Every living organism has a life-cycle, including a local church. Often, and without obvious warning, a church shifts from being a movement toward becoming a monument. The shift is subtle, but if you are careful to observe, you can see it happening. Here are 10 signs your church has drifted into maintenance mode.
1. Your board meetings focus more on calendars, budgets and managing internal relationships rather than mission. If you aren’t spending the vast majority of your time talking about being on mission with God, you are drifting.
2. Your budget doesn’t reflect a goal to reach the community. Rather it focuses on maintaining the building and paying the pastor/staff.
3.Strategic planning means making sure everything you did last year is on next year’s calendar.
4. Vision centers on traditional programs and meeting the needs of those who already attend instead of how to reach those outside the walls.
5. Planning revolves around convenience and never pushes anyone outside their comfort zone.
6. You preserve programs, not because the work, but because they are tradition.
7. The bulk of the pastor’s energy revolves around visiting church members rather than winning people to Christ.
8. Those in your church are more interested in giving to missions rather than being on mission.
9. Church structures serve “the already saved” and neglect “the not yet saved”.
10. The church hasn’t seen a convert in the last year.
Interviewing an individual to fill a new staff position is a challenge for most leaders. You gather a great deal of information, do your reference checks and feel good about the new hire. Three months down the road you begin to regret your decision and wonder what you ever saw in the person. Sound familiar?
No matter how well you do your job, no one can get it right every time. However, I do think there are issue to consider that will help you make a better decision and offer a great return on your hire. Let me offer five that have worked for me over the last fifteen years.
1. Learn to ask good questions.
Hire based on past behavior not on how well they answer possible scenarios. Anyone can give a good interview and sound like the best thing since sliced bread. Pay less attention to how polished they are and focus on their past. Remember, past behavior is a great indication of future behavior. If you are looking for someone to start a new ministry and they have never started or naturally led anything in their life, chances are they may not be able to do it just because they have a title.
2. You have heard; "Chemistry, Character, Competence" well let me add on more. CALLING.
You can hire someone with who you find great chemistry and find they are only after a paycheck. If a potential new hire doesn't eat, sleep, and dream in their calling, move on. Why, because if you have been in ministry for any length of time you realize that there will come a time in the life of every leader when all they have to hang onto is their calling. "I know that I Know God called me." If they don't have this, they will move on.
3. Ask for references from references.
Truth be told, everyone has a set of friends that they will give you as references. Ask those references for the names of several others, not on the candidates reference list. Do due diligence and you will find out more than you ever expected. Hopefully it will confirm your intuition.
4. Always hire the "Who not the What".
Jim Collins wrote this in his book Good to Great. He is 100% right. If you don't follow this axiom, you will pay the price as you grow in your ministry. For instance, don't hire an Associate Pastor, hire a person who can serve in that position until you find out who they are. If you find the right person the can "bob and weave" with the changes in the ministry. If you hire a "what" you hire a specific role and the person may not be able to, nor want to shift with the changes.
5. Avoid hiring friends and family.
I know this sounds like a no brainer, but I can tell you horror stories. Hiring them is the easy part. It's the firing that hurts and ruins long-lasting relationships. If you chose not to fire an ineffective friend or family member, then you allow the ministry to be directed and hindered by that ineffectiveness.
I could add many more, things to this list, but if you follow these five things you will find much great success in your hiring process.
Interviewing an individual to fill a new staff position is a challenge for most leaders. You gather a great deal of information, do your reference checks and feel good about the new hire. Three months down the road you begin to regret your decision and wonder what you ever saw in the person. Sound familiar?
No matter how well you do your job, no one can get it right every time. However, I do think there are issue to consider that will help you make a better decision and offer a great return on your hire. Let me offer five that have worked for me over the last fifteen years.
1. Learn to ask good questions.
Hire based on past behavior not on how well they answer possible scenarios. Anyone can give a good interview and sound like the best thing since sliced bread. Pay less attention to how polished they are and focus on their past. Remember, past behavior is a great indication of future behavior. If you are looking for someone to start a new ministry and they have never started or naturally led anything in their life, chances are they may not be able to do it just because they have a title.
2. You have heard; "Chemistry, Character, Competence" well let me add on more. CALLING.
You can hire someone with who you find great chemistry and find they are only after a paycheck. If a potential new hire doesn't eat, sleep, and dream in their calling, move on. Why, because if you have been in ministry for any length of time you realize that there will come a time in the life of every leader when all they have to hang onto is their calling. "I know that I Know God called me." If they don't have this, they will move on.
3. Ask for references from references.
Truth be told, everyone has a set of friends that they will give you as references. Ask those references for the names of several others, not on the candidates reference list. Do due diligence and you will find out more than you ever expected. Hopefully it will confirm your intuition.
4. Always hire the "Who not the What".
Jim Collins wrote this in his book Good to Great. He is 100% right. If you don't follow this axiom, you will pay the price as you grow in your ministry. For instance, don't hire an Associate Pastor, hire a person who can serve in that position until you find out who they are. If you find the right person the can "bob and weave" with the changes in the ministry. If you hire a "what" you hire a specific role and the person may not be able to, nor want to shift with the changes.
5. Avoid hiring friends and family.
I know this sounds like a no brainer, but I can tell you horror stories. Hiring them is the easy part. It's the firing that hurts and ruins long-lasting relationships. If you chose not to fire an ineffective friend or family member, then you allow the ministry to be directed and hindered by that ineffectiveness.
I could add many more, things to this list, but if you follow these five things you will find much great success in your hiring process.
On April 15, 1912 the unthinkable happened when White Star Lines unsinkable ship, the Titanic, sank. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 1,517 of the 2,223 people on board, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Could the Titanic have been saved? Could this disaster have been averted and what lessons can the Church learn?
Many mistakes were made by those who were responsible for this voyage, but five problems stick out, from which we can learn.
1. Multiple warning signs of impeding disaster were ignored.
Captain Smith ignored seven iceberg warnings from his crew and other ships.
2. The Ship builder's decided to cut corners.
About three million rivets were used to hold the sections of the Titanic together. Some rivets have been recovered from the wreck and analyzed. The findings show that they were made of sub-standard iron.
3.The ship's speed and course was not allowed to be altered.
To meet this schedule the Titanic could not afford to slow down. The owners had something to prove.
4. Improper Structure's
The Titanic had sixteen watertight compartments that did not reach as high as they should have.
5. Failure of others to pay attention and help
At around 11.15, Californian's radio operator turned off the radio and went to bed. Sometime after midnight the crew on watch reported seeing rockets being fired into the sky from a big liner. If the Californian had turned on the radio she would have heard the distress messages from Titanic and would have been able to reach the ship in time to save all passengers.
Like the Titanic, many churches and their leaders are shocked when they find themselves in a desperate situation. These leaders, like those involved in the disastrous voyage of the Titanic, made these five mistakes.
1. Multiple warning signs of impeding disaster were ignored.
Many churches and their leaders have been hearing and experiencing the warning signs of probelms, plateau and decline, yet they have failed to listen to these warnings. They steam ahead and now find themselves in a disastrous situation.
2. The Church leaders decided to cut corners.
Far too often church leaders cut ministry corners. Instead of doing the hard work and paying the price to protect the vision, create disciples and grow healthy leaders, they look for the quick fix or easy road to growth. All the while, under the surface major problems develop. What seems so small on the surface eventually leads to the demise of the church.
3.The Church's speed and course is not allowed to be altered.
To often leaders are afraid to slow down, think about the course of the church and make positive course corrections. Instead they stubbornly steam ahead feeling like they have something to prove to the rest of the community. These leaders refuse to make mid-course corrections in the ministry of the church, its relevance to the community and its philosophical methodologies.
4. Improper Structure's
Every system is perfectly designed for the outcome it produces. A failure to look at the church's structures and systems will simply perpetuate the problem and weaken the church's ability to hold up under pressure. Most churches don't grow due to structural problems they are unwilling to face.
5. Failure to pay attention to help from others.
Allow me a brief opportunity to get up on my soapbox. Too often Pastor's tend to be either to timid to confront a problem head on or too opportunistic. Undersatnd, we are to be accountable and responsible to one another. I think the Bible mentions this idea a few times. If we see a disaster brewing, as people of the Word, we are to do our best to help others see it. I know we all want to be one big happy family, one that has no problems, but that will never happen this side of Heaven. Let's be real, we all have problems! How do I know? Well, just look in the mirror. You are a fallen person redeemed by the blood of Jesus and so am I. Any church we become a part of is automatically flawed, because we are flawed.
The forward movement of the Gospel should cause us to understand that we cannot afford and cannot attmept to bury our heads in the sand hoping it will all go away. That is not the Great-Commission!
Merging is an option many declining churches consider, especially when two or more churches of the same denominational family exist in the same urban landscape. In fact, it seems to be a growing trend. Some, like United Methodists, use mergers as a denominational strategy. Yet, rarely do mergers produce the expected results. Stories do exist of powerful instances where a merger was a saving grace, but these seem to be the exceptions, not the rule. More often than not, mergers end in disaster. The rationale for attempting a merger goes like this: If two declining, struggling churches can merge into one larger church, we will be able to do more ministry, have more money, add on to a decaying building, and build a larger membership base. In theory, it sounds like a good idea— in reality, it very rarely pays off. Mergers are tough. The belief that two struggling congregations will produce one strong, vibrant church borders on mythical. So, merging should be a last resort, if even that. In most cases 2 + 2 will still equal 2. If a congregation of twenty- five merges with another of thirty, it will not produce a strong body of fifty-five. After time, history has proven that the new congregation will settle between twenty-five and thirty. The success rate makes this a
high-risk option and one that only a specialist could accomplish. So, why do these mergers so often fail?
Three reasons why mergers fail
1. Unhealthiness.
While Bethlehem Baptist Church sought to change in a positive way, the underlying issues of unhealthiness were never addressed. In fact, neither congregation stopped to consider why they were in their present situation. The potential positive change was stymied by unchanged methods, mind-sets, and traditions. No matter how much positive change a congregation makes, if it does not address the underlying issues, progress will be halted every time. As mentioned earlier, once a church reaches the point of death in its life cycle, revitalization is possible, but not very likely. Even if one church has addressed these issues, more often than not a struggling congregation attempts to merge with another church in the same state of decline that has not addressed the underlying, unhealthy issues that brought decline.
2. Vision
The power of a unifying vision cannot be overstated or underestimated. Every church has a vision of a preferred future. But often two merging congregations do not articulate or communicate their unshared and unspoken visions. Mergers muddy the waters as it concerns vision and direction. A merger will often create a new church with multiple, conflicting visions. These conflicting visions will create tension and cause an unhealthy atmosphere in the church. Factions from each existing congregation will defend their model for ministry and set the stage for destructive conflict. For instance, one church may have been founded on the concept of social reform while the other was formed on the concept of building strong family-type relationships. While both visions are good, one focuses outward while the other is more inward focused. These conflicting visions may not be evident at first, but as the church begins to move forward in ministry, they become vehicles for contention. Even if the new congregation promotes a new vision, the old ones may linger in the hearts and minds of members. Why? Because the vision of each prospective church was probably what attracted the original members. Those who remained in each church did so because they believed in the vision and direction of the church. A merger will often give a congregation a short-lived illusion of shared vision, but in reality differing opinions still exist about the ultimate direction of the church. Never assume that people are on board just becasue they give a verbal "YES".
3. Control
Let’s be honest: two or three families in the congregation run most small churches in America. These families have either grown up in the church or were the original families who started the church. They have invested thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours of sweat-equity, and multiple years of their lives in the church. These controlling families, regardless of how right or wrong it may be, make most of the final decisions.
The problem arises when two or more congregations attempt to merge with these types of existing power structures in place. Inevitably the power brokers from each congregation will begin to vie for power in the new church. So, you can almost count on fireworks being a part of the newly merged congregation if these strong individuals are not willing to let go of their power. Tension of this nature will not help grow a church. Newcomers will sense the tension and never come back.
To pull off a successful merger takes a special person with strong leadership skills and an ability to bring a sense of control to a potential hotbed. Rarely do mergers ever produce the desired result. Statistically speaking, they are not a good bet.
Jesus was sharing a last meal with the men who followed and served him for the last three years. They had little idea of what was about to happen. Jesus, however, knew that in a few short hours his life would be taken from him. The relationship he shared with his disciples was about to take a significant turn. For Jesus, this was an intimate meal with his friends and disciples.
In fact, a quick read through John 15-17 reveals the beautifully intimate language Jesus uses with those in the upper room. It’s within this context that we find John 17:11 "...so that they may be one as we are one." Jesus' language is reflective of marriage. Gen 2:23 “the two shall become one flesh” His words reveal a deep intimacy he shared with the Father and one he hoped his followers would also share.
So, Jesus’ prayer in John 17 was more than a simple prayer for unity. He was praying that the people of God would experience the deep abiding intimacy he shared with the father. The relationship Jesus sahre with the Father gsave him directionand power. When the Pharisee’s, questioned Jesus about his authority, he responded “I can of myself do nothing... but the will of the Father who sent me.” John 5:30
In other words, Jesus says, my ministry, power, strength, discernment and witness, comes through an intimate relationship with the Father. Jesus’for the disciples then becomes somethign quite different from a simple prayer for unity. He prayed for intimacy. Not just a pragmatic, forced oneness. Rather, a palpable, unique, powerful intimacy. A deep oneness which gave us power and testimony.
It’s easy for us to be intimate with the Father, but Jesus also prayed for us to be one with each other. That seems much more dificult for us.
Jesus continued in his discourse with the disciples, "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (John 17:23)
Two powerful issues flow from this verse about our unity.
1)The world will know Jesus was sent by the Father,
2)That the world may see the evidence of God through our relationship with each other.
Think about that. The greatest evidence of the reality of Jesus is our love for one another. How we relate to each other is the most powerful proof of God’s existence. People don’t simply believe because we share with our mouths, but because we share our lives as well.
Our unity propels world changing movement and power. - (Acts 2:42-47) That scripture tells us that thousands were added to the church daily. It was that intimate connection and commitment to each other that became a living testimony to the world.
Secondly, God blesses unity "how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Ps 133:1 Unity is beauty to God. Why? Because it is a reflection of himself. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" Duet 6:4
Anything that disrupts unity must be dealt with as rapidly as possible, When Christians join together, with one hand, as Nehemiah helped the Israelites do, our unity provides undeniable proof of God's reality. Those far from Christ discover that we genuinely believe and live what we proclaim.
Failure? Can we say that word? Isn’t it anti-spiritual to talk of failure when we speak about the things of God? While we may not come right out and say that, we think it! A few years ago I was with a group of pastors talking about how we should handle failure as leaders. After the session was over, one of the pastors cornered me and was quite furious that I could ever claim something of God could fail. "After all", he said, "God would never ask us to do something and then allow us to fail. If you fail, it's because you were acting against God, not with him." I asked, "What if God called us to fail so he could prepare us for te next phase of his plan for our life? What if God knew that we would have to be humbled by failure before we would be useful?" Needless-to-say, the pastor wanted nothing to do with it.
Christian leaders, and lay people alike, are notorious for using phrases and words to candy-coat something that didn’t work out well. Like; “It wasn't meant to be." Or better yet, we bring God into the picture and say, "It must not have been God's timing." That's an easy way out isn't it. Let's blame God. It seems to me that in our attempt to super-spiritualize or rename a flat out failure, we miss the lessons that we might have learned through simply admitting, “We failed!”
Why do we fight so hard to keep from admitting failure? I believe that we have formed a foolish idea in our minds that failure is an embarasment to God and so we have to save him from that possibility. The question you have to ask this: What would be worse, trying and failing, or never trying at all? What do you think God would celebrate? A quick look at parable of the talents will give us the answer. God never called us to be successful, rather He called us to be obedient. That great theologian, Woody Allen said, “If your not failing every now and again, it’s a sure sign you are not trying anything very innovative.”
Why all this talk about failure? Because anyone serious about leading a church towards growth, innovation and passionate outreach will fail from time to time. You will flat out miss the mark. Leadeing a church requires risk and risk involves the possibility of failure. Trying anything for the sake of God involves the possibility of failure. That is why so many leaders avoid trying anything new. Their egos/self-image is so wrapped up in success that they are afraid to attempt anything new for God.
Failure can become the church leaders greatest friend, if they leverage their failure. It is in failure that you learn the greatest lessons. Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” We tend to think that failure is to be avoided at all costs, but often our greatest success is birthed through our failure. If you are never failing, you are probably not achieving anything of any great value either.
Every church planter, or even pastor for that matter, needs to ask three big questions about their ministry.
1. Why do people need Jesus?
I know that is a simple question, but it strikes at the very heart of our faith. Your picture of Jesus will in large part determine how you answer that question. Why do we need Jesus in the first place? Why do we need what he has to offer? Why can’t we be good without God?
Receiving Jesus is more than neat thing to do, it is crucial. The scripture tells us that without Jesus there is no hope. "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father.” John 14:6 There is no other way. Jesus Christ is the only solution to the deepest longings of the human heart. He is the only answer to the problems that plague our society. Without Jesus, their life will be lost, not only now, but forever. Only he can change us and offer us hope and wholeness?
2. Why do people need the church?
People need the church, it’s not optional. It is essential to God’s plan for our lives. It’s the only place where God has designed for us to worship, fellowship, grow through His teaching and serve others. Being a part of a healthy congregation is a source of great joy and a means for personal growth in the life of a believer. Heb 10:25 “We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.”
3. Why do people need YOUR church?
This is really the "Big" question! There are so many other churches in your city, why do people need yours? What is unique about us? What do we have to offer? How are we uniquely equipped to reach this community for Jesus? What is our calling in the city?
If you can not answer this question then maybe God has not placed a vision in your heart. You may be simply looking for a way out of the establshed church. This is an important question. You must be able to answer.
Every flourishing church has something in common. It has a group of people that understand that the local church is the only hope for the world. Not a hope. Not one of many hopes, but the only hope.
Because of that conviction, they are courageously, passionately and sacrificially giving their time, talents and resources. They are tirelessly pursuing those who don’t know Jesus in order to tell them that only Jesus can heal their brokenness and make them whole. Without that deep conviction and commitment a church will flounder and eventually become powerless and ineffective.
The church has been uniquely designed to do a job on this earth and the future of the world depends on how well the church does what it’s been designed to do. The unique power of the church is that it holds the key to the transformation of the human heart. No other entity in the world has this potential. Nothing else has the ability to change the world like the local church. If we don’t believe that, then nothing we do really matters.
It has been my privilege, over the last few years, to help hundreds of churches discover how to move from plateau and decline toward growth and fruitfulness. From contemporary to traditional, missional to attractional, and large to small, every church seems to wrestle with what I call a myopic tendency.
For instance: some churches have become so focused on the front door that they have a gapping hole in their back door. Another may be so focused on discipleship that they have forgotten the hundreds of dying and lost people that surround them. Still others have become so focused on serving that they have forgotten to address the issue of discipleship all the while hoping that serving will automatically mature people in the faith. And we could add a hundred more scenarios to this list.
In 1995 Rick Warren, Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, released a book called; The Purpose Driven Church. In this book he outline 5 New Testament principles that must be present in every church
Warm fellowship
Deep discipleship
Strong worship
Broad ministry
Evangelism
In my opinion, these principles are perfectly applicable to any local church’s ministry. While some may not completely understand Warren’s ministry, few could argue with these necessary principles.
Yet, claiming to have these principles within your church’s structure is not enough. The question many refuse to wrestle with is this: "Are these principles 'Actual' or 'Aspirational' in our church"? Simply speaking, are we really functioning in a healthy manner or are do we only wish we were? Unfotunately, many churches today lack the structure to measure the effectiveness of their ministry in a way that will help them answer that question.
Ponder this: Are you simply promoting your "Pet" ministry/concept or truly engaging people on all levels?
Thom Rainer put it this way in his book Simple Church, “For people to take your ministry process seriously, it has to be measured… The vast majority of churches have no systems in place to measure people moving through the process.” We may have a way of measuring the success of our particular “Pet” ministry or concept, but are people really being reached, evangelized, discipled, sent out, and moved on to maturity in Christ?
In order to defend against becoming a myopic church, you must be willing to ask the hard questions and be willing to listen when someone shares an answer.
