Connecting with the people you lead forms a critical part of ministry. How to do that best? There are as many options as there are pastors and congregations. The key is to find a way that works for you and your people. Last week I visited with Rev. Judy Gay, pastor of Fremont Baptist Church in Seattle. Fremont is a small church in an urban neighborhood. When I arrived, Judy was visiting with one of “her guys,” as she calls them, one of twenty or more men of the streets who stop by her office or worship regularly. Every Sunday as worship begins, Judy tells the congregation a little about her life that week. Last week, she fell off her bike while training for a triathlon, so she told the church she might be moving a little stiffly. Two of her grandchildren are visiting from across the country, and Judy shared a little about their experiences as well. “I’m an introvert,” she says. “this helps people to know something about my week so I don’t have to tell everyone at social hour.” Judy has found one way to connect that works for her and for her church.
How are you connecting with people in your own setting?