As pastors and ministry staff, your calling extends far beyond what meets the eye. Your work isn’t just about organizing services, delivering sermons, or managing church operations—it’s about shaping the future of God’s Kingdom by raising up and investing in current and future leaders. The ripple effect of your intentional leadership cannot be overstated. You are making a difference, not just today but for generations to come.
Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This scripture speaks to the heart of leadership: equipping and encouraging others to grow in their faith, their character, and their calling. It is through mentorship, discipleship, and intentional investment that you, as leaders, fulfill your God-given mission.
John Eldredge, in The Way of the Wild Heart, brilliantly articulates the role of the Sage—a role marked not by professional responsibilities but by a profound level of influence. He describes the Sage as someone who communes deeply with God, one who offers wisdom gleaned from years of experience and a life submitted and shaped by God’s guidance. This wisdom becomes a lifeline for younger leaders navigating their faith and calling. Eldredge writes, “To sit with an individual who has walked with God for seventy-plus years, to be in the presence of a father and grandfather, to have the eyes of a wise and gracious man fixed upon you, to have his heart willingly offer you affirmation and counsel…that is the sort of “food” that our souls crave.”
Your influence as a leader doesn’t diminish with time; it can and will increase as you intentionally invest in others. Pray over and consider how your heart, wisdom, and presence can contribute to the Kingdom. Teach a class or bible study, disciple and mentor a younger leader, volunteer with your church’s youth or kids areas, lead a book group on a text that shaped your life, start a game night, or simply make yourself available for conversations. The possibilities to pour into others are endless, and God will use your faithfulness in ways you cannot imagine.
Indiana Ministries State Pastor Jeff Matas echoes this in his observations on raising up young leaders in the church. He emphasizes the importance of identifying and nurturing the gifts of others, creating spaces for them to grow and take on responsibility. By investing in and releasing new leaders, you are actively participating in God’s work of building His Church. “Other than saving souls, this is one of the most important things we can do as a church. To call out the next generation of leaders. To pour into them. To make it our goal to raise up everyone that God gives us.”
At Servant Solutions, we recognize the profound importance of your role. Your calling doesn’t end when retirement approaches or begins. Instead, your influence continues and can even grow through the wisdom, humility, kindness, and compassion you offer to those around you. It’s why we’re passionate about helping you plan for this phase of life—ensuring you’re financially prepared to have the freedom to focus on the ministry and calling God has placed before you, no matter how many candles you blow out on your birthday cake!
As George MacDonald beautifully writes:
“Lord, what I once had done with youthful might,
Had I been from the first true to the truth,
Grant me, now old, to do – with better sight,
And humbler heart, if not the brain of youth;
So wilt thou, in thy gentleness and truth,
Lead back thy old soul, by the path of pain,
Round to his best – young eyes and heart and brain.”
May this be our prayer as we step into seasons of influencing others with the fullness of God’s grace, truth, and love. Your role matters deeply, and the seeds you plant today will bear fruit in the Kingdom for years to come.