"Despite one’s striving, some of the things received from God can be difficult to convey to believers." Brother C, a grassroots preacher in northern Jiangsu, recently shared insights on his pastoral experience.
He serves in a rural church where most of the believers are elderly people. What bothers him most is that a majority of the congregation views attending church as purchasing indulgences in the Middle Ages or the church as an incubator for babies.
Over the years, he has concluded that no matter how spiritually deep a sermon may be, most believers simply listen and leave without any resonance. Despite the times they have heard the messages, their spiritual lives remain unchanged. Only a few Christians have truly gained something, experiencing growth and transformation.
"But this often leads to putting in twice the effort for half the result. After various endeavors, only minimal progress is achieved, and even that is suppressed, leaving them unable to experience true freedom and liberation." A new outcome will occur as one's spiritual life grows, that is, they no longer align with other congregants.
Brother C gave an example: if a Christmas show rehearsal is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., those eager for spiritual growth will arrive early or on time, while those who aren’t will be late or even not show up. “Over time, those with aspirations and desire to serve will find it difficult to proceed.”
To his knowledge, this is a common issue. Preachers from Anhui Province and other regions have mentioned the same challenge—congregants’ lives remain unchanged despite great efforts. Some pastors remarked, "Even if Jesus himself came to preach, they might still not come to listen."
Brother C suggested that the church should establish a fellowship with Christians who desire spiritual progress to revitalize the congregation. He highlighted that organizing activities requires a certain amount of manpower and resources. It will be difficult to make progress if the church cannot offer relevant support. As a result, even the keen believers may eventually grow indifferent, or, in the worst case, leave the church altogether.
A church has been conducting Bible study activities that align with Brother C's suggestion. Some devoted believers continue to participate while serving in various roles in the church. Through Bible study, they can receive deeper pastoral care with the embodiment of a beautiful testimony in their service.
Additionally, it is essential to make appropriate adjustments to gathering and pastoral methods based on the status of the local congregation. For instance, a church in southern Anhui discovered that one—or two-day retreats were ineffective due to its relatively short history and its members' shallow faith foundation. Consequently, the pastor has established a youth fellowship in such circumstances, while small groups approach and nurture the elderly, gradually enhancing the worship format.
Regarding pastoral care, equipment with truth and the Scriptures is essential; however, delivering effective pastoral care based on the believers’ status requires church preachers, particularly leaders, to make genuine attempts.
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
“即便你很努力去做，你从神里面领受的一些东西也很难传递给信徒。”近日，一名苏北基层传道人C弟兄如此分享自己在牧养工作中的感受。
他在一家乡镇教会服侍，信徒更多是老年人。他目前最困扰的事情是很多人把来教会当作中世纪买赎罪券一样，或者像婴儿的保温箱一样。
这些年，他有一点总结，就是无论讲道再怎么属灵，但很多时候，信徒听完了就结束了。不管是听过多少次，他的生命没有任何变化。只有极个别的弟兄姐妹，是确实得着了，生命有所长进和改变。
“但是这种有时候事倍功半，就是说做了一大圈，然后最后取得一点点成果，而且这一点点还是被压制的，他们也无法得到真正的自由释放。”因为一个人的生命长进起来后会有一种结果：他和其他弟兄姊妹的生命不相匹配了。
他举了一个例子，比如说定了下午一点半排练圣诞节节目。那些有追求的，他们会提前到或者准点到达。那些没有追求的，就迟到或者甚至就不来。“长此以往，那些有追求、想要服侍的人也很难进行下去。”
就C弟兄了解，这是一种普遍现象。的确，安徽等地的传道人也提到相同的问题，就是做了很多，但是感觉信徒的生命没有改变。有牧者甚至说“即便是耶稣亲自来讲可能他们也不来”。
C弟兄建议教会要把一些有追求的人形成团契，如此才能慢慢把这个教会的生命给带动起来。而开展活动需要一定的人力和物力，但如果教会不能提供相应的支持，就很难迎来新的发展。甚至这些有追求的人轻则热心冷淡，重则可能离开教会。
一间教会持续开展的系列查经活动和C弟兄的建议不谋而合，一些有追求的信徒持续参加，他们同时也在教会各个岗位上侍奉。通过系列查经，他们不仅得到了更深层次的牧养，也能在服侍中活出美好的见证。
此外，根据当地信徒的情况，对聚会和牧养方式进行适当的调整是非常有必要的，比如安徽南部一家教会，发现一两天的培灵会效果不理想，因为教会历史并不长，信徒信仰基础都比较浅。后来教会牧者根据实际情况，一方面组建青年团契，同时透过小组吸引牧养老年人，并逐步对礼拜形式作出改进。
就牧养来说，真理和话语的装备是非常重要的，但如何根据信徒的实际情况进行有效牧养，这需要教会传道人尤其是领袖勇于尝试。
基层传道人的困惑苦恼：信徒的生命如何迎来改变？出路在哪儿？
"Despite one’s striving, some of the things received from God can be difficult to convey to believers." Brother C, a grassroots preacher in northern Jiangsu, recently shared insights on his pastoral experience.
He serves in a rural church where most of the believers are elderly people. What bothers him most is that a majority of the congregation views attending church as purchasing indulgences in the Middle Ages or the church as an incubator for babies.
Over the years, he has concluded that no matter how spiritually deep a sermon may be, most believers simply listen and leave without any resonance. Despite the times they have heard the messages, their spiritual lives remain unchanged. Only a few Christians have truly gained something, experiencing growth and transformation.
"But this often leads to putting in twice the effort for half the result. After various endeavors, only minimal progress is achieved, and even that is suppressed, leaving them unable to experience true freedom and liberation." A new outcome will occur as one's spiritual life grows, that is, they no longer align with other congregants.
Brother C gave an example: if a Christmas show rehearsal is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., those eager for spiritual growth will arrive early or on time, while those who aren’t will be late or even not show up. “Over time, those with aspirations and desire to serve will find it difficult to proceed.”
To his knowledge, this is a common issue. Preachers from Anhui Province and other regions have mentioned the same challenge—congregants’ lives remain unchanged despite great efforts. Some pastors remarked, "Even if Jesus himself came to preach, they might still not come to listen."
Brother C suggested that the church should establish a fellowship with Christians who desire spiritual progress to revitalize the congregation. He highlighted that organizing activities requires a certain amount of manpower and resources. It will be difficult to make progress if the church cannot offer relevant support. As a result, even the keen believers may eventually grow indifferent, or, in the worst case, leave the church altogether.
A church has been conducting Bible study activities that align with Brother C's suggestion. Some devoted believers continue to participate while serving in various roles in the church. Through Bible study, they can receive deeper pastoral care with the embodiment of a beautiful testimony in their service.
Additionally, it is essential to make appropriate adjustments to gathering and pastoral methods based on the status of the local congregation. For instance, a church in southern Anhui discovered that one—or two-day retreats were ineffective due to its relatively short history and its members' shallow faith foundation. Consequently, the pastor has established a youth fellowship in such circumstances, while small groups approach and nurture the elderly, gradually enhancing the worship format.
Regarding pastoral care, equipment with truth and the Scriptures is essential; however, delivering effective pastoral care based on the believers’ status requires church preachers, particularly leaders, to make genuine attempts.
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
Grassroots Preacher's Voice: How to Transform Believers' Lives?
