I’m often amazed with how God does things. Almost always, he doesn’t do it the way I’m expecting him to do it. I guess that’s just another example of why it’s a good thing I’m not God.
Take peer friends. I have many friends who serve as pastors. In most cases, I probably should call them acquaintances, since it’s not like we are “buddies” or anything. As I mentioned in a previous post, I can go to a conference and typically chat with dozens of people.
However, I have very few peers who I would consider myself close with. Guys who challenge me and motivate me and encourage me to keep thinking fresh ideas. There’s my buddy Dan who is in Toronto pastoring a Baptist church. We’ve known each other since the first day of Bible College. He and I chat four or five times a year, and yet our conversations are always deep and challenging.
What has surprised me is a new friend that I have connected with. As I suggest in this post’s title, this is actually a guy I’ve known for many years. In fact, back before we planted Bikers’ Church, I was on staff at The Life Centre with this guy. I’ve always respected Jason and appreciated his passion and love for the things of God. However, I would likely have put him in that category of “ministry acquaintance.”
He’s now Senior Pastor over at TLC and I happened to attend their service on Easter Sunday. I was so impressed with his leadership in that service, that I sent him a personal note commenting on it. From there, we hooked up for coffee. He dragged me to a Starbucks (for which I will always be grateful!).
We now get together every month. For me, these meetings have been absolutely invaluable. They were/are exactly what I’ve needed. To sit with a peer and just share our hearts and vision together is amazing. I have felt like so much of what I sense inside of me is in tune with Jason’s own thoughts. It is refreshing and encouraging.
I’ve always believed that as a minister (especially a Senior Pastor), you need to connect with other ministers to encourage and build each other up. Those relationships are not optional. And yet, I also don’t believe that you can simply manufacture them. There has to be a connection for those relationships to be real. For me, I am grateful and so thankful that God has opened that door for me at this time in my life and ministry.
I keep a link to his blog under my “Blogs I Enjoy” section, but if you haven’t already checked out his blog, take a minute to do so. I think you’ll really enjoy some of his thoughts.
