Ministering in the Marketplace

On people’s jobs, in the local grocery and hardware stores, at the post office and service station, and on the town’s sidewalks, the pastor can build strong relationships and perform vital ministry, ministry that cannot happen in any other way.
— Doug Self

Larry died a few years ago in a work-related accident. His office building exploded, and Larry didn’t make it. Although Larry is gone, as well as the office where we’d spent a lot of time together, I cherish the relationship we had and thank God for it.

Because he was connected with our church, I visited him regularly, usually at his work. The receptionist would take my name and buzz him on the intercom. Sometimes it might take a few minutes for him to get loose, but he always had a big smile as he rounded the corner and stuck out his hand. Then we’d walk back to his office for a brief chat. He’d often introduce me to others in the hallways or in their offices. Larry and I would sit in his office for a few minutes, sometimes for half an hour if he didn’t have urgent business. We’d talk about his job, his family, whatever was of interest to him.

A few times he ran into difficulties on his job. On those occasions we’d meet somewhere for lunch, and he’d give me the details of the problem. Because I had an understanding of his work, he trusted me to give him biblical counsel about those situations.

That experience has reinforced for me the value of pastoral care in the marketplace. On people’s jobs, in the local grocery and hardware stores, at the post office and service station, and on the town’s sidewalks, the pastor can build strong relationships and perform vital ministry, ministry that cannot happen in any other way.

In many ways, pastoral care in the marketplace is more challenging than in the church or hospital, where the rules are more clear. Although I’m continually learning, here are some insights I’ve gained over the years that help me do it better.

Be a Person as Well as a Parson

Confusing one’s personal identity with one’s professional role is a danger, especially for a pastor. Sometimes we play the pastoral role too thoroughly.

If people in other professions did this, we’d laugh. I sometimes imagine the fire chief shopping at the local grocery store. He wears his heavy fireman’s coat and hat with visor. As he pushes his cart around, he encounters the local populace, saying, “Hello, John. Keeping that chimney clean?” or, “Hey, Gladys, I thought I saw your children playing with matches the other day. Let’s keep a closer watch on them, okay?” and to the new resident, “Hello, I’m Fireman Bill. Do you have any flammables stored in your garage?”

He’d be a one-dimensional guy with a fireman veneer, always conscious of being the fire chief and directing all his relationships accordingly. People soon would tire of him and say, “Hey, Bill, what’s with this fireman bit? Can’t we talk about the Broncos or fishing sometimes?”

As pastors, we live in the world of theological issues, commentaries, church life, and the like. It can be hard to change gears in casual conversation. Our comments and questions might never stray from the ecclesiastical: “Mrs. Smith, glad I ran into you. How’s the kitchen committee?” or “Hi, George. What did you think of last Sunday’s service?”

There’s nothing wrong with talking about such issues. But especially in the marketplace, we’re wise to engage in other topics. I don’t want people to relate only to an image of a minister, but to me, a person God called to ministry. Only when I engage people in genuine conversation, minus my stained-glass voice and pastoral-care tone, can I adequately perform marketplace ministry.

Put People at Ease

Even when we avoid playing the pastoral role, sometimes people will try to put us in it anyway. They feel they need to clean up their language, stand straight, and talk about religious things to the minister. Not much ministry can take place if this barrier stands in the way of genuine conversation.

This is a particular problem when people become guilty in our presence because they’ve missed a committee meeting or several weeks of worship. Sometimes people ought to feel guilty for such, but there’s no need to play on it. I find I can better care for them if I can put them at ease.

For example, I spotted Fred and Phyllis in the vegetable section of the grocery store. Fred began looking nervous when he saw me. We both knew he’d spent last Sunday at the lake with their new boat. When Phyllis looked around and saw me, she became visibly uncomfortable, as well.

I walked toward them, pushing my cart and smiling. Fred spoke first, “Hello, Pastor. Uh, sorry we missed church last week. You know we’ve got that new boat and uh—”

“Hey, Fred, Phyllis! How are you doing?” I interjected.

“Fine,” they muttered.

“I saw a boat in your driveway last week. What a beauty! What kind of engine has it got?”

Fred, although a little off balance, warmed to his favorite subject: “Oh, that. Well, we went ahead and got the super engine instead of the standard. That’ll let us pull all three of the kids on skis at one time.”

“I bet it really moves. How fast does it go without skiers behind?”

