A New Tool for Pastors

By Stephen Rawlings

It’s fair to say that the pastor’s job is done as much in the home and on the street as it is from the pulpit. Not only do pastors teach the word of God, but they offer a living example by showing their congregations and those around them how they should treat others. 

Many pastors think they are left on their own to decide how to best show appreciation for their congregation; however, the Minister's Suite can be a tremendous help.

The Minister’s Suite layout

When you open up the Minister’s Suite, you are prompted to click on 1 of 4 chapters, including honor, letters, ordain, and ceremonies. Each section contains information that will help you to transform your ministry and will pay for itself tenfold by giving you back hours in the day. 

Honor

In the Bible, repetition is used for emphasis, and the word honor is used over 140 times. It goes without saying that understanding honor is vital in a Biblical context. 

The word comes from the Latin word honos, which means to give value. God gave us value by declaring us His sons and daughters, and He recognizes the importance of your position in His church. 

1 Timothy 5:17 says, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.” 

But honor does not merely reside within the individual. It is a flame that can be used to ignite passion in your congregation when you share it, and the Minister’s Suite can be a conduit to help bless your community. 

But how can a computer program help your mission?

The Minister’s Suite provides different ways to honor your community by giving specific examples of prayers and actions appropriate for various types of individuals and special events. By searching these categories, you can create new and inspiring ways to bless your staff, congregation, and community.

A few of the categories included in the section of the Minister’s Suite are deacons, elders, high school graduates, police, senators, and school superintendents.

In each section, you will find not only the statement of honor, but prayers, suggestions, and scriptures that will solidify your preparation for bestowing value to your members, or to others in your community. It may not be the final destination in your preparation, but it is an excellent place to start.

Letters

One of the most significant resources you can give is your time. And if you are anything like me, your time is better spent in the company of others than staring at a blank page wondering what to write. The difference is, I may write ten letters a year, but as a pastor, you are often sending out ten letters a day to members of your congregation. 

And why wouldn’t you?

Handwritten letters are still significant as they offer a personal way to say “thank you” to someone. It shows that you took the time and energy to think about them beyond their weekly attendance at your church. This connection is priceless.

It takes thoughtfulness and special care when writing these letters, but the process does not need to be as taxing as many people may think. 

The Minister’s Suite provides letter templates for every occasion. It can take the tedious task of writing and turn it into a joy-filled time of recognition. You will be able to compose more letters, and in turn, bless more people in your community. 

What used to take hours to do can now take you a few minutes, and you can get back to what you were called to do: sharing the good news of Christ and His love.

In the Minister’s Suite, we provide examples of the following types of letters:

• Letters of appreciation
• Letters of apology
• Announcement letters
• Condolence letters
• Letters to celebrate holidays
• Letters of recommendation, and so many more! 

If you have ever been unsure of what to write, or if you’re crunched for time, we have your best interest at heart. You are valuable to us, so let us be a resource to bless your congregation.

Ordination 

A common topic pastors have questions about is ordination. Many people think that StartCHURCH can ordain ministers of the Gospel, but that is not something we can do. However, your church can ordain others when an ordination program is appropriately established.

StartCHURCH does not ordain ministers, but we have the expertise to help you create the best ordination program fit for your church. We know that ordination is a tricky subject to tackle, so let’s talk about some common myths that we hear at StartCHURCH. 

Myth 1. “I am ordained, so now I can ordain others.” 

The IRS holds ordination in high regard, so much so that it has decided that no one man is able, for federal and tax reasons, to ordain others. 

Myth 2. “Once ordained, always ordained.” 

Many ministers find themselves in precarious situations because they believe that their ordination from a church they were connected with years ago is indefinite. However, once a minister decides to leave his or her previous church, his or her ordination is subject to become null and void.

Also, your former church is under no mandate to tell you if they decide to discontinue your ordination. And if your former church dissolves administratively, your ordination under this organization disappears alongside the organization’s dissolution.

This may seem alarming, but there is another side of the coin to see. Your ordination lasts as long as your church remains active and you remain in regular communion with the organization. To ensure the church remains active, be sure to keep track of your church’s administrative filings such as annual reports.

Myth 3. “I cannot start a church without being ordained.” 

This is a common statement I hear working at StartCHURCH. The order of this statement is wrong.

A church must first be incorporated by the secretary of state before a person can be ordained through it. Trying to be ordained before incorporating a church is like if a baseball player were to run to third base first; it may seem right before understanding the rules, but it is ineffective in the end. 

The government cannot rule on who is spiritually called to be ordained. But they can decide who can perform marriages legitimately, is recognized as a minister for employment, and who gets to take advantage of tax breaks awarded to ministers.

If this information seems alarming to you or confusing, don’t panic! We have consultants that can help you navigate these waters in our StartRIGHT service, and the Minister’s Suite has the information you need to create an ordination program.

Ceremonies

Apart from leading your church spiritually, after becoming ordained, you can perform ceremony services for your congregation. These require a great deal of preparation on your end.

Whether you are asked to sanctify the union of two people publicly in marriage or to perform a eulogy at a funeral to aid in the grieving process, the Minister’s Suite can help you prepare accordingly. 

We have created a list of twenty traditional ceremonies that ministers are often expected to perform. This list includes, but is not limited to:

• Weddings,
• Funerals,
• Bat Mitzvahs and Bar Mitzvahs,
• Ordination ceremonies, and
• Baby dedications. 

Each type of ceremony has been formatted into content that is easily understandable. Some of the information you will find in the Minister’s Suite includes:

• An introduction as to the type of ceremony.
• What you need to have prepared before the start of the ceremony. 
• A standard order of events during the ceremony.
• Phrases that are often used in these circumstances. 
• Scripture references that inform the importance of this event. 

So the question is, what will you do next?

We can help

In today’s fast-paced, tech-centric culture, most of us only see other people’s lives and struggles through the lens of social media, if at all. 

However, pastors are different. You have been called to be a spiritual leader to the people around you and to love them well. You were called to lead your church, and StartCHURCH is called to help you in any way we can. 

Give us a call at 877-494-4655 and see why we do what we do. Five minutes could alter the course of your church for the better.

It would be our honor to serve you. 

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