当一位新的牧者面对一间在信仰上极其幼稚的新会中时，他所面临的挑战远超想象。这不仅仅是讲道技巧的问题，更是一场关乎教会属灵生死的系统性工程。如何将一群长期依赖”属灵奶粉”的信徒，转化为能够消化”属灵干粮”的成熟门徒？这个问题的答案，将决定这间教会是走向兴旺还是走向衰亡。
第一步：立即开始属灵断奶计划
希伯来书的严厉警告
希伯来书明确指出：那些本该吃干粮的信徒却仍然需要奶，这是一种属灵的倒退和停滞。对于接手不成熟教会的牧师而言，最大的试探就是为了维持”和谐”而继续提供稀释的属灵营养。但这种做法无异于慢性毒药，会让整个会众在属灵上永远长不大。
讲台上的”惊雷”策略
真正有远见的牧者必须在前六个月内制造一次”属灵地震”。这意味着你必须在讲台上说或做一些让人”坐立不安”、引起轰动的事情。这不是为了哗众取宠，而是为了建立你说出神话语的权威——让会众明白你不是来当属灵保姆的，而是来传讲G祂完整旨意的。
你需要”建立你有棱角的权利”——即敢于触碰敏感话题、挑战既有观念的权威。这种做法会让一些人感到不舒服，甚至需要为此召开会议讨论，但这正是成熟过程中必须经历的阵痛。
释经式讲道
解经式讲道是实现这一目标的最佳工具。选择一卷包含”有棱角段落”的圣经书卷，不要回避那些可能让人不舒服的经文。如果会众不够成熟，就慢慢来，把”肉”切成小块，但本质上仍然是肉，而不是继续喂奶。
这种方法的优势在于：即使有人质疑，你也可以说”这是祂的话语，不是我的个人观点”。你在传讲Go d的完整旨意，而不是在表达个人偏好。
第二步：认识软弱教导的致命后果
属灵悖论的揭示
这里存在一个令人震惊的属灵悖论：软弱的教导产生刚硬的人，刚硬的教导产生柔软的人。这个原理来自多年牧会经验的深刻观察。
当你用”大锤”般的神话语讲道时，它能够打破人心中罪恶的坚硬水泥；但如果你用”羽毛掸子”般的温和讲道，一切都会维持原状，人们会在罪中越来越刚硬。
“只要爱就够了”的教会陷阱
最讽刺的是，那些高喊”只要有爱就够了”的教会，往往隐藏着最多最严重的罪恶。在这些教会中，你会发现各种各样的”脏事”在爱的名义下被掩盖和纵容。当真理的标准被降低时，罪恶就会像野草一样疯长。
第三步：纪律的必要性与时机
属灵智慧的实际应用
箴言告诉我们：”鞭打亵慢人，愚蒙人必长见识。”教D会纪律不是残酷的报复，而是真理的爱的另一种表达方式。当你开始传讲神完整的话语时，很可能会暴露出会众中一些严重的罪恶问题，这些问题在之前”羽毛掸子”式的讲道中被掩盖了。
具体执行的勇气
当这些问题浮出水面时，不要退缩。如果教会中有人犯了严重的罪——比如一个在教会服事二十年的弟兄与他的秘书私奔，拒绝悔改和回转——你必须有勇气执行教会纪律，甚至包括革除教籍。
会众需要看到神的圣洁不是开玩笑的。当纪律真正执行时，许多人会想：”我的天哪，他们真的这样做了！”然后他们会发现，天花板并没有因此塌下来。我们曾经担心会有灾难性后果，但实际上什么都没有发生——除了教会变得更加圣洁。
第四步：战略性改革的优先顺序
从长老会开始的智慧
绝对不要犯这样的错误：在讲台上谈论敬拜音乐的改革，却发现长老会因此分裂。真正的改革必须从正确的一端开始——首先统一长老会的思想。
你需要与长老们分享文章、博客文章或书籍，一起学习和讨论。确保每个人都同意：”这是我们在某个时候希望看到改变的事情。”只有当所有人都同意之后，才能制定时间表。
渐进式改革的时间表
不要急于求成，但也不要毫无计划。制定具体的时间表：我们希望在十一月达到这个目标，在春天达到那个目标。这种方法不是突然的变化，而是深思熟虑的、有计划的推进。
第五步：避免两个极端的陷阱
过快与过慢的危险
牧者面临两个潜在的陷阱：
第一个陷阱：过于急躁你可能会变得不耐烦，试图强迫会众快速成熟，结果摧毁了整个教会。这就像对婴儿进行成人的训练，只会造成伤害。
第二个陷阱：过于消极你可能会到达这样的地步：你知道某些做法是错误的，但你选择保持沉默，甚至在心中感到优越，因为”我比他们知道得更多”，但却不采取任何行动。这种”明天再说”的态度同样是罪。