I have a very foundational belief that no guest enters into the midst of a church, whether a conventional church structure or an unconventional gathering place, by happenstance. Rather, those who visit, are there by divine appointment. No one ever comes into your church, come by whim or without reason. Rather, those who come are wrestling with life, looking for answers and they have been prodded by the Holy Spirit to come to your gathering.
So, why mention this? Why does it matter? Because what we believe about this issue will impact how we treat those who come and how passionately we pursue them. I was recently reminded, while attending a church, that we often do a very poor job preparing for and following up with those God sends us. Every church wants guests, but few really know what to do with them when they come in the door.
Answering these questions will help you determine how well you prepare. When someone new shows up; how do you gather his or her information? Are you consistent and passionate about gathering that info? Do you view gathering their info as an act of evangelism or just a recurring act that seems meaningless? How do you follow up once you gather that info? What strategies do you have in place for those who want to say "Yes!" to Jesus?
In my travel I worship in numerous churches of every kind and size. I am amazed how often most don't take the time and effort to find a way to harvest my information. What if I was looking for a church? What if I needed some deeper answers? What if I just needed a little more prodding in order to make my way to Jesus? If you didn't take the time to strategically plan on how to reach me, then you just lost your opportunity. In fact, that may have been my last chance to give the church an opportunity.
Do you believe that guests are coming to you by divine appointment or is it just luck? If God has sent them to you, what is your responsibility? I believe God stops sending guests to those who are not prepared.
Over the last two decades of my life as a leader, one of the labels I have consistently been given is arrogant. Maybe that is one you have considered about me as well. While I would never consider myself humble, I also would never consider myself arrogant. Unfortunately many, in the business and church world, mistake a bold God-confidence for self-arrogance. Is there as difference? Yes!
Marcus Buckingham, a renowned business leader, author, consultant, and researcher says it best; “If you are going to lead, you better have a deep-seated belief that you should be at the helm, dragging everyone into that better future… Virtually nothing about a leader is humble. I’m not saying they are arrogant, but their claims are big.” Buckingham states that successful leaders must find a truth through which to rally the troops.” For Christian leaders, that great rally point is simple. It is the call to lead people to Jesus, train, and send them out to be missionaries and ambassadors of Christ in their home and community.
Buckingham continues; “The chief responsibility of a leader, for example, "is to rally people for a better future. If you are a leader, you better be unflinchingly, unfailingly optimistic. No matter how bleak his or her mood, nothing can undermine a leader's belief that things can get better, and must get better. I believe you either bring this to the table or you don't.” [i]
Having a bold God-confidence is a passion to live out loud. It is the ability to walk in the opposite direction instead of following popular opinion. It is quiet, yet driving power. Most of all, in the Christian world, it is a deep trust in God’s calling and direction for your life and leadership. It’s easy to see how someone could mistake a bold God-confidence for a self-centered arrogance. Why? Because, when you know what you know, you are driven to accomplish the task. You lead out of passion and a deep desire for things to be better. Nehemiah was such a man.
Nehemiah had a bold confidence in the calling God placed on his life. He walked into a very bad situation in Jerusalem and turned everything around in 52 days. His desire was to enact change in the midst of desperation and decay. He had to have a bold God-confidence. If he hadn’t, no one would have followed him.
Think about it this way. You are about to go into battle and take a hill that no one has been able to take. Dozens of soldiers have already lost their lives trying to take the hill and now it’s your turn. The Sergeant leading the charge is cowering behind the sand bags, turns to the troops and apologizes for getting them in this mess. He is uncertain, captivated by fear, and not sure he wants to move. What’s your response? Would it not mimic the attitudes of the leader? Are you ready to follow this man?
Same scenario, different leader: He is fearful, but bold. He has a swagger and confidence that can be seen and felt among the troops. He has a belief that the hill can be taken, but is realistic about the cost. The major difference with this leader is his willingness to lead the charge and a winning optimism.
Who would you rather follow?
Understand that arrogance and confidence are not the same. Arrogance is a supreme belief in yourself. It’s an attitude of superiority, self-importance and pride. Confidence, on the other hand, (by that I mean a “God-confidence”) is a belief, a state of being, which involves faith and trust. Can confidence turn into arrogance? Without a doubt! If you don’t remember that you are leading due to God’s favor rather than your ability, you will quickly leave the safety of God-confidence and perch dangerously on the ledge of arrogance.
If we are to change our culture, whether it be business, or spiritual, we must not be afraid to step up to the plate and lead with a bold confidence. That confidence comes from a sober understanding of who you are, the calling God has placed on your life, and a dogged determination to guide people into a better future. Will you make mistakes? Probably. Will you always win? Probably not! Then again, God has not called us into leadership to be right, or win every time. Rather, he has called us to be obedient and step out with a confidence in His ability.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 cor 4:16-18
Let me leave you with three great quotes:
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.”--T.S. Eliot
“Remember, a dead fish can float down a stream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream."--W.C. Fields
“You need to play with supreme confidence or else you’ll lose again, and then losing becomes a habit.”--Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State University
[i]“Good Managers Focus on Employees’ Strengths, Not Weaknesses” http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1223
Companies are notorious for hiring based on skill and firing based on fit. The Church is no exception. Leadership is one of the most important aspects in the life of a church plant. Make one mistake and it can cost you momentum, money and credibility. Find the right leader and your ministry can take off in ways you never imagined. When it comes to the issue of leadership in a new church, few things compare to its potential. Every veteran Pastor can tell horror stories about leaders-gone-wild. So, if you are feeling the pressure of finding the right person to help you with your new church, or if you are in the midst of one of those personal horror stories right now, take heart, you are in good company.
Conflict will occur in your church! It is simply unavoidable. That is if you are attempting to do great things for God. No matter how good or careful you may be, you will have conflict arise within your leadership. And when it happens, the first thing ‘wrong’ leaders do is leave the church to go elsewhere. How does a church planter respond? Part of you wants to celebrate and another part of you wants to meet him/her in a dark alley.
There is a difficult balance of reaching out to the lost and paying bills coupled with the negative ‘hit’ that occurs when faithful leaders, servants and tithers leave the church, you cannot understand. No matter the reason, most pastors cannot help but have some question as to the impact of anyone’s departure from their church. But don’t forget that this is God’s work. Embrace the change and move with it. Whatever you do, don’t compromise or spend valuable time chasing leaders like this. You have enough on your plate. Keep this mantra in mind, “Move with the movers and love the rest.”
If you don't stay flexible and move with the movers, the movers will get moving and you will be left with a church of whiners who are focused more on themselves and their own needs than they are the mission of the church.
Here are four simple things to keep in mind:
The old adage remains true when dealing with leadership in the church. "Hire slowly, fire quickly!" That even counts for your volunteers. Can you fire a volunteer? Why not? Creating a strong leadership base is the pastor's responsibility. Don't take it lightly.
Hiring from within is always the best policy.
Hire a person, not a position. If the position is changed, a good hire will "go with the flow". However, if you hire a position, your new hire will tend to be less flexible.
Don't hire out of desperation. If someone doesn't show up, WAIT on God to bring you the right one. Remember, God is more interested in healthy church leadership than you are. So.... be patient.
“She wanted the wisdom it would give her…” Gen 3:6
The grass is hardly ever greener on the other side. What we thought would bring us joy and fulfillment really brings pain and frustration.
God created and placed Adam and Eve in the most pristine place in history; the Garden of Eden. God provided everything they needed for a life of joy and luxury and yet it wasn’t enough.
Eve wanted more. Tempted by Satan in the Garden, Eve took the opportunity provided and fulfilled her desire for wisdom. Yet, that one thing, which was suppose to bring greater fulfillment, came at a great price. Once they ate the forbidden fruit, shame flooded into their lives. What they though would bring greater fulfillment and satisfaction, actually destroyed joy and ushered in shame.
How often are we like Eve? God places us in a position of leadership, “empowers us with everything we need” to live a life of Godliness, and grants us his favor. Yet, that one thing, that one forbidden piece of fruit, calls to us and convinces us; “If you have this one thing, your life will be complete. You will be a better leader and life will be more full.” Only to find out that what we thought we needed, really brought us great pain and sadness. That which was suppose to bring us a new sense of joy actually destroyed what we had.
One simple word describes this scenario; Contentment. As a leader, you have a natural drive that pushes you to do more, be the best and accomplish great things. But that drive, unchecked, can also lead to your downfall. Often is the case that our greatest strength can also be our biggest detriment. To counteract that drive, we must learn, as the Apostle Paul, to be content.
Find your contentment in Christ. Don’t be driven by your desire for more power, success, sex, money, prestige, or etc… Satan will dangle that fruit in front of your face and tell you, “This one more thing will bring you what you want.” Yet, in reality, it brings your downfall.
I just spent the last few days at the The Sticks Conference with a group of leaders who answered the call to do ministry in the small towns and villages that dot our country. Doing ministry in small town USA more than likely won't land you a speaking engagement at one of the major pastor's conferences we flock to every year, but these leaders are to be praised for their hard work and determination.
Doing ministry in the sticks isn't viewed as sexy, vogue, or hip like ministry in the city. So, many flee, avoid and loss sight of the value of bringing a fresh expression of the Gospel to these dry places.
Sadly, over the last few years, a majority of church organizations/denominations have decided to turn away from planting efforts in these small towns and focus solely on the city. Honestly, who can blame them? According to the latest census data approximately 81 percent of our nations inhabitants live in the City.•• (By U.S. Census Bureau that is any place larger than 50,000 in population) So, roughly 250 million of 308 million live in the city leaving only 58 million people in these "rural" areas. Of the nearly 19,500 cities, towns and villages across our nation only 718 of them qualify as "The City" leaving 18,782 places which many no longer target for ministry. These dry places are desperate for a fresh expression of the Gospel.
With the vast majority of Americans living in cities,(and it is projected to grow to a greater percentage) why should churches, organizations and denominations pour resources into these seemingly insignificant areas of the U.S.? That's a fair question. One I used to ask as a denominational leader as well. The answer for me is really quite pragmatic. Planting a church in small town USA is cheaper, has greater potential for community transformation, and can have regional impact reaching thousands living in outlying areas. I also believe we may be able to reach the city with greater effectivness and suppliy greater resources if we find a away to plant, restart and refocus our churches in rural America.
The potential for reaching the city from rural locations is greater than visa versa. Small towns are clanish and usually closed off to outsiders. On the other hand, the city is so transient by nature, that this barrier is limited. With more and more people moving from the rural areas to attend college, start and new life or find a way to make a living, our possibilities are endless. Is it possible that we can launch a strategy to transform the city from rural outposts?
At any rate, I am proud of those who have answered the call to grind it out in the trenches of rural America. Keep up the good work and let no one tell you that you can't become world changers because your church or your town is too small. Ignore their small faith and live a God sized vision!
••CRS Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition
Drift Happens! In fact, drift seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Drift happens within the boundaries of every organization, denomination and church. The key to overcoming drift, is seeing the problem and facing the facts before it’s too late. Jim Collins, in his book Good To Great calls this practice, FACING THE BRTUAL FACTS. The problem with facing these facts is that it is tough on the ego. That is probably why most leaders would rather not. But we will never rally go beyond where we are unless we are willing to face our problems head on. Every leader must stop and ask, when they see that the organization is drifting from a movement to a monument, “How can we find our momentum again? How can we energize this movement before its to late?” (The reality is that if you wait too long to ask that question, it may be too late. Every leader and organization should spend time renewing and refocusing each year.)
The simple solution is, to get back to the basics. Too refocus and narrow down your strategy is always a good idea, but it goes much deeper than that. We have to look back and rediscover what drove the founders of your movement and recapture that driving force. As it concerns the church, the answer is simple: The Great Commission was the driving force of the early church. Today, however, I fear that the Church across our nation has replaced the Great Commission as a driving force with a drive to be comfortable. Many have also traded in the call to grow the kingdom with a call to grow an empire. With that menatlity, many have lost the missional drive that launched their church in the first place.
Jesus called his people to action in the Great Commission. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.” Matt 28:18 – 20. Again in Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." This is what drove the early church.
How did the early church understand the Great Commission and practice it? Once we understand that, we can put it into our own context. The church today views the Great Commission as a program or outreach event, but the early believer’s understood it in the context of "going" and "spreading" the Gospel. Early believers lived out this commission by establishing of new communities of believers everywhere they went. Keeping a Great Commission mind-set will keep your church from experiencing Historic Drift.
I’m sure you have all heard the adage, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. Chances are you heard it at a church or business seminar, or saw it on a plaque on someone desk. Unfortunately, even though most of us have heard it, we ignore its truth. Let me be the first to admit that I like to rush into things to quickly. I get in a hurry, feel under the gun, or just lose my patience waiting on someone else to get their work done. I know I’m not alone. Whatever the case, this adage is one of the most ignored axioms among leaders.
Most hard charging, type-A, ADD leaders are so productive because they get things done and learn on the fly. However, they end up paying a toll for their lack of attention to proper planning. You would be surprised how many business men I have run into who have a great idea, but no concrete strategy to complete the task. The same holds true among pastors and church planters. Many start a new program in the church or attempt to launch new church without a proper and thoughtful business plan. A good plan is one of the greatest assets for a leader.
Nehemiah, I believe, was a calculating planner. I find it interesting when he finally approached the King and the King asked, “How can I help you”. Nehemiah had it all planned out. He didn’t stumble. He didn’t falter. He didn’t have to make it up as he went along. Over the four-month period of Nehemiah’s praying and fasting, I believe he was laying out a plan and preparing to answer every objection the King might throw his way.
Jesus said to a crowd that was gathered around him.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, This fellow began to build and was not able to finish. Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:28-31 NIV)
One of the biggest mistakes a leader can make, when entering into a new phase of business, church or even your own life is a failure to make adequate plans. That doesn’t mean that all your plans were right, or that they were even will even work. It does ensure however a direction and an attempt to do the hard work necessary to attempt anything great.
For those who are leaders in the church: the work we do holds more value than simply creating a successful, program, outreach, or launching a new campus. What we do holds eternal value and therefore must be given due diligence before we launch out in any new direction.Just because we feel God as called us doesn’t mean we don’t have to do the hard work of preparation. As Paul said to Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved”. (2 Tim 2:14) Then, like Nehemiah, once you are prepared, you can boldly and confidently move forward to accomplish what you believe God has called you to accomplish.
Ok, I admit, I am a fan of American Idol. The Bible says confession is good for the soul. So, there it is out in the open.
As I watched the show with my family, I found myself paying more attention to who was in the crowd rather than those on the stage. Every time the cameraman panned through the crowd, you would see music artists from past Idol shows. I was amazed at how many of them, even though they didn’t win, had become music stars. After the fourth or fifth time they showed past contestants I realized that American Idol had become a game-changer in the American music industry. I wonder what the industries landscape might look like 10 years from now as American Idol continues to rake in the best and brightest musical talent from across the U.S.? It could be that the vast majority of those cutting albums will have been connected to the show.
I wonder what might be a game-changer for the American Church? What event, concept, or idea might have such an enormous impact on the movement of the church that years from now we look back and realize that the landscape of the church was radically altered by that idea? Let me suggest to you that the Legacy Churches concept could be that game-changing idea.
What if for every 1 church that closed in America, 2 could be planted? Wouldn’t that be a game changer? Every year around 4,000 churches close their doors. (Frankly, some don’t close that should. Some churches simply need to die.) On the other hand only about 2,500 to 3,000 new churches are started every year. We are losing the battle across our nation.
Imagine what might happen if we were to take the resources and assets from these 4,000 closing churches and use them to plant healthy, fast-growing new churches. How many might we be able to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? We might even see the start of another Great Awakening. Just so you know how significant these resources might be, if every closing church had an asset or property value of $25,000, (this is an extreme low-ball) that would mean the potential of 100 million a year that could be used for church planting. That, is what I call a game changer!
Thought this was a good repost after the Exponential conference.
If Only... Those are two of the most haunting words in the English language when joined together.
If only I hadn't.....
If only I could.....
If only it would.....
If only I was able to .....
Fill in your own ending to those phrases.
We all have them don't we? Even in our ministry we tend to look out over the horizon of things to come and gaze behind us saying if only....
If only God had given me a bigger ministry.
If only I was able to speak like.....
If only I could have the chance too .....
If only had more money we could....
Each of us, at some level, long to be more and do more than we are currently doing. Maybe we have accomplished a great deal. Maybe, in our eyes, we haven't accomplished much. That desire often flows from a longing to do something significant for God. I don't know about you, but I have a desire to make a mark in this world, to leave a legacy.
The Call to ministry is tough and often borderless. The question is; Can we really find peaceful satisfaction in ministry? Can we truely learn to be at rest with who we are and how God as created us?
I wonder if Daivd, a man after God's own heart, wrestled with a question of significance? 1 Kings 5:3-4 is an interesting couple of verses. I have read it many times before but this time it stood out in a profound way.
"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name."
David was a warrior. He expanded the kingdom of Israel, brought peace, prosperity recognition to the nation of Israel. Yet, he also had a deep longing to build a temple for God. Yet, God denied him the privilege. This great man, king with no equal, was denied the privilage of honoring his God with a beautiful place of worship. Makes me stop and wonder if he felt incomplete? He wanted to build a temple for the God he loved and worshipped and stockpiled endless resources to prepare for the temple's eventual building. Yet, during his lifetime, he never saw that dream come to fruition. That particular longing of David's was never fulfilled.
Here's the point. David was loved and celebrated by God. He was a the greatest leader who ever governed Israel. He accomplished greater feats than any before or after. He loved God with his whole heart and was called by Jesus a man after God's own heart. Yet, his desires were incomplete at the tine of his death. He wasn't able to accomplish everything he wanted, but then that was that God's calling for him?
David had to find peace with God's calling of him as a warrior and King. He had to find a way to understand that there were limitations to his calling. He didn't do everything he wanted to do, but he did accomplish God's call for his life.
We have to do the same. I f we are to be truely efective in ministry we have find peace and satisfaction in our calling. Stop and look at who you are and what you have been able to accomplish through God. Could it be that this is all you were intended to do for His kingdom? Could it be that this is what you were designed accomplish? Your faithfulness has enable the kingdom to expand, you have helped other find truth and significance. You have led some down the road to eternity. Is that enough?
I think if we live in the "What if..." we miss the blessing of God's design for our ministry. We can get so focused on what we are looking to accomplish, we miss what God has already accomplished through us.
In few short days, he Christian world will celebrate Easter. The most holy of all Christian days. As Paul stated, "if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" 1 Cor 15:14
On this day of days many people, who never grace the doors of the church, will come to see all the hype. They are not there by happenstance. I don't believe in chance or luck. Rather, I believe every one who comes into the doors of your church this week are there by divine appointment. God has been working in their lives and they are coming to find answers, comfort, and transformation. I believe they will come seeking answers to one of four basic questions:
1. If God is real, does he really care about me?
2. What can God do to fix my life from is present downward spiral.
3. Do these people really care about me?
4. Where do I fit in?
Yet in the midst of the hype and hustle, I think there is another important element that can't be forgotten. On the cross, Christ gave of himself everything. He left nothing back! He gave unto death because he loves this foolish, self-centered, fallen and sinful race. He Gave! remember that thought.
Easter service cannot be allowed to become nothing more than a concert and a call without a mission. Our attractional elements are good and proper, but they serve a purpose. That purpose doesn't stop when someone gives their life to Jesus. Rather, that is just the beginning. Let this Easter be about living. love AND serving your community. Find a way to help people shift the focus off themselves and onto those around them. Call them not only to repentance, but also to a live of continuous and ultimate giving.
After all the cross and resurrection was not simply for the sake of salvation. The goal is Christlikeness! That is seen only as we give ourselves away for the sake of those foolish, self-centered, fallen people around us. Easter is coming are you ready?
Throughout his ministry, Jesus exemplified the importance of evangelism. He spoke boldly and truthfully of the Father wherever he traveled. As his time on earth came to a close, he laid out the next phase of his ministry. The Great Co-mission, in Matthew 28:19, was his call to the Church to participate in the practice of evangelism: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Just before his ascension, Jesus reiterated these words. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV). The Great Co-mission was to be understood as a call to start new communities of believers wherever the disciples traveled.
