Are you struggling to disciple your congregation and see them grow in their walks with God?

As we discussed in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, there are simple commitments we can make as pastors that will help us abandon average in both our lives and our ministries and step into being a Renegade Pastor.

Part 3’s commitment focus might sound simple, but it is crucial if we want to see our people mature in Christ. We must shepherd our flock.

We can do this by feeding them well with 3 simple challenges that will give them the push they need to take their next steps of faith.

#1: CHALLENGE THEM TO STEWARD THEIR MONEY WELL THROUGH GENEROSITY.

If you challenge your congregation to give, they will learn how to practice good stewardship. An example giving challenge that we have issued at The Journey is a tithing challenge. In this specific challenge, shoot right to the heart on why your people should tithe. Talk about the history of the tithe and the importance of bringing our best to God, and then, lay out the challenge.

Challenge everyone to tithe for four months. Call on them to be who they were created to be. If they agree to the tithe challenge, by the end of the four months, the tithe will be a regular part of their lives, and God will have shown Himself to them in a very real way.

All you need to do is try your best to feed your sheep the truth about giving, make that truth relevant to their lives and call them to action.

#2: CHALLENGE THEM TO EVANGELIZE.

Challenging your people to pray for their unchurched friends and invite them to church is also a powerful way to feed them. Remember, God wants to give people opportunities to share their faith. He may already be putting opportunities in front of your sheep, but if you aren’t training them to see open doors, they won’t.

Start by simply challenging them to get in the habit of praying for people in their lives who don’t know Jesus. Then, encourage them to invite those same people to church.

Another way to challenge your congregation to share their faith is to issue the same challenge every single Sunday. After each service, say, “If you found today’s message helpful, why not invite a friend to join you next week?”

If an upcoming sermon’s topic is going to be aimed at a widespread felt-need, mention that. “Hey, next week, we are going to be talking about dealing with stress in marriage. If you know someone who might find that message helpful, bring that person with you.”

A third tool to share is an Invest and Invite card — a business-sized card that says, on one side: “I will seek to invest in others who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and invite them to [your church’s name].” On the other side, include three lines for your people to list the names of three friends they are committing to invest in and invite to church.

#3: CHALLENGE THEM TO SERVE IN A MINISTRY AT YOUR CHURCH.

As the head volunteer recruiter for your church, step up and challenge your flock to serve. One-time challenges are good ways to get people involved. For example, you can leverage Big Days and special events to get people to volunteer. When anything out of the ordinary is happening, invite new volunteers to be a part of it. Once they are there, make sure they enjoy serving, earnestly thank them for their time, and ask them to do it again.

When you give potential servers an immediate why, they will often respond. People get involved when they have a specific reason to get involved. Otherwise, they may want to do something but continually justify putting it off.

Giving specific challenges to the people in your church will grow them both individually and corporately. By targeting the three areas of stewardship, evangelism, and serving, you will shepherd your flock and see immense spiritual maturity in their lives.

To abandon average and live the thriving life of a Renegade Pastor, you must follow 7 essential commitments, and in this 3-part blog series, we have reviewed 3 of them: Follow Your Lord, Manage Your Time, and Shepherd Your Flock.

Follow through with these commitments, leave mediocrity behind for good, and move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. When it comes to abandoning average and living a no-holds-barred life of a Renegade Pastor, you must follow 7 essential commitments. By following through with these, you can leave mediocrity behind for good and move toward the excellence and impact you are called to.

Take the risk-free step today to test out the 7 commitments and my Renegade Pastors Network for only $1. You’ll receive 60 days of coaching including tools and strategies just for senior pastors, training calls, a print newsletter, a private member hub with bonus content and much more!

You’ll also receive a free copy of my book, The Renegade Pastor, and other free resources (over $895.45 value).

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© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.