Induction Service for Mark Pavelka: The gift and responsibility of a pastor

Nick was privileged to be asked to lead the induction service for Mark Pavelka at Gleniti Baptist Church this morning. There was no audio recording of his sermon, however the manuscript is available to read.

Outline

• The gift
• The responsibility

Introduction

I feel very privileged to be here this morning to preach for the induction service for Mark today. He and I are good friends and have high hopes for a greater interaction between our churches. We have been praying for Gleniti and the Pavelkas for a while and couldn’t be more pleased for you both. I hope you know the incredible gift you have in Mark. Mark and his wife are an incredible couple and servants of the Lord, there are very few people that I respect more. Who do you know of who has gone not to one mission field but two? They have learnt two new cultures, two new languages and prepared themselves for service twice, these are actions that speak for themselves, and I count Gleniti to be very privileged to have such a wonderful couple serve here.

That is enough flattery let us get now into the word. An induction service is a momentous occasion, the beginning of a very important relationship between pastor and church. So today I would like to divide my sermon into two parts, firstly, I would like to address the church and speak to you about what sort of expectations you should have, in particular I want to highlight the most important aspect of the pastoral task. Secondly, I will be addressing the man himself in light of that most important task.