with Stress Induced Headaches and resulted in me having a major case of Epstein Bar and a Heart Attack. The recovery from both was long and hard resulting in major weight loss and not having any energy for several months. As a result, I was forced to retire from my full-time position as Chaplain at the Psychiatric Hospital I served at, my wife and sold our house, and moved in with family because they did not want us to be alone. Sadly, it does not end there. In April while I am still recovering my wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. Since that diagnosis she has undergone several surgeries, and a 12 rounds of Chemotherapy and God has blessed and as of the last scan she is cancer free.

It is now time to move forward with the Vision that we set several years ago.

1)    Create relevant resources for our ministry partners around the world. We praise God daily that we have been able to bless over 600 ministries worldwide, in over 95 countries. We will continue to do this through our blog, providing study guides, and curriculum for pastors, ministries, and Bible Colleges free of charge.

 

2)    Provide teachings and pulpit supply locally, and virtually as God gives opportunity. As a ministry we currently can provide teachings in: Suicide Prevention for churches, share at Men’s Ministry events, and addressing Alcohol and Drug Addiction from a Biblical Worldview.

 

Please take this opportunity to check out our resources on the website and let us know how we can be a blessing.

 

 

 

Ministering to Men in Small Churches!

                 I (Rev. Don Allen, Jr.) originally published this blog post in the fall of 2012. However, as I reflect on what I wrote back then I realize that all the principles still apply.

The skills of ministering to men are often misunderstood because we are working with a group of individuals that by virtue of their life are wrapped up in dozens of things at one time, generally running from one place to another, dealing with the stress of family responsibility, work, and taking care of a home.

The average church today is running between 100 and 200 people, and these are considered small to medium churches. As a Minister to Men (Men’s Ministry Director) it is important to understand that we cannot keep up with the Mega churches, nor should we want to. The men of your church have chosen your church for a reason, many like the small intimacy of the church, and the friendships they develop, while others attend small to medium churches due to living in small towns, or small local communities.  Whatever reason they chose to attend your church you have a unique opportunity to minister to them that big churches miss out on.

I have previously ministered to Men in three small to medium size churches, I have found it critical to choose two or three things at the most that we can do well and focus the men on these. I believe that there are 3 things that we need to do, to be effective in ministering to men in small to medium size churches. In my churches, we focus on fellowship, friendships, and fatherhood. If I can strengthen the men I minister to in these three areas I will have accomplished a great deal.

Let me explain my reasoning for these three points (challenges) in ministering to men.

• Fellowship … Helping the men to develop a personal time of fellowship with Christ, through their devotions, and Bible Study. We do this through various challenges as well as hosting Bible Studies at the church for the men to attend.

Can I share a thought here as a Baby Boomer, my idea of fellowship at 63 years old is not the same as my son who is 30 years old!

For the most part, I’m content with the Saturday morning breakfast, and fellowship, he is seeking a challenge like a basketball game, mission project, wilderness adventure, or any number of other activities that get them out of the church and moving. If it is our goal is to minister to the men of our church, we must think like all of them not simply our age group.

• Friendship … Helping me to strengthen their relationships with their Christian brothers within the church is essential to their Christian walk. Spending time with Godly men, learning, and maturing with them helps them grow.

•  Fatherhood … Helping them to learn to be the Godly fathers (dad) they should be in their family is a key point of the Christian walk. Any man can be a Biological father, but it takes a REAL MAN to be Father/Daddy.  This is a foundational point of not only the family but the church.

As a Minister to Men for over the past 22 years (for full disclosure, I’m currently not functioning as the Men’s leader in my local church. However, I remain active with them).  Please understand that my heart will always be to develop Men to serve Christ effectively.  I believe that it is important for you personally as a Minister to Men to have five foundation principles.

1.       Have a clear vision/direction of what you believe God wants you to accomplish. It is essential that you know the vision or direction you are going, without it you will get sidetracked and off on too many projects and miss the opportunity to do something very well. The one thing that I need to caution Men’s Leaders about in the small and medium churches is don’t try to do everything do what you can and do it very well. If you have an older group of men, the Saturday breakfast is a great idea, if you have a younger group of men, they need to have an activity that requires action. If you have both, look for a balance that will impact your men.