Any serious reader of the Bible will quickly see that “God’s nature is at the root of mission. The living God portrayed in the Bible is a sending God. He sends because of his love for the world.” The Church is called to be the living expression of the kingdom of God on this earth. It is to reach out to the lost with the truth and reality of the Gospel. It is to form loving, nurturing communities of new believers. In so doing, the Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, should heal the spiritually sick. The Great Co-mission is not a new calling to God’s people. It goes back to the era of Genesis where God gave a very similar commission to Abram: “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen 12:1-3)
This call to Abram shows God’s desire for Israel to become a movement that would touch the entire world, not merely a regional organization. God’s desire was to bless “all the peoples on the earth” through Abram. God’s design for the future of Abram’s race is one that was intended to transcend the socio-economic and ethnic borders of Israel. Abram’s obedience to God, after many generations, transforms itself into a nation of Israelites. This same obedience, taken on by Jesus’ disciples, will again transform itself into today’s Christian. God intended from the beginning—his call to Abram—for his Spirit to flow out of that nation into every nation on the earth. Israel, the nation that grew out of Abram’s lineage, was to be the prototype of the Church. Genesis 12:1-3 stands as the foundation upon which the Great Co-mission rests.
According to the New Testament, God’s children are no longer confined or defined by blood, or lineage to Abram Rather, true Israelites are understood to be those who received adoption into the family through the blood of Jesus. “It is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring” (Rom 9:8 NIV). Those who are followers of Jesus Christ and are a part of his Church are now, through their obedience to the Holy Spirit, transformed into the “children” of Abraham. This classification becomes significant, as followers understand that the Great Commission is a reaffirmation of the original call given to Abraham. The Church, like Israel, is not to become a stand-alone organization, but a life-giving organism that can influence the world.
Church planting is not new to denominational bodies. Church planting is and always has been the “intentional pursuit of lost people” that naturally flows out of the Great Co-mission. As the Church involves itself in this work, it is fulfilling the original call, given to Abram, to be
If you ever plan to be a leader, in any situation, it will involve risk. There is no way around this fact. Leadership requires an openness to go where no one else will go, do what others wont, become what others dare not be, and attempt what most say can never be done at the risk of failure. Nehemiah was just such a leader.
After hearing the news of the condition of his countrymen, Nehemiah had an emotional meltdown. He was so deeply burdened that he cried, fasted and prayed for months over the situation. Yet, Nehemiah was unable to allow his emotions to become public. As a Cupbearer for the King, he was charged with keeping his emotions in check. Nehemiah knew if he allowed his sadness to be seen in the courts of the King, he would risk everything. Possibly even his on life. So, Nehemiah prayed to God, “Grant me success today by making the King favorable to me…”(Neh 1:11)
As Nehemiah approached the king, he could not hide his sadness any longer and the King took notice. The King asked Nehemiah, “Why are you looking so sad?” While the text doesn’t say so, I can almost see Nehemiah starting to sweat profusely and swallowing hard, as he composed himself in front of the King. However, the text does tell us that Nehemiah was terrified as he approached the king and shared his burden. On top of his sadness and courage to share the problem, Nehemiah had the audacity to ask the king for help. While, this may not seem too risky to you, it could have cost Nehemiah his life.
Nehemiah was willing to take a risk in order to help his people find meaning, wholeness, healing, and purpose in life. He was wiling to “buck the system” and lay it all on the line for the sake of progress. Whether you lead a small business, or a large corporation you must be willing to take risks for the sake of progress.
If you lead a church, risk is simply part of the calling. As with Christ, when you pick up the mantle of leadership, you lay down your desire for safety and ease. Those who are leading churches and feel it is a safe place to work until you retire, think again. Without risk there can be no forward motion. Without a willingness to risk, you will be a “blind man leading the blind”.
Here is a saying you can take to the bank: Those who never attempt anything great, never accomplish anything of lasting substance. Those who are averse to risk, who love to play it safe and move with the political winds within their corporation or church, need to resign and find something more fitting that mindset. Forward motion will require risk. Failure to lead people forward is to doom them to apathy, drift, mediocrity, and ultimately death.
What are you being called to risk? What are you avoiding in order to remain in your cocoon of safety and ease?
The size of a congregation will, by and large, set the agenda for its future viability and effectiveness. We become what we think we are. The congregations attitutde about themsleves will set the pace for the future of the churches effectiveness. As Solomon wrote, "as a man thinks in his heart, so he is." Prov 23:7. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts.The self-image of a congregation is very important in its effort to grow.
I am not questioning the commitment and call of churches that do not grow. I am simply stating, mainly from my own experience in working with churches for the last twenty-three years, that ministry is slowed, and the danger of falling into a survival mode will be a greater probability.
Smaller churches struggle to grow. The reasons for this struggle are multiple. Smaller churches, while effective in some ways, tend to be more family oriented and do not allow visitors to feel at home as readily. Lyle Schaller refers to churches under the two hundred mark as “Collie” churches. Some people tend to wonder why these churches remain on a plateau in size or why church shoppers often do not return after that initial visit. Collies tend to have strong affection for members of the family, but they often bark at strangers. When any church falls into this mode of operation, growth becomes almost impossible. Myriads of books and articles have been written about the growth problems of the small church. The key to avoiding these problems is for a new church to reach the two hundred mark as quickly as possible. New church plants that do not grow rapidly will develop a small church mentality, stifling their ability to reach out and impact the community. Planting new churches should be an attempt to overcome growth problems, not emulate them.
Crowds attract crowds. To create new missions that break out of the mold of the self-serving, survival-minded, family-run organizations, leaders must find a way to plant churches that grow rapidly in size in a very short period of time. When a church is able to grow rapidly and gain momentum, it will create a healthy attitude among the members, A primary difference between growing and declining churches is their attitude. Growing churches feel they have something worthwhile to offer to their community. Their high level of self-esteem provides the energy and strength to share the gospel of Christ with people in the community.
Church plants, as well as established churches, that do not grow beyond the 150 average in attendance, will often lose momentum and fall into the smaller-church trap that will result in a low sense of congregational morale. Church plants are more vulnerable to a sense of low morale due to heightened expectations for success. When not met with immediate success, most church plants fall prey to discouragement.
The attitude of most members involved in an established church is usually fairly level. Most have settled into a routine way of doing church. Members may pray for, expect, and hope to grow, but the level of expectation for dramatic and rapid changes is not as high as in a new church. In contrast, the expectation of those involved in a church plant is one of rapid growth within a short period of time. When expectations are not reached at the level anticipated, a sense of failure is certain.
Once an attitude of defeat settles into the hearts and minds of the church planter and the new congregation, they begin to view themselves as small, weak, unattractive, powerless and frustrated with a limited future. Unfortunately, this attitude is the state in which many church plants find themselves. If conventional wisdom is true, two-thirds of church-planting attempts will begin to develop asmall-church self-image.
Any church looking to break out and grow needs to reach the two hundred mark quickly or face a myriad of problems. Rapid growth will help a new church maintain momentum and offer it a sense of credibility. That growth will also give the church the ability to offer holistic services that can answer the felt needs of the community. Anew church that does not reach this mark will struggle financially and may develop a sect-like attitude. The church plants size will perpetuate the problem. Both rapid or slow growth churches will generate a sense of corporate self image that can dictate the future impact of any church in its community.
According to a recent poll from Gallup. The current economic crisis has had little effect on the American’s need for religion. Despite the difficulties facing our nation, there has been no evident change over the past 15 months in either Americans' self-reported church attendance or the importance of religion in their daily lives. Forty-two percent on average have reported attending church every week or nearly every week during that time, and 65% have reported that religion is important in their daily lives. Read more…
As you begin to read the book of Nehemiah, you quickly realize that Nehemiah wasn't aware the facts of the problem in Israel. Things were really bad. One of Nehemiah’s contemporaries, Haggai, wrote that Israel was experiencing severe drought, hunger, thirst, and poverty of every sort. And yet, here was Nehemiah living in the palace far removed from the problem of his countrymen.
Israel was receiving their just rewards. The had lived in disobedience to God and selfishly attempted to build their lives without God as their center and foundation. Much like a frustrated parent, God allowed Israel to do things their own way and experience reality without him. Sometime the hardest lessons we learn in life come from our own stubbornness to do things our own way and we suffer the consequences of that decision time after time. That is where the saying, “He made his own bed, now let him lie in it.” came from. We understand that often we simply deserve the problems and chaos that comes our way.
But Nehemiah reacted with compassion. Once he heard of the devastation in Israel, he was broken. In fact, Nehemiah indicates that he spent about four months agonizing over the problem and praying for a solution.During that time he interceded for Israel, asked for forgiveness on their behalf, and began to think of how he might find a solution.
Here’s the point: People screw up! That is a fact. They always have, and always will this side of death. Regardless of the situation, people matter. Unfortunately, the corporate world, much like the church world, can be a cold and unforgiving place that tends to dehumanize people who have screwed up.
Whether a manager, pastor or a CEO, we have to keep in mind the inherent value of people. Sure, they may do some despicable things and need to be released. They may steal from your company, they may cheat on their wife and family, or worse. But they are still people who have, as the scripture tells us, been created in the image of God. Every individual, even the most despised, deserves to be treated with the basic dignity of someone who has been created in such a power image.
In the church world, this seems to be a forgotten concept. There is a saying in the church, that I wish weren’t true, Christians are the only ones who stab their own wounded”. While the Christian world doesn’t own that saying exclusively, it sure seems to be carried out with great efficiency. Yet, it should not be so. We are all flawed and unless you have forgotten, there are times when you have done your own despicable things, you just haven’t gotten caught.
As leaders, we set the culture for our people. How we treat those who have done you or your company wrong, will be caught by those around you. Don’t misunderstand, I am not advocating for an easy, let them off the hook, feel good paradigm. Consequences for behavior and how an individual is treated, (forgiveness) are two different issues. While those who have done wrong may need to suffer the consequences of their behavior, they are still people created in the image of God and should be treated with the utmost dignity and compassion.
This leadership principle is very simple; People matter, even when they are receiving their just rewards for poor behavior. Never rejoice in the wrong doing of others. Never create a “Gotcha!” culture within your place of business, church or corporation. Great leaders learn how to treat people with the dignity they deserve, even in the midst of chaos.
A brochure is never a substitute for a personal visit. It is not intended to get someone to join your church. It is simply a tool to inform people of who you are, what you believe and your church’s vision for the community. It is only one of many tools a church can use to share your dream. So, how do you create a professional, compelling brochure? Here are eight steps for you to consider.
Make sure the brochure properly represents your church. Do not use pictures and words that don’t reflect who you are. Make your brochure about who you are not what you wish you were.
What makes you unique? Play up any unique or unusual specialties offered by your church. Why do people need to come to your church instead of the one down the road?
Avoid negativity. Don’t talk about what others are not doing. Most are not interested in joining a fight. Lift up the good things our church does that will benefit their life.
Identify your target. Make sure your brochure shares your vision for a target group. Who are you trying to reach?
Use a lot of high-quality images. American’s have become very image driven.
Don’t overload your brochure with words. Be concise and pointed with your wording. Long-winded, many-paged brochures are usually counterproductive.
Use plain language. Be careful not to use big words or Christianeese that may not be understood by the unchurched. Remember the old adage “Keep It Simple Stupid.”
Use a color scheme that catches the eye of your target group. If you are targeting men, don’t use pastels. The most exciting color is red. Violet and blue are the most subdued; green the most tranquil and neutral; yellow the most cheerful. Make sure you use graphics and colors that match those you are trying to reach.
Commit to excellence. Creating a brochure should generate a great deal of thought. Whatever you do, create your literature with care and excellence. Doing a poor job by creating a low quality piece reveals that you don’t care about those who read your material.
Don’t forget essential info. Make sure your brochure has the essential info: Time of service, location, contact info and a map to the church. (The brochure doesn’t need a picture of you and your wife! Most don't care who you are. They want to know what you will do for them.)
While no church ever dreams of dying, over the last three decades, thousands of churches have closed their doors. Unfortunately, many of them are nothing more than a vague memory of days gone by. The vision of reachig their community has been lost and their hopes and dreams have been silenced. Is there a way to carry forward their original vision spreading the Gospel to spiritually needy people even after a church has closed its doors? The answer is, "YES! You can become a Legacy Church!"
Aging has a way of making us look at life from a different perspective than when we were younger. Like many people, in the first half of my life I was concerned about making a living and being successful in my chosen profession. In the second half of my life, however, my thoughts are focused on being significant to others, particularly my own family. In short I am concerned about leaving a legacy to my children and
grandchildren. I want my family to remember me as a person who loves God, loves his family, and loves others.
As the authors point out in Legacy Churches, a similar cycle takes place in churches (or it should). During the first years of a local congregation’s life cycle an emphasis is placed on winning people to Christ, growing the worship attendance, and building a stable ministry program. Unfortunately, after a church becomes stable, it tends to travel a predicable life cycle that leads naturally to decline and closure. While a few churches are able to avert this natural cycle, eighty-five percent of churches will eventually close. None of us, of course, likes to think about a church closing. Yet, between 4,000 and 8,000 churches do so every year in North America. These churches must look at their life from a different perspective. They must decide how to leave a lasting legacy!
Stephen Gray has provided a seasoned, practical, and biblical approach that all churches can follow to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. I am in one hundred percent agreement
with them that the best way for a declining church to leave a legacy is to fund the starting of new congregations. By assisting in the birth of daughter congregations, an older church leaves a legacy that will live on in the lives of countless individuals and families for eternity. I encourage you to read this book, and then apply its insights. Generations of new believers will be glad you did.
Here is the exciting news. Legacy Churches is now a part of Kiros Legacy Partners (website soon to come). This group has the capacity, experience and ability to help potential legacy churches close with dignity and re-engage in Kingdom work. Your church may know of a potential Legacy Church that can partner with you and help your church reach its full God potential.
After his 2002 season, Tiger Woods decided to change his golf swing. Due to persistent knee problems, and two surgeries. It became apparent to him that he had to change how he was swinging or risk continual physical strain and punishment. However, change came at a price. In fact, for several years his game suffered and he experience a loss in the standings. Many in the golf world thought Tiger was a fool for changing something that seemed to be so successful. Yet, Tiger’s decision to change his swing would ultimately pay off in a big way. While the process wasn’t especially enjoyable, the payoff far outweighed the pain of change.
Harold Wilson, a British parliamentarian, once said; “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is a cemetery.” Change is not something most of us like. Change often involves risk, chaos, confusion, instability and uncertainty. Any leader who chooses to travel down the road of change, we will inevitably experience a world of frustration, a loss of comfort, and a time of chaos. Nehemiah was no different.
Nehemiah, a slave used by God, had grown comfortable with his present situation. Nehemiah had it good! He was the food taster of the King. Realistically, he was the most powerful man in the kingdom, he decided whether the king lived or died and the King knew it. I’m sure the king made sure Nehemiah’s every desire was taken care of. He could not risk having Nehemiah as an enemy. So, the king kept him close and placed a great deal of trust in him. Nehemiah probably had everything at his fingertips. The king kept him fat and happy. So, when Nehemiah was deciding to follow after God’s call, he would have to count the cost.
It is tempting, as a leader, to maintain the status quo, especially when everything seems to be going so good. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Even though we know that a refusal to accept the need for change will lead to drift in our organization, we avoid change at all costs. Likewise, in the church, we have grown comfortable with the way things are. We have our pews the way we like them, the proper color of carpet on the floor and the perfect paint on the walls. Our friends and family come and we enjoy a time of fellowship together and the music is just to our taste. Everything in the church is designed to make us feel good and make us comfortable. In many ways we have become so comfortable with the way things are, we have forgotten about the human rubble all around us cause by the devastation of sin. We have lost the edge on our co-mission with Jesus.
Jesus taught a very simple yet profound lesson to those who were following him in Luke 14 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.” Sounds like common sense to me.
Nehemiah could have reject his new calling and remained in a place of comfort and ease, but he would have missed out. He counted the cost and chose the path of change. Because of his choice, he was able to participate in and witness something that no one had ever thought possible. His heroic actions brought about an epic adventure; the stuff of legends.
As leaders, we will all decide at some point which path we will travel. The path of least resistance will lead us to safety and comfort, but will offer little more than a mediocre life at best. As a leader, you will always be left wandering, “what if?”
The leader who decides to walk down the path of change must be ready to count the cost. This path will lead you into a period of uncertainty and difficulty. It may ultimately cost you more than you expected. Your corporation, business, or church may temporarily suffer. However, on the other side of the chaos is conquest. The real question is: Are you willing to count the cost? Are you willing to experience temporary discomfort in order to enjoy enormous success and growth. One thing is for sure; Change=cost.
The power of perception can never be underestimated. Once an individual forms a perception about your church, it is very hard to undo. Richard Reising in his book Church Marketing 101 states that good "marketing is the management of perception." Why? Because too often perception becomes reality to those outside the church. Whether their perception is right or wrong, how an individual perceives your church can determine whether or not you will have a chance to reach them with the Gospel. Let me show you an example. Creating a good perception of your church is half the battle. Here is an example: Look at these two churches. What do you see? Which church do you think an unchurched individual will be more likely to go inside?
Church 1 Church 2
I don't know about you, but church 1 is a little frightening. Church 2 however, wow! Here is what the unchurched individual doesn't know; What's inside?
Inside Church 1 Inside Church 2
Church 1 may have a whole lot more to offer, but the unchurched can't get beyond initial perceptions, no matter how good things are on the inside.
I am not simply talking about the look of a building. Realize that everything you do creates a perception of who you are. The look of your mailers, the production of your services, the way people are greeted at the door, the atmosphere of the worship area, and etc... Everything is creating perceptions.
I remember my parents teaching me the power of first impressions. I was sixteen and received my first speeding ticket. They convinced me to dress in my Sunday best, a suit and tie at that time, as I went before the judge. Every other kid in that courtroom was dressed in blue jeans and t-shirts. The judge was a real piece of work. I was convinced he hated teenagers. Every one of the teens who stood before that judge was being raked over the coals.
Unfortunately, my turn came. I swallowed hard, and stood up to face my judgment. I will never forget what happened next. The judge looked at me and said, "Son, you look like a fine young man, I'm going to forgive your speeding ticket this time, but you still have to pay the court cost. Have a nice day." You could have hear a pin drop in the courtroom. I realized then, that Mom and Dad weren't as dumb as I thought. Man, I wish that still worked today, but that is another story.
Some people's perceptions you can't control. What you can't control you leave up to God. What you can control you work hard to get right. Work hard as you start your new church. Remove as many obstacles, stumbling blocks, and excuses as you can from the unchurched or dechurched. Create an atmosphere both inside and out that is welcoming, warm, and authentic. Above all do everything with as much excellence as you can afford. Do your best to generate a positive perception.<
I read this post from Artie Davis the other day and thought is was worth reposting. What do you think?
Having guided businesses, churches and organizations through many large changes and observing others who have navigated the same waters, I have noticed some essentials in making change occur and lasting…
1- Communication
For real, lasting change to occur it has to be clearly and masterfully communicated. Which means you need the ability to communicate the idea well, and a platform from which to communicate it. Cater your presentation to those you are communicating to. Different audience, different form of communication. Absorption is the goal!
2- Urgency
Change comes when a sense of urgency is present. Change falls prey to procrastination far to often. Those we lead need to understand and feel the urgency and necessity of our shift. If it feels like something isn’t really urgent, it will get filed away to “another day” and stall or kill the change initiative.
3- Faith
Lasting change has to be a God thing. It must be be authored by God and not by man. If you know it’s a God thing, that fact will give you faith when things don’t seem to be going well. If you didn’t cook it, you aren’t responsible for the way it tastes.
4- Passion
People don’t follow a “lukewarm” leader. People and other leaders follow the leader that is on fire with passion! Lasting change will never come through a leader that presents the new direction in a “matter of fact” way. It has to be burning deep within her soul. Passion goes viral when the leader lives it, communicates it and has fire for it.
5- Determination
Change is hard, and when leading a change, resistance and push back may be in abundance. But…Never stop. The God authored agent of change can’t quit. Pulling the plug option must never be on the table (This is God authored remember). All obstacles must be met by an undeterred leader.
6- Innovation
Creativity is an incredible God thing. The smart leader will embrace his “inner artist” and seek it out from among those around him and use it to the fullest. Innovation arises from the ability to take what you have and marry it to a solid vision, then something new and exciting emerges. It gives breathe and life to the “how” of the new change.
7- Need
We don’t change for the sake of change. The beginning stages of change are birthed through an honest examination of the end product. When what is being produced becomes completely unacceptable, and we can accurately measure what a change would produce, then the power of the need becomes the fuel for lift off.
