Bounceback ( A Long Fulfilled Dream)

Dear friends,

I recently took a trip down memory lane. I found the first PastorServe strategic plan, written in 2003. Here is what I wrote 18 years ago.
PastorServe will focus its ministry to pastors in six key areas: Coaching, Counseling, Training, Encouraging, Networking and Consulting.

That is essentially where we are today. We coach, consult and serve in times of crisis. And we continue to counsel, encourage, and network.

Later in the plan I laid out a vision for training pastors
PastorServe has identified twenty-four “pastoral competencies”, i.e., skills that when mastered make the ministry much more successful. We will create materials to train pastors based around these competencies.

Through countless interviews, we determined that Bible colleges and seminaries were failing to address numerous competencies necessary for vocational ministry. We broke the competencies into six categories: Care for your soul; Live relationally; Build the body of believers; Lead the body of believers; Serve the body of believers and Grow the body of believers. In 2003, the dream was to create a training resource dedicated to helping pastors achieve a basic understanding and rudimentary capability in each of the twenty-four core pastoral competencies.

Skip forward to 2021. Eighteen years later, the book What Great Ministry Leaders Get Right – Six Core Competencies You Need to Succeed in Your Calling was published by Moody Publishers. After nearly two decades of working on this resource, it became a reality in March. I wrote the book with Renaut van der Riet, lead pastor of Mosaic Church in Winter Garden FL. Renaut is a wonderful ministry partner and gifted communicator.

Far too many times in my forty years of pastoral ministry, I have found myself thinking, “I must have been absent the day they taught that in seminary.” The introduction of the book says that “While I love the title of the book, What Great Leaders Get Right, it could have been called Seminary for Dummies. Every Bible College, seminary, and ministry training organization should teach these principles. These are the basics of leadership. They are the foundations of pastoral ministry. We pray that these competencies bring personal transformation, so that you might more deeply experience the kindness of the Lord in your leadership.” Prayerfully, this book will meet that need.

II Samuel 22:31 reminds us “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” While we dreamed of this resource in 2003, the Lord providentially brought forth this tool in 2021. Sometimes, God brings our dreams to fruition in a short time frame. And other times, the Lord says “wait”. I thank the Lord that the partnership between PastorServe and Moody Press made this book available now. There are structures and systems in place that make the impact of the book exponentially greater in 2021 than would have been possible in 2003.

What Great Leaders Get Right is the fourth in the PastorServe series following Survive or Thrive, Pastors are People Too and From Weakness to Strength (by Scott Sauls). What Great Leaders Get Right is making an impact. PastorServe has already heard from many pastors who have been touched by the simple message of the book. The book has been requested by pastors throughout Brazil and Latin America. The book is being translated into Spanish and Portuguese and will soon be available in countries around the world.

By God’s grace, we are reaching more pastors in 2021 than ever before. In fact, we are ministering to more pastors in one week in 2021 than we did in all of 2003! Thank you for being a part of the PastorServe’s vision That No pastor would Walk Alone and our mission to Strengthen the Church by Serving Pastors.

Humbled and Amazed Before Our Gracious Lord,

Jimmy Dodd