I have found that taking a survey of all the men of the church (I have done this on Sunday mornings during the morning worship service (I generally do it over three weeks to catch all the men in the church), give each man over 18 a sheet of paper with the following questions:

                DO NOT have them include their name:

1)      What is your age group? (Circle one)

a.       18 – 30

b.       31 – 40

c.       41 – 60

d.       60 and up

2)      What is your favorite movie of all time?

3)      What is your favorite type of food?

4)      What is your favorite activity?

5)      When is the most convenient time for you to meet up with other men @ church?

a.       Day and time.

 

These five questions give me a clear picture of what the men of my church like, and therefore also give me ideas of how to reach them, with activities, food, and most importantly the time that is good for them.

 

2.       Have a clear understanding of what you’re teaching the men, and what they need to learn: I think that it is essential to find good solid material to teach your men, and to challenge them to learn from. There are several great teaching tools available for Ministering to Men, I suggest that you check your denomination, and some other awesome Men’s ministries on the web.

 

https://maninthemirror.org/

https://ncmm.org/

 

3.       Have a personal Mentor … Have a personal Mentor and accountability partner to keep you grounded and focused. I encourage our men to develop mentorship roles with other men and continue to develop the relationship as the mentored individual moves on to mentor. In my mind, it works sort of like the father/son relationship. Father is the father to his son, but he is also the son of his father. The same applies to a Mentor who is the mentor to the mentor but is also the mentor to the mentor. This is referred to as discipleship, and believe me it is the foundation of your church.

 

4.       Have a good relationship with your pastor: I’m convinced that it is essential that as a Minister to Men, you have a good relationship with your pastor so that he is included in all the decisions that are being made by the Men’s Ministry. It is essential that you show respect to the pastor because you set the tone for what your men will do.

 

5.       Have a clear and personal testimony: Have a heart to share your faith with the men whom you come into contact with. Develop the skills to bring a man to Christ, if you don’t know these skills ask your pastor to help you, or your need to check out the resources online. I tell the men in our men’s ministry, “Share your story of what Christ did in your life, and back it up with scripture”

 

Friends, as you develop your skills as a Minister to Men, remember you have two people to impress and represent. (1) The Lord Himself, and (2) the men of your church. 

How do we respond to suicide? do we Act or React?

     This past weekend I was visiting the church of a dear friend, and he was sharing about a recent youth event. In one of the evening services, the minister talked about suicide and asked if anyone had considered it and needed prayer. 41 young people came forward out of 900 kids present in the auditorium (4 out of every 100 kids). This is a conservative number to get us thinking about the prevalent place of suicide in the lives of our youth and those attending our churches.

Let’s look a little closer at the statistics surrounding suicide. Suicide is the 11^th leading cause of death in America, and it is the 2^nd leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports that in 2021:

·       48,183 individuals committed suicide in the United States.

·       1.70 million individuals attempted suicide.

·       14 out of every 100,000 people died by suicide.

·       According to the World Health Organization, over 700,000 people take their own life each year (one person every 40 seconds).

For many years, churches and church leaders have tried to remain blissfully ignorant of this issue, but prevalence of suicide, suicidal gestures, and suicidal ideation in our culture, and now it is time to act. We have seen suicides on the rise among young people, veterans, and those that have felt isolated by the Covid pandemic. The current financial crisis in the United States is not going to help the saturation either. The individuals thinking about suicide are not finding hope from their peers or their families, and in many cases, they are not finding hope in our churches either.

How do we as a church respond when we suspect someone is considering suicide, or if we know someone who is isolated or suffering some depression and anxiety? The answer we often turn to is prayer, which is an important first step. However, we cannot stop there! I have written on this topic for the past ten years and found the following acronym very helpful as we respond to those who are on the verge of suicide or who just simply hurting and stuck in terrible circumstances. It is time for us to throw them a RAFT:

·       REACH OUT TO THEM:

o   Check in on those in your community, letting them know you care about what they are going through, and be ready to help them carry their burdens.

o   Do not wait to reach out until you are sure they are suicidal, because by then it is too late. Reach out when you know they have experienced a loss or major change in their life.

