Page 53 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

Study Section 8: The Pastoral Tasks

8.1 Connect

One of the exciting aspects of studying the New Testament is to discover the leeway it gives for
creativity in the gospel ministry. Although the Bible is abundant with descriptions of what went on
during its own times, seldom does it say that those descriptions prescribe the way we should do
things today. I have found only seven prescribed categories of activity for those engaged in pastoral
ministry. All of them are broad enough in description to allow for much latitude and creativity in
their application. Today, let’s look at those seven categories found in God’s Word….

8.2 Objectives

1. The student will study and should be able to describe the seven tasks that the New Testament
describes that a pastor should be doing in ministry.

2. The student should be able to describe why visitation is so important in ministry.

3. The student should be able to describe how a pastor should plan for a worship service.

4. The student should be able to describe the differences between the African worship style and the western
church style, point out the positives and negatives of each.

8.3 A Biblical Description of the Pastor’s Tasks

Equipping

Ephesians 4:11-16 indicates that a principal task of the special officers given to the church is to
equip the saints for the work of ministry. The Greek word used here, katartismos, connotes
complete adjustment to a particular situation or task. The equipped saint may be considered one
who has been made perfect for the job or who has completely adjusted to it. He is completely
qualified to carry on that ministry.

Since the pastor is only one of several equippers noted in the fourth chapter of
Ephesians, it would be logical to say that he is not to be called upon to do all the
necessary equipping of the saints. His equipping duties lie principally in his
particular area of responsibility, namely the task of pastoring or shepherding
the sheep. It is plausible that the chief equipping duty of the pastor to his
people should be the equipping of the saints to care for each other’s needs.

Shepherding

The pastor is to shepherd God’s flock. He is to do so not begrudgingly, feeling compelled to do so, but
voluntarily, willingly, according to 1 Peter 5:2. If a pastor refuses to engage in shepherding, he should not be
pastoring.

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