WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR THE PASTOR

I’ve been asked “Pastor, what can I do to help you?”  After thinking and praying about it here is an idea:  tell your story.  Each week I try to write a bulletin article that is informative or humorous, encouraging or inspiring, and helpful or challenging..  I think it is one of the more important ministries in our church. 

The bulletin article is read by those who attend church (hopefully not during the sermon!).  We are all busy people and often don’t take the time to read books and magazines that feed us.  But most of those who attend church take the time to read the bulletin article and God can use that to minister to their needs.  In addition, bulletins are sent to the homebound.  Sometimes that bulletin article is just what God uses to bless them in their situation.

The best lessons come from incidents in life.  That’s where your story comes into the picture (or should I say “into the bulletin”).  Everybody has a story to tell.  God has given you some special or humorous life experience that others need to know.  You need to tell us about it. 

Here’s what I want you to do.  Jot down a funny or interesting experience that happened to you.  Perhaps you learned an important lesson from a situation.  Share it!  If you will write it down, others can benefit and enjoy your experience with you.  Please, no e-mail or Internet stories.  This is your story.  Even if you can’t think how it might help someone, write it down.  I generally will be able to identify a Scripture or a Biblical principle that will apply.  Even if you don’t think you can write, tell the story and, if necessary, I probably will be able to make an application to some area in life.  Here are some guidelines:

Be informative if you can.  Everybody likes to learn something new.  Tell us about something in your job, your background, your family, a trip you took, an incident, an impression.

Humor is always good.  Everybody likes to laugh.  But don’t tell stories that will embarrass someone else.  Of course, if you tell one on yourself and can laugh about it, we all would like to hear that!

Be positive.  Sure, there are a lot of negative things going on.  But a negative story drains a person’s joy.  Instead it should be uplifting and positive.

Poetry is nice.  If you write poetry, we need to read it.

Honor Jesus.  Whatever you write should be pleasing to our Lord.  What you share can inspire or encourage someone else.

Limit your story to one page. 

Tell your story.  You have a testimony that God wants others to hear.  It doesn’t have to be perfect but it does need to be told.  So tell us.

                                                            Thank you,

                                                            Pastor Hazard