Fred’s eyes lit up. “Well, Phyllis doesn’t like for me to run it so fast, but once, on Sunday afternoon, after I let Phyllis and the girls off at the dock, Randy and I opened her up. We were doing maybe fifty-five, but the lake began to get a little choppy. It’ll probably do a little more.”

By then they were looking at me like the Cratchets eyed Scrooge when he showed up with the turkey.

“I’d sure like to go with you sometime,” I continued. “I used to do some water-skiing. Used to be able to get up on one ski, in fact. I’d like to ski behind a boat like that.”

“Well, Randy and I are going out again Saturday morning. We’d love to have you go with us.”

I don’t have to go skiing with everyone who has a boat. But I can try to put people at ease when they are uncomfortable in my presence.

Maybe Fred and Phyllis should have been in church. Maybe they should have increased their giving to the church instead of buying the boat. And maybe they would seldom attend church that summer. But they’re going to boat and ski anyway. I can plague them about it every time I see them, or I can accept their decision.

When I can appreciate their enjoyment of their new boat and time with their family, I may be able even to use the boat to build a better relationship with them. Then I’ll still be able to pastor them throughout the summer as I have the chance. And they’ll be more apt to return to regular church attendance in the fall.

Know Something about Subjects of Local Interest

I’ve had pastors tell me they have no patience with small talk. They claim that unless they’re conversing about spiritual matters, they feel restless. They think small talk is a waste of time.

Yet small talk makes a big impression. People size us up in these casual encounters. They want to know if we’re familiar with the world they live in. Being able to talk Little League baseball, high school sports, community government, gas prices, and the weather all signal that the pastor is in touch with their world. Then they listen to sermons with more confidence.

I invested many hours in emergency medical training so I could serve on the local rescue squad. Learning about triage, bandaging, and splinting gave me a conversational entree with many people of our community. Describing some of the drama of the squad’s work made for powerful sermon illustrations. And besides helping people in medical emergencies, I also made lasting friendships with fellow squad members.

Listen to Others as If You Respect Them

Naturally, it would be best to listen to others because I respect them. But I admit sometimes I’m not there yet. At those times, I recognize I have to start somewhere.

Once in a while at a denominational meeting, I meet a peer or superior I wish I hadn’t. The other clergy person appears glad to see me, but the conversation is soon dominated by his accomplishments. I can’t open up about my own struggles and (gulp) failures, at least not while Captain Success is unfurling the banner of personal achievements. Even if I do speak, I feel I wouldn’t be respected by this expert in church work.

Then again, I’ve talked often with a ministerial friend who genuinely cares about me and respects me. When that happens, I feel like I’m in an oasis. Someone understands the difficulties I face; eyes remain on me, and body language says, “I’m listening. What you’re saying is important. What you’re doing in ministry is important.”

So when I talk with people, I try to see their experiences from their point of view. I try to listen with genuine interest to another’s ideas, even if the notions are flawed; at this point, they are the best the person has.

Craig struck me as a shallow, plastic Christian. Rather than seeking Christ’s direction for himself, he merely imitated the social behavior of Christian leaders around him. Instead of dealing with doubts and questions so he could go deeper, he merely swept them under the rug.

In working with him, however, I felt it was important to begin by discovering his perspective on his faith, to understand why he avoided a deeper walk. I tried to discover how he discovered his spiritual beliefs. I wanted to know and respect the place from which he started. Only when I was sure that I comprehended his position did I dare suggest he go further.

Even if I don’t have an opportunity in a conversation to suggest further growth, listening carefully to the other person is still worthwhile. I may have given that person a treasure, the feeling that he or she is important to the pastor, that his or her religious experiences are worthy of pastoral consideration.

Keep Looking Beneath Casual Conversations

Listening with respect means more than keeping quiet while the other talks. Over the years, as I’ve learned to evaluate “casual” comments, I’ve learned how to be a better pastor.

When I talk with a church member in the store or post office, although the conversation may be brief, he or she may touch on a variety of subjects:

the weather: “It’s hotter than usual.”
children: “Billy’s a little uneasy with his first year in junior high.”
career: “My wife is expecting a promotion and a raise.”
home: “We’re winding up summer home-improvement projects, painting trim and replacing awnings.”
community: “I’m opposed to the new zoning they’re proposing for our neighborhood.”
family: “We weren’t able to get away on a vacation this summer.”
personal matters: “I’d promised myself that I would lose those extra pounds this summer, but obviously I’ve failed again.”
church: “I’ve been on the building and grounds committee for three years now. I think it’s time I stepped aside.”

