Do pastors ever just "drop in" on you anymore?

[Dana Grant]

I remember the pastor just showing up at my parents' house more than once for a visit.

I wonder if that happens any more? We have a new pastor at our church these days, and he is from Kentucky.....I just wonder if they do that anymore.

If they do, and it is today -- I WILL JUST DIE.

I've been organizing and re-organizing the office now for months. Mostly in my mind, but some in reality!! Well, I finally came up with THE perfect plan for the office closet. My goal is to have all of the office supplies in the closet and a clean empty desk. SOOOOO, I have now pulled out EVERYTHING from the office closet and I'm starting from SCRATCH putting things back in there, new containers, etc., and throwing away a LOT of items that we don't use anymore.

Purging is good for the soul.

SOOO, I finally got everything out of there today and I'm looking at this HEAP of "STUFF" on the floor, and that is the first thing that popped into my mind.......

I wonder if the pastor "drops in" on anyone anymore? HA HA HA HA HA

I know, I'm a crazy lady. I guess that popped into my head because of all the threads about pastors in the last few days.......


Back to work now.

[Ron Davis]

I grew up with neighbors doing the same thing, but that doesn't happen much anymore. If there are any pastors still doing that they are probably making a mistake unless they are dropping in on people that they know it is ok.

[Mark Metcalfe]

I remember the pastor just showing up at my parents' house more than once for a visit.

I wonder if that happens any more? We have a new pastor at our church these days, and he is from Kentucky.....I just wonder if they do that anymore.

If they do, and it is today -- I WILL JUST DIE.


Cross-posted:

A pastor went out one Saturday to visit his church members.
At one house it obvious that someone was home, but nobody came
to the door even though the pastor had knocked several times.
Finally, the pastor took out his card and wrote "Revelations 3:20"
on the back of it, and stuck it in the door.

(Revelations 3:20: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock :
If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come
in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me).

The next day, the card turned up in the collection plate.
Below the pastor's message was the notation "Genesis 3:10."

(Genesis 3:10: I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.)

[Virginia Stimer]

Just for the record--my pastor and his wife have stopped by my house at least three times in recent months. Once it was to ask me if I needed an air conditioner since people in the church had donated some for those who needed one. I did not need one.

My pastor and his wife also invited me and my "adopted grandson" to share Christmas Day dinner with their family. That was a real privilege, especially for Jaykob. (I was with my own family Christmas Eve and spent sone time with Jaykob's family Christmas afternoon.)

The last time pastor and his wife stopped by I was busy in the kitchen and had the TV on in the living room so he had to call me on his cell phone to ask me to open the door because I did not hear the doorbell or his knocking. After all, along with the TV noise I was also using my electric mixer.;)

[Barb Bouldrey]

John drops in on shut-ins and those who have had surgery, a loss, etc.

With working families and new people he tries to make appointments.

I never go with him when he just drops in on someone because a lady will always feel self conscious of the pastor's wife coming to their "messy" house.

Of course, I do not make many calls with him, anyway. I go to the hospital with him occasionally....particularly if it is someone in my Sunday School class.

It depends on the pastor, the size of the church, the area of the country, the size of the community.

But for the most part, many pastors do not make home visits ever anymore. Just old gusy like my husband. LOL

[Gary Swartzlander]

My brother-in-law and family experienced something just a little bit different at a church they pastored (his first) in South Dakota. The people of the church would just walk into the parsonage anytime of the day. When they moved there the community was one that didn't lock doors much. It didn't take real long to make things different.

[William Hunter]

Pastoral calling is an American invention from the days when pastors were not paid much, if at all. They got their "pay" in food stuffs many times. My wife's aunt tells of days her pastor father would come home with rancid butter, meat next to spoiling, etc. given to him by his parisheners to feed his family with in place of a salary.

Here, I do little calling and I rarely just call without an appt. except in the hosp., nursing home, etc. My laypeople have understood Eph. 4:11-16 and Acts two and they feel that pastoral care, evangelism, etc., belongs to them, the saints, and not the pastor. They will tell you that my job Biblically is to pray, preach and see that my people are equipped for ministry as the Bible says. Yes, I still call. I get around to all our visitors, but only after a team of 2-3 of my laypeople have been there. I do call if there is some special need, etc. but the bulk of the pastoral care is done by my laypeople for they feel God gave them that task. And the process is getting better as more and more of my people buy into what the Bible says rather than the recent traditions of America.

