Associate Minister Communication Etiquette
As an associate minister and/or associate pastor who serves in a local church, communication etiquette is an extremely important factor in the smooth and orderly administration of ministry. Specifically, your Pastor is ultimately accountable and responsible for the operation of the church and its ministries, and he relies on accurate information to help him do his job in a way that reflects excellence. He cannot do this if he is not regularly, and accurately informed and aware of the availability of his staff.
Here are some communication etiquette points that I think it is good to be aware of and adhere to, in order to keep your Pastor informed about your availability.
Inform your Pastor if you will not be at Bible study, Sunday School, or Sunday morning worship. These are your primary gatherings for the congregation and often times there is a lot to get done to accommodate them. If your Pastor knows you will be available, it gives him the option to use you for certain aspects of the church services if needed, and If you will not be at those services and he knows this in advance, and it helps him better manage the worship and service experiences better.
Inform your Pastor if you have been invited to preach or teach at another church or event, This is very important because as ministers of your local church, you are representatives of your church and its pastor. It may be that your Pastor will be able to provide you some insights about where you will be preaching, its Pastor, the congregation, etc. Informing your pastor about your preaching and teaching opportunities will help you be more prepared and effective when you go out to minister. Additionally, it may be that your Pastor will want you to decline the invitation for very serious and important reasons. The bottom line is this, it is proper decorum and respect, to inform your Pastor about your ministry opportunities.
Consult your Pastor when you are wrestling with theological and doctrinal topics. He is your pastor, and your spiritual teacher, and he will be able to help you and provide guidance, insights, a biblical direction when you are confronted with a challenging doctrinal idea.
These are only three points I think are important to mention in this post, but there are more that I will discuss in upcoming posts.
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