Pastors, Bloom Where You are Planted
What do you do when you’re fresh out of seminary and looking for ministry jobs? Where do you look when pastoral opportunities can be varied and diverse?
Some suggest working under a seasoned pastor who can help you learn the ropes. Some suggest going to the city because more people live in urban environments than ever. Tim Keller suggested going to a small church as a solo pastor where you can do everything. In my case, I had no strategy or plan, but in the providence of God, I ended up at a small country church.
God had already given me a special love for the people, having served as an intern a few years earlier, but that love didn’t make my initiation into pastoral ministry easy.
Humble beginnings
By any standard, being the pastor of this church wasn’t glamorous. My salary was $25,000 (with no benefits) in my first year. The building dated to the 1800s, and the bathrooms had camper toilets. We would ring the bell in the tower to signal that church was about to start.
The church was in a small town in Ohio (pop. 197). With the town being so small, I had the opportunity to visit every house in town. Some people shut their door in my face. Many neighbors wrote me off before I could say anything, probably assuming I was a member of a cult. The town’s spiritual soil seemed hard, as far as the eye could see.
I’ll never forget the prayer meeting where only three people showed up (myself included)—and I forgot the key to the church. None of us knew how to pick the lock. We had no hidden key, and none of us lived close by. So we had our prayer meeting in a minivan and headed back home.
The blessing of ministry
In our years at this church, there were many joys. The church loved our family. When our twin daughters had their first birthday, we invited the whole congregation, and most came. I remember riding around in the tractor with our head elder, talking about our upcoming elders’ meeting while he was planting corn.
Our church tried to do a lot of outreach. At the local county Fair each summer, we rented a stage and held a “fair service” to reach the larger community. We’d crank up the speakers, and many folks would listen in. One member had a ton (literally) of forging equipment, so we had a biannual “Forge Day.” We met new friends and neighbors from all over under our big forging tent.
Opposition
Amid all the joys, there were struggles and challenges. I tried to move the church in a more biblical and gospel-centered direction but met resistance. Divisions in the church started to show themselves. One time, as we were preparing for our annual missions conference, I was in the storage room, getting out flagpoles. I’m not sure how, but I inadvertently lost my grip on one of the poles, and it literally fell through the floor to the basement below.
This “hole” in the floor symbolized the church as a whole. The church had a weak foundation that sometimes made shepherding challenging, but God was always very gracious. The joys of ministry far outweighed the struggles.
Faithful endurance
If you’ve been a pastor for any length of time, you probably have some ministry scars. Don’t be surprised. In fact, welcome to Christianity: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Phil. 1:29). There were times when ministry demands so burdened Paul and the other apostles that they wondered if they’d make it (2 Cor. 1:8–10). Turns out, the path of ministry isn’t always the glory road some expect.
It has now been well over a decade since I pastored that church. It’s impossible to express how much I learned and grew there. God gave me the foundation I needed for a lifetime of ministry and a deeper love for his church (Eph. 1:22–23).
Most would say my initiation into the pastorate was unique. However, there is a sense in which every ministry post is unique and features its own challenges. I’ll never forget a dear lady from that church telling me early on, “Bloom where you are planted.” That wisdom applies to almost everything in life, no less pastoral ministry.
So, whatever context you find yourself serving in, seek to be a blessing to those around you. And if you preach the Word, love the people, and give glory to Christ in everything, you will be.
Too many rookie pastors are concerned with finding the perfect ministry fit. In reality, it is unlikely you will find that “ideal” pastor position that checks all your boxes. Always remember that ministry is ministry – it is an enormous blessing to serve as a shepherd no matter if you find yourself in the Bahamas or the inner city. Strive to bloom where you are planted and lean into the inexhaustible riches of God’s grace.
Ministry is hard at times. There will be surprises along the way, but it’s also immensely rewarding (2 Tim. 4:8). If you’re struggling, don’t give up. By the grace of God, you can endure the challenges. And if you’re faithful, one day, “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5:4).
©2023 Daniel Stegeman. Used with permission.
About The Author

Daniel Stegeman
Daniel Stegeman serves as pastor of Pine Glen Alliance Church in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. He blogs at pastoral-theology.com and is the author of Help! I Want to Be a Loving Husband.