Leadership Tips
The Never-ending Job: Pastoral Visitation
Visitation never ends. I struggle with this aspect of the ministry. Someone always needs a pastoral visit. As our churches continue to grow, however, we pastors find there are not enough of us to go around. Frustrations mount.
So what is the answer? Here are some suggestions that work for us:
First, establish a visitation approach that works for you. Without question, your first responsibility is prayer and ministering the Word. Beyond that each pastor must prayerfully manage his time.
The size of your congregation naturally determines your visitation policy. As your church grows, priorities change. You simply cannot pastor 500 people as you would 50.
I have always appreciated the Spirit-guided counsel Moses received from Jethro, his father-in-law, concerning his growing responsibilities: “Thou wilt surely wear away … thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus 18:18).
Know your limitations. Capitalize on your strengths. Ask God to compensate for your liabilities. Be cost effective with your time, and do not punish yourself when you are unable to visit everyone. God requires only your best. If you try to be all things to all men, you will surely wear away. Think about this: If you do not control your own schedule, your people will.
Second, build definite visitation times into your weekly schedule. These vary from pastor to pastor. Barring emergencies, I like to visit hospitals early in the morning. Home visitation is usually scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Wednesday mornings. I also like to block off time for regular office hours, prayer, and study.
A disciplined time for visitation leads to productivity and successful time management. In time, you will be amazed at how much territory you can cover.
Third, plan visitation according to needs. Service visitors, long-term absentees, shut-ins, and those hospitalized are priority. The Holy Spirit faithfully directs me toward priority needs. Again, do not punish yourself if you can’t do it all. You have alternatives — either delegate visitation to another person in the church, use the telephone, or send a card.
Next, organize a visitation committee. Select a coordinator whose job is twofold: (1) to enlist and train a visitation team, and (2) to issue visitation assignments each week.
The coordinator must be well acquainted with your congregation. One who is sensitive to details usually works best, for this job involves much record keeping. For example, you will base your personal visitation on information provided by these weekly records.
Incidentally, everyone on the visitation team needs to have your approval. A brief training session that covers proper visitation procedures in the home is helpful.
Our visitation committee targets first-time visitors and absentees. Assignments are made in triplicate — one to the team member, one to the pastor, and the coordinator keeps one. Team members are instructed to call or visit at their convenience. They report back to the coordinator by Friday each week. This system encourages accountability and ensures completed assignments.
Finally, get the entire church body involved in follow-up. We publish a Sunday night bulletin that includes four sections: (1) Sunday morning first-time visitors; (2) Sunday morning absentees; (3) current prayer needs; and (4) those who are ill and in the hospital or at home. Our visitation coordinator compiles this information, with telephone numbers and addresses, each Sunday afternoon. The bulletins are distributed at the church Sunday night.
I encourage our congregation to telephone, send cards, or even visit the homes listed. Nothing ministers more to people than a personal touch.
Visitation is time consuming and tiring; however, it reaps good dividends. I speak from experience, for my involvement with the Assemblies of God began more than 40 years ago when a pastor and his wife visited my childhood home.
Roger Loomis