As we talk, I evaluate each part of the conversation as negative, neutral, or positive, and make a mental note about how I might respond. For example, in the above conversation:

the weather—neutral.
children—somewhat negative. Ask Billy about his school experience at the next opportunity.
career—positive. Congratulate his wife on her accomplishment at the next opportunity.
home—positive. Reinforce their enjoyment of accomplishment and working together.
community—negative. Ask for his opinion and become more knowledgeable about the issue.
family—negative. Ask where they’d planned to go. Who’s most disappointed? What stresses and pressures did they most need a vacation from?
personal matters—negative. Ask about any health problems with the current weight.
church—negative. Ask what she has been able to accomplish during her tenure. Find out the difficulties of the job. What were the personal rewards of the task?

Of these eight subjects, several may warrant follow-up. Consider the following:

family—negative. From my preliminary questions, I may discover several stresses in this family. This can help me as I plan sermons and church programming for families. I may want to drop by their home for an extended visit to bring these issues to the surface.
personal—negative. Ask how she feels about the inability to lose weight. Ask about her self-perception at her present size. A counseling appointment might be appropriate to work on healthy self-esteem. Many overweight people loathe themselves.
church—negative. I might discover a person who has served without adequate recognition and appreciation, or a person who has been trying to do a job without adequate resources. I could use this opportunity to encourage and thank the person and become more sensitive to those who serve the church behind the scenes.

So, seemingly casual conversations contain a wealth of pastoral-care potential. People bring up subjects, feelings, needs, and interests that the alert pastor can use to discover issues that need pastoral attention.

See People on the Job

Since people attend church only a few hours a week, I try to invest some of my time with people where they spend much of their time: at work.

In the early years of my ministry, I’d visit farms in the community where I served. It was fairly easy to spend a few minutes with agricultural folk. I’d wait at the end of the turn-row. When the farmer pulled up in the tractor, he’d shut it down for a few minutes’ conversation.

Or I might work with the person I’d visit. I might drive the tractor, or brand calves, or whatever. I understood their work better, and they got to see how I operated on their turf, and the latter often prompted good-natured laughter.

There aren’t many farmers or ranchers in my congregation now, nor do many pastors minister in agricultural settings. Most people work in shops and office buildings spread over a city. They’re harder to see on the job. But that only increases the value of a pastor’s visit.

Naturally, I try to be sensitive to the work situation. Sometimes company policy forbids nonemployees on the job. In other cases, I can visit only with permission. Some employees I have to meet before or after work. Although most supervisors appreciate help from others who are concerned about the well-being of employees, it’s always wise to check with them ahead of time. So before I visit, I ask the person for the name of his supervisor so I can explain to him what I’m about.

But in spite of these few obstacles, I find visiting on the job has a number of benefits.

• It shows a pastor cares. A number of the men in our church are in the construction trade. One man works as a painter, another as a wallpaper hanger. Some are finish carpenters. Others are framers. They work in several communities in all stages of construction.

I find out where they’re working and try to drop by once or twice while they’re on that job. On large home and commercial construction, it can be quite a treasure hunt to find them, but when I do, their faces always light up. By visiting them at their place of work, around which a great deal of their lives revolves, I communicate, “Your pastor cares about you and your life.”

• People’s daily work is valued. Soon after one woman in our congregation had begun working for a property-management company, I drove an hour to see her on the job. She recently had divorced and was forced to find work to support herself and her small children.

I entered through a glass door and met the receptionist. As she greeted me, Carolyn, who had been talking to co-workers close by, visibly brightened and asked, “Doug, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I came to see you,” I answered. “You look like a high-powered executive. Where’s your office?”

Obviously pleased, she led me past her wondering co-workers to her cubicle. Since she’d just joined the company, it was a small work space, but hers. She sat behind her desk, and I sat in the chair in front of it.

“You mean you came all this way to see me?” she asked.

I explained that several other church members worked in the same town and that I’d come to see them, as well, but added, “I especially wanted to see you on your new job and pray for you, if that would be possible.”

She was delighted and said she felt honored that I’d come to see her. We chatted a few minutes about her work. I sensed this shouldn’t be a long visit in her busy office, so I looked around to make sure we had some privacy, and, looking at her, prayed, “Almighty God, we thank you for the opportunity to work hard, make money, and accomplish things. I pray for Carolyn in her work here that you would bless her with wisdom and efficiency. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.” She smiled and stood to see me to the door.

Not only could I affirm her in her new job, I was able to pray with her and “bless” her daily endeavors, reminding her of Christ’s presence in that place.