[Barbara Moulton]

Hmmmm....yet another way we are alike. January always brings an organizing drive to my life and my home office has been the first order of business.

I remember once, when I was co-pastoring with Carl in The Salvation Army, I was home with two sick kids. 10:00 am and still in my bathrobe...my livingroom a disaster.

The DC's wife (imagine a DS's wife but with power :-) dropped in to see me.

Not a good moment.

Carl and I would never drop in on people without notice.

[Dennis M. Scott]

John drops in on shut-ins

When I was on staff with Newell Smith, at Syracuse First, we had a pretty good number of "shut-ins" we tried to work with. We found, however, that we had to schedule our visits ahead of time, or our "shut-ins" wouldn't be home. Somehow, that seemed a little peculiar. :rolleyes:

[Dana Grant]

When I was on staff with Newell Smith, at Syracuse First, we had a pretty good number of "shut-ins" we tried to work with. We found, however, that we had to schedule our visits ahead of time, or our "shut-ins" wouldn't be home. Somehow, that seemed a little peculiar. :rolleyes:

:basic05 does make you wonder, doesn't it? :basic05

[Jim Franklin]

Terri will like this one. We never minded the parishioners dropping in on us.
In my dad and mom's combined last pastorate in Norris, SD, 1951-53 just before Christmas one year one member brought to us a quarter of a hog, the next day his brother in law not knowing what the other had done brought in a half of a hog. They were both hung from the beam in our non insulated enclosed back porch. The next day another member called to say that he had rented a locker in White River and filled it full of beef. We also had a chicken coop on the parsonage property where a dozen or so chickens were kept most of the time and feed was brought so that we could keep then fed. We also were given a butter churn for which sour cream was brought in once or twice a month to churn butter and so that my dad could have his favorite drink--buttermilk. The salary was $25/week. Every so often they would have an old fashioned food pounding for the parsonage family. Our grocery purchases were mainly bread and we got milk from the farmer at the edge of town for $.15/quart until I started helping him with his chores and then they gave milk to us for free. Also eggs were brought almost every week. Other gifts were wild game that had been harvested such as venison, buffalo, elk, bear and antelope. Sorry no rattlesnake.

[Dana Grant]

Hmmmm....yet another way we are alike. January always brings an organizing drive to my life and my home office has been the first order of business.

I remember once, when I was co-pastoring with Carl in The Salvation Army, I was home with two sick kids. 10:00 am and still in my bathrobe...my livingroom a disaster.

The DC's wife (imagine a DS's wife but with power :-) dropped in to see me.

Not a good moment.

Carl and I would never drop in on people without notice.


I definitely have the organization bug this month! This has been a work in progress for several months, actually. There's just not time to complete everything at once, it seems. I am enjoying it so much!!

I hope your DC's wife understood the entire situation!! With my working at home, there are MANY days, especially in the wintertime, when I stay in my robe until lunch time!! Please don't tell anyone!!


(I actually don't EXPECT my pastor to show up at my door, but if ever he would, NOW would be the time! HA HA)

[Dana Grant]

Terri will like this one. We never minded the parishioners dropping in on us.
In my dad and mom's combined last pastorate in Norris, SD, 1951-53 just before Christmas one year one member brought to us a quarter of a hog, the next day his brother in law not knowing what the other had done brought in a half of a hog. They were both hung from the beam in our non insulated enclosed back porch. The next day another member called to say that he had rented a locker in White River and filled it full of beef. We also had a chicken coop on the parsonage property where a dozen or so chickens were kept most of the time and feed was brought so that we could keep then fed. We also were given a butter churn for which sour cream was brought in once or twice a month to churn butter and so that my dad could have his favorite drink--buttermilk. The salary was $25/week. Every so often they would have an old fashioned food pounding for the parsonage family. Our grocery purchases were mainly bread and we got milk from the farmer at the edge of town for $.15/quart until I started helping him with his chores and then they gave milk to us for free. Also eggs were brought almost every week. Other gifts were wild game that had been harvested such as venison, buffalo, elk, bear and antelope. Sorry no rattlesnake.