如何判断节奏
如何知道你的速度是太快还是太慢？答案很简单：首先确保你在前进。神不会指引停着的车。
如果你确信某个做法是错误的，你的第一个祷告应该是：”主啊，我们需要摆脱这个现状，我需要一个计划，我们需要开始行动。”
第六步：制定具体的行动计划
分阶段实施策略
一旦决定要改革，就需要制定具体的行动步骤：
- 准备阶段：向长老们分发相关文章
- 教育阶段：开始在地图上”插针”，标记你希望在特定时间达到的目标
- 实施阶段：也许在春天安排一系列相关信息的讲道
- 巩固阶段：确保改革成果的持续性
保持前进动力的重要性
关键是要保持前进的动力。一旦开始行动，你就可以决定如何驾驶、速度多快、节奏多慢，但绝不能停下来。在运动中，你可以调整方向和速度；但如果完全停止，就失去了所有的操控能力。
第七步：建立以G祂od话语和圣礼为中心的“身体”
组织的核心原则
教会应该围绕圣言和圣礼来组织。这不是可选项，而是必需品。讲台上的解经讲道是”肉”的主要来源，但在洗礼和圣餐时的劝勉也是重要的营养补充。
全面的属灵营养计划
成熟的“身体”生活应该包括：
- 每周高质量的解经讲道
- 定期的洗礼仪式（配以深刻的教导）
- 频繁的圣餐聚会（配以适当的劝勉）
- 必要时的教会纪律
- 持续的门徒训练
建造神国度的长远使命
新教会的牧师不是来做”属灵治疗师”或”宗教娱乐者”的，而是来建造神永恒国度的。这意味着你必须：
- 有勇气：让人在真理面前感到不安
- 有智慧：让改变以可持续的方式进行
- 有耐心：让成长在神的时间表中真实发生
- 有信心：相信神的话语不会徒然返回
记住：你的目标不是建立一个人人都感到舒适的社交俱乐部，而是培养一群能够在这个弯曲悖谬的世代中发光作盐的成熟门徒。
这个过程充满挑战，需要极大的智慧和勇气。有时你会感到孤独，有时你会面临压力，但这正是神呼召你的原因。在神的国度里，真正的安息来自于不断的成长，真正的平安来自于对神话语的顺服。
作为牧者，你的神圣责任就是确保你的会众永远在成长的道路上前进，即使这条路有时让人感到不舒服。因为只有经历破碎，才能迎来重建；只有面对真理的锋利，才能体验到它的医治大能。
这就是新教会牧者的完整使命：不是维持现状的管理员，而是带领祂的百姓走向成熟的属灵将军。在这场属灵争战中，你的武器是神的话语，你的策略是渐进式的智慧改革，你的目标是建立一个能够荣耀神、造就人的成熟教会。
Advice for Pastors of New Churches: From Milk to Meat
The question haunts every new pastor: How do you take a spiritually immature congregation and move them corporately into maturity? It’s a challenge that demands both theological conviction and pastoral wisdom—a delicate dance between prophetic boldness and patient shepherding.
Start With Meat, Not More Milk
The Hebrew writer’s metaphor is devastatingly clear: some believers remain perpetually milk-fed, never ready for solid food. If you inherit such a congregation, your instinct might be to ease them into maturity gradually. Resist this temptation. Start them on meat immediately.