8- Plan
Lasting change comes on the wheels of a well thought out and prayed through plan. The simpler in the over all scope the better. The new plan must be explainable by those who follow, so they can answer questions about it. No one really likes change, but present a change that is difficult to explain, and you’re dead in the water.
9- Influence
Leadership boils down to INFLUENCE. If you don’t have a high degree of influence, your chances of pulling off a lasting change in an organization are slim at best. So if your tenure or trust is short, you would be wise to hold off on any large changes until your influence is firmly in place.
Is there another essential you would add? Make it a perfect “10″
I want to wrap-up this short survey on Growth and Assimilation with this blog.
Churches that grew by more than 15 percent in 2010 were only about 16% of the total group that took the survey. (26 out of 160) The rest (84%) grew by less than 15 percent in 2010. The majority of churches that took this survey, (47%) grew by less than 5 percent.
The 16 percent of churches that experienced greater growth in 2010 stood out in several ways:
They were very intentional about inviting people to their services.
They were very intentional about tracking guests.
They didn’t rely on one method for inviting the community to attend.
They used multiple invitation methods and experienced 30+ visitors each month. Those with a much more conservative approach, (84%) experienced only 5 visitors or less each month.
They had an intentional and aggressive method for follow-up.
They made better use of email, and social networks.
Here are the actual numbers of those who participated.
What percentage of growth do you estimate your church experienced in 2010?
I was sitting at my local Fivebucks a few days ago enjoying my over-priced coffee and conversing with a new friend about my frustrations over the on-going Missional vs. Attractional conversation. He challenged me with a question that has forced me to come to terms with why I hate this divisional debate so much. He asked: “Is it because you think your right, or you think-they think your wrong.” Good question? Do I dislike this debate because I feel threatened? No, was my quick answer.
It became obvious to me, at that moment, I needed to clearly define my opposition or simply be labeled as a malcontent with no substance behind my ramblings. Which, by the way, has been known to happen. “Squirrel!” (Sorry you had to have seen Pixar’s movie UP, to get that.)
So, here are my musings about missional. Four quick issues I have with the debate. One is personal, one behavioral, one practical, and one biblical.
Personal:
Over the last few years I have been involved in planting (what many call) highly “attractional” churches. Through these churches we have seen literally 1,000’s come to Christ, grow in their faith, and become life-changing agents in their communities. But since these new churches do not fit into the new paradigm of “missional”, those saved from these ministries are at best marginalized as shallow, and at worst illegitimized as not really saved. Why? Good question? One I can’t answer, but one that gets me fired up! BTW: those aren’t my thoughts, read some of the rhetoric about fast-growing, large, or mega-churches. See if you don’t come to that conclusion. Funny how every pastor prays for revival or growth, but if it happens at another church, it is either watered-down, worldly, or of the devil.
I agree with, and have experienced the same as my friend Geoff Surrat. (I love to name drop, makes me feel important.) He wrote in his blog, “I've never seen a purely attractional church. Every church I've been connected with is deeply concerned with helping people become disciples of Christ…I'm sure that there are churches in America who care only about making the turnstile spin on the weekends, but I've never experienced one.”
Behavioral:
I hate division in the church. It seems like church leaders are good at picking fights with one another. Don’t get me wrong, some things are worth fighting for. The orthodox foundations of our beliefs about God, salvation and Jesus must be defended. However it seems we more often fight over what we perceive as orthopraxy more than orthodoxy. (Ooooh, big words! See I can sound intelligent even if I’m not.)
Practical:
What defines a “missional” church? Size, action, preaching style, cool dressing preacher? It would seem to me that being “missional” has put on social justice clothing. Admirable, and necessary, but not distinctly Christian. Anyone, whether Christian or outright pagan, can fight poverty, clothe the naked, give a drink of water, set slaves free. In other words, do good things to people. I have a couple of atheist friends that give more of their time and talents and act nicer than most Christians I know.
Being missional is more than just doing “stuff”. It is about being holy as Christ is holy. Living out of a deep relationship with Christ in a way that permeates every aspect of our lives and compels us to love God and love others as God loves us. John Wesley stated that once we fully understand God’s grace, we cannot do anything other than reflect His glory and live a life pleasing to Him?
Biblical:
Here is where I think this debate rubs me the rawest. (If President Bush can say strategery, I can invent a word – rawest). Being missional is the normal call on every believer’s life. Yet, it seems to have been hijacked and reduced into a model of “doing” church. The implications are huge. Calling a model “missional” and stacking it against another model “attractional” implies one way is biblical, and the other isn’t. I suppose you could put it another way. Your church is either “missional” or by the nature of not being missional, you are “anti-missional”. I know some of you may not agree with me, but that is the implication. It wouldn’t be so bad if “attractional” was put against “organic” or some other biblical neutral term. But to use a biblical mandate and reduce it to a model causes division by its implication.
Likewise, if you are “attractional” does that mean “missional” model churches are anti-attractional? You see how silly this is? Any church truly living on mission will become very attractional. Try and stop it!
Make no mistake, I believe the church in America needs to re-connect with the mission of Jesus. We need to become more missional in our own communities, and we are!All in all, I simply don’t see any prescribed methodology in Scripture. There are not “Thou shalts” about how to do church. We are all called to be on mission, called to be Christlike, and even called to be sacrificial. But, we are not called to a specific model of how to “do” church. Two things, in my opinion, are the only metrics for a church model: Are they Great Commission and Great Commandment churches?
I don't want this blog to sound negative, not my intention. Just my thoughts on the use of the term "missional". But let me finish this way. The solution is to pour our energies into ushering in the Kingdom of God in our communities. Live in the skin God created for you and how he designed you to do ministry. Everyday is a new adventure and new stories arise about how lives are being changed for the glory of God. In spite of differences in ministry models and philosphies, we are winning battles one life at a time. In that we rejoice becuase God is glorified! Let's find a way to set aside our difference, focus on the war at hand and storm the gates of Hell!
Getting people in the door is one thing, retaining them is really quite another. Gary McIntosh wrote in his book, Beyond The First Visit: A Complete Guide To Connecting Guests To Your Church, “A church keeps about 85% of its guests who come back for a second visit the week after their first visit.” If that is true, then more care must be given to designing and perfecting an intentional follow-up process. In the survey I asked:
Once a visitor attended your service, did you have an intentional, planned follow-up method? Out of the nearly 160 pastors that answered this question, 25 percent indicated that their church did not have an intentional follow-up process for first-time guests. As the churches were divided according to their growth percentage in 2010, however, 100 percent of church that grew by 15 percent of more had an intentional method of following up with first-time guests.
The methods used by the churches that had an intentional follow-up process were interesting. A clear divide appeared between those churches that grew more than 15 percent and those that grew less than 15 percent in 2010. I asked: What were your main processes for following up with a first-time guest? Here are the top three answers for both groups.
Across the board, churches that grew less than 15 percent sent out a personalized letter to first time guest as their primary way of following up (65%). Second to this was a time of “meet and greet” with the pastor after the worship service(45%). Third was the use of email. (35%) Churches that grew by more than 15 percent used email as a primary method for follow-up (90%). Second to this was a sending a personalized letter (62%). Third was a phone call (50%).
What do these numbers mean? I’m sure there is more to the growth of these churches than a simple follow-up process, but I do think these numbers tell us three things:
We live in a technological age where people would rather receive email than snail mail.
“Meet and greet” with the pastor may not be the best way to follow-up. First-time guests, at least in my experience, are not usually ready to jump in and have personal conversations with the pastor. They may be uncomfortable with being in church in the first place and now you are asking them to come into a more private meeting with the pastor.
Making a phone call to follow-up may not be as taboo as many think. If the person sitting in your church writes down their phone number on a communication card, it means they are not opposed to receiving a call. Calling, unlike “meet & greet”, provides safe personal space for someone seeking more information.
In the last blog I shared with you that if a church is going to grow, it must be intentional about growth. We can’t just wait around and expect people to find us. We have to aggressively pursue them. Fast-growing churches understand that they have to be intentional about the process. Fast-growing church also understand that if you are going to go fishing for people, you have to have more than one line in the water. While we would hope for the best and expect our people to invite their friends to Church, we would be naive’ to think that they are doing so.
It really shouldn’t surprise anyone to realize that if you are intentional about inviting your community to Church, and will employ multiple methods, you will experience greater growth. Honestly, this shouldn’t be an earth shattering surprise. However, question four asked: On average, how many first-time guests visited your church each month in 2010?
The results of that question were a little surprising. Those churches that used primarily word-of-mouth (46%) were experiencing only 1 to 5 visitors a month. The majority of churches using multiple methods (50%) were seeing 30+ new people walk through their doors each month. I would say that is a pretty big difference.
It’s expensive to use multiple methods to reach out to a community. In this economy, many churches can barley afford to keep the lights on. What’s the solution? Think about it as an investment. If you were able to gain one family from your marketing or outreach strategy each month and that family started to give back to God, His way, your money problems would go away.
My question is simple: Why is it that the first thing to be cut during hard times is always the worst thing to cut? (Marketing and outreach.) The very thing we need to continue to grow always seems to be the first thing on the chopping block. The next is evangelism.
If you are going to grow your church during these hard economic times, you have to be willing to take the risk of putting multiple lines in the water and design an intentional strategy that includes serious investment in marketing, outreach and evangelism.
Last month I asked pastors across the U.S. to take a quick online survey about Growth & Assimilation. Over 160 of you took the survey and it yielded some interesting results. First I want to thank those of you who participated. I will share the results over the next few days. Much of the results are no surprise, but there are a few things that I think need some reflection.
Fist, it is important to understand that pastors were invited to take this survey primarily through the use social networks: Twitter and Facebook. Those who took this survey have internet capability and are connected, in some way, to these two social networks. Keep that in mind as we look at the findings.
Churches were asked: Does your church have a process for inviting and tracking first-time guests?
Of those churches that grew by 15 percent or more last year, 100 percent of them declared they had an intentional method for inviting and tracking first-time guests. On the other hand, only 65 percent of churches indicating less than 15 percent growth last year had an intentional process for inviting and tracking.
Over 35 percent of the church that grew by >15% had NO intentional method at all.
Secondly, churches were asked: What method do you use for inviting visitors?
Those churches that grew by 15 percent or more used multiple methods for inviting visitors. The top three were Yard signs, mass mail, and word-of-mouth. These churches obviously took an intentional approach to having multiple lines in the water. Those churches that grew less than 15 percent, by overwhelming majority (90%) focused solely on Word-of–mouth.
While I would hope every member of a church is excited enough to invite their friends, is word-of-mouth is word-of-mouth sufficient all by itself? Not according to the numbers. If your church is to experience significant growth, you have to find a way to build more intentionality into the way people are invited to be a part of your ministry.
Over the last few years the demonizing of the institutional church has ramped up. The Church, as it stands, has been called the “bad guy” in the midst of all kinds of cultural and societal changes. As Ben Witherington states in a blog critique of Pagan Christianity the big bad guy, within this movement “is not sin, suffering, the Devil, or any of those things. The big bad guy is going to be what is loosely called the Institutional Church…” If this demonization came from outside the church, it would be easy to overlook. However, that is not the case. The greatest attacks leveled at the Church (and here I mean the institutional church) are often from among those within the Church. Most cloak their demonization in a lofty concern for returning to the ancient ways in order to revive the Church.
The institutionalization of the church, blamed on Constantine, is viewed, by many within this new movement, as an offense to the ancient ways of the Bible. One advocate states that Constantine’s legitimization of the Christian faith and subsequent institutionalization of the Church was “absolutely disastrous to the Jesus movement.”
One of the great failures of this new movement, in my opinion, is a failure to accept institutions as viable, transformational entities. From the time of Christ’s ascension and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, spoken of in Acts 2, the Church has progressed and fulfilled the Father’s glorious purposes. All manners of forms, formats and styles, throughout history have been applied to further the Gospel, none greater than the other. History is replete with revivals and Spiritual awakenings happening within the context of the “institutional church”. I fail to see the power of their arguments. Maybe I am just not smart enough to see it. That is a distinct possibility.
Another problem, as I see it, is a failure to recognize the early and rapid development of the Church’s leadership structures. It is hard to deny that the church had a grassroots movement. It is equally hard to deny that leadership structures, as seen in the Council of Acts 15, did not exist. This council decided on and made sweeping statements for the church at large.
Culture always has, and always will change. That is one constant we can count on. It would be very difficult to prove that culture has not changed since Constantine’s “institutionalization” of the church, and yet that seems to be the underlying claim. Somehow, our culture has so evolved that we have to now radically change our paradigms. Everything we used to know, as Brian McClaren would claim, must be thrown away for something new.
I usually don’t do this, but let me give you a long quote. I think Ben says it about as good as anyone can.
“frankly there are no such thing as ‘institutional churches’. Churches have institutions of various sorts, they aren’t institutions. Furthermore, the Bible is full of traditions and many of those developed after NT times are perfectly Biblical. It’s not really possible to draw a line in the sand between ‘Biblical principles’ and traditions. The question is which traditions comport with Biblical tradition and which do not. And there is a further problem. It is ever so dangerous to take what was normal in early Christianity as a practice, and conclude that therefore it must be normative. It may have been normal in the NT era for non-theological reasons, for example for practical reasons.
To tell us that the church is really people, people united in Christ and serving the Lord, is to say nothing for or against the ‘institutional church’, or for that matter its institutions. Everyone agrees that the church is people, more specifically people gathered for worship, fellowship, and service. Everyone agrees that the church is a living thing and organism, not an organization. So what’s the beef here, and where is the real thrust of the critique?”
It is difficult to take, historical, descriptive practices and turn them into prescriptive mandates.
As I sat in Bible study last night I was struck by the similarities between the story of Jonah and many of our current battles among church methodologies, styles and ideologies. Let me explain.
Jonah was called of God to "GO" to Nineveh. He wasn’t asked to stay and wait hoping some of them might find their way to the temple. Jonah was asked to pack up his things, and go to the sinful and vile center of the Assyrian empire. He was asked to go into the midst of their culture to meet them where they lived and share with them the word of God. The Ninevites were a vile, nasty and vicious people. They didn’t care about the God of the Israelites. They had little empathy for the suffering of those they conquered. Yet God called Jonah to go and share His word with them.
Chapter four is where the story get interesting. After preaching to them, much to Jonah’s dissatisfaction, Nineveh repented and God spared the city. Jonah was furious with God. Imagine that; furious with God because he had mercy on sinners. Jonah said, “I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and one who from sending disaster.” I don’t know about you, but I would hate to be recorded for all of history as one who was angry with God because he was merciful to sinners.
Later on that day, Jonah sits on a hillside and waits to see if God will destroy them anyway. I think Jonah secretly wanted God to pull back from being merciful. As the story continues, God provides a plant to shade Jonah and then later takes it way. Jonah becomes so miserable, he asks God to kill him. What a baby! But this event gives us a glimpse into the heart of Jonah and his motivations.
Jonah is selfish. Bottom line, Jonah is more concerned with his own comfort, than with the salvation of the Ninevites. God says to Jonah, “Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”(NLT)
Here is the question for us to ponder. Have we become a religious culture more concerned for our own comfort than for the millions of people living in spiritual darkness? Do we complain and fight for methodologies, styles, and ideologies that are built around our own selfishness whims and desires while many die and spend an eternity separated from God?
Do not misunderstand me. I am not advocating for one methodology or style over another. My question goes deeper than that. God has called us to “GO” to those who need his word, meet them on their turf, in their culture and call them to repentance. But like Jonah, many of us run from this calling.
Over the last few days I have been contemplating the necessity for change. Change in my own personal life, change in my work life, change in my church, change in the organization of which I am a part. Whether we like it or not, change seems to be a constant. It is also very needed. Peter Drucker,recognized by many as the godfather of management, wrote: “Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes — it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm."
Too often we fight change, avoid change, fear change, kill change or flat out reject change. But should we? Change is never easy, but is usually very beneficial for us. If we stop changing, we stop growing and growth is the only real evidence of life.
Saint Augustine once wrote, “If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.” Paul wrote in 2 Cor 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”I guess that means for the Christian, change should be welcomed and embraced. Notice I didn’t say enjoyed, although some change is enjoyable. Change is often far from being something we enjoy.
As I was reading the Psalms the other day God laid these verses before my eyes. (Ps 32:8-9) The Lord said, “I will guide you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” So far, so good! I like this verse. I love knowing that God is guiding my pathway and watching over me. Gives me a sense of peace. But then the Lord said, “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and a bridle to keep it under control.” Senseless horse or mule!? Not sure I like that visual. My mother always said I was like a bull in a china shop. The opposite to the senseless horse is one that will follow its master out of a relationship and trust.
Think about it for a minute. How often have we acted like the senseless horse in the face of change? When things don’t make sense in our world and change catches us off guard, how do we react? Whether change is related to work, home, church or our own personal growth, we tend to fight change, don’t we? How willing are we to simply follow the master, even when it doesn’t make sense, isn’t enjoyable or when it doesn’t feel good. How often does he have to bridle us as senseless beasts?
The Lord says to each of us, “I will guide you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” He knows us best and ultimately has our best in mind. So embrace, expect and welcome change knowing that the Father is using it to change us from glory to glory. Change is never easy, but it is necessary. If we stop changing, we stop growing and growth is the only real sign of life.
In reality the issue is this: CHANGE OR DIE!
Over the last few days I have been contemplating the necessity for change. Change in my own personal life, change in my work life, change in my church, change in the organization of which I am a part. Whether we like it or not, change seems to be a constant. It is also very needed. Peter Drucker,recognized by many as the godfather of management, wrote: “Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes — it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm."
Too often we fight change, avoid change, fear change, kill change or flat out reject change. But should we? Change is never easy, but is usually very beneficial for us. If we stop changing, we stop growing and growth is the only real evidence of life.
Saint Augustine once wrote, “If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.” Paul wrote in 2 Cor 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”I guess that means for the Christian, change should be welcomed and embraced. Notice I didn’t say enjoyed, although some change is enjoyable. Change is often far from being something we enjoy.
As I was reading the Psalms the other day God laid these verses before my eyes. (Ps 32:8-9) The Lord said, “I will guide you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” So far, so good! I like this verse. I love knowing that God is guiding my pathway and watching over me. Gives me a sense of peace. But then the Lord said, “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and a bridle to keep it under control.” Senseless horse or mule!? Not sure I like that visual. My mother always said I was like a bull in a china shop. The opposite to the senseless horse is one that will follow its master out of a relationship and trust.
Think about it for a minute. How often have we acted like the senseless horse in the face of change? When things don’t make sense in our world and change catches us off guard, how do we react? Whether change is related to work, home, church or our own personal growth, we tend to fight change, don’t we? How willing are we to simply follow the master, even when it doesn’t make sense, isn’t enjoyable or when it doesn’t feel good. How often does he have to bridle us as senseless beasts?
The Lord says to each of us, “I will guide you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” He knows us best and ultimately has our best in mind. So embrace, expect and welcome change knowing that the Father is using it to change us from glory to glory.
Every year an estimated 4,000 churches close their doors? (That is 334 each month, 83 each week, 12 each day). Fortunately, in 2010 denominations, networks and churches, for the first time, planted more churches than closed.
Every living organism has a life-cycle; churches are no different. If those who lead the church are not careful, they will find themselves on the downward slide of that life-cycle. Why are churches across America dying? Here are 10 deadly sins churches commit that lead them down that road. Each of these sins, to varying degrees, can be seen in stagnant and dying churches.
1. Doctrinal Drift
In a desire to reach more people, churches have often watered-down doctrinal to create an environment for "seekers". I dislike the term “Seeker Sensitive” the scripture isn’t very sensitive in many ways. Rather, we should think in terms of “seeker intelligibility”. The Word of God may not be very sensitive to an unbeliever, but it should be intelligible. Make no mistake, the younger generation likes straight-talk. They are tired of the mush.
2. Evangelism Atrophy
Most churches in America aspire to have evangelism as a driving force but they have lost their passion. Ask every one of them, however, and they will proclaim it as a core value. Yet, a quick look at their checkbook, annual budget and programs will tell the truth. For most churches in America evangelism is a great thought and desire, but in all actuality very little in the way of evangelism is done.
3. Failure To Be Relevant
The Gospel was not written in a cultural vacuum. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, in a particular historicl culture and context. It still applies today, but we must learn to understand it in the cultural context in which it was writte befoer we can apply it to the 21st century. Doing church is no different. We have to do church in a way that connects with this culture otherwise the church simply becomes a huddled mass of cloistered believers hiding from a sin-sick world.
