STUDENT MINISTRY: Celebrating my Pastor

This past Sunday evening, we took a few minutes to celebrate our lead pastor, Kirk Shelton. He recently marked 10 years at Calvary Baptist Church in Fayetteville and 70 years of life. We had a BBQ meal, a couple of great cakes and an evening of fellowship. It was great to see our people expressing their love and appreciation for our godly pastor. He has faithfully preached the Word for over 50 years and continues to faithfully lead in our preaching and teaching ministries.

I have known Kirk for many years now. He has always been one of my favorites and someone that I looked up to in our work. In 2005 and 2006, I had the opportunity to connect with him on a deeper level as a part of a “Band of Brothers” pastors’ hiking retreat. From that time on, I have reached out to him as I had questions and needed advice along the way. He has constantly provided that in my life. I knew that when I came to him for help, I would receive thoughtful, biblical encouragement and exhortation. When I had the opportunity to begin serving with him in 2016, it was almost an immediate “yes,” and I have been blessed to sit under his teaching and leadership these past several years.

Having a good pastor is key when you are serving in a staff position. I have had some great ones over the years, but it has been a special treat to serve with Pastor Kirk. He has taught me a number of things by example and times of teaching. Over the last six and a half years, I have learned and been reminded of some important things while serving with Kirk. Here are a few of them:

• The Word is our source of faith and practice. While this is a truth I have known for years, Kirk’s commitment to the Word is paramount. He studies to learn and to teach our people. He seeks to make sure that we are biblical in all we do as a congregation. He loves the Word and knows just how important it is. It is a lesson we can all embrace.

• The church is the avenue by which God will bless the world. Church life is important. Again, it is something we all know, but not something that is always reflected in our instruction and practice. Pastor Kirk has encouraged our people to make their faith family a priority and to give gathered worship its proper place in their lives. That is a hard lesson for some to hear in the midst of our culture, but it is a vital one.

• Faithful service means serving faithfully, no matter the church size. Pastor Kirk has been in some of our largest BMA churches, but he set that aside to help a church that needed its foundation reset. Our church has been blessed because of that commitment. God doesn’t call us to make big churches. He calls those of us in vocational ministry to serve the people He has placed in our lives and to serve them faithfully.

• Books are incredibly valuable in our growth as believers. Pastor Kirk is always reading and checking out new books that might be valuable for the people of Calvary to read. We all need to have that attitude. For years, I have shared that “Readers are leaders.” Kirk’s investment in reading impacts our people and his preaching. Start using some of your extra time to read and study, so you will be a better servant of the King.

If you are serving on staff with someone, I hope you are learning from them. I am blessed to be serving where I am. Between the two of us on the pastoral staff here at Calvary, we have over 80 years of ministry experience, but I am still learning each week from my pastor.

Be sure to celebrate your leader. In fact, join us on the Student Ministry Matters Community Facebook group and tell us some of the ways your pastor blesses you.