I’m convinced God doesn’t care as much about church style as we do. His goal for the Church is merely to accomplish His purpose on the earth. That means there are thousands of different styles, visions, sizes, and personalities that can make this happen.
At the same time, I think there are a few things you should expect from a pastor who’s leading you well. No matter the size of the church, you should see these indications that you’re in a healthy environment.
1. You start having more grace for other people.
If you find yourself becoming more critical of other churches, pastors, or people, that’s a sign you’re in an unhealthy environment. It’s probably an indication of a pastor who doesn’t have much grace for others, and that’s a dangerous thing for you. Don’t put yourself in that type of environment.
2. You experience more grace for yourself.
If you continually leave church services feeling more shame than when you went in, your pastor is failing at their job. Their job is to equip you for the work of the ministry. Shame strips us of our ministerial power, but grace empowers us.
3. You question what you think about God.
If you aren’t a little bit shocked now and then by something your pastor says, your pastor probably isn’t teaching the Gospel very well. The truth us, the power of the Gospel is nearly impossible to grasp. The Gospel is simple, but its mysteries are endless.
4. You find yourself hungry to read the Bible.
I’m not saying your pastor needs to require you to bring your Bible to church. But a good pastor will whet your appetite for the Bible. Self-help sermons won’t do that, but opening up the mysteries of our God will. Make sure your pastor is introducing you to an amazing God that isn’t just an abstract concept in the sky.
5. You’re challenged regularly to give.
Your pastor shouldn’t guilt you into giving. But if they aren’t talking about the heart issue of generosity, you’re missing out on something huge about Christianity. To be honest, you should be challenged to do more than just tithe. Yes, tithing is an Old Testament mandate, but New Testament actually teaches us to do more than the minimum.
6. You’re challenged regularly to serve other people.
If your pastor is trying to force you to volunteer at the church, you’re probably missing a little something. It’s great to volunteer (I think you should), but your goal is to be a minister at your workplace as well. If you aren’t giving your time and energy to unsaved people in your sphere of influence, you might not be getting challenged the way you should be.
7. They are your authority, not your hope.
Finally, our pastor can’t take place of our God. No pastor would presume to become your hope, but it too easily happens when we don’t see their humanity. If they appear perfect, it’s easy for us to put our hope in them. That will always disappoint us.
Your pastor should be – at least somewhat – honest about their mess. It’ll help you see grace much more, but it’ll also point you to God instead of to your pastor.
Most of the things mentioned above are ultimately our responsibility. Our pastor can’t be the one who makes our whole spiritual walk happen. But a good pastor will gently lead us in that direction.
What would you add to this list? What do you think is the sign of a great pastor? (Feel free to leave a comment about how awesome yours is.)