As the saying goes, "healers struggle to heal themselves." Similarly, within the church, "pastors struggle to shepherd themselves" has long been a common and recurring challenge faced by many frontline pastoral workers, especially for the young ministers newly graduated from seminary.
A staff member from the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, interviewed a middle-aged pastor, who has been serving for over twenty years since graduating from seminary, seeking his advice on how young theological graduates born between 1995 and 2010 (commonly known as Generation Z) can grow effectively. The pastor shared his personal experiences, offering insights and encouragement.
Setting the Right Mindset for Service Before Accessing the Threshing Floor
Pastor Huang, who currently serves as the head pastor of a municipal CC&TSPM in North China, began his ministry journey immediately after graduating from seminary in 2002.
He noted that for many young theological students entering the field, their first test is not a matter of skills or abilities but rather their adaptation to changes in the environment. Many young theological students, accustomed to campus life, believe that church ministry should be as orderly and structured as life on campus or in the workplace, where they can work in clearly defined departments and live a routine life. However, once they enter the church, the multifaceted ministry, along with the demands of multitasking, often comes as a great shock and creates a significant gap between expectations and reality.
In response to this, Pastor Huang emphasized the importance of taking advantage of internship opportunities during seminary and participating in church service during holidays to understand the daily works of church ministry. In his view, the sooner they understand the busy and demanding nature of church work, the faster they can adapt to the rhythm of service.
Becoming a Learning Pastor and Recharging Spiritually
In recent years, Pastor Huang, in addition to mentoring theological students at his own church, has also conducted several training programs for theological students at local and neighboring CC&TSPMs. During this process, he keenly observed some real issues in the spiritual pursuits of young ministers.
He found that some young theological students had complaints about frontline ministry, saying that they were "giving much and receiving little," and that they lacked a sense of fulfillment. Some even felt that they were spiritually drained due to ministries. Moreover, as soon as they had free time, they would either play video games or sleep.
“They spend time on these meaningless activities but do not think about how to fill and comfort their own emptiness and fatigue with the word of truth. If you have not received comfort and healing from God, how can you have the strength to comfort and lead the congregants?” the pastor candidly remarked.
“I used to think that spiritual devotions and ministry were separate, so I always wanted to set aside time specifically for devotions. But as my responsibilities increased, I found that living by this principle was not very realistic,” he added, suggesting that ministry can also be part of a pastor’s spiritual practice.
“I can gain an accurate and deep understanding of God’s words in these ministries, such as preparing sermons, leading meetings, or visiting believers. Through service, I can also more deeply realize my lack of understanding of the word, which drives me to seek answers from God’s words,” he said.
Integrating Love and Reverence into a Pastor’s Life
“One of the most common issues among theological students is gathering to complain about their respective churches or express dissatisfaction with the ministry,” said Pastor Huang, who often meets with seminary classmates and has a profound understanding of this phenomenon. “In my view, this is a very unhealthy atmosphere.”
In recent years, when mentoring younger theological students, Huang has always emphasized that as ministers, they must cultivate a sense of reverence for the church and their role, which reflects their reverence and love for God. He often advises his juniors to self-reflect before complaining about their church in front of others. They should consider what efforts they have made to address the problems they see in the church. If they haven’t, they need to be vigilant and control their words, so as not to become a stumbling block for others.
Pastor Huang has also worked consistently in recent years to create a more accepting and supportive environment for the growth of young theological students by promoting communication, providing ministry opportunities, and increasing fellowship frequency within CC&TSPMs and church leadership teams.
Conclusion — Being an Example to All in Christ
As a seasoned pastor approaching 50, Pastor Huang stated that he entered seminary at 19 and started ministry at 23, with his life goal to become a role model.
“When I was young, I always wanted to rely on a role model, to find a pastoral mentor in the church to help me grow. However, I later realized that people are limited and have various problems. So, I decided to become a role model myself, and I ultimately found that path in the Lord Jesus.”
Because of this, he encourages young theological students from Generation Z to seize the most precious time in their lives to return to the life of Christ, find guidance for growth through prayer, and experience miraculous growth in the field of ministry. “No matter where you are, your twenties are full of potential. As long as you walk in Christ, you can grow in wisdom and stature and become an example for others.”
