Pastor L has served as a full-time pastoral staff member at a church for over ten years since graduating from Bible school. Regarding pastoral care, she believes the most important thing is to work hard on God's Word, read the Bible, and pray fervently.
She noted that understanding God's Word involves practical experience in daily life. "One will gradually experience spiritual growth when memorizing scripture and integrating it with daily experiences, including various practices."
The local church tends to be more traditional, emphasizing biblical interpretation, which she couldn't accept as she started her service in the church upon graduation. As a young person, she believed the church should be vibrant. However, she gradually found serenity after realizing that the word of God brings stability and calmness to people.
The church holds daily morning prayers for at least half an hour, followed by a sermon session, and then the congregation sings hymns together. The sermon session is conducted as a Bible study, focusing on a specific theme, a particular volume of the Bible, or following a sequential order of scripture. Local pastors also receive training in such a manner, progressing step by step to be equipped with the Scriptures.
Pastor L noticed that many believers have difficulties understanding the Bible. She believes that even if one cannot fully comprehend the Bible, one should still read it. A praying heart while reading the Bible makes a difference. It is also useful to use a commentary book.
She remarked, “A verse in the Bible can be preached differently ten years ago compared to today. The understanding of God’s word changes gradually as life grows.” Meanwhile, she emphasized, “Christians cannot just read the New Testament, but also should approach the Old Testament.”
Pastor L acknowledged that it is challenging to maintain a consistent prayer life in most cases, particularly for new believers. She believes prayer can be longer through practice, starting with five to ten minutes and extending to half an hour.
She further noted that numerous individuals feel distant from God in their prayers due to a lack of faith. She encouraged believers to emulate Paul's faithfulness and exemplify sincere faith in their lives.
When discussing evangelism, Pastor L emphasized that believers cannot leave the faith at the church when returning home, with family members reacting negatively when it comes to faith, even treating each other as enemies. Even if sharing the gospel with strangers, establishing a relationship may not immediately lead to change. Therefore, the essence of evangelism is transforming the self first, which allows positive influence on those around.
“Pray for this era, dedicate more time to God’s message, and come closer to the Lord,” Pastor L exhorted.
- Edited and Translated by Poppy Chan
L牧师是某教会的一位全职服侍同工，从圣经学校毕业就参与到教会服侍，至今已有十多年的时间。谈及牧养经验，她认为，最根本上还是要在神的话语上要下功夫，好好读经祷告。
需要不断在生活中经历上帝的话语，才会越来越明白。 “当你把神的话记熟了，再结合自身经历，包括结合一些实践，慢慢就会成长。”
她说，他们当地教会整体是比较传统，注重解经的。刚毕业参与教会服侍时她也接受不了这种风格，作为年轻人，总觉得要想教会有活力，但是后来就慢慢沉淀下来了，因为最终使人安定沉稳的是上帝的话语。
教会每天早上会有至少半个小时以上的晨祷，之后会有话语分享，然后大家一起唱赞美诗。话语分享是以查经的方式来进行的，要么以主题或者专卷的形式，要么就是按照圣经的次序。当地牧者的培训也是这样稳扎稳打，帮助牧者进行话语的装备。
L牧师也提到很多人说读不太懂圣经，她认为即使读不太明白圣经还是要去读。带着祷告的心去读时，就又不一样了，也可以着看解经书去读。
“一节经文，十年前讲的跟十年后讲的是不一样的，因为生命都在成长，慢慢看待神的话语也不一样了。”她一再强调，“我们不能只读新约，旧约也要读”。
很多时候，祷告也是很难坚持的，尤其是对于初信徒来说。对此，L牧师认为祷告是可以操练的，可以从五分钟、十分钟再到半个小时。
她进一步提到，现在很多人祷告，觉得上帝离自己很远，原因在于没有信心。我们要像像保罗那样坚定，把无伪的信心要生活出来。
谈及传福音，L牧师说，我们不能把信仰留在教堂里面，回到家里时，家人跟自己像仇人一样，甚至一提到信仰，他们恨之入骨。如此就算给陌生人去讲福音，对方跟我们建立关系后，了解了我们的为人，也不一定会改变。所以福音是先改变自己，然后影响身边的人。
“为这个时代祷告，在上帝的话语上多下功夫，多多亲近主。”L牧师劝勉。
一位青年牧者的劝勉：改变自己，在读经祷告上下功夫
Pastor L has served as a full-time pastoral staff member at a church for over ten years since graduating from Bible school. Regarding pastoral care, she believes the most important thing is to work hard on God's Word, read the Bible, and pray fervently.
She noted that understanding God's Word involves practical experience in daily life. "One will gradually experience spiritual growth when memorizing scripture and integrating it with daily experiences, including various practices."
The local church tends to be more traditional, emphasizing biblical interpretation, which she couldn't accept as she started her service in the church upon graduation. As a young person, she believed the church should be vibrant. However, she gradually found serenity after realizing that the word of God brings stability and calmness to people.
The church holds daily morning prayers for at least half an hour, followed by a sermon session, and then the congregation sings hymns together. The sermon session is conducted as a Bible study, focusing on a specific theme, a particular volume of the Bible, or following a sequential order of scripture. Local pastors also receive training in such a manner, progressing step by step to be equipped with the Scriptures.
Pastor L noticed that many believers have difficulties understanding the Bible. She believes that even if one cannot fully comprehend the Bible, one should still read it. A praying heart while reading the Bible makes a difference. It is also useful to use a commentary book.
She remarked, “A verse in the Bible can be preached differently ten years ago compared to today. The understanding of God’s word changes gradually as life grows.” Meanwhile, she emphasized, “Christians cannot just read the New Testament, but also should approach the Old Testament.”
Pastor L acknowledged that it is challenging to maintain a consistent prayer life in most cases, particularly for new believers. She believes prayer can be longer through practice, starting with five to ten minutes and extending to half an hour.
She further noted that numerous individuals feel distant from God in their prayers due to a lack of faith. She encouraged believers to emulate Paul's faithfulness and exemplify sincere faith in their lives.
When discussing evangelism, Pastor L emphasized that believers cannot leave the faith at the church when returning home, with family members reacting negatively when it comes to faith, even treating each other as enemies. Even if sharing the gospel with strangers, establishing a relationship may not immediately lead to change. Therefore, the essence of evangelism is transforming the self first, which allows positive influence on those around.
“Pray for this era, dedicate more time to God’s message, and come closer to the Lord,” Pastor L exhorted.
- Edited and Translated by Poppy Chan
A Young Pastor's Call to Read, Pray, and Transform
