A wise pastor told me when I first entered the ministry, “Remember, Brad, what you hook them with is what it will take to keep them. If you reach them by pulling a rabbit out of the hat today, you’ll need to pull out an elephant tomorrow.” Here is the simple truth. I am not smart enough to be innovative, creative, and novel week after week after week. And that’s a good thing—a necessary thing.

A few weeks ago, I asked the chairman of our deacons to meet with our current new members’ class to share his perspective on what God is doing in our church. I love this brother. He has been a faithful servant at Wheelersburg Baptist Church for three decades.

After talking for a few minutes about ministries and opportunities, he finished by saying something rather interesting. Here’s my paraphrase of what he told the class:

“Basically, we’re a pretty boring church. We do the same things week after week.”

We all chuckled. A boring church? Really? Yes, he emphasized. And then he elaborated on what he meant by those “same things.” The careful study of God’s Word. Prayer. Fellowship. And so forth. “This is what happens at our church,” he concluded. “Week after week after week. The same things. And it’s wonderful.”

The Blessing of Being Boring

I’ve been contemplating the word “boring.” We don’t typically consider “boring” to be a compliment. We usually associate boring with being dull, monotonous, uninteresting, and so forth. Boring is a bad thing, right? Who wants to watch a boring movie, read a boring book, or enroll in a class with a professor others describe as boring?

But there’s another side to boring. Notice the root “bore.” That word brings to mind a tool in my workshop called a drill press. Have you ever stared at a drill press while it’s doing its thing? It’s pretty boring, and I mean that literally! A drill press is a tool designed to drill holes, and it accomplishes this assignment by doing the same thing over and over and over.

When you watch a drill press in action, it doesn’t look like much is happening. The bit keeps hitting the same point again and again. But that’s not true, for the bit is not hitting the same point. It’s hitting a new point every time it turns. The drill is making progress, slowly, yes, but unmistakably. Every time the bit turns, progress is happening. By doing the same thing over and over, the desired result occurs.

The Need for Boring Pastors

I’m convinced that the church today needs more boring pastors. Again, my pastor friend, please don’t hear what I am not saying. I am not suggesting that pastors should be dull, monotonous, and uninteresting. I’m talking about the resolve to keep doing the same God-ordained, Christ-exalting, Scripture-commanded, joy-producing activities over and over, regardless of whether we see an immediate outcome.

The Lord called me to become the pastor of Wheelersburg Baptist Church in southern Ohio in 1987, where I’ve been privileged to serve along with my wife Sherry for three and a half decades. I mention that because I know the pressure you may face to be innovative, novel, and cutting-edge. I receive the same advertisements you receive. Try this new method. Order this new resource.

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