4. Vision Drift
While no one will readily admit it, most churches have lost their vision. Instead of being "Good News" to the world, it has become a social club for the already saved.
5. Personal Conflict
Church members have found a way to make an argument out of almost anything. Political power struggles rule the day.
6. A Priority Of Comfort
Dying churches refuse to reach out beyond their own comfort-zones. When any real ministry does happen and dirty, sinful people walk in among the righteous, it upsets the apple cart. It simply isn’t comfortable.
7. Biblical Illiteracy
The latest research by Gallup and other pollsters reveal that most long time members of churches don’t really know what they Bible says. Phrases like; “God helps those who help themselves” are regularly quoted as scripture.
8. Hording
It amazes me the amount of money many dying churches have in their saving accounts. The thought is that they are saving it for a rainy day, but I wonder what God thinks about this? Will he be happy if we, like the man with one talent, have not invested his Kingdom resources in the Great co-mission work when returns. Which would be best; Die rich, having saved our resources and done as little as we can get by with, or Die broke with the knowledge that we have done all we can.
9. Failure to Follow
Too many cooks in the kitchen. Too often pastors are treated like hirelings and not called, anointed people of God. The pastor is forced to walk on eggshells to avoid losing their job.
10. Idolatry
You may think this is absent from today’s Church, but it is very alive. Beloved programs, versions of the Bible, furniture, paintings on the wall and the placement of objects have caused more quarrels than I care to mention. We have taken these items to god-like levels in the church and forgotten the main thing.
Good leadership is essential for any organization to move forward. In hard times, it is even more important. What traits does a leader need to posses in the midst of hard times?
1. Honesty And Credibility.
You can’t hide, fake or bluff your way through tough times. If you don’t know the answer to the problems or need help finding solutions, ask.Allow those you are leading to see you as someone who is humble, honesty and willing to seek counsel. They will respect you for your authenticity.
2. The Ability To Inspire.
Tough times bring on frustration, uncertainty and anxiety in most people. As a leader you have to focus on what could be. Help those who follow you become realistically optimistic about the future. They need a vision that will excite and drive them to work for something better.
3. Be Willing To Face The Brutal Facts.
Gather all your information and look at reality as it is. Your ability to see reality will help you generate a vision of what could be.
4. Boldness.
In this time of uncertainty everyone is tightening the belt. Ministry is slowing or coming to a halt. It may save you cash in the short-run, but it will be detrimental to the future of the ministry. It will take a risk-based faith to step out and strategically do something new when there is little money and no guarantee of success. Yet, faith is critical for the church in the midst of tough times. God has not changed even though everything else around us has. What good will it do to limp to the finish line and find nothing there? “What good will it do for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?”
Don’t stop doing the right thing. Its not about what you can afford to do, it is about doing the right thing. God will do the rest.
Just finished re-reading Paul Borden's book "Assaulting The Gates: Aiming All God's People At The Mission Field." I highly recommend the book to anyone seeking to move toward becoming a missional church.
The thought that started my mind racing has to do with what Borden calls the "Pacification of the church." His words ring too true! In most churches, districts, denominations, or associations (whatever your flavor may be) across America we have allowed the mission of the church to be replaced. Once a driven, passionate, soul winning movement, we have become an institution that values peace and harmony at all costs. By in large the Church has become a place where strife and friction are no longer tolerated. In fact, peace has been so elevated in the economy of the church that it has been put up on a pedestal, admired and worshiped. The church has now become a place designed to meet our personal needs and dissent is not tolerated even if those who are correct are right in pointing out that the church, denomination, district, association or etc, has lost its way in relation to the mission Christ has called us too. If any real debate does creep into the church it is often over issue of structure, methodologies or styles rather than essential issues like sin, evil or righteousness.
Why? Too often those in leadership fear the loss of money, people, clout and influence. A leaders temporary, earthly status trumps their calling to preach Christ to a needy world. Think on this quote from Paul Borden;
"In this process of pacification we have lost the idea that the church of Jesus Christ is to be militant against sin, the forces of evil, and unrighteous systems; we have forgotten that the church is called to convert those who use such systems to create injustice, war, and great inequities of civilization. We have lost the idea of being a soldier of the cross, an army marching for the salvation of people, and lifeboat captains rescuing the perishing." What we want now is "a wonderful place to worship each Sunday and meet the needs of me and my family without upsetting anyone."Worse yet,"the silent majority of most churches would rather allow the spiritual terrorist church bosses to keep the congregation from mission rather than raise issue that might upset the church's illusory peace."
I don't know about you, but that causes me to stop and think! Has peace in the church become a higher value than mission? Are we willing to militantly follow the call of God and lead our churches in the proper direction or will we allowthe "immature majority" of our churches to govern the direction of the church? Could this be the reason so many churches are experiencing decline and plateau?
Here is a statement you can take to the bank, "Your opinion will never change anyone's heart!" The scripture doesn't say, "You shall know Steve's opinion and that opinion will set you free." :) Rather, it says, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." We operate far too often on opinions and personal tastes when it comes to "doing" church.
Here is an idea. What if we stopped telling each other, and God, how WE do church and ask HIM how do YOU want us to do it? Crazy idea isn't it? Grin:)
I dare say little would come from Jesus about what version of the scripture to use, (although he preferred Hebrew and Greek), He would probably have little concern with what kind of music we played or the style of worship we employed. (However, Psalm 150 gives us instructions about a fairly loud and exuberant form of worship, whatever that means.)
I believe Jesus main concern would be for the integrity of the Word and the message it carried. Too many things divide us, and Satan laughs with glee. If we were to put half the passion we have for fighting one another into the cause of Christ, we would be winning the battle in the U.S.
It is the CAUSE of Christ that unites us as Christian's not the peripheries.
I have been rereading The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch. I would highly recommend this book to every pastor. Alan spends a great deal of time talking about the missional drive of the church. He gives us a stark reminder that if we don’t keep the main focus before us, we will quickly become an institution guided by rules and bylaws, rather than a movement driven by passion and vision. Hirsch’s description of a movement and an institution are worth sharing and considering. As you read these contrasting descriptions ask yourself where your church/organization fits and how you can make steps to change.
A Movement
Has pioneering missional leadership as its central role.
Seeks to embody the way of the founder.
Based on internal operational principles.
Has a cause.
The mission is to change the future.
Tends to be mobile and dynamic.
Decentralized network built on relationships.
Appeals to the common person.
Inspirational/transformational leadership dominant; spiritual authority tends to be the primary basis of influence.
People of the way.
Centered-set dynamic
An Institution
Avoids leadership based on personality and is often led by an “aristocratic class” who inherit leadership based on loyalty.
Represents a more codified belief system.
based on external legislating policies/governance.
Is the cause.
The missions shifts to preservation of the past.
Is the cause.
Tends to be more static and fixed.
Centralized organiztion built on loyalty.
Tends to be more elitist and exclusive.
Transactional leadership dominant; Institutional authority tends to be the primary basis of influence.
Having a good follow-up/assimilation strategy in place prior to your launch, is one of the most significant and important jobs to tackle. Yet, in all the church planting books on the market few, if any, address this enormous task. Failure to have this system in place will kill your momentum. Too often church planters allow their pride to get in the way of creating proper measures to re-invite first-time guests. What do we mean by that? Let’s just call it the “Field of Dreams” syndrome: “If I build it, and put the best of everything in place, everyone will flock to my doors.” Every planter feels that his or her church is the best thing in the world. Their band is second-to-none, the children’s ministry is the best thing since sliced bread, and their preaching skills, well, enough said. That kind of self-confidence is both a blessing and a curse. The very characteristic that drives them to launch a new work can also blind-side them and cause them to be so over-confident, they don’t follow-up properly.
Understand that people don’t come through your doors be accident. Everyone who comes to your church was drawn there by the power of the Christ. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” Everyone who comes into the doors of your church is dealing with something. They are carrying baggage and searching for answers. First-time guests are “extraordinary gifts full of unparalleled potential” and Jesus has led them to you so make the “most of every opportunity” and think strategically.
How important is follow-up for the first-time guest? “A church must keep about 16 percent of its first-time guest to experience a minimal growth rate of 5 percent each year. Rapidly growing churches keep between 25 and 30 percent of their first-time guests. Declining churches keep only about 5 to 8 percent of their first-time guests…A church keeps about 85 percent of its guests who comeback for a second visit the week after their first visit.” Let that sink in a minute. Your new church needs to keep at least 16 percent of your guest to experience a slow and steady growth rate. The better you do at follow-up, the greater potential you have for retaining that first-timer. If by some chance you are able to bring them back for a second week, you will have an 85 percent chance of incorporating them into the body of the church.
Ever been in a situation where the Elephant in the room was obvious yet no one wanted to address it? If you have been in ministry for any length of time, the answer to that question is "YES"! So often we want to change things or to see things change but have little courage to face the Elephant head-on. We walk around it, ignore it, point in another direction or blindly walk into it time after time. Yet, we will not call it what it is or draw attention to it in any way.
Whether this elephant is one of a personal or professional nature, we feel as though it is easier to ignore its presence rather than face the brutal facts. Why? Because until you face the brutal facts about the elephant in the room, until you own up to the problem right in front of your eyes, you can never go beyond it. You will never be able to make good decisions about the future until you confront the elephant in the room.
The only catch is the hard work involved in facing the elephant. You may discover, as you process the brutal facts, that you are the problem, or that your best friend needs to go. You may discover that you have been going in the wrong direction and need to make a course correction. No matter what the situation, it will take courage and brutal honesty to move forward.
In a paid work environment, making decisions about the elephant is much easier than in the local church. Which is precisely the reason we rarely take a good look at the creature staring us in the face, call it what it is, grab a knife a fork, and eat the Elephant. (By the way, it doesn't taste like chicken. It tastes like crow!)
This is true even in our spiritual lives. We can never fully understand the grace and forgiveness of God until we are able to deal honestly with the true depths of our own sinfulness.
One thing you can count on in ministry is conflict. It seems to be the norm rather than the exception. In fact, conflict in the church is the number one reason for ministerial dropout, member bailout and visitor stay out. Whether a member or a leader, we all hope to avoid conflict in the church. Then out of the blue; “BAM”! Conflict arises and we spend endless nights trying to figure out how to avoid loss of members, disgruntled staff, or worse yet, a church split.
I dare say most pastors spend 70% of their time putting out fires. We fight like mad to heal the wounds, and build bridges across the chasms that have been created by conflict. Unfortunately, we tend to forget the fallen world in which we live and expect fallen people to be perfect. Here is a statement you can take to the bank: The Church will never be a perfect place as long as we lead it and as long as we minister to a fallen humanity.
Conflict comes in two basic forms. 1) Fallen Human stupidness -Some conflict happens because people are fallen and prone to fits of selfishness, immaturity and stupidity. 2) Demonic meddling –While some conflict may start out as an affect of fallen foolishness, Satan uses the immature conflict and moves it to another level. The human aspect of conflict we understand all to well, but we tend to forget we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. We forget that the real enemy is not the pain in the neck board member or deacon. Rather, it is Satan.
Keep in mind that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. I have a good friend who says every chance he can, "Satan hates church planters more than any in the ministry". He may indeed be right. Remember, anytime you attempt something great for God, whether a church planter or not, Satan will show up. But then what did you expect? Did you think Satan would just roll over and say, "Of course! Go right ahead."?
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph 6:12
If you are anything like me, you are a hard driving, passionate person who just wants to get stuff done. Often times that hard charging trait has put me in a difficult situation. Goal-oriented, task-driven leaders tend to love people, but would rather accomplish a given task and clean up the problems later. However, it is not always that easy to clean up.
One thing I really admire about Nehemiah is his patience and planning. “I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days, I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.” Neh 2:11-12 Wow! Nehemiah didn’t go in guns-a-blazin, he didn’t have the trumpet blowing and tell everyone he had arrived to be their savior. He didn’t’ even go into Jerusalem announcing that he was sent from God and was the answer to their problems. (Although, he knew God had sent him.) Nehemiah spent three days surveying the damage as discreetly as possible. He went out at night when he was least likely to seen and told no one what he was doing or where he had gone.
Nehemiah, I believe needed to familiarize himself with the situation. He needed time to get a better grasp on the situation. Even though he had an idea of to dire circumstances and had come to Jerusalem to lead them towards hope, he didn’t rush in on his white horse and proclaim the he was the answer.
However, neither did Nehemiah take forever to start the process. He didn’t take months to plan out, and think through the various problems and political ramifications of his actions. He didn’t call together a committee to investigate the best direction to lead. Once he had the facts, he acted.
There are times in our ministries when we have to slow down and do a little investigation before we act. There are also times when our prolonged investigation is a smoke screen to keep from facing the problems head on. You cannot afford to wait for perfect conditions. Goal setting is often a matter of balancing timing against available resources.
Good timing can turn a mediocre plan into something very successful. Likewise; bad timing can destroy your plans all together. No matter where lead, whether in the secular business field or in the Church, timing is everything. Unfortunately, most think timing is just dumb luck. Nothing can be further from the truth. It is a critical success factor and you can learn to use it to your advantage.
So, how can we master the issue of timing? The word T.I.M.E. can help.
Tame you desire to act too quickly. This will be harder for some. Don’t become reactionary to a given situation.
Inspect the situation from as many angles as possible. You don’t have to be so detailed that you leave no stone unturned, but you do need to try and get as much good info as possible.
Meditate on what you have found in order to determine the best direction. Again, this shouldn’t take months. Don’t overdue the thought process.
Engage the opportunity, situation or problem head on. You will never make a prefect decision! You will never have all the details. If you are not careful, opportunities are easily lost while waiting for perfect conditions.
Over the last two decades of my life as a leader, one of the labels I have consistently been given is arrogant. While I would never consider myself humble, I also would never consider myself arrogant. Unfortunately many, in the business and church world, mistake bold confidence for arrogance. Is there as difference? Yes!
Marcus Buckingham, a renowned business leader, author, consultant, and researcher says it best; “If you are going to lead, you better have a deep-seated belief that you should be at the helm, dragging everyone into that better future… Virtually nothing about a leader is humble. I’m not saying they are arrogant, but their claims are big.” Buckingham said successful leaders must find a “universal truth” to rally their followers. These universal truths stem from the basic human needs, fears and desires that unite all people, across all cultures. They also happen to be great tools for leadership. The chief responsibility of a leader, for example, "is to rally people for a better future. If you are a leader, you better be unflinchingly, unfailingly optimistic. No matter how bleak his or her mood, nothing can undermine a leader's belief that things can get better, and must get better. I believe you either bring this to the table or you don't.[1]
Having a bold confidence is living out loud. It is the ability to walk in the opposite direction instead of following popular opinion. It is quiet power and most of all, in the Christian world, a deep trust in God’s calling and direction for your life and leadership. It is easy to see how someone could mistake bold confidence for arrogance. When you know what you know, you don’t have to impress anyone. You understand how to just be. Nehemiah was such a man.
Nehemiah had a bold confidence in the calling God placed on his life. He walked into a very bad situation in Jerusalem and turned everything around in 52 days. His desire was to enact change in the midst of desperation and decay. Nehemiah had to have a bold confidence. No one would follow a man who had no confidence in the future and dogged determination that he could change things.
Think about it this way. You are about to go into battle and take a hill that no one has been able to take. Dozens of soldiers have already lost their lives trying to take the hill and now it was your turn. The Sergeant leading the charge is cowering behind the sand bags and turns to the troops and apologizes for getting them in this mess. He is uncertain, captivated by fear, and not sure he wants to move. What would your response be? Would it not mimic the attitudes of the leader?
Same scenario, different leader: He is fearful, but bold. He has a swagger and confidence that can be seen and felt among the troops. He has a belief that the hill can be taken, but is realistic about the cost. The major difference with this leader is his willingness to lead the charge and a winning optimism. Who would you rather follow?
Arrogance and confidence are not the same. Arrogance is a supreme belief in yourself, an attitude of superiority, self-importance and pride. Confidence is really more of a belief, a state of being, which involves faith and trust. Can confidence turn into arrogance? Without a doubt.
If we are to change our culture, whether it be business, or spiritual, we need leaders to step up to the plate and lead with a bold confidence. That confidence comes from a sober understanding of who you are, the calling God has placed on your life, and a dogged determination to guide people into a better future.
Let me leave you with three great quotes:
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.”--T.S. Eliot
“Remember, a dead fish can float down a stream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream."--W.C. Fields
“You need to play with supreme confidence or else you’ll lose again, and then losing becomes a habit.”--Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State University
[1]“Good Managers Focus on Employees’ Strengths, Not Weaknesses” http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1223
Leadership Principle # 6 – We Lead Through God’s Favor
Before you read this, stop right now and take a moment to read Nehemiah 2:1-9. One of the most amazing aspects of the story of Nehemiah is how he approached the King. Think about it, this cupbearer, the royal wine taster, pulled off one of the most incredible asks, I’ve ever seen. Not only did he ask for time off to go home and help his people, he asked his boss, this vicious Assyrian King, for safe passage, and the supplies necessary to rebuild the walls and gates his predecessors destroyed. His “ask” was, in fact, a slam on the foreign policies of the previous kings and request reverse and rebuild what this empire had destroyed. Nehemiah was either crazy or he knew something about leadership that we need to learn. He was able to accomplish something in 52 days that no other leader before was able to do. He led with confidence, he seemed to be intelligent and didn’t seem to mind taking a risk. Yet, I believe Nehemiah knew nothing he was able to accomplish was due to his own abilities. Nehemiah’s brief prayer to God was an acknowledgement of and request for His favor. Nehemiah knew that without the favor of God all his abilities meant nothing.
As leaders, I think we all too often forget that we lead by the only by the favor of God. We haven’t succeeded as leaders because we’re smart, good looking, creative, risk-takers, or add any of a dozen more concepts. We lead and are successful only through the favor of God. We have to keep in mind that the favor we enjoy with others is a gift from God and can be taken from us as quickly as it was granted.
Nebuchadnezzar was taught this very lesson when we grew prideful of all that he had accomplished. He spoke to those around him saying ““Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” Immediately, Nebuchadnezzar was driven into the wilderness to live like an animal for seven years. He stayed there until he learn this simple lesson, “The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes…” Dan 4:17
Always keep in mind that we lead only through the favor of God. If we lose sight of that and think that we have accomplished everything by our own power, we are close to a wilderness experience. God’s favor is a gift given to us to help us accomplish the task God has called us to accomplish. He can take his favor away as quickly as he gave it.
Choosing a leader/Elder for your church is one of the most important decisions a planter makes. Yet, choosing a new leader is often one of the most difficult things to get right. In the life of a church plant, appointing leaders/Elders to guide the church is a “make or break” issue. If there is one thing experience has taught me, choosing the wrong person(s) to lead in a new church will destroy it quicker than anything I know. That's why I coach planters not to even think about permanent leadership structures for at least two-years.
So, how do you choose a leader(s) to serve on a board or to become “Elders” of your church. Whatever nominclature you use for your leadership structures, principles remain unchanged. Let me suggest four actions for you, as the pastor/planter, and six characteristics to watch for in picking a new leader.
1. Prayer & Fasting
Choosing a new leader/elder for a church has become way to politicized and based to often on popularity. Little time, if any, is given to fasting a praying when making a decision to place someone in a position of leadership. Paul told Timothy “Don’t lay hands on anyone in haste…” (1 Tim 5:22) Why? Well he doesn’t tell us why, but it is very obvious isn’t it? Leadership in a church is a spiritual action and requires due diligence before appointing someone to serve.
If it is a spiritual action, then it needs a time of spiritual preparation. Choosing a church leader is not a simple political appointment. It should only be done after a time of prayer and fasting. I have seen too many pastors choose a leader to quickly and with no spiritual emphasis and it led to disaster.
2. Patience
Above all things, be patient! Don’ rush in where angels dare to tread. I have coached multiple planters who have felt pressure from those in the new church to appoint leaders/elders. Often by those who themselves want to be in charge. In my opinion, in a new church, a leader should not be placed into a place of permanent leadership until after year two. Why? That leads to the third action.
3. Observation
You need time to watch those who may be potential leaders for the church. Watch for what? First of all, watch for biblical traits of a leader. Spend time reading through Paul’s words to Timothy and the qualifications of a leader. Listen, it’s easy to sound good or look good. That is why interviewing a potential church planter rarely works. Past behavior is the only good indicator of future actions. Only time will give the firm foundation for determining who would make a good leader.
