Top Ten Priorities for Pastors...

The umbrella to which these top 10 priorities all fit come from the direct command to God’s shepherds to “Shepherd the flock of God among you (1 Peter 4:2).” The shepherds are to watch over the flock as one who will give an account (Heb. 13:17) until the Chief Shepherd appears (1 Peter 5:4). They are…

1) Guard the truth (1 Tim 4.6-7, 16; 6.20-21; 2 Tim 1.13-14; 2.1-2)
2) Preach and teach the Word (1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2; Acts 6.2)
3) Pray for the flock (Eph. 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 6.2)
4) Set an example (1 Tim 4.12; 1 Pt 5.3 cf. 1 Cor 11.1)
5) Visit the sick (James 5:14, Matt. 25:31-40)
6) Comfort the grieving (1 Thess. 4:13-17, John 11)
7) Care for widows (1 Tim. 5:3, Acts 6:1-7)
8) Confront sin (1 Cor. 5, Matt. 18, 1 Thess. 3, Titus 3)
9) Encourage the faint-hearted (1 Thess. 5:14, Rom. 14:1)
10) Identify and train other leaders (Acts 6:1-7, 13:1-3; 2 Tim 2.2)

The top 3 are there because without the truth being guarded and preached, we have nothing. I assume no one would dispute prayer for the flock filling in the top 3. Another observation to make is that the last 3 are the ones hardest to prioritize because they are the tasks that have little immediate fruit or reward.