As you may have heard in the news (if you follow sports) the Broncos received a new coach, the youngest coach in the NFL, Josh McDaniels. Ever since he arrived in Denver it has been a hiring and firing frenzy. So much so, it has become a routine in the morning to 1) check and see if it snowed outside and 2) check the latest news of the Broncos.
As I thought about the new coach, I started thinking about how similar pastoring is to coaching. Especially how it relates to being the new guy coming into an established organization and following a guy who was there for a long time. I can relate to Josh McDaniels. I can relate to his desire to “turn the ship” and turn it as quickly as possible. I can relate to seeing trouble spots and wanting to fix them, NOW! I can relate to the desire to follow my dream. I can relate to the frustration of why others don’t see it my way. I can relate to the desire to prove yourself so others will get behind you. I understand a lot of things that are going through his head and heart.
We live in a world that oozes pressure to succeed, and FAST. Coaches are given a few years to “succeed” or they will be replaced. That same attitude has leaked into the church world as well. Churches are looking for the next Bill Hybels or Rick Warren. The pressure for pastors to succeed are high and if the numbers don’t go up and the dollars don’t increase, churches will find someone who can do it. The pressure is extreme and there are obvious results to this pressure. Look at some of these results from http://lamintl.org/Pastor_Statistics.aspx:
- Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.
- Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
- Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
- Ninety percent said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people.
Pastor all around the globe need prayer and support. They need encouragement. They want to feel like they are making a difference. The primary source of news that pastors are hearing is typically not good news. If a pastor has made a difference in your life, send him an email, send him a letter or just give him or her a call. GIVE YOUR PASTOR SOME GOOD NEWS. Success is being used by God to change the eternal destiny of another. That is why a pastor chose this path a long time ago…to lead others to Christ.
As far as Josh McDaniels and the Broncos, the NFL and Denver is about wins and superbowls. McDaniels is making a lot of changes. Two years from now, he will either be a hero or a zero. Only time will tell!!!!!
The Discovery 