Pastorates
Pastorate Vision
The long term aim of the church is to bring people to maturity in Christ. Jesus’ “Great Commission” is to go and make disciples of all nations.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”(Matthew 28:19-20)
Pastorate Model
No matter what structures are employed, it is the values at the heart of the model that are important. The aim is to embody the experience of the early church community expressed in Acts 2: 42-47.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
What Is A Pastorate?
- A congregation2 sized gathering of between 25-35 people who meet bi-weekly for food, fellowship, worship, prayer and fun
- Led by non full-time ministry people (supported by leadership)
- The ideal place in which to grow as a disciple of Jesus and become involved in every aspect of the church’s life
- The key expression of the church; the heart of the church
Why Pastorates?
To be a member of a pastorate is, along with the celebration1 and small groups3, the most effective way of enabling any individual member of the church to grow in maturity and be actively involved in the church.
A pastorate fulfills five roles:
- A way for newcomers to join the church: “People come to church for many reasons, but they stay for only one – relationships.” John Wimber
- A place to experience community: Pastorates and the social setting they provide, are an ideal way to shape and build Christian community.
- A place to grow in relationship with God: In addition to providing a base for Christian community, pastorates gather together to worship, hear teaching, engage in discussion and pray. The pastorates benefit from a breadth of Christian experience and maturity which reflects God’s intention for the building up of his people A pastorate-sized group is a helpful setting in which to develop gifts and nurture talents.
- An effective means of church growth: Along with spiritual growth, there is an expectation of numerical growth
- A place from which to serve the world: As a mid-sized group, pastorates are ideally suited to mission and social action projects. Linked to Alpha: Pastorate members invite their non-Christian friends to pastorate socials. Hopefully some of the people will attend an Alpha course and the pastorate will also send a team to lead the Alpha small group. That small group can then join the pastorate where they already know some of the members and get fully involved with the community. Some pastorates may choose to adopt and support a particular ministry
Typical Pastorate
- 6:00 Greeting & Food
- 7:00 Introductions & Announcements
- 7:10 Worship
- 7:30 Devotional, Talk, or Testimony
- 8:00 Discussion & Prayer
- 8:30 End
1 Celebration-A church coming together to recapture a vision of God’s greatness; Strong Teaching; Enjoy a profound sense of worship (ie. Sunday Worship Service, Times Of Refreshing)
2 Congregation-Where it is possible to know and be known by most people (ie. Pastorates)
3 Small Group or Cell-Share life together at a deeper level (ie. Alpha Small Group, Formed By His Word, Bible Study,
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