Big Idea

Every Person a Pastor…Equipping and unleashing disciples who embody a deep, personal commitment to living out their God-given calling with the pastoral heart of Jesus in every arena of life.

Scripture References

1 Peter 2:4-10

Opening Questions

Who is the person who has had the greatest spiritual impact on your life?

Bible Discussion

1. Read 1 Peter 2:4-10
2. In the Old Testament, priests were a specific group of people who served as mediators between God and the people. By calling Christ-followers a “priesthood” (v. 5, 9), Peter is saying that now all followers of Jesus can play this mediating role. How do you react to the thought that you are a priest (or, as we are calling it, a pastor)? What excites you about that thought? What unnerves you?
3. Being a pastor simply means that you represent the pastoral heart of Jesus to the people in your life. It means sharing the love, wisdom, truth, care, and goodness of God with them while also praying for them and helping them find their way back to God. Who is someone you know who is NOT on a church staff who lives out this pastoral calling?
4. We believe God is calling you to be a pastor. It may be that you are to be a pastor in your workplace, a pastor in your neighborhood, a pastor in your school, or a pastor in your home. Who do you sense God is calling you to pastor?

Every Person a Pastor Vision Prayer

One of the components of COMMUNITY’s New Vision is “Every Person a Pastor.” We are praying that God would equip and unleash disciples who embody a deep, personal commitment to living out their God-given calling with the pastoral heart of Jesus in every arena of life.

Take a few minutes and slowly read through this Every Person a Pastor Vision Prayer aloud together. Pay attention to any words or phrases in the prayer that resonate with you and any words or phrases that seem unfamiliar or confusing.

Father, we believe you are doing a new thing. You are making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19), and we believe you want to make Every Person a Pastor.

We pray you will transform our church into the embodiment of the priesthood of all believers described in Scripture. May we become a vibrant congregation of people who have been discipled and who embrace our unique role and identity as pastors. May we represent and re-present you, Jesus, everywhere we go, living out your pastoral heart in every arena of life. May the barrier that has existed between professional “clergy” and “lay” people disappear in our community as each of us sees ourselves as fully empowered pastors. As transformed people, may you use us to transform the world.

We pray you give our staff and leaders wisdom as they train and equip us to serve not only within the church walls, but in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

We pray for parents in our church community. May they confidently step into their roles as the primary spiritual leaders of their families, transforming their homes into greenhouses of Kingdom growth, vibrant with faith and love.

We pray for those in the workplace. May they serve as pastors in their spheres of influence, bringing a sense of peace, integrity, and purpose into their professional environments. May they impact their colleagues not just through their words, but more powerfully through their actions and character.

We pray for impact in our communities. May we become spiritual guides in our neighborhoods, creating a rippling e ect of restoration that impacts thousands of people locally and around the world.

We pray for our small groups. May they develop into thriving centers of discipleship, support, and mission. May they be led by capable, passionate leaders who are deeply invested in individual group members. May our groups be known in their communities not just for what they believe, but for how they live out those beliefs with compassion and integrity. May the growth in these groups be organic and dynamic, marked by authentic relationships and a lifestyle of B.L.E.S.S.ing their neighbors to help people find their way back to God.

We pray you will grow us into pastors who are trained not just in skills and knowledge, but also in the heart, character formation, and the deep health needed to flourish as a pastor in any context. May we raise up a generation of pastors who are passionate about you, Jesus, deeply rooted in Scripture, filled with your Spirit, and skilled in guiding others in their spiritual journey.

Father, may we become not just a congregation, but a movement, a living testimony to your power working through people who are fully alive to their unique calling and purpose in Christ.

Discussion Questions

5. What words, phrases, or ideas from the Vision Prayer resonated with you?
6. What words, phrases, or ideas from the Vision Prayer seem unfamiliar or confusing?
7. What would be different in your life if God answered this prayer?
8. If we become a church where every person is a pastor, what impact do you think we’d have in our community and the world?

Now, go back and pray the prayer aloud together. Have each person in your group take a paragraph to pray and o er this prayer up to God for
your group and our church.

Challenge

1. Pray this week that every person in your small group would discover their pastoral calling.
2. Take time this week to pray for the people God is calling you to pastor. Ask God to show you one way you could serve them this week. When you
   hear from God, do what He says.