Pastors need relationships with other pastors and I’ve been blessed to have several men who’ve been great friends and mentors over the years. Now I’m in a season of life where I’m often the “older experienced” pastor that younger guys consider “wise.” It’s not unusual for me to have breakfast or lunch with at least one Pastor a week. There are a few guys I meet with regularly.
This week I had lunch on Monday with a younger guy who has been on church staff before but is now serving for the first time as the lead Pastor. He is new to the area and this was our second lunch. He wanted to discuss the practical details of how to plan a funeral because he’s never done that before and they really don’t teach you that kind of stuff in seminary. The surprising thing is that every time I meet with a younger Pastor to help them think through some issue, I learn something from them. They help me understand things from a younger perspective, which is great since I’m now 57 years old. That’s a nice way of saying I’m not as young as I used to be.
Yesterday I had lunch with an older guy who has served in several capacities. In addition to having been a Pastor, he has been the associate overseeing evangelism in a mega church. He has also served on staff of the North American Mission Board and a couple of state conventions. He personally knows several very prominent Pastors across the country and is a wealth of information. We meet monthly for lunch because I wanted him to hold me accountable in the area of personal evangelism. He’s also a great encouragement to me and really helps me think about evangelism and renewal in the local church. I’m always blessed by our time together.
I’ve always reached out to older Pastor’s because I wanted to learn and be challenged, but also because I enjoyed the fellowship. I’ve always had friendships with fellow Pastors my own age. One of those is Jeff Bedwell at FBC Fort Mill. We are close in age and our churches are very similar. He a good friend and we meet for lunch every month. In fact we’re meeting later this week. But for the past 10 years I’ve increasingly been the older guy and I cannot overstate the blessing these younger guys are in my life.
I have a painting by a Kentucky artist in my study that shows an old, rusting truck sitting in a field with mountains in the background. It’s a beautiful fall scene and reminds me of home. The painting is titled “Lingering On” and I hung it over my desk on purpose. It reminds me that I don’t want to grow old and rust out as a minister because I stop learning and growing. I never want to just settle and coast. Each time I look at that painting, God speaks to me.
If you’re wondering why I’ve shared all this with you, the reason is simple. I want to encourage you to identify people who are successful in their marriage, walk with Christ, career, etc and allow them to invest in you so you can grow and become a better you. I also want to encourage you to allow God to use you to invest in others, helping them grow. Too many people get so busy just living and meeting obligations they don’t take the time to learn and grow. That is a tragic mistake I pray you don’t make. So who are you meeting for lunch tomorrow?
Pastor Steve Hogg
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