This post is the completion of a two-part post that I began yesterday regarding a video message I was asked to make for Pastor Steve Peter's (pictured above) 25th anniversary as Sr Pastor of Community Church in West Milton, OH. Be sure to go back and read yesterdays posting to get all of the context (to view the video in its entirety go to http://www.gracechurchworship.org/pastordistlerdec27.html).
But of all the wonderful memories I have of those 9 years at Community Church, the part I am most thankful for were the countless times of sitting in Pastor Steve’s office and chewing the fat about life, ministry, the church, and what it means to be a pastor. It is not any exaggeration to say that more days than not over those 9 years we would spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours in his office just talking. I learned more in those one-on-one times than a lifetime of college and seminary courses could ever teach.
There are two things that stick out to me the most when it comes to lessons I learned from Pastor Steve. One is this…if you are going to err, always err on the side of grace. Steve didn’t just teach that, he modeled it. But the greatest thing that Pastor Steve taught me is that I am free to do anything but sin when it comes to reaching people for Jesus. That, more than anything else, has shaped my ministry. To me, meeting people where they are at and helping to move them to where God wants them to be is what the local church is all about. And that I learned in my 9+ years in West Milton at Community Church.
So to me, Pastor Steve can be characterized in three ways. First, he is my pastor. Every pastor needs a pastor and Steve will be the one I always consider to be my pastor. Second, he is my mentor. He is the one who taught me what ministry is all about and what it means to be a pastor and lead a local church. But thirdly, Steve is not just my pastor and my mentor, to me he is also a spiritual hero, and I don’t say that lightly.
If you were to ask me who my spiritual heroes were, I would say that I have four. First is my dad who as a layman has been the most committed person I have ever seen to the local church. Second is my Grandpa Distler who pastored for 50 years. Back in 1990 my Grandpa preached my ordination service right there at Community Church. Today, he is with the Lord. My third spiritual hero would be Dr. Jerry Falwell. Ever since I was in Junior High School I would watch Dr Falwell on television. I couldn’t wait to attend his college and was privileged to spend four years under his ministry. It is amazing to me how much his ministry impacted my life. Today, Dr Falwell is also with the Lord.
And then last, but certainly not least, is Pastor Steve. He isn’t just a pastor to me; he isn’t just a mentor to me; he is one of my spiritual heroes. If, when it is all said and done, I end up being half the pastor that Steve Peters is, I will consider my life a success.
25 years in pastoral ministry is quite the accomplishment in itself, but to spend 25 years as the Sr Pastor of the same church is remarkable. It shows unwavering faithfulness to the Lord and to the people that God has called you to shepherd. So congratulations, Steve, on 25 years of ministry at Community Church. My prayer for you is that when it comes to ministry fruit, that the best will still be yet to come.
But of all the wonderful memories I have of those 9 years at Community Church, the part I am most thankful for were the countless times of sitting in Pastor Steve’s office and chewing the fat about life, ministry, the church, and what it means to be a pastor. It is not any exaggeration to say that more days than not over those 9 years we would spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours in his office just talking. I learned more in those one-on-one times than a lifetime of college and seminary courses could ever teach.
There are two things that stick out to me the most when it comes to lessons I learned from Pastor Steve. One is this…if you are going to err, always err on the side of grace. Steve didn’t just teach that, he modeled it. But the greatest thing that Pastor Steve taught me is that I am free to do anything but sin when it comes to reaching people for Jesus. That, more than anything else, has shaped my ministry. To me, meeting people where they are at and helping to move them to where God wants them to be is what the local church is all about. And that I learned in my 9+ years in West Milton at Community Church.
So to me, Pastor Steve can be characterized in three ways. First, he is my pastor. Every pastor needs a pastor and Steve will be the one I always consider to be my pastor. Second, he is my mentor. He is the one who taught me what ministry is all about and what it means to be a pastor and lead a local church. But thirdly, Steve is not just my pastor and my mentor, to me he is also a spiritual hero, and I don’t say that lightly.
If you were to ask me who my spiritual heroes were, I would say that I have four. First is my dad who as a layman has been the most committed person I have ever seen to the local church. Second is my Grandpa Distler who pastored for 50 years. Back in 1990 my Grandpa preached my ordination service right there at Community Church. Today, he is with the Lord. My third spiritual hero would be Dr. Jerry Falwell. Ever since I was in Junior High School I would watch Dr Falwell on television. I couldn’t wait to attend his college and was privileged to spend four years under his ministry. It is amazing to me how much his ministry impacted my life. Today, Dr Falwell is also with the Lord.
And then last, but certainly not least, is Pastor Steve. He isn’t just a pastor to me; he isn’t just a mentor to me; he is one of my spiritual heroes. If, when it is all said and done, I end up being half the pastor that Steve Peters is, I will consider my life a success.
25 years in pastoral ministry is quite the accomplishment in itself, but to spend 25 years as the Sr Pastor of the same church is remarkable. It shows unwavering faithfulness to the Lord and to the people that God has called you to shepherd. So congratulations, Steve, on 25 years of ministry at Community Church. My prayer for you is that when it comes to ministry fruit, that the best will still be yet to come.
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