Secondly, look for these six characteristics: He/she:
Carries the vision of the church – (willing to fight to keep the vision focused, even in your absence.
Is respected by others
Has a proven track record of leadership
Has a teachable spirit. Takes counsel well and is willing to change
Understands that the church needs to remain relevant –(may require change of direction)
Has a servant attitude. Is willing to clean the toilets! (In fact, start them out here and see how they react. Their behavior and attitude will tell you everything.)
4. Listen
Listen to what others say. Paul told Timothy to look for someone with a “good reputation” (1 Tim 3:7), Sometimes it takes the counsel of others to get a good leader. Don’t trust in your own judgment alone. Here is a concept you can take to the bank: Some potential leaders act perfectly in your presence and yet others see them in a whole different light. If you have worked in the church for any length of time at all, you know this to be true. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Pro 11:14) take time to listen to those around you, they may know something you don’t.
I wanted to take a break from the leadership series to blog about an experience I had on Aug 21st. I have waited a few days in order to try to collect my thoughts about what happened.
Once you read this blog, forward it to someone. I would like to make this story viral. Sorry this is so long, but bear with me. I think you will find it worth the read.
On Saturday evening August 21st my wife and I, along with our two children, were walking down the streets of San Antonio, TX on our way to a meal with several church leaders. We only had 9 blocks to walk, but for some reason we decided to veer off the normal path in order to walk along the River Walk for a block or two.
About 40 seconds after descending down the stairs to the walkway below we noticed a very thin, poorly dressed man inching his way into the water on the other side of the River Walk. It was obvious, even from where we were standing, that he very intoxicated and more than likely one of the many homeless men that walked the streets of San Antonio. I grabbed my wife by the arm and told her we better not leave just yet. I was certain that he was not going to be able to make it across the channel.
A crowd began to develop rather quickly to watch this poor man struggle to keep his head above water. I was certain that a few of them had pulled out their phones to either take a picture or video his death. After watching him for several excruciating seconds he went down for the last time. I had already taken off my shoes and handed my wife my iPhone and glasses and prepared myself to dive in and rescue him. One man even hollered at me, “Aren’t you going to save him?” I wish I could say that I was super spiritual and let that roll off my back, but I was a little ticked that no one else was preparing to help him. I didn’t really want to get all wet. I was an hour away from any dry clothes and I was going to a meeting with church leaders.
However, without too much thought I dove in and did my best to find him under the murky river water. Fortunately I took lifeguard training when I was a teenager and that training instinctively kicked in. I grabbed the man across the chest and started to swim towards the walkway. While I was struggling to get the man to shore, my wife was scolding the men standing around watching. “I can’t pull him up on my own, some of you are going to have to help!” she shouted. Within a few seconds I reached the side of the retaining wall as several bystanders grabbed both of us and helped us out. I tell you this story, not because I want a pat on the back, but because of what happened once we were on dry ground and safe from harm.
The crowd pressed in to see if the homeless man, we will call him “John”, was alright. Once they realized he was breathing and safe the crowd dispersed as quickly as it had gathered.Several of the men who had witnessed the whole event came up to me and shook my hand and stated with a tone of surprise, “I can’t believe you did that! Way to go!” The constant encouragement from those who saw the whole incident frustrated me. Seriously, why all the fuss? Isn’t this what people are supposed to do? Isn’t this what we do for fellow human beings who are in need? In fact, I don’t count what I did extraordinary at all. I count it ordinary!
Here is where the real sorrow set in for me. When the local police arrived, they took one look at the man and said, “Oh, it’s just John. What kind of trouble are you causing now?” Later, after we were finished eating, we walked by the sub-station and asked an officer if John was okay. His response was both shocking and disappointing. “Are you the one who saved him?” he asked. “Yes, that was me” I responded. “Thanks a lot” he sarcastically shot back. As we walked away from the conversation one of my daughters said, “Dad, did they want you to let him die? Would they have been happier if you hadn’t saved him?” Her question made me cringe. “Some people just don’t see value in a person like that” I said.
Listen, don’t misunderstand, I am not trying to make those officers out to be monsters. I am very thankful for their service. They, and others like them, tirelessly and thanklessly serve our cities everyday. The problem isn’t with the police of San Antonio, it goes much deeper than that. It’s a cultural problem, a sin problem.
The attitude those officers displayed that night is not a sentiment particular to them. What is that sentiment? Simply this: If you have nothing of value to offer society, you have no value at all. If you can’t do anything to make life better for the whole, if all you do is take, you have little to no value compared to those who can and do. It seems as though we live in a society that has a very skewed view of the value of life. Our new health care system places value on the young and strong. Our laws allow for the termination of an unborn child, and euthanasia laws are just a decade away, if that long.
The difficulty for me is that this sentiment exists, not only in our culture, but that it exists within the walls of the Church as well. “God helps those who help themselves!” (1 Society 2:11) is a favorite pseudo scripture often quoted by those who call themselves, “Christian”. Sometimes we cloak this sentiment in punitive phrases, “He made his bed, now let him lie in it!” (2 Opinions 1:3)
Here is the question: What is the value of a life? How should we attribute value to a person? By what he/she can do for us, for society, for the church? How are we to determine the value of a homeless drunk like John?
In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us create them in our image.” Later in verse 31 God looked at what he created and said, “It is very good!” God answers the question for us. Human value is not based on our contribution to society but bestowed on us from the maker. He created us in his image and said, “It is very good.” Because we are all created in His image, we all hold equal value. No one holds greater value than another in the eyes of God. Just because I am a preacher, and have been so for over 24 years, doesn’t mean I hold greater value to God than the bum on the street.
I know some of you reading this want to fight back and say, “Yeah but…” Unfortunately, there is no “BUT” Rom 3:23 “We have all sinned and fallen short…” and Eph 2:8-9 “It is by grace you were saved, not of yourselves, so that no man can boast.” Make is painfully clear that we are all in the same boat. And yet, while we were still in the filth of our life, He saved us! (Rom 5:8)
If that is true, then how should we now act? As a Christ follower, my response is simple. Love God with all my heart and in doing so, love others as myself. Treat everyone as Christ treated me. He rescued me, a filthy, stained, reprobate from drowning in my sin. My natural response to God is thankfulness. My natural response to society is mercy. “He has shown you, Oh man, what is good. What does the Lord require of us? Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before your God.” Micah 6:8
God has called us to go to the least, the marginalized, outcast, "widows and ophans" and minister to them. They are near to the heart of God. We must do a better job of looking at and treating all people with the dignity and honr they deserve. Natalie Grant puts it best in her song HUMAN.
Every life has a choice
To rise up to fill the void
Every heart has a mission
And we are called to be human
We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One chance to make a difference
We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One life that we've been given
A little love, a little kindness
A little light in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes us different
It'll be what makes us human
I'm human, you're human, we are human
We are marked with His image
And we are scarred with indifference
Maybe now we should listen
Hear the cry of God's children
What do you think? What is the value of a human life?
I wanted to take a break from the leadership series to blog about an experience I had on Aug 21st. I have waited a few days in order to try to collect my thoughts about what happened.
Once you read this blog, forward it to someone. I would like to make this story viral. Sorry this is so long, but bear with me. I think you will find it worth the read.
On Saturday evening August 21st my wife and I, along with our two children, were walking down the streets of San Antonio, TX on our way to a meal with several church leaders. We only had 9 blocks to walk, but for some reason we decided to veer off the normal path in order to walk along the River Walk for a block or two.
About 40 seconds after descending down the stairs to the walkway below we noticed a very thin, poorly dressed man inching his way into the water on the other side of the River Walk. It was obvious, even from where we were standing, that he very intoxicated and more than likely one of the many homeless men that walked the streets of San Antonio. I grabbed my wife by the arm and told her we better not leave just yet. I was certain that he was not going to be able to make it across the channel.
A crowd began to develop rather quickly to watch this poor man struggle to keep his head above water. I was certain that a few of them had pulled out their phones to either take a picture or video his death. After watching him for several excruciating seconds he went down for the last time. I had already taken off my shoes and handed my wife my iPhone and glasses and prepared myself to dive in and rescue him. One man even hollered at me, “Aren’t you going to save him?” I wish I could say that I was super spiritual and let that roll off my back, but I was a little ticked that no one else was preparing to help him. I didn’t really want to get all wet. I was an hour away from any dry clothes and I was going to a meeting with church leaders.
However, without too much thought I dove in and did my best to find him under the murky river water. Fortunately I took lifeguard training when I was a teenager and that training instinctively kicked in. I grabbed the man across the chest and started to swim towards the walkway. While I was struggling to get the man to shore, my wife was scolding the men standing around watching. “I can’t pull him up on my own, some of you are going to have to help!” she shouted. Within a few seconds I reached the side of the retaining wall as several bystanders grabbed both of us and helped us out. I tell you this story, not because I want a pat on the back, but because of what happened once we were on dry ground and safe from harm.
The crowd pressed in to see if the homeless man, we will call him “John”, was alright. Once they realized he was breathing and safe the crowd dispersed as quickly as it had gathered.Several of the men who had witnessed the whole event came up to me and shook my hand and stated with a tone of surprise, “I can’t believe you did that! Way to go!” The constant encouragement from those who saw the whole incident frustrated me. Seriously, why all the fuss? Isn’t this what people are supposed to do? Isn’t this what we do for fellow human beings who are in need? In fact, I don’t count what I did extraordinary at all. I count it ordinary!
Here is where the real sorrow set in for me. When the local police arrived, they took one look at the man and said, “Oh, it’s just John. What kind of trouble are you causing now?” Later, after we were finished eating, we walked by the sub-station and asked an officer if John was okay. His response was both shocking and disappointing. “Are you the one who saved him?” he asked. “Yes, that was me” I responded. “Thanks a lot” he sarcastically shot back. As we walked away from the conversation one of my daughters said, “Dad, did they want you to let him die? Would they have been happier if you hadn’t saved him?” Her question made me cringe. “Some people just don’t see value in a person like that” I said.
Listen, don’t misunderstand, I am not trying to make those officers out to be monsters. I am very thankful for their service. They, and others like them, tirelessly and thanklessly serve our cities everyday. The problem isn’t with the police of San Antonio, it goes much deeper than that. It’s a cultural problem, a sin problem.
The attitude those officers displayed that night is not a sentiment particular to them. What is that sentiment? Simply this: If you have nothing of value to offer society, you have no value at all. If you can’t do anything to make life better for the whole, if all you do is take, you have little to no value compared to those who can and do. It seems as though we live in a society that has a very skewed view of the value of life. Our new health care system places value on the young and strong. Our laws allow for the termination of an unborn child, and euthanasia laws are just a decade away, if that long.
The difficulty for me is that this sentiment exists, not only in our culture, but that it exists within the walls of the Church as well. “God helps those who help themselves!” (1 Society 2:11) is a favorite pseudo scripture often quoted by those who call themselves, “Christian”. Sometimes we cloak this sentiment in punitive phrases, “He made his bed, now let him lie in it!” (2 Opinions 1:3)
Here is the question: What is the value of a life? How should we attribute value to a person? By what he/she can do for us, for society, for the church? How are we to determine the value of a homeless drunk like John?
In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us create them in our image.” Later in verse 31 God looked at what he created and said, “It is very good!” God answers the question for us. Human value is not based on our contribution to society but bestowed on us from the maker. He created us in his image and said, “It is very good.” Because we are all created in His image, we all hold equal value. No one holds greater value than another in the eyes of God. Just because I am a preacher, and have been so for over 24 years, doesn’t mean I hold greater value to God than the bum on the street.
I know some of you reading this want to fight back and say, “Yeah but…” Unfortunately, there is no “BUT” Rom 3:23 “We have all sinned and fallen short…” and Eph 2:8-9 “It is by grace you were saved, not of yourselves, so that no man can boast.” Make is painfully clear that we are all in the same boat. And yet, while we were still in the filth of our life, He saved us! (Rom 5:8)
If that is true, then how should we now act? As a Christ follower, my response is simple. Love God with all my heart and in doing so, love others as myself. Treat everyone as Christ treated me. He rescued me, a filthy, stained, reprobate from drowning in my sin. My natural response to God is thankfulness. My natural response to society is mercy. “He has shown you, Oh man, what is good. What does the Lord require of us? Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before your God.” Micah 6:8
God has called us to go to the least, the marginalized, outcast, "widows and ophans" and minister to them. They are near to the heart of God. We must do a better job of looking at and treating all people with the dignity and honr they deserve. Natalie Grant puts it best in her song HUMAN.
Every life has a choice
To rise up to fill the void
Every heart has a mission
And we are called to be human
We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One chance to make a difference
We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One life that we've been given
A little love, a little kindness
A little light in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes us different
It'll be what makes us human
I'm human, you're human, we are human
We are marked with His image
And we are scarred with indifference
Maybe now we should listen
Hear the cry of God's children
What do you think? What is the value of a human life?
Leadership Principle #2 – Own your part of the problem
Have you ever played the “Blame Game?” Not me! Wasn’t my fault! We live in a culture that seems to expect us to play the game don’t we? We have learned to blame it on the environment we grew up in, or we blame the people we work with. We’ve learned to blame our parents, our children, even our genetic make-up. There seems to be no lack of blame to go around. I dare say everyone here has played the game at one time or the other.
I remember a time very vividly. I was 7 years old and living in Barkeyville, PA. at the time. My father pastored the local Church of God and we lived in the parsonage right across the street. It was a typical parsonage about 300 years old, ready to fall apart and surrounded by a cemetery on three sides. What a wonderful environment for a child to grow up in.
On top of being a pastor, my dad was working several jobs to keep our household afloat. One of his jobs was driving a school bus. Well, one bright Saturday morning my best friend came over to the house and we decided to take our BB guns and go out to the woods and shoot some tin cans. We didn’t quite make it to the woods. As we walked out the door of the house there stood a bright shiny yellow bus with dozens of sparkling glass windows. Billy pulled up first and shot a window. Man when that BB hit the window it created the most awesome pattern of shattered glass. So I decided to try my hand at it. By the time we were done. Every window in that bus had a beautiful spider-web pattern in it. It didn’t sink in, until every window was shattered, that this may not have been such a good idea.
When my dad got home a few hours later, I think the temperature of Barkeyville went up 25 degrees. I swear I saw smoke rolling out his ears. He looked at me and said, “Who did this?” I said “Billy made me. He started it.” Needless to say, blaming him didn’t get me off the hook.
It seems to be a tendency of the human condition to blame someone else doesn’t it? When things don’t go as we expected, or we find ourselves in a mess, we try to find a way of casting blame. Unfortunately, this game is as old as the world itself. Adam started it in Gen 3:12 “The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Here is a little tip, for married men; don’t try this at home! You may be tempted to blame your wife for your bad behavior, but it never seems to work out when you do.
One of the things that impressed me most about Nehemiah was his willingness to admit he was a part of the problem. While Nehemiah reflected on the problems Israel faced, he remembered the instructions God gave to Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations…” (Neh 1:8) Here is what impresses me. Nehemiah would be the one who would finally lead this discouraged and beaten people back to a place of restoration and wholeness. But before he could lead them, he had to lead himself. Nehemiah took time to reflect on his own poor behavior and how he had become a part of the problem.
I find it fascinating that Nehemiah, who was removed from the problem by time and distance, took it personal. He didn’t sin personally. He didn’t even live in Israel. Yet, he realized that if he wasn’t a part of the solution, he was by default a part of the problem.
The principle is simple; when you know the right thing to do, even if you did no wrong, and don’t attempt to make a situation right, you are complicit in the wrong action. That concept may not be very popular, but it is proper.
In the corporate world, CEO’s, leaders and managers of every kind have been complicit in the sins of the corporation and allowed good people to be hurt by the system. Knowing the system to be wrong or broken, many turn a blind eye and say, “It wasn’t my idea. It was passed down from the top. Besides, we have been operating this way for years and no one has tried to change it.”
In my world, the world of the church, it seems to be even worse. Outdated functional structures and systems, antiquated expectations and self-motivated leaders continue to perpetuate the problem. While these systems and leadership styles may have worked well in the 20’s or 30’s, they appear to remain the standard for daily business. Yet, the Church, at least in America, seems to be sliding into oblivion having less and less essential value in the culture.
Nehemiah’s state of mind was simple but profound. He owned the problem as his own. In his prayer he admitted that he was a part of the problem and sought God’s forgiveness. It would have been easy for Nehemiah, to take the memory of God’s words to Moses and use them as a justification to stay where he was. After all, they made their own beds... Fortunately for us, he showed us a better way.
Being a good leader in the midst of chaos requires an ability to own the fact that you may be part of the problem. One thing is for sure; you can never lead people beyond where you have journeyed yourself.
Leadership has it's challenges. Let’s get real, even though we would like to live in an ideal world where cute little bunnies hop happily down the street, flowers and sunshine fall gently from the sky and, no child is ever left behind, it just ain’t so. Life happens! The truth is, we live in a fallen world, full of drama, unexpected failures, hatred, racism, selfish self-seeking people and wickedness of every kind. Being a leader, in the midst of a world like this often means leading people through one crisis to another.
This constant stress in leadership will either make us or break us. Some call it the “crucible” where the dross of our life is burned off; others call it a defining moment. I just call it par for the course. Living in a fallen world has baggage. Anyone seeking to be in a position of leadership should never be surprised by the chaos that surrounds them, especially if you are in a growing organization. Some of the chaos we cause, and the rest just happens whether we are ready for it or not.
Nehemiah was a slave to the king of Persia during the reign of Artaxerxes I around 445 B.C. He was the royal food taster for the king. (Not someone you would think of as a natural leader!) He is not a man you would chose to be on the cover of Forbes 500 or “Man of the Year”. He was a humble, simple slave who served in the place of the king of a nation that had conquered his own. So, why take leadership tips from an expendable slave with seemingly no future? Because Nehemiah actually accomplished something extraordinary.
Through a series of I would call miraculous events, Nehemiah was allowed to leave the palace and return to his people in Jerusalem. He was thrust into the most chaotic environment imaginable and would ultimately accomplish the impossible. He was able to cast a vision for a new future, create enormous buy-in, organize an effective work force and generate a culture of “Can-do” that would encourage and calm a frightened group of people. He was able to turn around a bad situation and within fifty-two days do something that other had not been able to do in decades.
In my opinion, that is something worth investigating. Nehemiah, a lowly salve to a conquering king, became a great leader. Whether you are leading a corporation, small business, or a non-profit organization, the principles learned from this extraordinary leader have enormous value. If taken seriously, I believe these principles have the ability to radically change the way you lead and take you to the next level.
I have been reading through "A Christian's Secret To A Happy Life" by Hannah Whithall Smith. This is probably the fifth time I have read this book and every time I am amazed by her wisdom and understanding of spiritual things. The chapter on “Failure” is probably one of the most profound chapters on the power of God’s forgiveness and the power of secret sin. I am both overjoyed with God’s redeeming love and challenged to look deeply into my own life and uncover those things which, “so easily beset” me. (Heb 12:1) She says things so well, there is no need to repeat it. Here is an excerpt from chapter 13. I would encourage you to buy this book and read it for yourself!
