Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion also applies to Lay Pastors Ministry: A body at rest tends to remain at rest, while a body in motion tends to remain in motion.
Dr. Melvin Steinbron understood this principle well. He observed that enthusiasm, commitment, and zeal are usually at their highest when Lay Pastors are first called, equipped, and commissioned. At that moment, they are in motion. Their passion is strong, their energy is high, and their vision is fresh.
The real challenge is not starting the ministry but sustaining it.
In one of his monographs, Dr. Melvin wrote, “When the Honeymoon Is Over.” That title captures an important reality. Every new ministry begins with excitement, but after a period of time, the initial enthusiasm naturally fades. The question is: How do we keep Lay Pastors moving forward after the honeymoon ends?
A Church That Kept Moving
I witnessed this firsthand at Samki First Presbyterian Church in rural Korea.
The senior pastor, Rev. Myungsang Kim, attended a conference at Hallelujah Church where I introduced Lay Pastors Ministry. Soon afterward, I visited his church and conducted a two-evening Equipping Seminar on Wednesday and Thursday.
After the Wednesday evening worship service, nineteen church members stayed behind to learn about PACE ministry. Each participant received a PACE Training Manual. During those two evenings, they experienced a complete paradigm shift. They discovered that every believer is called to care for others through ministry, not merely to attend church.
Their response amazed me.
Just as Dr. Melvin had described, their enthusiasm, commitment, and zeal reached a high point after they were equipped and commissioned. Their energy was contagious. Samki Church soon became one of the model churches of Lay Pastors Ministry in Korea.
Looking back, I believe two major factors kept that momentum alive for many years.
1. The Senior Pastor Was Fully Committed
Rev. Myungsang Kim did not simply approve of Lay Pastors Ministry—he embraced it wholeheartedly.
Later, he joined the staff of the LPM Korea Institute, became a member of the National Leadership Group, taught at many training events, and even traveled with me to the United States to participate in the International Conference.
In many ways, Lay Pastors Ministry became the framework of his entire pastoral ministry.
His leadership demonstrates an important principle:
The wholehearted participation of the senior pastor is one of the greatest keys to the long-term success of Lay Pastors Ministry.
A pastor cannot simply introduce a ministry and then step away from it. If the pastor loses interest, the congregation will eventually lose interest as well.
2. The Church Was Consistently Re-equipped
As National Director, I visited Samki Church more than twenty times over several years. Every visit became another opportunity to encourage, re-equip, and strengthen the Lay Pastors.
The church also invited me to participate in special events beyond PACE ministry, which deepened our partnership. Rev. Kim introduced me to approximately twenty neighboring Presbyterian churches, opening many new doors for ministry.
As a result, Lay Pastors Ministry spread throughout that region and became established in many churches.
This experience taught me that re-equipping is not an optional activity after the initial training. It is essential for keeping ministry in motion.
Four Ways to Maintain Momentum
Dr. Melvin suggested four practical ways to maintain momentum:
- Pastoral supervision
- Regular scheduled meetings
- Reports with meaningful feedback
- Consistent affirmation
Samki Church practiced each of these faithfully.
1. Pastoral Supervision
Rev. Kim naturally excelled in pastoral supervision.
Today, there are many opportunities to learn supervision skills, both formally and informally. However, Dr. Melvin’s explanation in Can the Pastor Do It Alone? (pp. 73–78) remains one of the best practical guides.
Supervision is not simply checking whether people are doing their jobs. It is caring for the caregivers.
Lay Pastors need someone who will listen to their experiences, help them process difficult situations, answer questions, correct misunderstandings, and encourage them to continue.
2. Regular Meetings
Lay Pastors met regularly, usually every week.
In addition, the Ministry Leadership Group, consisting of four to six leaders, also met weekly to pray, solve problems, and encourage one another.
Regular meetings kept everyone connected and accountable.
A ministry that does not meet regularly will eventually become a ministry that exists only on paper.
Meetings keep people connected, and connection keeps ministry moving.
3. Reports and Feedback
Reporting is important, but feedback is equally important.
People eventually stop submitting reports if no one responds to them.
The same principle applies to email and text messages. When we send a message and receive no response, we naturally begin to assume that the other person is not interested. Eventually, we stop communicating.
The same thing can happen in Lay Pastors Ministry.
Reports should not become merely administrative paperwork. They should become opportunities for discussion, encouragement, prayer, and mutual learning.
This is similar to Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). When people share their ministry experiences within a group, everyone has an opportunity to learn from one another’s successes, failures, questions, and challenges.
