The core ministry of the Lay Pastors Ministry is PACE. But how does PACE ministry actually influence church growth?
PACE is an acronym for Prayer, Availability, Contact, and Example. Based on my experience with PACE ministry over the past ten years, I have observed several significant patterns. Through conversations and experiences with many pastors, four observations stand out:
- PACE serves as an engine.
- PACE expands into other ministries.
- PACE shapes a lifestyle.
- PACE builds the infrastructure of the church.
1. PACE Serves as an Engine
PACE ministry functions like an engine that moves the church forward. This is something Pastor Jin-Seok Park, ThD, Senior Pastor of Bongcheon Banseok Church and a graduate of Chongshin University, particularly emphasized.
An engine provides the power that enables something to move forward. In the same way, PACE can help a church move in the direction it desires to go.
Every church has a direction. Every church has a vision of where it wants to go. But the important question is: What provides the power to move the church in that direction?
PACE can become that engine.
This observation comes from the experience of many pastors. When lay leaders, especially the Ministry Leadership Group (MLG), take responsibility for leading and carrying out PACE ministry, a remarkable amount of energy is generated within the congregation. That energy creates an inner drive that moves the church forward.
PACE is not simply another program added to the church. When people take ownership of the ministry, it becomes a force that helps the entire church move.
2. PACE Expands into Other Ministries
Pastor Se-Woong Na of Sillim-dong Jungang Church particularly emphasized this aspect of PACE.
I believe this expansion takes place in two ways.
First, pastors often say that a church needs a variety of ministries in order to grow. This is certainly true. When we look at growing churches, we see not only individual spiritual growth but also a variety of ministries actively taking place throughout the congregation.
However, in churches that are not yet prepared for growth—where both individual spiritual growth and overall church growth are limited—ministries often struggle to develop. Even when a new ministry is introduced, it may not take root or flourish.
For a ministry to take root, there must be genuine motivation. Then, through experience, practice, and accumulated know-how, that ministry can gradually develop and become fruitful.
PACE can serve as both a motivator and a catalyst for this process.
Why? Because church members can actually see PACE ministry taking place. They can observe how people care for one another, how relationships develop, and how laypeople become involved in ministry. As they witness this, they become interested in participating in other ministries as well.
PACE also provides a practical model. People learn not only by listening but also by watching others. When they see PACE ministry working, they can learn how ministry is organized, how people are cared for, and how laypeople can take responsibility.
In this way, PACE becomes more than one ministry. It becomes a model that encourages and equips people to begin other ministries.
3. PACE Shapes a Lifestyle
PACE also has the power to shape the lifestyle of church members.
The Bible, all sixty-six books, has much to say about how we should live. Yet biblical teaching about Christian living is so broad and comprehensive that it can sometimes be difficult to summarize in a simple and practical way.
PACE provides such a framework.
Prayer. Availability. Contact. Example.
These four simple principles can gradually become a way of life.
Pastor Sang-Bok Kim of Hallelujah Church once expressed this idea very simply:
“If the elders simply do these four things well, I am satisfied.”
That statement captures something important. PACE is not merely about completing four ministry activities. It is about developing a particular way of living.
We pray for others.
We make ourselves available to others.
We maintain meaningful contact with others.
We seek to become an example to others.
When these practices become habitual, they begin to shape who we are.
Ultimately, PACE influences a person’s daily life and gradually transforms his or her lifestyle. What begins as a ministry responsibility can eventually become a natural expression of Christian discipleship.
PACE is not simply something we do. It can become the way we live.
4. PACE Builds the Infrastructure of the Church
Finally, PACE helps build the infrastructure of the church. This is an insight that Pastor Jong-Tae Kim of Sunhan Church in Jukjeon, a graduate of Fuller Seminary, particularly emphasized.
Infrastructure refers to the foundation or basic framework that supports an organization. Much of it may not be visible, but without it, the organization cannot function effectively.
So we might ask: What is the infrastructure of a church? What forms the underlying culture of a healthy congregation?
Because PACE is fundamentally a ministry of caring for people, it helps establish this foundation.
When people consistently pray for one another, make themselves available, maintain meaningful contact, and live as examples, relationships become stronger. Trust grows. Caring becomes part of the culture. People begin to feel that they are not simply attending a church but actually belong to a community.
In this way, PACE helps build the invisible foundation of the church.
The stronger the relationships among people, the stronger the infrastructure of the church.
The Pastor and PACE
Of course, we cannot overlook the role and contribution of the pastor.
Lay ministers can contribute greatly to church growth through PACE, but they do not work independently of the pastor. They work together with the pastor.
The pastor is the primary leader of the congregation, and therefore the pastor’s role is extremely important. In fact, it is difficult to overstate its importance.
Being the leader means standing at the front and, especially, providing direction.
First, the pastor’s capacity is important. This may sound somewhat simple, but it is a concept many people use when describing leadership. By capacity, I mean the pastor’s overall ability, including theological education, social experience, pastoral experience, emotional maturity, and leadership ability.
All of these qualities need to come together and create synergy with PACE ministry.
Laypeople cannot maximize the potential of PACE ministry by themselves. No matter how capable lay leaders may be, the pastor’s encouragement, guidance, and partnership are essential for the ministry to flourish and contribute to church growth.
Both sides have limitations. As human beings, neither pastors nor laypeople can do everything. Therefore, both sides need to recognize, acknowledge, and accept their mutual need for one another.
The first step is to recognize that one side alone is not enough.
Pastors and church members need to develop the conviction that they must work together. The pastor does not possess every resource needed for ministry. At the same time, laypeople cannot accomplish everything on their own.
This is why partnership is so important.
The Pastor as a Leader of Hope
The pastor must first be a leader who gives hope.
To give hope to others, the leader must first possess hope personally. A pastor who has lost hope will find it difficult to inspire hope in others.
The pastor must also provide clear direction. Lay leaders need to know where the church is going and why their ministry matters.
The pastor also needs to place lay leaders in the right positions. A good pastor knows how to recognize people’s gifts and deploy them effectively—much like a skilled instructor who knows how to position, guide, and encourage each member of a team.
Finally, the pastor must be a spiritual leader.
Even if a pastor possesses theological knowledge, social experience, pastoral skills, and leadership ability, there will ultimately be limitations if spiritual leadership is lacking.
PACE is fundamentally a spiritual ministry. It begins with prayer and leads people toward caring relationships and Christlike example. Therefore, the pastor must provide spiritual direction and keep the ministry connected to the larger purpose of the church.
Moving Forward Together
PACE can become a powerful engine for church growth.
It generates energy.
It encourages other ministries.
It shapes the lifestyle of believers.
And it builds the infrastructure of the church.
But PACE works best when pastors and lay leaders move forward together.
The pastor and lay leaders each have different gifts, responsibilities, and limitations. Neither side is complete by itself. The pastor needs lay leaders, and lay leaders need the pastor.
When they recognize this mutual dependence and work together with a shared vision, PACE becomes more than a caring ministry.
It becomes a movement that helps the whole church move forward.