UTILIZING AN OUTREACH DIRECTOR
J. T. PUGH

A NOTE TO THE PASTOR

UTILIZING THE OUTREACH DIRECTOR

The General Home Missions Department is happy to present to you, without cost the Outreach Director’s Guide. It is our hope that you have had the good fortune to be able to appoint a competent, spiritual, burdened person for this work in your church if this is the case, we know evidently that a great load will be lifted from your shoulders. In order that the most good can be derived from this Pastor-Director arrangement, it will be good for you to carefully read this guide All of the General Home Missions staff who worked on this have, of course, pastored churches. Since this is true, it has not been difficult for us to relate the duties of the Outreach Director to his responsibility to the Pastor.

TO HELP YOU IN YOUR AWESOME LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY

It is our feeling that your Outreach program will be more tightly knit more enthusiastically presented and more strongly believed in if the Pastor studies this book and prepares its presentation to the Outreach Director carefully.

The past pastoral experience of the Home Missions staff here enables them to say sincerely that we do appreciate you and your very responsible position You are called upon to do a great work. Into your hands has been entrusted a portion of the world’s most precious gift The most precious item of earth is not to be found in the treasures of monarchs or nations. The Church was purchased with the high price of our dear Lord’s very life-blood. There could be no greater purchase price fixed to any item on this earth It is quite arresting to know that into your hands has come the keeping of at least a portion of this very valuable item.

As if this was not enough, into your care also has come the awesome responsibility of reaching your city. It is said that one pastor cannot reach more than ten thousand people To do this, of course, he must have built his church into a soul winning concern Building a soulwinning church is not an accident It takes much planning, instruction and patience. Of course, it follows that no pastor can actually build a soul winning church unless he himself is a soulwinner. He must care.

LOCAL OUTREACH IS RELATED TO WORLD OUTREACH

More and more our brethren are seeing the relationship which they hold to world outreach World missions is a concept which is reading itself into the consciousness of our pastors. This particular type of thinking enhances the work of the Local church It
casts the soulwinning efforts of even the smallest saint in the light of world-wide outreach. Reaching the world, whether it be in your local city or across the water, is an attempt within the confines of world missions.

It is a proven fact that whether the heathen beyond our shores are finally reached or not is dependent upon how stable and
strong we are here at home. Precisely at this point the local pastor and his congregation strongly figure into the overall picture. The pastors who build the largest and the strongest churches invariably are the one whose vision is much broader than their own back yard. What a great and tremendous work our pastors are called upon to do.

HOW CAN WE DO OUR JOB BETTER?- USE PEOPLE !

Great works, of course, are led by great leaders. The fellowship as a whole, it seems, senses that the time has come for a fresh evaluation Soul-searching and self-analysis is taking place everywhere. Questions are being asked. What is my actual motive? Does my spiritual position really satisfy God? What can I do to better equip myself for the task which has been laid in my hands?

Not only are the brethren of our fellowship evaluating themselves, but the work at our hands is undergoing scrutiny perhaps
as never before. Better, spiritual and more effective means of doing God’s work is now being asked for. The wonder of many hearts is “Am I doing all that I possibly can do?”

There has never been a time when the pastors and local churches of the United Pentecostal fellowship looked to the future and
its possibilities as searchingly as they are now. Horizons which heretofore were deemed impossible are now looming large and clear. A positive note has been sounded relative to advancement and growth Many leading ministers have confided that they strongly believe now as never before that it definitely is God’s will for everyone to succeed in God’s work.

Their various positive surfacings from the length and breadth of our fellowship cause the Home Missions Department to conclude that your greatest and most productive days begin now and stretch away into a very short future.

Great leaders use great people It has been said that you can estimate the true greatness of a man by the type of other men that
he gathers around him. Great leaders are able to use other people. This trait was seen in Moses, perhaps one of the greatest leaders of the Old Testament, or perhaps of all times. At the advice of his father-in-law he organized the counseling services of correction for Israel. He was a successful administrator, executive and spiritual dynamo in leadership.

David also grouped around him certain loyal and capable men. They are listed by name in the Old Testament. The simple reading
of their meritorious record gives inspiration. These men were great warriors in their own right. They also loved their leader with tremendous devotion. Some risked their lives to bring him water from the well. This was done because of a slight mention They also protected him and insisted on one occasion that he remain back from the front lines. They estimated that he was worth more than a thousand of themselves. David profited tremendously be grouping around him certain great and able men.

YOU ARE A “PEOPLE BUILDER”

This, I am sure, is the longing of every pastor. He senses and knows that it is impossible to have a great church without
raising up a great People. People-building, of course, takes time. However, these are the solid building blocks that last The
worthfulness of the actual people who sit in a man’s congregation is the determining factor in the strength or weakness of his church.

