Why Pastors Should Go To Church Less
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Spending less time at church won’t make you a worse pastor; it will make you a better one.
Most pastors want to connect with unchurched people but aren’t good at it.
76% of pastors say fostering relationships with people outside their church is a priority.
But 99% of pastors say their church is not very effective at reaching people who don’t already attend church.
So pastors want to connect with unchurched people but feel they aren’t succeeding.
I think a huge reason for this disconnect is that pastors spend too much time at church.
The gravitational pull of pastoring is always towards working in the church office, running church programs, managing church business and hanging out with church people.
And they are worse pastors because of it.
They unintentionally end up using insider language that only church people understand.
They assume the average person knows more about Christianity than they do.
They develop an “us” and “them” mindset that leads them to be dismissive of differing viewpoints.
They rarely address the questions and challenges that unchurched people feel are most important.
Pastors who are effective at helping unchurched people are pastors who spend time with unchurched people.
They find a way to get out of their church and into the community.
Let me give you some real-life examples of pastors doing this well.
There’s the urban pastor who uses his neighbourhood coffee shop as his office to befriend staff and patrons, and become an ally and advocate within his city.
There’s the rural pastor who joined the local community theatre troupe and would take occasional Sundays off from church to participate in theatre performances.
There’s the longtime pastor who joined a Cross-Fit gym and now brings church members to the gym and gym members to his church.
There’s the small city pastor who coaches a local youth basketball team as a way of becoming a trusted presence in the community.
You’ll notice that each pastor’s community connection point differs based on their unique personality and interests. There’s no right way to get out of your church and into the community. There’s just whatever way works for you.
You may be reading this and saying, “I wish I could do that but I don’t have the time.”
All of these pastors felt the same way you do. They just made the hard choice to intentionally resist the gravitational pull of the “all church, all the time” model of pastoring and dedicate themselves to a rhythm of life that regularly connects them with their community.
And here’s the wild part: spending less time in the church won’t make you a worse pastor, it will make you a better one.
Getting out of the church and into the community benefits you, as a person and a pastor.
As a person:
It helps you make friends you aren’t being paid to be friends with.
It connects you with diverse people that broaden your perspective.
It allows you to develop an identity beyond being a pastor.
It creates differentiation between your work life and your personal life.
As a pastor:
It helps you be more empathetic.
It inspires fresh sermon angles and topics.
It makes you a communicator who can connect with more diverse audiences.
It opens opportunities for your church to get more involved in the neighbourhood.
It positions you as a trusted presence in your community who people can call on in times of need.
It better equips you to speak to your current church members who spend the majority of their time working and living alongside people who don’t go to church.
This is why I advocate for pastors spending less time at church.
It’s good for the pastor.
It’s good for the church.
It’s good for the community.
So become a better pastor and start spending less time at church.
***If you read this blog and thought, “I would love to do stuff like that but there’s no way I can find the time to add one more thing to my schedule. There’s just way too much church work for me to do” then We Help Pastors is here for you. We help pastors like you manage your church so that you can have the margin you need. If you’re curious about what that could look like, book a free Discovery Session today and we’ll help you start spending less time at church and more time connecting with your community!***