Wow, a person could definitely stay on the Atkins diet with all the food they gave you, Jim!!! HA HA

[Alisa Stoll]

I can remember 3 pastoral "visits" in my lifetime (that occured at home) - the first one was when I was a young teen (or tween) and the new pastor stopped at the house to visit my parents. I told him he didn't know very much because my parents were leading a church group outing that day.

The next time I was painting my son's room and Ken was assembly furniture in the livingroom plus there was alot of his stuff in the living room. The pastor and his wife didn't stay long.

The last time, it was our entire staff out caroling - they just sang and didn't come in.


Alisa

[Judy Engel]

My pastor has never dropped in and in fact, the only time I have ever had a "pastoral" call was when I was in the hospital after each of my three children were born. However, one year I was in charge of VBS (the first and LAST time I tried that!) and I had ALL of the craft stuff for the whole week spread out in my kitchen and the DS's wife stopped by! Thankfully she totally understood and had brought her lunch (she was working, was between appointments and brought her own lunch) so we sat and had lunch. It was a great visit!

[Jenny Mitchell]

I usually called and scheduled appointments for visiting when I lived in KC; here in small town IN I don't do that as much. I may just drop in, especially with my seniors who just want me to come by any time I can. I do have people drop by unannounced at the parsonage; I've warned them that with 6 kids and cancer, I can't guarantee the status of the house, but if they don't mind, I don't mind. That's worked fairly well.

And I still get food gifts, living in farm country, as well as prepared goodies or dishes now and then. It's wonderful to be cared for, and I think as a pastor it is good for us all.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

IIf they do, and it is today -- I WILL JUST DIE.

I wouldn't ordinarily but if I were your pastor and I were lurking today and read your post I'd be over in a second!!!!

Wilson
:fav18

[Dana Grant]

I wouldn't ordinarily but if I were your pastor and I were lurking today and read your post I'd be over in a second!!!!

Wilson
:fav18

And don't think that thought did not cross my mind, Wilson!!! HA HA HA

Fortunately, we have a new pastor of only about 2 months, so I'm not sure he would know how a prank like that would go over with me!!! It would be hilarious, wouldn't it??? HA HA HA

[Marsha Lynn]

Only once per pastor. After that I get them trained. ;)

That's not entirely true, but I do have a standing request for "five minutes notice". It's amazing how much I can get done in five minutes when I know my pastor is on his way over. (We live about five minutes from the church, so all it takes is a call warning me he's headed my way.) That's enough time to get dressed, clear a place to sit down, move the pile of freshly-laundered underwear somewhere besides the livingroom, and put the vacuum cleaner in the middle of the floor so it looks like I was on the verge of cleaning the place up. :basic02

One of my most embarrassing moments ever involves a pastor and wife drop-in when my children were young. I had been a stay-at-home mom long enough to figure out that it's good to get dressed in the morning even if it has been weeks since anyone has come to the door during the day. Murphy's law says that the one day you're running around in a bathrobe ...

So, this particular summer morning when the doorbell rings and I discover my pastor and wife standing outside, I glance down to see what I'm wearing -- shorts that are too short and a t-shirt. Oh well, at least I'm dressed, sort of, although that same outfit probably served as pajamas the night before. They'll have to take me as I am if they drop in like this.

I invited them in. I was conscious of the too-short shorts during the visit but tugged the legs down as far as they would go once and then deliberately kept my focus on the conversation.

After I saw them out the door, I turned around and glanced at the mirror in our entryway. Horrors! I was wearing a t-shirt I'd borrowed from my husband for sleepwear. It was one of those nylon mesh shirts. The holes were small and I was wearing a bra under it, but I would have never chosen to let anyone see me in it.

I considered the idea of never stepping foot inside the church again, but that seemed a little extreme so I bucked up and went on with life, more determined to be properly clad during the day.

I'm don't remember them ever dropping in without my requested five minutes notice after that. :rolleyes:

On the other hand, I know some of the older people in the church are thrilled any time they find our pastor standing on their doorstep and measure his interest in them as parishioners by the frequency of his visits.

Marsha