Course Recording

Q&A Recording

Pastoral Foundation Training (Course 301) - Lesson 2 Homework Assignment

1. Listen to the recording above.
2. Take detailed notes.
3. Formulate your questions or areas of confusion based on the topic of this lesson.
4. Submit both your notes and questions to your pastoral zone leader.
5. Only then proceed to the next lesson.

(06:00)

1. Several biblical perspectives: 1. The Lord is my shepherd; 2. Jesus said, "If you love me, feed my sheep"; 3. The church is the army of Jehovah. Could the Pastor explain how to connect these concepts? When engaging seekers in conversation, how do we prompt them to critically reflect on their concept of the "church"? (Qinqin)

(15:40)

2. A new sister is struggling with her homework because she cannot type. I taught her to use voice messages. Deep down, she feels inadequate due to her lack of education and literacy. However, she highly values prayer. How should I instruct someone in this situation? (Suni)

Establishing Pastoral Relationships

1. I have observed that most people love to lecture others. Even when you know they are talking absolute nonsense, if you correct them, they turn around and try to lecture you back, resulting in constant friction. A pastoral relationship is hierarchical—one of authority and submission. Must we eliminate friendship entirely to establish a pastoral relationship? Can a pastoral relationship coexist with a peer relationship? (Ben)

(25:30)

2. Teacher, in building a relationship with a sister under my care, I can help her resolve issues by teaching God's Word, confronting her bad habits, imparting faith, and demonstrating love. In what other areas must I improve myself to strengthen this pastoral relationship?

3. Pastoral care is a ministry of love. How do we calibrate this "love" so that both the pastor and the sheep benefit? (Xuanyun)

4. Teacher, when we are serious about pastoring, and the sheep initially seems serious too, but gradually turns out to be merely putting on a show, what must we do? (Xuanyun)

(34:10)

5. In the course, you mentioned that we are a cohesive body bound by love, and whether we can project God's love depends entirely on the pastoral relationship. How should we best understand this statement? (Xiaonai)

6. Teacher, once a pastor develops a parental heart, is the application of this heart to each individual determined by the depth of that specific relationship? (Ruying)

7. To build a pastoral relationship in love, we face the challenge of passive sheep who do not initiate contact or report their situation. How can we motivate them to take the initiative? (David)

8. Teacher, if someone operates under the judgment of good and evil against us, should we continue to build a relationship with them? If a pastoral relationship is still necessary, how do we establish it? What are the effective methods? (Ma Xile)

9. In pastoring, some individuals have no apparent need for healing and deliverance; their finances and careers are stable. Consequently, they rarely contact their pastor. They enjoy listening to sermons but fail to practice them. Although their love for the world and money is obvious, the curse has not yet caught up with them, making our teaching seem ineffective. How do we establish a close pastoral relationship with such people to help them grow?

(40:10)

10. Teacher, do you have a specific strategy for building pastoral relationships with introverted, uncommunicative individuals?

11. I am currently ministering to a sister, and building a pastoral relationship has been a rocky road. How do I push this forward? The context: I have served her for several months and recently began leading her through healing, deliverance, and casting out demons. Currently, her attitude of "I don't need to listen to you" is quite pronounced. When I set basic requirements for new believer training and habit formation—such as attending meetings on time and taking notes—she repeatedly ignores them, moving only when pushed. When I try to understand her difficulties, her descriptions reveal problems that are entirely solvable, yet she stubbornly insists they are insurmountable and rejects all other teachings. It is clear she does not want to follow the church's structured growth path, preferring her own whims. I believe this stems from her rejection of our pastoral relationship. How can I establish a genuine relationship going forward?

(46:15)

12. I am pastoring a sister who initially showed great aversion to me. She never requested prayer, only posting items she deemed worthy of "intercession" in the group chat, and was impatient with teaching. Later, she suddenly claimed she no longer disliked me and began seeking me out for prayer, experiencing significant deliverance each time. However, while she no longer openly resists, she does not actually absorb the teaching. Her views on tithing, the church, and pastoral relationships are entirely governed by her own internal logic. When I point out her issues to help her receive blessings, she simply fails to comprehend and offers endless excuses. In this process, I am often unsure of the depth of our relationship. How should I proceed?

13. When a sheep does not disclose all their problems to the pastor, but only approaches them when they hit a dead end, what does this indicate about the depth of the pastoral relationship? (Baijia)

(53:30)

14. As pastors, we are fully prepared to engage in serious, high-stakes pastoring. However, some individuals—typically those without physical ailments who refuse to share other struggles—only want to follow the church to listen to Bible studies, sermons, and prayers. They reject actual pastoring, see no issues in themselves, and view a pastor's proactive care as an intrusion or control, showing zero appreciation. When a pastor points out areas for growth, they reject it outright, leaving the pastor feeling like they are forcing an unwanted transaction. How do we build a pastoral relationship with such individuals? How do we ignite a desire in them to be pastored? (Yanzi)

(1:00:30)

15. How do we assess a healthy relationship between a pastor and a minister? In what concrete ways does it manifest? (Kuailefen)

16. If the person being served is highly submissive and executes every task assigned by the pastor, does this constitute a healthy relationship? (Kuailefen)

17. In pastoring, is "paying the price" the single most critical factor? (Liangliang)

(1:06:30)

18. In the course of pastoring, one can become complacent, losing the initial zeal to pay the price. I am now pastoring someone who shares this exact struggle. How do we grow together? (Meishaonv)

19. Whether pastoring my own family or others, I am filled with passion and believe I am serious about it. Yet, the pastoral outcomes are disappointing. Where is the failure? Teacher, what does genuine, serious pastoring actually look like?