This doesn’t mean theological brutality. It means cutting the meat into small pieces while maintaining its essential nature. The pulpit is your primary tool, supplemented by exhortations accompanying baptism and communion. Word and Sacrament—this is the twin foundation upon which mature churches are built.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: sometime in your first six months, you must say or do something from the pulpit that causes a stir.You must establish your right to be angular, to ruffle feathers, to provoke conversations that matter. This isn’t about being obnoxious or rude—it’s about demonstrating that God’s Word has edges, and those edges will cut through comfortable complacency.
Expository preaching becomes your ally here. Choose books with angular passages—texts you might be tempted to skip or soften. Let Scripture do the heavy lifting. When the Word creates tension, you’re not the villain; you’re simply the messenger.
The Strategic Sequence of Reform
Wisdom demands the right sequence. Start with your elders, not your congregation.The last thing you want is to preach a sermon about worship music and then divide your elder board. Unity among leadership must precede public teaching on controversial matters.
Share articles, blog posts, and books with your elders. Work through issues together. Ask the crucial question: “Is this something we all agree we want to see changed at some point?” Only when leadership is unified should you develop a timeline for congregational change. Be deliberate, not lurching.
This approach respects the principle that lasting change flows from the top down, not from the bottom up. A divided leadership will undermine any reform effort, no matter how biblically sound.
The Paradox of Hard and Soft Teaching
Here’s a counterintuitive truth that will reshape your ministry: soft teaching creates hard people, while hard teaching creates soft people.
When you preach with a jackhammer—declaring “Here’s the Word of God; this is what it says”—you break up the concrete of hardened hearts. Preach with a feather duster, and you leave everything exactly where it was, allowing people to calcify in their sins.
Ironically, churches filled with “all you need is love” Christians often harbor the most grievous sins. The absence of clear biblical boundaries doesn’t create grace; it creates license. When serious sin emerges—and it will—don’t shy away from church discipline. The congregation needs to see that biblical standards have real consequences.
As Proverbs teaches: “Strike the fool, and the simple learn wisdom.” Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is demonstrate that God’s standards matter enough to enforce them.
Navigating the Tension of Compromise
Every reforming pastor faces a moral dilemma: Is it sinful to continue practices you believe are wrong while working toward change? The answer reveals the complexity of pastoral leadership.
Consider communion practices. Many churches use grape juice monthly rather than wine weekly. If you become convinced this is doctrinally wrong—a 19th-century temperance innovation rather than Christ’s institution—are you sinning by continuing the practice while working toward change?
Sometimes the greater sin would be forcing immediate change that splits the church. The Lord’s Supper symbolizes unity; fighting about it at the table is profoundly anti-sacramental. In such cases, you might pray, “Lord, we’re about to sin again, and I’d like to ask you to bless it”—acknowledging the compromise while working systematically toward reform.
This requires the wisdom of Hezekiah with the unclean Passover participants or David eating the showbread. Sometimes pastoral care demands accepting a lesser wrong to avoid a greater one.
The Ditches on Either Side
Two errors threaten the reforming pastor. The first is impatience—forcing maturation the congregation isn’t ready for, destroying the very thing you’re trying to build. The second is false piety—knowing what’s right but doing nothing about it, feeling superior while maintaining the status quo.
How do you know if you’re moving too fast or too slow? First, make sure you’re moving at all.God doesn’t steer parked cars. If you’re convinced something needs to change, your first prayer should be: “Lord, we need to get out of this. I need a plan, and we need to start moving.”
Then stick pins in the map. Set concrete goals: “I’d like us to be here by November, here by spring.” Preach sermon series that prepare the ground. Maintain forward motion while adjusting speed and direction based on congregational response.
The Long View of Pastoral Ministry
Mature churches aren’t built overnight. They’re the product of sustained biblical preaching, consistent sacramental practice, wise leadership development, and patient reform. The pastor who tries to accomplish everything in the first year will likely accomplish nothing. The pastor who attempts nothing will guarantee failure.
Your congregation may be drinking milk now, but with steady, strategic effort, they can develop a taste for solid food. The key lies not in choosing between truth and love, but in expressing truth through love—sometimes tender, sometimes tough, always aimed at the spiritual maturation of God’s people.
Remember: you’re not just teaching doctrine; you’re forming disciples. You’re not just correcting errors; you’re cultivating Christlikeness. And that patient, persistent work of transformation—slow as it may seem—is perhaps the most Christ-like ministry of all.
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