How Ministry Leaders Can Encourage Other Ministers in Their Church

Christian ministry is not usually a solo effort. In the New Testament, the work of spreading the gospel and leading the church is almost always presented in terms of ministry teams. Between Luke’s account in the Book of Acts and the letters of the apostle Paul, we could make a list of almost 100 men and women who supported and participated in his ministry. Names like Silas, Barnabas, and Epaphroditus are familiar, but Paul also describes lesser-known figures such as Tychicus and Justus as his “fellow workers” (Colossians 4:7-11). It seems that the apostle rarely, if ever, approached the work of ministry alone.

Teamwork in Ministry Matters

But it’s not only in Paul’s missionary endeavors that we see this dynamic at work. It seems that the apostolic expectation was that the church would be led by a team of qualified (see I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9) ministers, called by the roughly interchangeable terms elder (e.g., Titus 1:5), overseer (e.g., Titus 1:7), and shepherd/pastor (e.g., Ephesians 4:11). We see this dynamic at work when Peter exhorts the elders (notice the plural) to shepherd the church together (I Peter 5:1-2), when Paul directs Titus to appoint elders (again, plural) in every town (Titus 1:5), and when Paul meets with the elders (plural) from the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:17).

Churches are best served by a plurality of Spirit-gifted people ministering to and leading the church. The Bible doesn’t give us many reasons why this is so, but it’s not too hard to identify the advantages of teamwork in ministry. A plurality of ministers means that the church is not limited by the gifts, strengths, time, and perspective of just one leader. It helps to prevent the church from becoming overly dependent on a charismatic or dynamic individual. It also highlights that Jesus is the true head of his church, and pastors and leaders are merely his servants.

Now, it may be that the church you serve is small, and you don’t have a ministry team around you. If that’s the case, then your work begins with prayerfully laboring to raise up others who can serve your congregation alongside you (II Timothy 2:2). But if you serve as the leader of a ministry team, here are some ways you can help encourage and appreciate the other ministers in your church – not just in October for Pastor Appreciation Month, but throughout the year:

1. Make their service a joy.

You don’t need me to tell you that ministry can be difficult. You are called upon to care for people at their lowest, when sin and suffering have reared up in their lives. The hours can be long and irregular, the pay low, and people’s expectations unrealistic. For that reason, if you are responsible for a team of pastors and church leaders, you should try to find and create opportunities to make their service enjoyable.

Ideally, a ministry team should enjoy one another’s company and spend time together outside the office. Whether that happens will largely depend on the initiative and posture of the lead pastor. If you don’t enjoy your co-workers as friends, there won’t be much closeness on the team. So, think about planning an outing together. Make enjoying one another the only thing on the agenda (e.g., a hike, a ball game, a day at the lake). Get to know their families and ensure service to the church isn’t too much of a burden in the home. The comaraderie and trust you generate will serve you well in times of crisis and trouble.

2. Let them be your pastors.

Even if you are the “head” or “lead” or “senior” pastor, you still need pastors to care for you. You may be a shepherd, but you are also still a sheep; you, too, need spiritual care and oversight. It’s good for your soul to make sure other leaders in your church know what is going on in your heart, how you might need help and advice, and ways you need particular prayer. When you go to others in your church for this kind of spiritual care, you will set a good example for them and demonstrate that you trust and respect them.

3. Trust that God will work in and through your ministry teams.

Unless you are Jesus, you don’t have everything your church needs. Your gifts, skills, time, talent, and insights are limited. And so there will be things others see more clearly than you. There will be times when you are wrong and someone else is right. So, you should trust that the Lord will work through others to bless you and the church. You don’t need to micromanage their every action. Not everything must be done the way you would do it. Give them opportunities to learn, grow, make mistakes, and exercise meaningful leadership. If you have the right people in place, then it will be a blessing to your church and you.

4. Invest in their growth and development.

The other ministry leaders around you are not resources to be mined but gifts to be stewarded. Think about how you could help them gain new experiences and skills. You can do this by providing a book budget (and time to read!), access to further education (in person or online), offering conference tickets, and proactively giving them new opportunities and assignments to help them grow. Think of ways to help them develop organic authority in the congregation as they share the leadership mantle with you.

If you are the lead pastor of a church, make sure you are taking time to encourage the other ministry leaders on your team. You are doubtlessly busy (and wouldn’t mind being appreciated yourself), but you can be sure the time you invest in developing others and making them feel appreciated will be time well spent. You and the church will benefit from having a strong and happy team around you.

©2023, 2024 Michael McKinley. Used with permission.