“And now, having shown the way of deliverance from failure, I want to say a little as to the causes of failure in this life of full salvation. The causes do not lie in the strength of the temptation nor in our own weakness, nor, above all, in any lack in the power or willingness of our Savior to save us. The promise to Israel was positive, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life." And the promise to us is equally positive. "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it." The men of Ai were "but few," and yet the people who had conquered the mighty Jericho "fled before the men of Ai." It was not the strength of their enemy, neither had God failed them. The cause of their defeat lay somewhere else, and the Lord Himself declares it, "Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs upon their enemies." It was a hidden evil that conquered them. Deep down under the earth, in an obscure tent in that vast army, was hidden something against which God had a controversy, and this little hidden thing made the whole army helpless before their enemies. "There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." The teaching here is simply this, that anything allowed in the heart which is contrary to the will of God, let it seem ever so insignificant, or be ever so deeply hidden, will cause us to fall before our enemies. Any root of bitterness cherished towards another, any self-seeking and harsh judgments indulged in, any slackness in obeying the voice of the Lord, any doubtful habits or surroundings, any one of these things will effectually cripple and paralyze our spiritual life. We may have hidden the evil in the most remote corner of our hearts, and may have covered it over from our sight, refusing even to recognize its existence, of which, however, we cannot help being all the time secretly aware. We may steadily ignore it, and persist in declarations of consecration and full trust, we may be more earnest than ever in our religious duties, and have the eyes of our understanding opened more and more to the truth and the beauty of the life and walk of faith. We may seem to ourselves and to others to have reached an almost impregnable position of victory, and yet we may find ourselves suffering bitter defeats. We may wonder, and question, and despair, and pray; nothing will do any good until the accursed thing is dug up from its hiding-place, brought out to the light, and laid before God. And the moment a believer who is walking in this interior life meets with a defeat, he must at once seek for the cause not in the strength of that particular enemy, but in something behind, some hidden want of consecration lying at the very center of his being. Just as a headache is not the disease itself, but only a symptom of a disease situated in some other part of the body, so the sin in such a Christian is only the symptom of an evil hidden probably in a very different part of his being. Sometimes the evil may be hidden even in that, which at a cursory glance, would look like good. Beneath apparent zeal for the truth, may be hidden a judging spirit, or a subtle leaning to our own understanding. Beneath apparent Christian faithfulness, may be hidden an absence of Christian love. Beneath an apparently rightful care for our affairs, may be hidden a great want of trust in God. I believe our blessed Guide, the indwelling Holy Spirit, is always secretly discovering these things to us by continual little twinges and pangs of conscience, so that we are left without excuse. But it is very easy to disregard His gentle voice, and insist upon it to ourselves that all is right; and thus the fatal evil will continue hidden in our midst causing defeat in most unexpected quarters. A capital illustration of this occurred to me once in my housekeeping. I had moved into a new house and, in looking over it to see if it was all ready for occupancy, I noticed in the cellar a very clean-looking cider-cask headed up at both ends. I debated with myself whether I should have it taken out of the cellar and opened to see what was in it, but concluded, as it seemed empty and looked nice, to leave it undisturbed, especially as it would have been quite a piece of work to get it up the stairs. I did not feel quite easy, but reasoned away my scruples and left it. Every spring and fall, when house-cleaning time came on, I would remember that cask, with a little twinge of my housewifely conscience, feeling that I could not quite rest in the thought of a perfectly cleaned house, while it remained unopened, for how did I know but under its fair exterior it contained some hidden evil. Still I managed to quiet my scruples on the subject, thinking always of the trouble it would involve to investigate it; a nd for two or three years the innocent-looking cask stood quietly in my cellar. Then, most unaccountably, moths began to fill my house. I used every possible precaution against them, and made every effort to eradicate them, but in vain. They increased rapidly and threatened to ruin everything I had. I suspected my carpets as being the cause, and subjected them to a thorough cleaning. I suspected my furniture, and had it newly upholstered. I suspected all sorts of impossible things. At last the thought of the cask flashed on me. At once I had it brought up out of the cellar and the head knocked in, and I think it is safe to say that thousands of moths poured out. The previous occupant of the house must have headed it up with something in it which bred moths, and this was the cause of all my trouble. Now I believe that, in the same way, some innocent-looking habit or indulgence, some apparently unimportant and safe thing, about which we yet have now and then little twinges of conscience, something which is not brought out fairly into the light, and investigated under the searching eye of God, lies at the root of most of the failure in this higher life.
All is not given up. Some secret corner is kept locked against the entrance of the Lord. And therefore we cannot stand before our enemies, but find ourselves smitten down in their presence. In order to prevent failure, or to discover its cause if we have failed, it is necessary that we should keep continually before us this prayer, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any evil way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Finally, let us never forget for one moment, no matter how often we may fail, that the Lord Jesus able, according to the declaration concerning Him, to deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, that we may "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life." Let us then pray, every one of us, day and night, "Lord, keep us from sinning, and make us living witnesses of Thy mighty power to save to the uttermost "; and let us never be satisfied until we are so pliable in His hands, and have learned so to trust Him, that He will be able to "make us perfect, in every good work to do His will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
Don’t be married to the church? What? Why would anyone ever blog about that? As a preachers kid I understand this problem in ways I wish I didn’t. As a pastor of 21 years I have not only experienced the effects of this problem in my life, but also helped to promote it in many ways. In my father’s generation, it was widely accepted that the church always came before the family. Why? Somehow his service, to the church, was considered an act of sacrifice and showed real commitment. Anything short of total life sacrifice simply wasn’t true commitment to the high calling of pastor.
I always remember my professor in seminary telling me; “God first, Family second, and Church third.” Sounds good in theory, but when I got into the real world, I soon discovered how truly difficult it was to keep that theory. The demands of the ministry are overwhelming at times. The pressure to succeed, the desire to grow, the need for more money, the promotion of church programs and the like put ever increasing pressures on the back of the pastor. Even our parishioners seem to have a level of expectancy for their paid pastor. Interestingly enough, the medical community has picked up on this phenomenon and labeled the profession of pastor as one of the highest health risks in the nation. Some of you may have learned how to deal with these pressures. However, I dare say the majority of pastors in the church today have not.
Now take the pressures of pastoring an established church and add the pressures of starting one from nothing. The stress and anxiety levels go through the roof. Many planters are goal driven and when their goals are not being met they naturally think; “if I work harder, pray harder and work longer, I will reach the pinnacle of success.” I many ways the planter commits a form of spiritual adultery and exchanges his relationship with his wife and family for a new marriage with the church. This new fledgling church, becomes for many their new mistress.
Donald Joy, a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, reminded me of this danger today as I was reading Men Under Construction. Joy said, “The church has one husband: Jesus. That’s enough! We can’t have bigamy scandalizing the church. Be the husband of one wife…and Jesus will affirm you for it, but don’t go flirting with His bride.” (page 108) I think that sums it up nicely.
Don’t make the mistake of sacrificing the gift of family with a a new mistress called the church. God’s call to you is to be a Christian first, a spouse and parent second (if married) and a pastor third. The consequences of getting this out of a proper perspective can be catastrophic in more ways than one.
Churches die. That’s a fact. Yet, many of us have bought into the idea that our church was meant to last until Jesus comes. That is simply not the case. Too often churches struggling to stay alive pursue the search for the fountain of youth. Many believe that if they can’t find that fountain of youth, the doors will close and they will be considered a failure. While we may mourn the passing of a great work, I think we need to correct our ecclesiology.
Understand that there is a big difference between "church" with a small "c" and "Church" with a capital "C". The Church (capital C) is eternal and will never die. But, the local church (small c) is community of believers. Those involved in these local community of believers age, move away, and eventually die. Churches have life-cycles. Some last longer than others and some are churches for a season.
If a church closing is a failure, then all of the churches of Acts were miserable failures. Realize not one of them exists today. However, what we do have is the legacy they left. The churches of Acts were springboards, stopping off points in history for the spreading of the gospel. They served as the foundation for future works. Your church is proof of that. Your church exists today because the churches of Acts were sending bodies that did not think about self-preservation. Rather, they thoughts about the multiplication of the kingdom and the spreading of the good news.
No church was intended to be around forever. The problem rests in the fact that many congregations see their church as a castle to protect, instead of a small part of God’s kingdom-building process. We are not called to be castle fortifiers, but kingdom builders. We need to come to terms with the fact that many of our churches will not last for another 15 years, but they might be a stepping stone in the history of God’s multiplying and spreading kingdom. Instead of fighting to keep a church on life-support, let’s celebrate what God has done. Let’s have proper funeral and throw a party for their faithfulness.
Can you imagine what might happen if churches fighting to stay alive, where celebrated, closed and the assets where used to plant another vibrate, growing church? What kind of a legacy could that church leave for future generations?
Why even talk about such a fatalistic issue? Why bring up such a difficult subject? Because the Church in America is in a severe crisis. Watch this video from David Olsen. If the video peaks your interest visit The American Church and order his book.
Churches operate through volunteers. That is a fact! If a church doesn't have a good base of volunteers to run its every day and weekly activities/ministries the church will not function well. This isn't simply true of the church, but also true of any non-profit organization, polictical campaign and para-church organizations.
Here is a question to ponder. While volunteerism is imporrtant, is it accomplishing what we intend for it to accomplish in the church? We ask people in the church to become volunteers so they can become servants in the church. In every organization of this kind th volunteer serves the organization. I know that some of you are wanting to push back here and say; "No! They serve God by serving the church." I'm not sure this is true.
We all believe in the giftedness of believers. We all understadn that the church is to help our people discover how God has created them to serve. We all believe that becoming a servant is crucial to the Christian life. But is serving the pinnacle of our calling as Christians? 1 Peter 2:5 "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Our volunteers are used to serve the church and help it's ministries function. That is not a bad thing, but is serving the church, the right direction to help our people find meaning? It is a means, but not the end.
Let me explain before I am crucified or burned at the stake. Our calling, as leaders, is to call our people to become missionaries, not volunteers. You may think; "That is just splitting hairs." But is it? Or use of language can be profound. Helping our people understand that the high calling of the Christian life is to become missionaries in their culture encompasses volunteerism, than vice-versa.
Bottom line is this. We need to call people to volunteer in the church, but within the framework of being a missionary in their community. Calling your people ministers or missionaries has much more meaning than calling someone a volunteer. Any organization cn have volunteers. We have missionaries. I think that the change of name can aid the change of our philosophy of ministry and release our people to become more than mere volunteers, serving the church. Rather, they become missionaries, serving their community.
What is a church-planting movement? This is a question that I have been wrestling with for quite some time. In fact, I am not the only one. Many people smarter than myself are asking the same question. People like Ed Stetzer, David Garrison, Alan Hirsch, Neil Cole, Bob Roberts, and the list goes on. Each one of these leaders share differing nuances about what this “Movement” would be. What does a church planting movement look like, and how do we know if we are experiencing one?
Even Webster’s Dictionary has multiple definitions of what the word “movement” means. I think the one that fits best, at least for this discussion, is “abundance of events or incidents”. I think that is what everyone is driving at.
Bob Roberts wrote “We want to see a movement that will transform societies similar to what has happened in the past and is happening in the East.” (The Multiplying Church, Zondervan 2008) American Christians are hungry for something, maybe a revival of old, to happen in our country. We want to see the Spirit of God sweep across our land in a powerful way as it is in China.
But here is the rub for me. As we look at movements across the world, as we look at what is happening in India, China, South Africa, and how the Gospel is taking these nations by storm, we have to put it all in its own cultural context.
We are not Mainland China where Christianity is openly persecuted. We are not India where a house church movement is maintained as a way to keep the church flourishing in an openly oppressive (against Christianity) culture. I believe we have to be careful as we describe what we see taking place elsewhere, as prescriptive of what must happening in every society, culture and place. What a movement in the U.S. looks likes, I believe, will be radically different from what one looks like in the East. With one exception, God shows up!
The book of Acts reveals a great mixture of both an indigenous, explosive , movement, led by lay-people as well as a more “professional Apostolic” movement, led by the likes of James, Phillip, Peter and Paul. The missionary journeys of Paul reveal to us that he went to places where believers had already been meeting as well as places where no movement of God had been seen. How God determines to move in any particular setting varies.
As I look at my own country, I want what I see across the ocean to happen here. But it won’t look the same. We may not see the widespread movement of God that I believe is being generated by persecution and hardship. (Nothing like persecution to get the church moving.) But we cannot discount that, as has been reported, we are for the first time planting more churches every year then we are closing. True, the state of the church and American Christianity is at its worst in our history, but I believe that we are seeing the early stages of a genuine Church Planting movement in the United States. Will it look as it does in another cultural context? No! Nonetheless, God is showing up all around the country. We are, as Malcom Gladwell put it, at the “Tipping Point”.
What excites me more than ever is that churches are starting to get the point. Even in our own group, many are starting to believe and own the vision. Instead of simply sending money they are now doing it for themsleves. Will it look the same? No! Even around the U.S. our cultures and structures differ. There is no one way to plant a church. One thing is for sure, if we are to see a movement pick up speed, it has to begin with the local church.
Have you ever felt like Abraham? Called out to an unknown place, sure when you've arrived, and uncertain what the future holds? Yet, Abraham left knowing that God was in control. I am sure many of you have found yourself in that kind of a situation a few times in your life. For me, however, this is a first. Through 23 years of ministry I have always known where God was leading. It was always very clear what he called me to do. Now, I find myself in that awkward position of Abraham - A man without a country.
Over the last two weeks I have been in a focused season of prayer and personal reflection. God had been stirring in my heart for quite some time but through the events of the last few weeks He has forced me to take a time to focus my thoughts. On Friday, April 23rd, I started a weekend of fasting and by Sunday afternoon God calmed my heart and said, "Trust me. I will lead you where you need to go." Not exactly the awe inspiring, detailed, and perfectly laid out information I was looking for, but nonetheless I knew God was leading towards something new. What that "something" is I do not know.But I do know this, God is in control and I trust Him leading.
For know I will carry on in the office as the Director of National Missions until the end of August. I will be preparing document, finalizing information and laying out the processes of National Missions for the next Director whoever that may be. Pray that God will reveal himself to me and guide the process of those entrusted with the task of finding a new director. These are interesting days for the General Baptists and I pray that God will bless all they do.
As for me and my family, well we will see what God has in store.
Excuse #4 - We are suppose to be different from the world.
Of all the excuses I hear from pastors, this is probably the most common. Here are two verses used to support this thought.
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.Therefore come out from them and be separate’, says the Lord.” 2 Cor 6:14-17
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom 12:1-2
What does Paul mean when he tells us not to be “conformed to the world”? What his point when he quoted Isa 52:11 as a called to be “separate”? More importantly, what are we to separate ourselves from or avoid being conformed to and in which areas of our lives do these verse apply?
I won’t go into a huge diatribe about these two verses because it would take too long and I would lose you as a reader very quickly. However, here is my thought: Why is it that these verses only apply to what we do inside the walls of the church? Those who use these verses as proof texting for why they won’t move to a more contemporary format in their services don’t use the same measure for their “other” life. I say “other” because it seems as if many have been able to compartmentalize their “Sunday morning life” from the rest of their “day-to-day life”. While the insides of their churches look like something from the last century, they still drive up-to-date cars, watch TV on their new HD TV, (and mind you many shows that are not very appropriate) use the latest appliances and live life to the fullest in century of which they are a part. I find it interesting that these leaders and their members are not personally committed to live separate or non-conformist lives, as least to the level they require on Sunday morning. Doesn’t that seem odd to anyone else? Isn’t that a real definition of hypocrisy? I fear many are using the church as a place to create a sense of comfort rather than commissioning. I fear many have elevated comfort as a higher value than the call to do the Great Commission work?
Maybe I am over simplifying, but it seems to me the Biblical calling to be separate or not to conform has to do with a calling not to live an ungodly, Christless, sin-filled life. I don’t believe “stuff” or methodologies of ministry were even a thought in Paul’s mind when he penned these verses. Besides if they were, then even the traditional church of today would be worldly to Paul because it looks nothing like the church of his era.
Excuse #3 – If we preach it, they will come. Since they don’t they are not really interested. It’s not our fault.
Remember the Kevin Costner movie, Field Of Dreams?Costner plays the part of an Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella, who is down on his luck.The farm is about to be foreclosed and the family has no way out. One day “Ray” hears a voice in his cornfield whispering, "If you build it, he will come." So, he builds a baseball field on his farm, and the ghosts of multiple baseball players show up and play a game of ball. Hundreds come from around the area, pay to watch the game, and VIOLA the farm is saved! If it were only that easy!
Yet, it seems as if many in the pulpit today have bought into that notion. In fact, it is a popular excuse for way many congregations remain small. The idea goes something like this: The Word of God is powerful and all we have to do is preach the Word. Those who live in our community know where we are located and if they really want to change they will come and hear the word. We don’t have to do any of that fancy stuff to get people in our doors. If we simply preach the Word of God faithfully, they will come. If they don’t, well then, that is their fault not ours. I don’t mean to sound so harsh, but I can’t tell you how many times I have heard those very words.
I do agree the Word of God is powerful. Hebrews 4:12 makes that very clear, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” However, where does the Great Commission state, “STAY”! Where do we find the lackadaisical approach to ministry in the Word? Where does it tell us that ALL we need to do is preach the Word?
Any realistic look at Scripture will reveal that we have a pursuing God who asks us to follow his lead – to go out into the “Highways and byways”. We cannot allow our lazy pursuit of those caught in sin to be something we attempt to justify through God’s Word.
Excuse #2 – Our size is simply a sign of the times.
Without a doubt there will be a time of great apostasy before Jesus returns. The Bible warns of this great falling away at the end of time. 1 Thess 2:3 “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first…”. So, we should expect nothing different. However, never was this statement, by Paul to the church of Thessalonica, intended to be a used as an excuse to sit back on our laurels and simply accept as a matter of fact, “this is the way it is.” Nor should we quote Matt 7:14 “broad is the road to destruction and narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” as a justification for inactivity.
Some, well-meaning leaders have used 2 Tim 2:2-4 “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” as an excuse for poor functional systems, bad planning and no evangelistic direction. Make no mistake, the scripture is clear that many will not receive God’s word regardless what we say, but that fact cannot be a justification for our smallness or lack of growth. We must not use scriptures of this nature to “proof text” our behavior.
Who knew the condition of mankind better than Jesus? He understood the hardness of men’s hearts and what the end of time would hold. Yet, he was urgently driven to share the Kingdom of God with all who would listen. Jesus told the truth every time he opened his mouth. What was the response? “Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” Matt 4:25. Did many reject him? YES! But many also followed.
Bottom line is this: We can never, and should never accept that fact that our church is not growing as a “sing of the times.” As people of grace, we should be compelled by love and driven to share with all, whenever and wherever we can. Will we be rejected? YES! But every no brings us closer to a “YES” for the glory of God’s kingdom.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Gal 6:9
Over the last few years I have had the privilege of traveling around the United States, meeting all kinds of leaders and working with many different churches. I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with churches of all kinds and sizes. Yet, one thing seems to be a constant among many (not all), plateaued/declining churches, they all have what I call “Sanctified excuses” for their lack of growth and kingdom mindedness. Many of these sanctified excuses are couched in scripture in order to give justified reason for avoiding the call to the Great Commission. What even becomes more disturbing is how many churches in this situation wear their situation as a badge of honor. It’s almost as if the lack of growth is a sign of true faithfulness to God’s word. What are these “sanctified excuses”? Well, to start with, the blog would be too long to handle them all at once so I will share them over a four-part blog.
Excuse #1 – The truth of God’s word is offensive to the unbeliever. So, if we really preach the truth, many will be offended and leave or not come at all. A few scriptures used to defend this excuses; Matt 7:13, John 6:60-66, John 15:18-21.
While it is true that many turned away from Jesus when he preached hard things to the people, it is also true that Jesus attracted large crowds when he spoke these hard truths. Truth is what turned the Woman at the Well around to become a follower. Truth is what caused Paul to become a follower. The truth of the sayings of Jesus is what drew people to him. He wasn’t afraid the share the truth in way that people understood. Truth drove many away, but it also transformed many.
Think about this: If smallness, decline or plateauness (New word) is a hallmark of true spirituality and faithfulness to God all churches would be empty as proof of our faithfulness. Sounds silly I know, but among many, anti-church growth advocates, that is the ultimate conclusion.
The question remains; How do you deal with the explosive growth of the Church in the first decade, century, or millennium after Pentecost? What do you do with the Great Commission? How do you explain the thousands of people who came to Christ when the Holy Spirit showed up on the scene? How do you explain the fact that Jesus never told people not to come and hear him in such big crowds or that he never denounces, nor prescribes the proper size of a church in the N.T.
Let me leave you with this one haunting thought: Rev 3:1-2 “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” God offers no insight into what “reputation of being alive” means. Could it be that many of our churches have fallen asleep believing that they are alive? After all, they have a building, they sing hymns and listen to a pastor preach every Sunday. They hold prayer meetings, bible studies and give to foreign missions. Non-growth is not a sign of faithfulness to God. Rather, it is disobedience to our calling to grow HIS Kingdom.
Too often small churches struggle to grow. The reasons for this struggle are multiple. Small churches, while effective in some ways, tend to be more family oriented and do not allow visitors to feel at home as readily. Lyle Schaller refers to churches under the two hundred mark as “Collie” churches. “Some people tend to wonder why these churches remain on a plateau in size or why church shoppers often do not return after that initial visit. Collies tend to have strong affection for members of the family, but they often bark at strangers”. When any church falls into this mode of operation, growth becomes almost impossible. Myriads of books and articles have been written about the growth problems of the small church. The key to avoiding these problems for a new church is to reach the two hundred mark quickly. New church plants that do not grow rapidly will develop a “Collie” mentality, stifling their ability to reach out and impact the community. Planting new churches should be an attempt to overcome growth problems, not emulate them.