• Opportunities develop for deeper ministry. One of our church’s men was a truck driver. Every day he drove a load of heavy freight to a mine in the next valley. After I got to know him, he invited me to ride with him on one of his runs.

He left early—4:30 a.m.—so I arrived at the maintenance garage a little after four with my Thermos of coffee, as he’d advised. I met his fellow workers, he loaded his truck, and off we went. We spent several hours together as we made our way to the mine. I learned a lot about him and his job.

Another man in our church sells industrial products. When his sales calls will be brief and low-key, he invites me to join him. We talk as he drives between calls.

One day while I was riding with him on his rounds, he was obviously hesitant. He wanted to talk about something, but didn’t know exactly whether or how to bring it up. But because we were spending extended time together, he finally was able to get it out. It was a deep concern he felt was inhibiting his Christian life and witness. He and some of the other men at church had talked about it but didn’t know what to do. On this trip, we were able to discuss it.

• Christ’s teaching can be brought to bear on the job. Greg worked in a local manufacturing operation, a small shop with less than ten employees. After he and his family began attending church, I visited him briefly on the job. Before long, he began to complain about conflicts and pressures at work. He especially complained about “the stupidity and insensitivity” of his boss, who had been denying him pay raises and assigning Greg to less glamorous jobs.

When Greg began describing this as an attack of Satan through a non-Christian boss, I asked if it would help if I talked with his boss. He said it might.

I had met the employer, and he seemed friendly enough. So I made an appointment with him at the end of the day, after the employees had gone home. Knowing I was this employee’s pastor, he was genuinely curious about our visit.

After assuring him I wanted Greg to be a productive and harmonious worker, I said, “It appears that Greg is having some difficulty at work. He’s indicated that he’s being passed up for promotion and assigned entry-level tasks. That tells me there are some things about Greg you’re not pleased with.”

The boss nodded agreement but still appeared curious.

I continued, “As Greg’s pastor, I’m concerned about his character development. You must feel Greg isn’t being as productive as he should or that he’s being disruptive. You have a bottom-line financial equation you have to balance, and Greg must not be contributing toward that end. I’d like to know what deficiencies or problems you see in Greg so that I could work with him as his pastor. I won’t tell Greg specifically what you tell me, but I will work with him on weaknesses you point out.”

Greg’s employer didn’t know exactly how to respond. It sounded like he had the equivalent of an industrial psychologist offering to help him with a problem employee. He soon warmed to the idea. He had no problem talking about Greg’s problems and was able to illustrate his concerns with specific examples. I listened carefully and took notes, and together we honed in on the character traits Greg would need to work on.

Greg’s boss then asked me how he could deal more effectively with Greg. He recognized Greg could be a valuable employee but was hindered by these issues. Since I knew Greg had been raised by a demanding, never-pleased father, I suggested the boss balance necessary criticism with praise.

Greg and I spent several sessions together in which we discussed these traits in light of biblical principles. Approached in a different manner and by someone other than his boss, Greg responded positively and set about to make some changes. Those changes took awhile, but Greg and his boss are now getting along much better.

Some might think that’s a lot of time and effort to invest in one person. But for me, that’s what pastoring is about. Discipleship means helping individuals apply Christian principles in daily life—what Greg and I did. As a result, I’ve developed a deeper relationship with Greg and a credible relationship with Greg’s non-Christian boss. In addition, Greg is more effective in his ministry in our church because he’s not so troubled by his job.

• Ministry is performed for the community. Several years ago the miners at a local coal mine went on strike. They picketed the mine entrance and soon nonunion workers began crossing the picket line. Tempers flared, and some ugly confrontations ensued.

I began going to the picket line with another elder, early in the mornings during shift change. Around a roaring fire stood a knot of miners. We’d visit with them for a while and pick up the latest developments and rumors. Then we’d go over by a large rock, kneel, and pray for the miners, the “scabs,” and the management. We prayed for peace and for a mutually advantageous settlement. The miners appreciated our presence, and some new relationships were formed.

Granted, this is an unusual situation. But such unusual opportunities for ministry to the community occur more often when I try to carry pastoral care into the workplace.

There’s no formula for successful marketplace ministry. In fact, sometimes it’s threatening to venture out. I’m more at home in a church setting, where I know what’s expected of me. But I continue to go outside the church walls and look for ways I can care for people pastorally in the department store, on the job, on the sidewalk.

For me, meeting people on their turf is what the Incarnation was about.