Many leaders select a word for the year. This word defines who you are or want to be. It drives your behavior and helps establish your goals and objectives for the upcoming 12 months. Your word is your North Star and guiding principle.
So do you have your one word for 2021? Jeremy Morton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock (Ga), does and it is “Encouragement.” I love this word because do we need anything more in 2021?
This past Sunday He preached an incredible message on this word from I Samuel 23:15-16. It is a must-watch sermon which he can do HERE.
The following are 7 Ways Pastors And Church Leaders Should Encourage People In 2021 I gleaned from Pastor Jeremy’s tour de force message:
- Encourage yourself daily in the Lord. Pastor Jeremy does this by reading his Bible and singing praise songs to the Lord. He also reminds himself, “I am saved. He knows my name. He knows where I am. He’s coming back for me.” What could be more encouraging?
- Encourage your spouse and children. The home should be the greatest place of encouragement a person can go.
- Encourage your staff. This could include any team or group you influence.
- Encourage your congregation to have faith in the Lord. 2020 stripped away all counterfeit gods you could put your faith in.
- Encourage generosity. Spur people on in giving their time, talent, and treasure during challenging times.
- Encourage people to serve. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
- Encourage people to share their faith more now than ever before. The time is short and the day is drawing near.
Pastor Jeremy began to summarize by saying, “Be kind to everyone. Everyone is fighting a battle in their mind and heart.” He added that many people are one-to-three things be stripped away from them from making some very bad decisions.
He concluded his message by giving those in attendance the 4 things he is praying for this year:
- God, what do you want to do in me in 2021?
- God, please don’t let me view everyone else as the problem. Start with me.
- God, put your Spirit on the USA. Heal us.
- God, may First Baptist Church Woodstock see a great harvest of souls.
What is your one word for the year? If you do not have one, “encouragement” is a compelling option.
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