 

·       ASK THE HARD QUESTION:

o   Be direct and intentional about the suicide conversation. Ask them very specifically, are you thinking about suicide?

o   Bringing up the conversation around suicide is not going to make someone more likely to attempt suicide, but it may help prevent it.

 

·       FOCUS ON THE SOLUTION: 

o   Help them find an alternative solution. If they are isolated, get them out of the house and spend time with them. If they are depressed or struggling with anxiety, ask them to go see a doctor with you.

o   Remind them that suicide is a permanent solution to what is likely a temporary problem.

 

·       TRANSFER THEM FOR ADDITIONAL HELP IF NEEDED:

o   Get them additional support from trained professionals. I understand the reluctance of the pastors and youth leaders to refer individuals to counselors, often because we believe with the help of the Bible, we can be all things to our flock. However, God put great counselors and doctors in the world to help individuals to stay healthy and safe, and we need to set our own egos aside to surround this person with as many resources as possible.

Please understand this is a simple answer to a complex issue. I challenge every pastor, youth leader, parent, grandparent, and friend to read up on suicide prevention and learn more about the signs of suicide and how you can respond to those God has placed in your life.

 

Is it breakfast time?

For those that have been around me for more than a couple of days, and especially if you have gone to a restaurant to eat with me, you know I LOVE Breakfast.  There is just something about ordering two eggs over medium, biscuits and gravy, hot cakes, or French toast. Then of course you add the bacon and sausage, I know some even like steak or chicken with their breakfast, and of course, don’t forget the hash browns.

To me, breakfast is a food that can be consumed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and never get old.  As I sit here today, I was thinking about my life, and what else have I enjoyed every day as much as Breakfast, and honestly, I can think of only three things.

First, is my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ; it can’t be like the leftovers in the refrigerator or fast-food sausage biscuits driving 60 miles an hour down the road.  It must be personal quality time sitting and enjoying my time reading HIS words, meditating on HIS thoughts, reflecting on HIS love, and knowing that this is the next best thing to being in Heaven with HIM.

Second, is the relationship I have with my family. The time we spend sitting talking, reflecting on the past, and looking forward to the future. The time we share dreams and even heartache. Family is like the comfort food of breakfast; you just know that it is going to be all right

Finally, this is the place I choose to worship HIM. For me, a lot of the joy of breakfast is preparing the plate so that I can enjoy it.  Getting those eggs just right on top of the French toast, with just the right amount of butter and syrup.   Praise and worship are the same way, it is getting everything ready, getting my heart, my mind, and attitude ready to enjoy the celebration that is about to take place as I enjoy his presence.

              I realize that I must be selective if I want breakfast all day, every day, not every restaurant serves breakfast 24 hours a day (Although in my mind they should), and even worse some don’t serve it at all.  However, the reality of my life with Christ is the same, not everyone in my family enjoys breakfast just like I do, and not everyone enjoys talking about my friend and savior Jesus Christ. Not every church is interested in serving up a daily dose of Jesus; they are more interested in serving what is popular this week that the world wants to digest, and they miss so much from that daily celebration.  

Of course, none of this is possible if I don’t really enjoy sitting down and patiently waiting for it all to come together.  When I go to the restaurant I have to be willing to read the menu, place my order, wait for it to come, fellowship with those around me, and pray for God’s blessing.  However, when all that is done it is time to eat.  As Christians, we need to focus not on the earthly breakfast but on the heavenly supper of the Lamb which is coming soon. Have you accepted the invitation to dinner?  (or in my mind breakfast and I bet God makes some awesome Biscuits and Gravy).

Friends, enjoy your breakfast. However, more importantly, enjoy your relationship with Christ and your family daily.

(Post was originally published @ Don Allen Ministries in 2015)