1 Lay Pastors have a God-given assignment
Certainly, the start of any ministry is for God to do the calling. If you desire to serve the Lord as a pastor or lay pastor you must be called by God. We are all called to lead in the cause for Christ, but we all have different gifts and different callings to use those gifts.
2 Prayer –The “P” in PACE
I’d like to focus on the P in PACE today. Prayer is the cornerstone of all ministry and is the foundation of our relationship with our Lord. Jesus Christ was crucified, died and resurrected so we could have a relationship with the one true God. I believe we often underestimate the amazing privilege and responsibility of prayer.
3 Taking a look at your Bible
I live in the United States of America. It is said that close to 90 % of every American household has a Bible – actually on average up to 3 Bibles. I myself have at least 15 – Different translations, sizes, some are fancy, encased in leather with gold leafing and some look like a cheap paperback novel. Some are old and worn and some have never been opened.
4 How do you see Jesus
How do you see Jesus? Do you think of Him as a babe in a manger? Is He your friend? Teacher? Father? Is He the angry guy that cleared out the temple? Is He the guy that cursed a fig tree that bore no fruit or the miracle worker that fed the 5000? Is He beaten and bloody hanging on a cross? Do you imagine Him, eyes like blazing fire coming on a white horse and leading the armies of heaven? Do you see Him as the Faithful and True King of Kings and Lord of Lords?
5 Accountability
Today, I want to briefly speak about accountability—what it means, why it matters, and how Scripture calls us to live accountable lives before God and one another. The Lay Pastors ministry is successful because each lay pastor is accountable to the ministry by submitting accountability reports and attending lay pastor training.
6 Available – The “A” in the PACE
I want to speak briefly about something simple but deeply powerful in our calling as Christian lay ministers: availability. In a world of constant motion, noise, and distraction, one of the most Christlike things we can offer is our presence—our full, undistracted, caring presence.
7 Living Love Through Intentional Contact –The “C” in PACE
When we look at the life of Jesus, we don’t see a man who merely preached love from the pulpit or synagogue steps. We see a Savior who embodied love in every interaction. He touched lepers when no one else would. He fed the hungry crowds. He welcomed tax collectors and sinners. He wept with the grieving. He healed the sick. He forgave the fallen. And ultimately, He laid down His life for us all.
8 Being a Christian Example – The “E” in PACE
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to more than just belief, we are called to be an example. Not just in what we say, but in how we live. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul exhorts young Timothy, saying: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
9 Common Difficulties in Lay Pastoral Care
In his years of developing and guiding the Lay Pastors Ministry, Mel Steinbron learned that pastoral care is both deeply rewarding and often challenging. While the vision is clear, ensuring that everyone in the congregation receives loving, consistent care, the path is not without obstacles. Today, I want to focus on a common difficulty that arises, the parishioners who are resistant to lay pastoral ministry, and how we can respond in ways that honor Christ and build relationships.
10 Difficulties making contacts
Today we will look at difficulties making contacts. As lay pastors, we have a shared calling, a calling to care, to reach out, to love, and to shepherd God’s people. As lay pastors, our role may not carry a formal title or an office in the church building, but it carries the heart of Jesus’ ministry: presence. And with that comes both great blessing and some very real challenges.
11 Rekindle the flame
This is my 3rd talk about the challenges of being a lay pastor as laid out by Mel Stienbron in his book “Can the Pastor do it Alone?” Lay pastors ministry, at its heart, is shepherding God’s people by being love with skin on. We answer the call to enter God’s service as lay pastors and with good intentions, to proceed how we have been trained.
12 Embracing Difficulty
One of the most profound truths we must embrace as lay pastors is this: we are not here to fix, we are here to love. In Mel Steinbron’s book Can the Pastor Do It Alone, Difficulty #4 reminds us that some problems are simply beyond our ability to solve. And that’s not a flaw, it’s a divine invitation.
13 Problems you cannot fix
One of the most profound challenges lay pastors face is what Mel Steinbron calls the “Fourth Difficulty”: people have problems you can’t fix. This difficulty is not about lack of effort, compassion, or prayer, it’s about the reality that some burdens are simply beyond our ability to resolve. As lay pastors, we must learn to live in the tension between wanting to help and recognizing our limitations.
14 Acceptance—Loving Without Expectation
One of the most humbling and challenging aspects of lay pastoral ministry is learning to live with the reality of varied responses. Mel Steinbron, in his wisdom and experience, identified this as Difficulty #5: Acceptance. It’s the truth that not everyone will welcome your care, your prayers, or your presence. You may be assigned five families and three will love you, appreciate you, and open their hearts. But two may barely acknowledge your existence. They won’t return your calls, they won’t invite you in, and they may never say thank you. This is not failure.
15 Pastoring When There Is No Crisis
One of the most overlooked challenges in lay pastoral ministry is what Mel Steinbron calls Difficulty #6: what do you do when there is no apparent need, no crisis, no emergency? At first glance, it might seem like pastoral care is only necessary when someone is hurting, sick, grieving, or facing a major life change like getting married or having a baby. But Steinbron reminds us that pastoring is not just about crisis, it’s about life.
16 People do not feel pastored unless the ordained clergy pastors them
Today I want to address the final difficulty in Mel Steinbron’s book, “Can the Pastor do it Alone?” Difficulty #7: “People do not feel pastored unless the ordained clergy pastors them.” This belief is sincere. It is shaped by tradition, by long held expectations, and sometimes by misunderstanding. But as the people of God, we must ask a foundational question: Do we truly believe what Scripture teaches about the ministry of the saints?