Pastor’s Message for February 2025

Greetings, Friends!

     I am blessed to be part of a system which holds me accountable for my life and work. In the United Methodist Church, each church has a committee known as the Staff—Parish (or Pastor—Parish) Relations Committee (or SPRC). The SPRC does a number of things pertaining to the life and ministry of the pastor. In particular, the SPRC meets annually with the pastor to evaluate the faithfulness, fruitfulness, and effectiveness of the ministry of the church. While I play a role in the ministry of the church, the vast majority of the ministry of the church takes place through the work of the people of the church (known as the laity). Part of the evaluation process involves discernment concerning how the pastor leads others to more actively and effectively engage in the ministry to which God has called them.

     My leadership style is kind of like that of a coach. The coach doesn’t score the touchdown. The coach doesn’t hit the home run or score the winning goal. The coach prepares the players to do their work most effectively, and trains the players on the best practices to become the best player they can be. Sometimes the coach gives a pat on the back, but other times the coach has to give a “kick in the backside.” Sometimes the easy thing to do as pastor is to simply take over and do the work myself. In those moments I need to remember that God has not called me to do everything, but to do the work that I’ve been called to do to the best of my ability. The SPRC is the committee of the church that helps me set and live into healthy boundaries.

     The SPRC serves as a liaison between the pastor and the congregation. It can be intimidating to bring concerns one might have about the church to the pastor. The SPRC serves as a channel from the laity to the pastor and from the pastor to the laity. The SPRC is where I would go if I were struggling with a personal issue that needed help from the laity, or perhaps some time off, or any other issues which may arise. Also, the committee serves as a channel from the laity to the pastor to handle those personal issues which the pastor needs to be made aware of. Afterall, we don’t know what we don’t know. The SPRC helps to communicate the unknown issues between the pastor and laity so that needs can be addressed and issues can be remedied. The SPRC helps me to be a more faithful, fruitful, and effective pastor, and for the church to function more peacefully and effectively. I’m thankful that we get to do ministry together.

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim Sands