A Note to To Our Younger Preaching Brothers from Jeff & Dale...
10 Reasons Why
His words were gracious. He had been at a conference one of us had spoken at and had a hesitant question. “Why is it that so many of our younger preachers don’t come to events for ministers?” He talked about not only conferences, but preacher’s luncheons, and Gospel meetings.
We love our young preachers so much but we too have noticed this. If you are younger than us, would you consider some things from a couple of old guys who love you?
WHY is it important that we spend time with other ministers?
You need to hear from brothers, not just others. Hearing a different perspective, even if you don’t like it, helps you! It will help you down the road of life if you will make the effort to spend some time outside of your comfort zone.
You will hit a wall at some point that you will not be able to scale alone. You’ll need guys who have poured into each other's lives who are ready to minister to you when this happens. We are in this together. Let’s be in it together!
There are others who need you. We believe wholeheartedly the day will come when you’ll need other guys, but even if you didn’t we can assure you some of them need you. And when they stumble or when they are hurt, they will turn to be ministered to by those who they already know love them.
Lone Ranger preachers are more prone to committing personal sin or getting into doctrinal trouble than when we are surrounded by brothers who can help us.
The connections when something goes awry. It may be a faith challenge or it may be someone challenges your faithfulness, but when we have these connections we are less likely to be torn apart. The evil one would like nothing more than to set God’s Servants against each other. Love believes the best (1 Corinthians 13: 7) and the fact exists that it is harder for me to believe something bad about someone who I know and love. And, it is certainly easier for me to call and talk to someone I know than someone with whom I have no solid relationship.
When we attend these types of events we are serving as an example for those younger than us, no matter how young we are. Every one of us needs one Timothy or more in our lives.
A guy once said he wanted to be like us, to get to speak a lot. He was brutal, ‘I’m just as good of a speaker” and he was probably right. BUT he was never at luncheons, lectures. He would call it politics, as he spat out the word. Is it possibly as simple as that we know people we see, people who are connecting with us?
These times are important because the connections when something YOU want to promote or support needs others come from them. A missionary was in danger of losing property - we had the connections to ask others who knew us to help. Paul could get a lot done because he had so many fellow laborers in so many places.
Because these Biblical commands are not just for members. They are for preachers as well. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up…” Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
It’s not just about the speakers and the programs. In fact, many times the best part of events like these is the fellowship. We don’t get a lot out of the speakers and may not even be intrigued by the subject, but the time with others who are trying to accomplish the same mission as we are will assure that we get something out of those times.
There’s more that we could say, and we could even be harsh but that is not our goal. One of the greatest blessings in our preaching life has been and continues to be our association with other preachers, younger and older. We want you to benefit from a life of loving and being loved by God’s great servants. You’ll be better, happier and more fruitful because of these precious relationships.