I was a new preacher when I heard John Maxwell say in a leadership lesson, “As a pastor, you need to move with the movers.”

At the time, I didn’t comprehend exactly what he was saying. As a pastor, my heart should be for all the people of the Church I lead. Everyone matters to God, and therefore, they should matter to me. I thought that, under my insightful leadership, I would help every single person grow and become the person God desires them to be. We will all move forward together.

Now, after over thirty years of ministry, I understand what he was saying. Almost unbelievably to me, some people in the Church did not want to grow spiritually; they certainly did not all want to grow numerically, and many were very content to see themselves remain the same, along with their Church family.

Occasionally, someone comes into the Church and is excited to mature as a believer. They genuinely want us to reach people with the gospel, and they have a heart for ministry. These wonderful souls wish for the Church to move forward in faith for the kingdom of God. Whenever those people arrive in a faith community, my job is to link arms with them and move this thing forward.

I still care about every single person who attends worship on Sunday morning, but I move ministry forward with the movers. I connect to the sacred few who want to see God glorified through our community. I spend time with people who desire to grow spiritually. I move with the movers.

If you want to have a closer relationship with your pastor, don’t ask him to slow down and spend time with you; get moving and you can connect as you both move forward together.

The new year is firmly underway. The new calendar is out, the new notebook has started, and I am five days into my Bible reading plan.

God has blessed me with another year to serve him to the best of my ability.

That realization brings feelings of both gratitude and responsibility. Gratitude, because every new year is a gift from God. Responsibility, because time is something we steward, not something we own. The question is never whether God will be faithful in the year ahead; rather, it is: will I be faithful with the days He places in my hands?

I don’t know what this year will hold. There will be joys I can’t yet imagine and challenges I would rather avoid. But I step into this year with confidence, not in my plans or discipline, but in the God who walks with me into every unknown.

So with open hands and a willing heart, let’s roll!