When an office needs to be filled in a church, men sometimes must be trained to fill it. This, every pastor who has toiled long in the pastoral field, knows. The persistent, patient pastor, of course, sets out to do just that when it is needed to be done. Great pastors invariably are men-builders. Week by week, sermon by sermon, talk by talk, they put into them the things which cause them to be dependable, capable and loyal. This, of course, takes time. It is hoped that you had such a person who you could appoint as your Outreach Director. If this was not the case, then with the Lord’s help, you no doubt will be able to train such a one. In the light of God’s will, I cannot help but believe that this would be pleasing to God, We must begin somewhere. A soulwinning church is needed in every community. There is no better time to begin than now. Perhaps across the years you have longed for a soulwinning church Perhaps you have thirsted to see unsaved people in good numbers sitting in your audience. There is nothing which inspires a pastor more than this. This is, my dear brother, within your reach.

HOW TO TREAT YOUR OUTREACH DIRECTOR

We would appreciate having a word with you concerning your Outreach Director. After you have thoroughly gone over the
Outreach Director’s Guide, it may be good for you to have a very personal and extended session with him.

1. Outline His Duties

You will need to outline clearly his duties to him. You need to make it plain the confines within which he is to operate. He should know where his authority begins and ends. It is unfair to give to anyone responsibility without also setting up guidelines of operation. When a leader knows in what area he is expected to operate he feels confident and more sure of himself. Then, of course, there is less likelihood for misunderstanding and over-stepping authority.

2. Assure Him Of Your Trust

The Outreach Director needs to be assured of your trust A man who works without fear does a better job. A man who is not sure that he has his pastor behind him will more than likely take hold of the work with an uncertain, timid hand. The inner frustration which he has will cause him to be dilatory, to dread the task and to seek early an opportunity to be replaced Each Director needs to be assured of your support. He needs to know that if he moves according to your instruction that you will support him in the areas of difficulty.

Evangelism is a bold, imaginative, striking work. It needs to be initiated in each local church with drive and vigor. The Outreach
Director will not be able to do this unless he feels a close association with himself and the pastor.

3. Create Avenues Of Review, Feedback And Information Flow

Avenues of feedback from the Outreach Director to yourself must be created. The door should be left open where he can bring his questions, problems, and suggestions to you. It is imperative that lower status of leadership in the church must communicate with the highest office of the church, which is the pastor. Perhaps you would like to set up a workable report system whereby you would be in constant contact with how the visitation work is going, etc.

4. Give Him Proper Recognition

The Outreach Director needs to be given the proper recognition before the church. He will need to influence others in the work of soulwinning. His influence will not be what it should be unless it is bolstered by the pastor. Perhaps we should state again that it is impossible for the pastor to divorce himself entirely from the Outreach program and it remain alive and effective. The Outreach
Director needs you close to him. True, he will relieve you of details such as planning the assignments, keeping the records and making various phone calls. After all, it is the detail which is the killer and which the pastor dreads the most.

Though the proper use of the Outreach Director this particular dreaded part of the work will be lifted from your shoulders. But you need to make yourself available to receive the reports which the Outreach Director will want to give you. You owe this to him.

SOULWINNERS BEGET SOULWINNERS

At this point, it may be well that we surface an observation of our own. That is, that the most productive and energetic churches have pastors who have actively engaged themselves in the business of soulwinning. You can have some semblance of an Outreach program without putting your presence in. You do not have to be present at every assignment service. But it almost goes without being said that the work will be much better and move forward more rapidly if on frequent occasions the face of the pastor is seen at the assignment and report services.

This is needful not only for the sake of the workers who come, but it brings you into contact with that which is being done. This will alleviate you from grave imaginings, suspicions or fears. There is nothing like a firsthand observation This will also give you a background of enthusiasm so that you can more enthusiastically support the program before the congregation.

The workers themselves will need to see you occasionally. Your influence and prestige being behind the work is a must. This also
brings to each assignment service the sense of unity and solidarity. They come to feel that you believe in what they are trying to do and also have confidence in the Outreach Director.

THE ART OF DELEGATING

The strongest churches of our fellowship are invariably pastored by men who have learned the art of delegation Perhaps this is the hardest of the fine arts to learn. Such a man who has mastered this art, however, learns to lead without seeming to. The leaders and the people under him are set free to serve. Each of them know the lines of their responsibility, authority, and loyalty. The wise delegating pastor knows that he must not overwhelm a subordinate with his superior knowledge or his presence.

Many of the meetings that he attends, he attends as an observer. He is ready to contribute to it if his contribution is needed Otherwise, he is content to let another bear the load of leadership and go ahead with the work. He feels secure in the fact that the overall church recognizes him as the pastor. They are aware that he has the privilege and right to step into any given situation with a veto or a ready hand of support whenever he wants to.

A LOOK AT THE FUTURE

We feel that this second phase of evangelistic thrust is opening new doors of adventurous growth and service for all of us. Across the land pastors of United Pentecostal churches are increasing in the belief that they can make a worthwhile impact upon their community.

The Home Missions Department hopes that the materials which we have created for you have been helpful. We hope the direction which we have cited through the revival effort has been and will continue to be helpful. As a further effort to help we present this Outreach Director’s Guide. We wish to be your partners through this particular thrust “EVANGELISM NOW,” and the District Pastors’ Councils.

We sincerely hope that you come to feel that our work with you and our efforts in world missions is worth your financial support through monthly offerings. if you have not already, please allow the North American continent a place in your world missions program.