A church in the city, which never reaches the 200 barrier, could have a very limited ministry future. Why? Because 200 “is the minimum number of adults needed, in a metropolitan setting, to provide the services people want in a church”. A church plant is no exception. It, like all churches, will experience a plateau in its attendance. If the church plant experiences a plateau below 200, its effectiveness in delivering the gospel through multiple ministries will be severely hampered.
Several difficulties will need to be overcome if a church plant doesn’t grow quickly.
Ministry Options
We live in a culture that loves choices. In fact, we live in a culture that has come to expect choices. If you go into any convenience store looking for pop, how many choices do you expect to find at their fountain? Two? Unthinkable. Four? Probably not. I’m guessing, but I bet most have at least eight different spouts to choose from. The same idea of choice holds true in today’s church.Once a church plant finds itself limited by low attendance and resources, it will inevitably be limited in what services it has to offer a community. Limited choices and services will make further church growth very difficult to accomplish. By contrast, if a church plant can reach the 200 mark quickly, it will be better able to provide multiple ministries quickly and avoid losing the momentum needed to continue effective ministry. So, if a new church isn’t able to offer multiple ministry options quickly, it will find itself unable to compete among the myriad of already established churches that do. PPPTo some degree, every church struggles with this problem, but the church plant is even more vulnerable. While an established church may be able to do adequate ministry with an average attendance of less than two hundred, over an extended period of time, a church plant cannot. Established churches have differing advantages that baby churches do not.
Credibility
Most established churches have buildings that give them visibility. Established churches also have been able to build credibility over many years in their community. In some case, these older churches have become a community institution. They have a proven staying power and an accepted reputationa new church hasn’t had time to build. Too often, church plants are viewed with suspicion and even labeled as cultish. Rapid growth of a new church can create enough “buzz” on the street to help give it the credibility it needs.
Finances
Established churches have had time to build a loyal membership. Often, this loyal membership consists of extended families that have invested themselves in the history of the church. This loyalty creates a stronger financial foundation. Members give because they have always given or because Mom and Dad gave. Many established churches take for granted the material possessions they have gained over years of existence. The church plant rarely has the advantage of traditional and institutionalized tithe. A church plant almost always starts out with a smaller number of attendees and thus, is limited by their financial resources.The acquisition of little things, like tables, chairs, sound systems, computers, and things that will be needed to grow can become huge financial issues for a church plant.
Corporate Esteem
Of all the problems that new church experience, this may be the most difficult to overcome. Crowds attract crowds. Think about it. The last time you were in an unfamiliar town and needed to choose a restaurant to eat at, didn’t a part of your selection process include counting the number of cars in each parking lot? I bet you turned to your spouse and said something like, “Wow, that barbeque joint sure is busy. I bet they’re good.” Whether you realized it or not, you were attracted to the size of the crowd, not their sign or their building’s façade. To create new missions that break out of the mold of the self-serving, survival-minded, family-run organizations, leaders must find a way to plant churches that can pack out their pews and parking lots in a very short period of time. When a church is able to grow rapidly and gain momentum, this will create a healthy attitude among the members. “A primary difference between growing and declining churches is their attitude. Growing churches feel they have something worthwhile to offer to their community. Their high level of self-esteem provides the energy and strength to share the gospel of Christ with people in the community”.
Church plants that do not grow beyond the 150 average attendance mark within a few years will lose momentum and fall into the small-church trap that will result in a low sense of congregational morale. Church plants are infused with a heightened expectation for success. Very often, these new congregants are driven by an exciting desire to change the world.This desire and expectation make them more vulnerable. When the young churchgoer’s experience is not met with immediate success, a palpable discouragement can set in.This can be a fatal blow for the young church.
The members involved in an established church usually possess fairly level attitudes and expectations. Most have settled into a routine way of “doing” church. Members may pray for, expect, and hope to grow, but the level of expectation for dramatic and rapid changes is not as high as in a new church. In contrast, the expectation of those involved in a church plant is one of rapid growth within a short period of time. When expectations are not reached at the level anticipated, a sense of failure is certain.
Once an attitude of defeat settles into the hearts and minds of the church planter and the new congregation, they can very easily begin to view themselves “as small, weak, unattractive, powerless and frustrated with a limited future”. Unfortunately, this attitude is the state in which many church plants find themselves. If conventional wisdom is true, two-thirds of church-planting attempts will begin to develop asmall-church self-image. In essence, church plants need to reach the two hundred mark quickly or face a myriad of problems.
In Feb 09, my new book Full Disclosure: The F-Words of Church Planting, will be releaed from ChurchSmart Resources. In this book Barry Smith, my co-author and I speak about the dangers of "Fade-Away." What is fade-away? It is the constant and unfortunate fading of vision, most churches suffer. Below is an expert from this book. If you like what you see, you can pre-order the book in the store.
"In 1979 Neil Young came out with a song on his Rust Never Sleeps album called, “My, My, Hey, Hey.” Now, that song my not ring a bell with you, but out of that song comes a lyrical phrase that most have probably heard, “Better to burn out than to fade away.” That phrase became even more popular after it was found April 8, 1984 in the suicide note of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana. In both cases, that lyrical phrase had to do with the death of a rock icon. The first was Elvis Presley, the second was Kurt himself.
No one desires to simply fade away into oblivion when they die. In fact, most spend a lifetime trying to build some kind of legacy that will last beyond their time on this earth. Local churches are really no different. Like individuals, most churches desire to leave a lasting legacy as well. Sadly, many churches have experienced vision drift and their original passion has faded away.
If you do a google search on the average size of the American church, you are likely to be frustrated by the facts. No one really knows for sure, but it is estimated that attendance, in 75 percent of American churches, ranges somewhere between 75 -100 or less on any given Sunday. To make matters worse, the median age of those attending church is on the rise while the median age of the unchurched, continues to decline. Many churches are quietly fading away with little to no trace that they ever existed.
Some mainline denominations are experiencing a major crisis due to the age of general membership. According to David T. Olsen:
“In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the average age of church members is 58. For United Methodists, 61 is the average age. Sixty percent of Episcopalians are over age 50; 38 percent are over age 60. The older the members of a church are, the slower the church grows. Why? Older members do not have children, so they do not help the church grow through reproduction. Older members also tend to adjust slowly to cultural changes.”
What is happening to these churches? They have lost touch with their original vision. The vision of their founders propelled them into the forefront of early American culture and helped them to gain a spiritual stronghold in a newly conceived country. The evangelistic drive that was once at the core of these churches and denominations has been supplanted by a new ‘vision’ of maintenance and comfort. But this is not only a problem for the established church. Too often a church plant can fall into the same pattern. In fact, in many ways, that pattern is to be expected.
The early years of a church plant are chaotic, to say the least. As the church begins to mature and grow, the church experiences greater financial stability, membership starts to climb and the chaos of the early years begins to fade. Many planters welcome this sense of calmness. It is often during these times that the planter must re-engage the vision. The planter or planting team will need to choose between change or stability; between being conservative or remaining bold."
As most everyone knows by now a massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th. The damage to buildings is extensive and the number of deaths is estimated, by the American Red Cross, to be upwards of 50,000. World Vision, a Christian humanitarian charity organization, is on the ground rushing emergency supplies to survivors of this catastrophe.
“We would be very concerned about a quake of this magnitude anywhere in the world, but it is especially devastating in Haiti, where people are acutely vulnerable because of poor infrastructure and extreme poverty,” said Edward Brown, World Vision’s relief director in the United States.
I believe it is times like these that the church can step up and show the love of Christ in a big way. It is our Christian duty to help in this time of need. Any gift you are able to make now will help distribute life-saving relief supplies – including food, clean water, blankets, and tents — to children and families devastated by the earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti.
Here are a few sites and contacts to help you find a way to give:
New Survey - "The Recession's Impact on Christian Nonprofit Organizations"
by Ashley High
How are Christian nonprofits surviving the economic downturn? A recent survey conducted by J. David Schmidt & Associates for the Christian Leadership Alliance discovered the main ways Christian nonprofits are reducing expenses and handling the economy’s impact. Below are the results of “Economic Outlook Survey: The Recession’s Impact on Christian Nonprofit Organizations.”
Reponses to Financial Difficulties:
Reducing travel – 52%
Freezing pay raises – 44%
Freezing hiring – 36%
Cutting overall 2009 budget – 43%
Reducing or eliminating training expenses for 2009 – 29%
Reducing full-time staff – 28%
Freezing infrastructure expenses – 28%
Delaying or eliminating outside counsel/consulting expenses – 27%
Financial Information
Portfolios and endowments reported down from last year – 73% of organizations
Diminishing reserves reported – 51% of organizations
Declining donations reported – 48% of organizations
Have less available cash – 40% of organizations
Budget
Annual budget under $1 million – 22% of organizations
Annual budget of $1-10 million – 52% of organizations
Annual budget of $30+ million – 9% of organizations
The Christian nonprofits affected most by the economy where those with annual budgets under $1 million.
Economy’s Impact on the Charity:
High impact – 21%
In between low and high impact – 48%
Low impact – 31%
However, despite the poor economy, three-quarters of the respondents remain confident and hopeful, stating that belief in God’s faithfulness helps them through difficult times. “If there was one theme that kept coming through in respondent comments, it is that Christian charity and church leaders have a strong sense of a larger story. They seem less rattled and remain confident in God’s provision and care, despite being stress-tested by their circumstances,” said David Schmidt, whose agency conducted the survey.
Information taken from: Jennifer Riley. “Survey: Christian Nonprofits Relying More on Volunteers in Hard Times.” 9 July 2009. The Christian Post. 13 July 2009. www.christianpost.com.
Over the last few years research groups like Gallup, The Barna, and the Association of Religious Data Archives have attempted to get a clear picture of the state of the Church in America. Until recently, it was widely accepted that over 40 percent of Americans attend church on a regular basis. If these numbers are right then over 130 million Americans fill our churches on any given Sunday. Not bad numbers , but are they right? Are we really doing that well? Recently, new research reveals that these numbers may be overstated and misleading.
In 2004 David Olson, director of the American Church Research Project, published his work
From the inner cities to the plains of Mid-America, Volunteers are an important part of our society. Political campaigns, para-church organizations, and non-profits of every form and kind would not be able to function without a good volunteer base. It is safe to say that your church would not be able to function week-to-week without a strong group of volunteers.
As I have considered the state of volunteerism in our churches, I began to wonder if it is really accomplishing what we intend for it to accomplish? Allow me to explain. Every week, in most churches, a plea goes out from the pulpit asking for help. Usually, the help needed is in the area of children’s ministry. Here is the question that haunts me. Why? Why do we ask people in the church to volunteer? One of two reasons comes to mind.
1. We need help and want someone to fill a position, long-term or short-term.
2. We want to give people the opportunity to grow in their faith and experience the fullness of Christ through being a servant.
While I believe we would all admit that the second option is the best. The goal of every church should be to grow those who attend into fully devoted followers of Christ. Yet, is that really what happens?
Let me make a few assumptions. We all attest in the giftedness of believers. We all understand that the church is to help our people discover how God has created them to serve. We all believe that becoming a servant is crucial to the Christian life. But is serving the pinnacle of our calling as Christians?
When we ask people in the church to become volunteers, are we asking them to serve the church or serve God? I think this is an important distinction. You may think believe they are doing both at the same time, serving God by serving the church. I'm not sure this is true.
Often is the case that our volunteers are simply used to serve the church and help it's ministries function. That is not a bad thing, but is serving the church, the concept our people should have? Will it help us to create fully develop followers? It is a means, but not the end.
Let me explain before I am crucified or burned at the stake. Matt 28:18-19 calls us to go to the world. We are all called o be missionaries to a dying, sinful humanity. This calling isn’t just for those in the pulpit, but for every follower of Jesus Christ. "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5
If that is the case, our calling, as leaders, is to call our people to become missionaries, not volunteers. You may think; "That is just splitting hairs." But is it? Our use of language can be profound. Helping Christ-followers understand that the high calling of the Christian life is to become missionaries in their culture encompasses volunteerism. (That doesn’t work the other way around. Being a “volunteer” doesn’t mean being a missionary)
Bottom line: Our use of language is important. We need to call people to volunteer in the church, but within the framework of being a missionary in their community. Calling Christ-followers missionaries has much more meaning than calling them volunteers. Any organization can have volunteers. The church has missionaries. It may be a small change, but I believe small changes can make big differences. A change of language can release our people to become more than mere volunteers, serving the church. Rather, they become missionaries, serving their community.
I have spent the last few days in Dallas, TX. at the Ideation Conference hosted by Leadership Network. Sixty of the top church dreamers and innovators were invited to come and be a part of this conference. Several of those present were from across the pond. (England, Germany, Denmark, Australia). It was an awesome experience hanging around with people who have a passion for, and love the church.
On the opening day each of us were asked to present our idea in one minute or less. (It’s harder than you think. Give it a try sometime!) Afterwards John Handy, Matel toy designer and Founder & President of Red Stilts, shared with us the 3i’s of innovation. (Inspiration, Ideation, Implementation.) John helped the group learn how to focus their ideas and create a compelling one minute “Elevator Pitch” that would attract attention.
On Tuesday night everyone was asked to video tape their presentation, which would be viewed and voted on by the group. The following list is the top 12 innovations recognized by the group.
As I was doing my devotions this morning I read the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. What an amazing story! Just imagine the look on the faces of those who witnessed this miracle. I wonder what I would have thought if I were there? The response of the crowd was mixed. Some hated Jesus and other became believers on the spot.
In the midst of this story is a strange happening that occupied my attention all morning.
“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go." …John 11:43-44
Here’s the deal. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he was still bound by his grave clothes. Interesting isn’t it? Jesus raised this man to life and yet asked his friends and family to help set him free.
Too often when we lead someone into a relationship with Jesus, we think that we have completed the task. I hear many churches brag about how many individuals they led to Christ over the last year. My question to them is always, “Great. Now how many of them are still in the church and how many have truly experienced life-transformation?”
Our tendency is to believe that we are called to preach the gospel, lead people to Christ and then let God do the rest. But nothing could be further from the truth. God has birthed this thing called the Church to be a life-transforming organism helping to lose the bonds of sin from the lives of Christ-followers.
The Church’s purpose is to continue the work of Jesus as prophesied in Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…”
The church is to behave as the friends of Lazarus. Once Jesus raises them to new life, we are to rush in and begin to help set them free from those things that “so easily entangle” them in sin. We can help them “confess their sins to one another, in order that they might be healed.”
Not much of a blog today. I simply want to share a video with you. A friend showed me this the other day and I haven't been able to get it off my mind. My only thought is that we meed to find a few good men from the middle east to plant a few fast-growing churches here in the states. Use them as training posts to send planters across seas to evangelize the Muslim population.
I enjoyed the opportunity to preach at Fellowship General Baptist Church Sunday May 31st. About four years ago Craig Groeschel preached a message to his church called "Dangerous Church." I was so impressed, and personally impacted by the message that I decide to use it as the framework for this opportunity.
Think on this: No movement of God, throughout history, was ever safe, predictable or comfortable. Rather, it was messy, unpredictable and dangerous.
Two thousand years later,however, the church has grown predictable, comfortable and safe. Many churches have simply fallen asleep and slipped into a coma. Many in our churches are Christians in name only. We now live in a country that holds to a civilized form of Christianity. "Having the form...but denying the power."
In fact, we have grown accustom to a culture of safety. We show up sing a few songs, shake a few hands and go home. But this is not God’s design for the church. He has called us to be dangerous for His sake and His kingdom.
I am thankful for the opportunity I had to share God's word with the people of Fellowship General Baptist Church. At the end of each service several people raised their hand to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I hope you enjoy.
Over the last few years the fight for truth has heated up between fundamental and postmodern thinkers. Those on the side of postmodernism proclaim that the church has lost its power an influence in our culture. Those in the fundamentalist movement accuse leaders of the emerging church movement of syncretism. So what are we too make of this whole debate? Who is right and how can we find balance in the midst of the chaos? Both are right on some level and wrong on another.
Let me suggest a few things for you to consider.
1. Let’s be honest. The church has lost touch with this culture. The latest research from David Olsen reveals that only 17.5% of Americans attend church on any given Sunday. I hope that number causes you to stop and weep. For decades the Church as fallen asleep at the wheel and slowly but surely lost touch with the culture they serve and survive in.
Some in the fundamental camp say, “Well, that is just a sign of the times, that is the way things will be in the end. People will fall away from the truth.” True, the scripture reminds us of that fact several times. My problem is that those who quote that phrase too often use it a way of excusing themselves from fulfilling the great commission by engaging the culture in an appropriate way. “Oh well, that is just the way things are.” What a foolish and lazy perspective. As if God has excused us from trying because we live in a sinful world.
2. Again, being honest. Many in the emerging church movement are way out of line. Theologically liberal, lacking any moral and ethical base, except that which is relative to the situation. This movement was born out of a frustration at the established Churches in ability to address the culture. I do think the emerging church needs to be heard. While I do not agree with every writer, (some I agree with very little) still they offer the Church the ability to enter into dialogue about being Jesus to the world.
Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger, in their book, Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Baker Academic, 2005) define emerging in this way:
"Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities."
Its hard to speak against these 9 practices. After all, this is what the church should be. The difficulty, as I see it, with the emerging church movement is that it is too young to have any strong bearings yet. Typically this movement is stereotyped by the most liberal leaders in the movement like Chris Seay, Tim Keel, Brian McLaren, and Mark Oestreicher.
I thinks it is important for us to step back away from both sides and take a proper, objective look at both sides. Instead of using fear-mongering tactics to ignite discord among believers, open dialogue and learn how to best reach a sin-sick culture with the Truth of God’s word.
In just a few weeks, "Legacy Churches" a book authored by Dr. Franklin Dumond and myself, will be released by ChurchSmart. The main thrust of the book deals with helping churches to close with dignity and yet impact the future with greater efficacy. Is that possible? Can the death of a church have a silver lining? Can a dying church give birth to a new movement of God through one final, selfless act? Here is an excerpt from chapter three that will help you to answer that question.
"Since death is an inevitable fact of life, how is the Christ-follower to view death? What is a proper theology of death? The Apostle Paul believed God was able “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his [Christ’s] power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). Did that refer to life on earth or life beyond the grave? The answer is simple: Yes! God’s power not only gives us life abundantly, but also life eternally. For the Christ-follower, death is not the end; rather, it is just the beginning of something greater. Paul summarized it best: “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). To die, at least for the Christian, is the great adventure all of us wait to experience. The writer of Hebrews penned, “it is appointed for all men to die once” (Heb. 9:27). No one can escape death. It is the great equalizer of all men. And yet, everyone seeks to avoid it.
We live in a culture that promotes a never-ending search for the Fountain of Youth. Thousands of Americans stream to the doctor each year for botox injections, face-lifts and tummy tucks in hopes of beating the odds. Death is viewed, by this culture, as the enemy rather than a glorious end and a new beginning. Unfortunately, this secular view of death has permeated the theology of the Church. Too many congregations have bought into the idea “survival at any cost” as the only faithful road to travel. Has the Church (in our present American culture) lost a meaningful theology of death? The scriptures remind us time and again that for the Christ-follower death will lead to new life. It shouldn’t be odd, therefore, for the Christian to celebrate and appreciate death.
If you really stop to think about it, you may come to the conclusion that sometimes more can be accomplished through death than through continued existence. No one understood this better than Jesus. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, the Holy Spirit came to live in and empower us. Jesus told His disciples, “I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” John 16:7). Earlier in Jesus’ discussion about His impending death He told His disciples, “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). Once again Jesus taught that his death would bring about fruit in ways His continued earthly ministry would not.
A few chapters later, Jesus drove the point home. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Jesus did not see His own death as a failure. It seems fanciful to believe that we could do greater things than the Savior, but through His death and the subsequent sending of the Spirit, the Kingdom of God was propelled across the world. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered, gifted, called, and sent on a co-mission with Jesus.
Likewise, the death of a church does not need to be seen as an end or a failure. Local churches plateau, decline, and die. That’s a fact! David Ols