A report without feedback becomes paperwork. A report with feedback becomes ministry.
4. Affirmation
People need to know that their ministry matters.
Whether privately or publicly, sincere affirmation strengthens commitment. Leaders should look for every possible opportunity to recognize faithful service and celebrate what God is doing through Lay Pastors.
A simple word of encouragement can sometimes keep a tired Lay Pastor from giving up.
People may forget many things we say, but they often remember how we made them feel about their service.
Therefore, affirmation is not merely praise—it is fuel for continued ministry.
Prevention Is Better Than Recovery
Dr. Melvin also warned that once a Lay Pastor slows down or completely stops serving, it becomes extremely difficult to restart the ministry.
Therefore, prevention is far better than recovery.
Every ministry experiences seasons of growth and decline, much like a roller coaster. Wise leaders recognize the warning signs early and help people regain momentum before they stop altogether.
We should not wait until someone completely disappears from ministry before asking, “What happened?”
Good leaders notice the small changes:
- Attendance becomes irregular.
- Reports become shorter or disappear.
- Participation decreases.
- Enthusiasm begins to fade.
- Meetings become less meaningful.
- Communication becomes less frequent.
These are warning signs.
The wise leader responds while the person is still moving.
The Ministry Cycle
Through my own observations, I have noticed what I call a “ministry cycle.”
Many ministries seem to experience a life cycle of about six years—from birth, through growth, and eventually into decline unless fresh vision and renewed leadership are introduced.
The exact length may differ from ministry to ministry, but the principle is important.
Every ministry needs renewal.
A ministry can begin with great excitement, grow with remarkable energy, and eventually become routine. What once felt like a calling can begin to feel like an obligation.
That is why leaders must continually provide fresh vision, encouragement, training, relationships, and opportunities for growth.
The goal is not simply to start the ministry again and again.
The goal is to keep the ministry in motion.
What Has Kept Me in Motion?
Finally, I asked myself an important personal question:
How has my own enthusiasm, commitment, and zeal remained strong for more than twenty years?
I believe God has used three major sources.
1. Dr. Melvin Steinbron Himself
From the beginning until the end of his life, Dr. Melvin continually encouraged and challenged me.
His books, lectures, friendship, and personal example ignited a passion in my heart that has never disappeared.
When I first encountered his teaching while teaching at Sungkyul University, God used it to kindle a lifelong calling.
In many ways, Dr. Melvin passed his vision into my life.
Without his influence, I do not believe I could have continued this ministry for so many years.
2. His Resources
Dr. Melvin developed outstanding ministry resources, including training manuals, leadership materials, and two major textbooks.
I translated most of these resources into Korean and later typed the English versions for use at PACE Seminary in Nagaland, India, and Melvin University in Kenya.
Through years of translating, studying, and teaching these materials, their principles became part of my own life.
They were no longer simply books.
They became part of my ministry DNA.
The more I studied them, the more deeply I understood them. The more I taught them, the more they shaped me.
Sometimes we think we are teaching a ministry, only to discover that the ministry is also teaching and shaping us.
3. The LPM International Family
The leaders of LPM International in the United States became far more than ministry colleagues.
They became friends, mentors, and ministry partners.
Their encouragement, fellowship, and shared vision continually renewed my passion for Lay Pastors Ministry.
God used this international team to sustain my enthusiasm and strengthen my commitment throughout the years.
Ministry can become lonely when we try to do everything alone. But when God gives us fellow workers who share the same vision, the journey becomes lighter and the calling becomes stronger.
Keep Moving
Keeping Lay Pastors in motion is one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership.
Starting a ministry is exciting.
Sustaining faithful servants over many years is much more difficult.
It requires intentional supervision, regular meetings, meaningful feedback, consistent affirmation, continual re-equipping, fresh vision, and renewed leadership.
But there is something even deeper.
We must also keep ourselves in motion.
A leader who stops growing will eventually stop helping others grow. A leader whose passion has disappeared will have difficulty sustaining passion in others.
That is why we must continually ask ourselves:
Am I still learning?
Am I still growing?
Am I still encouraging others?
Am I still receiving fresh vision from God?
Am I still moving?
Paul reminds us:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
— Galatians 6:9
The ministry may have seasons of difficulty. People may become tired. Enthusiasm may fade. The honeymoon may end.
But the work of caring for people must continue.
Let us keep the Lay Pastors moving.
Let us keep ourselves moving.
And above all, let us keep moving with God until the work He has entrusted to us is complete.