How well do you know your pastor? The apostle Paul instructed us to “acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work," (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

After having served as a lead pastor for over 30 years, I can honestly say that I loved being a pastor. It’s deeply fulfilling to immerse yourself in the Word and preach your heart out on Sunday. It’s intensely rewarding to share in life’s most significant moments with those under your spiritual care. It’s awesome to see God use your gifts to transform lives and build the Kingdom. It’s exciting to see your congregation mobilized to join Jesus on the front lines of his redemptive mission.

But being a pastor is also a very weighty responsibility. Peter Drucker, a leadership guru, once hypothesized that the four hardest jobs in the world are to be President of the United States, lead a university, administrate a hospital or serve as a church pastor. Some church members seem to think that being a pastor is a peachy job – after all, you get to set your own schedule and only have to show up on Sunday.

Trust me, being a pastor is a 24/7 obsession. It’s the agony and ecstasy. As a pastor, you eat and breathe ministry. Your work is never done. It’s unrelenting. Sundays are always a-coming. To many church members, a pastor’s success is measured in the metrics: plates and pews, decisions and baptisms. If the numbers are up, all is well. If the numbers are down, well…let’s just say, that’s not good. There’s a lot of pressure to perform!

Yes, being a pastor is an awesome privilege, but it’s also one of the hardest jobs in the world. With the demands of tending the flock, preaching the Word, serving in the community and managing the business of ministry, it’s hard to find the time and energy to invest in mobilizing God’s people toward global engagement. We get that.

At Reach Beyond, we love pastors. Many of us have served as pastors, and a number of us are serving as pastors right now. We get the demands of local ministry. But we believe that every church has enormous potential for advancing God’s global Kingdom. Within every congregation, no matter its size, there are skills, creativity, experience and resources that can be leveraged to bring the Good News of Jesus to the world’s least reached peoples.

We want to come alongside of pastors as they seek to disciple their people to have a heart for the lost and a passion for the Great Commission. So, how can we serve your pastor? How can we assist your church?

Over the next few months, we’re bringing groups of pastors to our office in Colorado Springs to share best practices, encourage one another and explore how we can work together to bring the voice and hands of Jesus to the world’s largest 1900 least reached people groups. We’re looking for missional pastors who have a heart for mobilizing their people to reach beyond the walls of their church. Would your pastor be interested in joining us?

This is just the beginning. Our passion is to see local churches unleashed - sending teams, recruiting long-term workers, activating prayer, and strategizing to reach people who live in the hardest to reach places.

How can we serve your church? How can we come alongside of your pastor? We have powerful communicators and experienced church-mission coaches. We’re here to serve. Let’s talk.

For more information on how we can serve your church, please contact Tomas Gerborg, our Church Engagement Strategist, at 770-599-9875 or tgerborg@reachbeyond.org.