Jump directly to the Content

The Pastor's Unplanned Opportunities

Some "pastorable moments" are planned. Others show up unannounced. All are use-'em-or-lose-'em situations, precious opportunities of unusual openness in a person's life to hear from God. Or they're occasions when someone can benefit from a Christian truly living like a Christian.

I asked long-time pastor Warren Wiersbe what situations he's seen that provide windows of ministry opportunity. He listed several: "life crises, promotions, anniversaries, mild disagreements, reading the identical book or magazine article, an 'accidental meeting' at a coffee place or the doctor's office, or a current news story people are talking about."

Recently Eric Reed and I met Phil Busbee, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Francisco, who learned that a gay and lesbian community center was being opened right across the street from his church. He realized it was a pastorable moment.

When he met the director of the center, Phil introduced himself and said, "We're going to be neighbors, and I hope we can be ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Joel Hunter Responds to Obama's Gay Marriage Endorsement
Joel Hunter Responds to Obama's Gay Marriage Endorsement
The president's spiritual adviser disagrees with him on gay marriage, but calls the church to a wiser response.
From the Magazine
Should the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?
Should the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?
Controversy over Bibles in Jamaica, the Philippines, and Germany reveal the divide between the sacred and the relatable.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close