Pastor's Handbook

John R. Bisagno

• Publisher: B&H Books
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781433671494
• eBook ISBN: 9781433673894
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

Powerful. Practical. Pastoral. Pastor's Handbook is the major expansion and revision of beloved preacher John R. Bisagno 's previously heralded work, Letters to Timothy. Based on his sixty years in ministry, it now includes 160 brief yet powerful chapters of practical insight for handling real life pastoral issues—"things that might have fallen through the cracks in seminary." Bisagno still mentors young pastors in his retirement and recognizes new challenges in this profession known for its high dropout rate. Keeping that in mind, Pastor's Handbook adds helpful entries on such issues as "The Seeker Friendly Church, " "Solving Worship Wars, " "Multiple Campuses, " "New Media, " and "Home Groups" as well as "Internet Pornography, " "Biblical Inerrancy, " "The High Cost of Overnight Change, " "Homosexuality, " "Christianity and Islam, " and more than a dozen other timely topics. Bisagno also refreshes many of the original chapters, factoring in new world issues and his updated survey of pastoral colleagues.In the foreword, pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren ( The Purpose-Driven Life ) writes, "My prayer is that an entire new generation of pastors and church planters will use this book to develop the necessary perspective, convictions, character, and skills needed for ministry in the 21st century from this giant of the 20th century."

Part 1

The Church

Chapter 1

God’s Glorious Church

Before the world was formed, God planned the church to be His instrument of redemption in the world. The word church is the Greek word ecclesia, meaning “called out ones.” The idea is a town hall meeting where issues were discussed and announcements made.

Jesus referenced Himself, when He said in Matthew 16:18, “On this rock I will build My church.” Jesus is saying the church is “My called out-ones, My town hall meeting” and is the only institution He established on earth.

The word church in the New Testament is used in two different ways. The first is the universal or invisible church. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into oneness, not only with Jesus but with all other believers everywhere. It is a church that exists beyond buildings, denominational lines, and international borders. It is the body of Christ, the family of God on earth.

Ninety percent of the time, however, the New Testament use of the word church refers to a visible, locally assembled body of baptized believers, honoring Him, worshipping together, edifying one another, and winning the lost.

The church is less than perfect. Naysayers and charlatans, like Simon the sorcerer, would buy the power of the Holy Spirit and use the church for their own selfish ends and financial gain. Let them be accursed.

Perhaps it is a just commentary on the failure of some of us within the church that so many extracurricular and parachurch organizations have developed in the kingdom. Most call themselves extensions of the church, or arms of the church, and I am grateful for each. But far too often, parachurch organizations give only lip service to their commitment to the local church.

When Christ came, He established the church. He died for the church. He loved the church. Today He continues to indwell the church, and one day He will come to receive His church. She is His bride, and He is her groom. The old spiritual song, “Let the Church Roll On,” says it well:

There’s a woman in the church,

and she talks too much.

Tell me, what we gonna do?

Let the church roll on.

There’s a singer in the church,

and he won’t sing right.

Tell me, what we gonna do?

Let the church roll on.

There’s a deacon in the church,

and he won’t “deac” right.

Tell me, what we gonna do?

Let the church roll on.

God’s church has grown and flourished and will do so until Jesus comes to take her to heaven. Let the church roll on.

Throughout your ministry you will be confronted with many avenues of service. Some may indeed be God’s perfect purpose for your life. You will seek His heart, hear His voice, and do His will. As you do, consider this: that which is not truly birthed of the church, emanates therein, extends there from, and culminates therein, is doomed to make little lasting impression for God and for good in this world.

Well over a century ago, the YMCA was born, a soul-winning organization to win young men to Christ and train them in the Word of God. Is that the purpose of the YMCA today?

The church is flawed, imperfect, wrinkled, and blemished, but her end is not yet. He is her unfailing strength, and you will do well to commit your life to serve through her.

Today God is greatly expanding His church. In spite of persecution from the Middle East to China, God is at work. The rate of the growth of the church in Brazil is three times faster than the birth rate. At the present rate of kingdom growth, the entire continent of Africa may be Christian by 2020. On a recent Sunday afternoon, 18,250 new believers were baptized in Red Square in Moscow.

For nearly sixty years I have loved Christ and His precious church. My ministry was always centered in His church. I’m so happy I did it that way and would do so again in a minute.

Missionary C. T. Studd said it well:

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

only what’s done for Christ will last.

Let me say it a bit differently:

Only one ministry, ’twill soon be past,

only what’s done through Christ’s church will last.

When Flight 92 went down in Pennsylvania on 9/11, Todd Beamer called his wife, Lisa, from the bathroom of the plane. Together they prayed the Lord’s Prayer. His last words to Lisa were, “Let’s roll.” Sounds good to me.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.” (Eph. 5:25–27)

“To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:21)

Chapter 2

Great Growing Churches

In the mid-1970s, Adrian Rogers of Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee, and Edwin Young of Second Baptist Church, Houston, Texas, independently of each other, and unknown to each other, conducted a study of the twenty-five largest, fastest growing churches in America to determine whether there were common ingredients in each.

Some churches were in the north; some in the south. Some were African-American, some Anglo. Some were Hispanic, some Asian. Some were charismatic; most were not. Some facilities were modern; many were old. Each had five factors in common.

1. They were strongly pastorally led. Boards, sessions, deacons, elders, and committees abounded. There was a large variance in ecclesiastical structure. But in each case they reported, “It didn’t take long, analyzing the inside workings of the church, until it became obvious where the power center was.”

But it is essential to understand: Leadership is not demanded; it is deserved. Pastoral leadership is taught in Scripture and must be granted by the people but earned by the pastor. When you have to start telling them, “I’m the pastor,” you no longer are.

God’s people are better led than driven. The wise pastor will seek counsel and work with his leaders while humbly assuming the position of leadership with which God has entrusted him.

2. They were strong Bible churches. Each pastor believed the Bible to be inerrant and infallible, the unflawed, perfect Word of God—not just a record of God’s Word but God’s Word itself. These men were not attempting to be apologists. They were not defending the Bible, debating it, or trying to prove it. They were preaching it. And it was happening throughout the entire life of the church.

3. They had celebration worship. This is not to say the Sunday services were a hootenanny or the atmosphere carnivalistic. It is to say, they were happy churches with bright, warm, friendly atmospheres. The people felt the freedom to laugh, to cry, and to respond. Remember, you can’t hatch eggs in a refrigerator. A warm, fluid service that allows for the freedom and spontaneity of the Spirit is conducive to tender response to the Spirit of God. Such services are often mistakenly considered to be only emotional, and decisions made therein naturally shallow. Such is not the case.

Jesus said to love the Lord our God with all our mind, heart, and soul.

In love we respond to His love with the totality of our being, including our emotions.

We thwart the stirring of the Lord when we stifle the freedom of the Spirit with stilted, overly formal services.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17).

This is not, of course, to suggest an inherent lack of planning. An order of service can be directed by the Holy Spirit and still be printed in advance. But the freedom and ease with which it should be carried out can and must be allowed.

4. They were churches in unity. The people gave a high priority to their o...

Table of contents

• Foreword
• Introduction
• Part 1: The Church
• Part 2: The Pastor as God’s Man
• Part 3: The Pastor as Spiritual Leader
• Part 4: The Pastor as Organizational Leader
• Part 5: The Pastor as Preacher
• Part 6: Worship Services
• Part 7: Programs and Ministries
• Part 8: The Church Staff
• Part 9: The Church Finances
• Part 10: Facilities and Operations
• Part 11: Other Important Matters
• Part 12: Issues/Taking a Position