Jenni Catron, who will soon go on staff at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church where John Ortberg pastors, wrote the just released book, Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence. I read it recently and I believe it is a must read for every pastor, as well as for every follower of Jesus. She defines clout as the power and influence each person possesses in their lives. She deftly writes about both clout killers and ways to cultivate our personal clout. She roots her book in Scripture and shares personal stories that resonant with the reader’s heart. As I read the book through the lens of a pastor, several clout killers came to mind.
God has given every pastor a call to serve Him faithfully. He gives us what we need to fulfill that call, what Jenni would call clout. Unfortunately, these issues often cloud our clout.
- Comparison with pastors and churches that are larger and faster growing than ours. This one is a sure-fire clout killer.
- Burning the candle at both ends. Sometimes in our efforts to grow our churches, we overextend ourselves and become less effective.
- Trying to please everybody. People pleasing is a significant issue in the life of a pastor. In my research I discovered that 70% of those in ministry dealt with people pleasing at some level.
- Failure to nurture our soul. It’s often easy to shorten our time with God to do things for God.
- Not taking a long term perspective about ministry. Temporary failures and setbacks seldom mar long term fruitfulness, unless we let them.
Whatever is clouding your clout, Jenni offers practical insight on how to maximize your God-given clout.
Watch Jenni share her brief thoughts here on clout creators. If you are a pastor, I’d encourage you to read this book and share it with your staff.
What clout killers have you seen in your life and ministry?