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
正如常言道“医者难自医”，在教会之中，“牧者难自牧”历来是许多一线教牧同工中老生常谈的一大现实困境。
中国一网络基督教报纸福音时报的同工采访了从神学院毕业已二十余年的中年牧者，向他请教了关于Z世代”（即1995年至2010年间出生的青年群体）年轻神学生传道人成长的问题。牧师也结合个人的成长经历，进行了一些回应与劝勉。
踏入禾场前夕——摆正服侍心态是传道人成长第一步
黄牧师是华北某地市基督教两会的现任负责牧者，2002年神学毕业之后，他便进入教会一线走上了委身事奉的道路。
牧师说，对于许多初入禾场的神学生传道人而言，他们面临的第一个属灵试炼往往不是能力素养的考验，而是对环境变化的适应。很多习惯了校园生活的年轻神学生认为教会侍奉似乎也应该像职场或校园生活一样，可以在分工明确的部门里过着按部就班的生活。但进入教会后，繁杂琐碎的服侍事工、一人多用的工作常态便对他们造成了巨大的冲击与落差。
对此，黄牧师表示，这就需要神学生在校期间抓住实习机会，在假期参与到教会一线的侍奉中，尽可能了解教会日常的侍奉。在他看来，只有越早了解教会工作繁琐忙碌的现实，才能更快融入到服侍的节奏里去。
要成为学习型的牧者，既要能“放电”更要会“充电”
近年来，黄牧师在带领本堂神学生之余，还在当地基督教两会以及周边地市基督教两会先后开展了多届青年神学生栽培活动。带领栽培过程中，他也敏锐地发现了当代年轻传道人在灵命追求方面存在的实际问题。
原来，牧师了解到，有一些年轻神学生在对待一线侍奉上有不少怨气，觉得“付出多，回报少”，“没什么获得感”；更有甚者还认为服侍是对于自己灵命的消耗。但只要一得空，他们要不在打游戏，要不就是在睡懒觉。
“有时间去消耗在这些无意义的事情上面，却不想想怎么用真理的道来填补安慰自己的空虚和疲乏。你自己都没有得着安慰和医治，哪来的力量去安慰带领会众呢？”牧师直言。
“早先我也曾经认为灵修跟侍奉是分开的，所以总想把灵修的时间单独拿出来。但是后面负责的事情越来越多，我发现严格按着这样的生活不太现实。”牧师补充说，侍奉本身也可以成为传道人灵修的一部分。
“不管是预备讲章、带领聚会，还是探访信徒，我所领受的道都能在这些服侍里显现出来。而借着服侍，我也能更深的看到我对于道的认识的缺乏和不足，最终督促我更加努力地回到道里寻找答案，用话语填补我的缺乏。”他说。
让爱与敬畏走进传道人自身的生命
“神学生群体最常出现的一个问题就是聚在一起吐槽各自的教会，或者是对服侍发怨言。”由于自己也常常与神学生同学聚会，黄牧师对于这一现象有着切身的感触，“这个现象在我来看是非常不好的风气，也不是神学生应该呈现出的灵命状态。”
近年来，黄牧师在带领跟随自己的年轻神学生时，总会向他们着重强调，身为传道人，一定需要建立其对于教会与自身职分的敬畏之心，这是传道人对于上帝的敬畏与爱。所以他也时常告诫后辈们，在外人面前吐槽抱怨自己教会的不是时，需要先自我省察，想一想自己为教会暴露出的问题做出了哪些努力。如果没有，还是需要警醒管好自己的口舌，不要让自己成为魔鬼的试探从而绊倒他人。
黄牧师近年来也始终致力于在基督教两会及堂会的教牧班子中通过倡导沟通、提供侍奉岗位、增加团契频次等方式，尽可能地为年轻神学生后辈们打造更加接纳与包容的侍奉成长环境。
结语——在基督里做众人的榜样
19岁走进神学院学习神学，23岁踏入禾场侍奉，直到如今已经成为年近五旬的资深牧者，黄牧师告白自己的成长历程就是在走一条榜样的道路。
“我年轻时一直想依赖一个榜样，就是能在教会里找到一个榜样型的牧长前辈，让他带着我好好成长，但到后面发现人毕竟都是有限的，总会出现这样那样的问题。后面我就决心要自己成为榜样，而这条路，我最后是在主耶稣的身上找到的。”
也正是因此，对于出生于千禧一代的年轻神学生们，他也同样鼓励大家应当抓住自己生命最宝贵的时期，回转到基督的生命中，在祷告祈求中找到成长的指引，在服侍现场中经历奇妙的长进。“二十多岁的年纪不管放在哪儿都是大有可能，只要你是行在基督里，总能活出智慧和身量，成为众人的榜样。”
【专访】“Z世代”神学生传道如何成长为健康牧者？
As the saying goes, "healers struggle to heal themselves." Similarly, within the church, "pastors struggle to shepherd themselves" has long been a common and recurring challenge faced by many frontline pastoral workers, especially for the young ministers newly graduated from seminary.