20. Is the relationship of mutual love mentioned in the church limited only to pastors and their sheep? In our current setup, with different pastoral zones and different pastors, sheep often do not know one another. Can a loving relationship still exist simply because we belong to the same church and share the same Mingding? (Xixi)

(1:16:30)

21. Teacher, how do we establish a sound pastoral relationship? What specific tasks must be executed?

22. Teacher, when the sheep and the pastor hold differing views on the same issue, what must the sheep do?

23. Teacher, if a sheep has a habit of hypocrisy, what specific methods should be deployed to confront this while building a relationship?

24. If a person is lukewarm, how do we determine whether this is spiritual oppression or a personal attitude problem? How do we establish a pastoral relationship with a lukewarm individual?

(1:21:00)

25. In pastoring Sister XX, I was truly willing to pay a heavy price to serve her. She could not sleep lying down and frequently suffered from shortness of breath. I led her in prayer day and night. However, when I began to teach her and confront her fleshly habits, she became highly resistant and rejected my teaching, wanting only my prayers. I believed we had an excellent pastoral relationship and that I loved her, especially since I brought her into our Chinese Mingding Doctrine to resolve her issues. Where did my pastoring go wrong? Why did my teaching cause resentment? How do we handle a situation where genuine love is perceived as the exact opposite? (Meizi)

Fleshly Habits

1. Teacher, confronting the bad habits of those we serve requires firmness, yet we must calibrate the intensity. I find it exhausting to be firm, and I struggle to gauge the right intensity. Could you share a few practical tips?
2. How do we pastor losers?
3. You said, "To see a person grow, the most critical task is to confront their bad habits, which inevitably leads to conflict." If conflict arises, how should we manage the aftermath? (Xuanyun)
4. Teacher, how do we dismantle the flesh while simultaneously building up their faith? How do we balance these two aspects? Is it through the very process of dismantling the flesh that they see their own growth, thereby building their faith? (Suni)
5. Regarding the timing of pushing someone to find employment: We have a full-time mother who has been with us for over six months. Her daily routine consists solely of picking up and dropping off her children, with no job. When is the right time to push her to work? (Gideon)

(1:25:30)

6. Some sheep have experienced abundant grace from God, yet the moment we confront their flesh, they lose their temper. Sometimes they cannot even bear to hear God's Word. They refuse to leave, yet they cannot move forward. How do we pastor them in this state?
7. In the pastoral process, confronting bad habits inevitably triggers conflict. Sometimes, even if there is no conflict, we must manufacture it. Could you explain how to manufacture, manage, and resolve conflict?

The Problem of Loving the World (1:27:15)

1. Through this lesson, we learned how to build a loving pastoral relationship by serving with a parental heart and weeping with those who weep. However, you also emphasized that pastoring requires confronting people's issues. I find this balance difficult to strike. We have a sister who eagerly serves her father, frequently writing in her notes about the heavy price she pays to do so. She also travels to serve brothers and sisters in other churches. Yet, when it comes to confronting her own issues, she sits by her bed during prayer meetings and falls asleep. Teacher, is this sister merely putting on a show? She hints that she wants me to minister to her father, but her father loves the world and refuses to believe in God, resulting in a constant relapse in his condition. I believe such ministry is futile. How do I weep with those who weep while simultaneously confronting this sister's bad habits?

(1:32:30)

2. When a sheep is hospitalized due to severe illness, what else must we do besides offering care and greetings? (Xuelian)

Regarding Lack of Spiritual Understanding

1. Regarding a lack of spiritual understanding: A sister frequently listens to sermons, yet her understanding remains completely blocked. For instance, she constantly monitors whether her husband reads the Bible and prays, finding joy only when he complies. How do we instruct someone like this? (Gideon)

Healing and Deliverance

1. Teacher, I am selfish and indulge my flesh, yet I genuinely want to become someone who is serious and willing to pay the price in ministry. My main challenge is sleep. Sometimes, after sleeping late, I feel energetic the next day and my faith is boosted. Other times, my head is groggy and my body suffers, so I indulge my flesh again, followed by intense self-condemnation. My pastor advised me to view my growth trend with a long-term perspective, but I cannot put this into practice; I always feel that doing so is simply accepting my own sin. Teacher, should I just discard these messy thoughts and trust that God will surely help me?

Pastoring Children

(1:39:15)

1. I have begun pastoring my children—a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. Like us, they have been in the church for many years. After this lesson, I feel that while I have parental love for them, I often overthink and worry that pushing them too hard will cause resentment and backfire. Is pastoring one's own children harder than pastoring ordinary brothers and sisters? Is pastoring one's own children a suitable starting point for a Christian who is just beginning to learn how to pastor? (Bryan)

Financial Issues

(1:41:45)

1. I have been serving a sister for about four months. She initially came to us due to financial distress. For decades, every investment she and her husband made resulted in either fraud or failure. Recently, they took out a 600,000 RMB loan to invest in a tungsten mine. Due to bureaucratic delays, the project is stalled. The partner promised a refund but has dragged his feet for over a month. This sister is extremely anxious. My question: Should I focus on her immediate financial crisis, or address the underlying spiritual issues driving these financial failures? She easily worries about worldly matters and possesses a deep-seated mindset of lack. My strategy is to build her faith in God so she can start trusting Him. Is this the correct approach? (Vivian)

Regarding Pastoring Family Members

(1:47:30)

1. The church teaches us the relationship of pastoring and being pastored. Outside the church—such as in family dynamics and the workplace—how should we build healthy interpersonal relationships? Can we apply this spiritual principle there? If so, how? Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance. (Angel)

null

null