A staff member from the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, interviewed a middle-aged pastor, who has been serving for over twenty years since graduating from seminary, seeking his advice on how young theological graduates born between 1995 and 2010 (commonly known as Generation Z) can grow effectively. The pastor shared his personal experiences, offering insights and encouragement.
Setting the Right Mindset for Service Before Accessing the Threshing Floor
Pastor Huang, who currently serves as the head pastor of a municipal CC&TSPM in North China, began his ministry journey immediately after graduating from seminary in 2002.
He noted that for many young theological students entering the field, their first test is not a matter of skills or abilities but rather their adaptation to changes in the environment. Many young theological students, accustomed to campus life, believe that church ministry should be as orderly and structured as life on campus or in the workplace, where they can work in clearly defined departments and live a routine life. However, once they enter the church, the multifaceted ministry, along with the demands of multitasking, often comes as a great shock and creates a significant gap between expectations and reality.
In response to this, Pastor Huang emphasized the importance of taking advantage of internship opportunities during seminary and participating in church service during holidays to understand the daily works of church ministry. In his view, the sooner they understand the busy and demanding nature of church work, the faster they can adapt to the rhythm of service.
Becoming a Learning Pastor and Recharging Spiritually
In recent years, Pastor Huang, in addition to mentoring theological students at his own church, has also conducted several training programs for theological students at local and neighboring CC&TSPMs. During this process, he keenly observed some real issues in the spiritual pursuits of young ministers.
He found that some young theological students had complaints about frontline ministry, saying that they were "giving much and receiving little," and that they lacked a sense of fulfillment. Some even felt that they were spiritually drained due to ministries. Moreover, as soon as they had free time, they would either play video games or sleep.
“They spend time on these meaningless activities but do not think about how to fill and comfort their own emptiness and fatigue with the word of truth. If you have not received comfort and healing from God, how can you have the strength to comfort and lead the congregants?” the pastor candidly remarked.
“I used to think that spiritual devotions and ministry were separate, so I always wanted to set aside time specifically for devotions. But as my responsibilities increased, I found that living by this principle was not very realistic,” he added, suggesting that ministry can also be part of a pastor’s spiritual practice.
“I can gain an accurate and deep understanding of God’s words in these ministries, such as preparing sermons, leading meetings, or visiting believers. Through service, I can also more deeply realize my lack of understanding of the word, which drives me to seek answers from God’s words,” he said.
Integrating Love and Reverence into a Pastor’s Life
“One of the most common issues among theological students is gathering to complain about their respective churches or express dissatisfaction with the ministry,” said Pastor Huang, who often meets with seminary classmates and has a profound understanding of this phenomenon. “In my view, this is a very unhealthy atmosphere.”
In recent years, when mentoring younger theological students, Huang has always emphasized that as ministers, they must cultivate a sense of reverence for the church and their role, which reflects their reverence and love for God. He often advises his juniors to self-reflect before complaining about their church in front of others. They should consider what efforts they have made to address the problems they see in the church. If they haven’t, they need to be vigilant and control their words, so as not to become a stumbling block for others.
Pastor Huang has also worked consistently in recent years to create a more accepting and supportive environment for the growth of young theological students by promoting communication, providing ministry opportunities, and increasing fellowship frequency within CC&TSPMs and church leadership teams.
Conclusion — Being an Example to All in Christ
As a seasoned pastor approaching 50, Pastor Huang stated that he entered seminary at 19 and started ministry at 23, with his life goal to become a role model.
“When I was young, I always wanted to rely on a role model, to find a pastoral mentor in the church to help me grow. However, I later realized that people are limited and have various problems. So, I decided to become a role model myself, and I ultimately found that path in the Lord Jesus.”
Because of this, he encourages young theological students from Generation Z to seize the most precious time in their lives to return to the life of Christ, find guidance for growth through prayer, and experience miraculous growth in the field of ministry. “No matter where you are, your twenties are full of potential. As long as you walk in Christ, you can grow in wisdom and stature and become an example for others.”
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
Interview: Insights From a Seasoned Pastor for Gen Z Ministers
