Experiences In Church Transformation

Quit talking!!!

One of the very important aspects of being a Christian leader, or actually any Christian, is regular communication with the Lord.  However, that can also be very scary.  Just like conversations with other humans, you have no control over what the Lord may say back.  There may also be times that the Lord wakes you up in the middle of the night to have a convesation. 

Recently I was sharing with one of the leaders of the church that I was uncomfortable by a comment that he made.  He indicated to me that he mentioned what he did because the Lord had decided to have a conversation with him in the middle of the night.  After the two of us dialogued about what he had shared with a group, it became clear to us that the Lord was creating some tension for us to help us determine if we are still on the course that the Lord had set or if we needed a course adjustment.

I jokingly said to the leader, "Quit talking with the Lord, it can be unsettling!"  While I said the comment in a joking manner and we both laugh, there is some reality to it.  Maybe that is why individuals choose not to be in conversation with the Lord regularly.  The reality is that some of those conversations can be unsettling and make us uncomfortable.  However, if we come to realize that the Lord only seeks to benefit us, we quickly can see how being unsettled will lead us to even greater things.

So don't sto talking.  Just realize you may not always be comfortable with the course of the conversation!

Three Questions of Ministry

Recently I led a retreat for the leaders of my congregation.  As part of the retreat I had three different discussion and study times.  Each of these times was based on a question.  The questions were derived from concepts put forth by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great. The book is written for the business community and discusses what has caused companies to move from being good to being great.  It is also the basis for the book that Thom Rainer wrote entitled Breakout Churches (see listing in my "Helpful Books I have Read" section).  In Collins' book he makes reference to the "hedgehog concept" which is the idea that for a company to become great, it must focus on the place where three circles of influence connect.  I took Collins' hedgehog concept and adapted it to ministry.

Here are the three questions that I arrived at:

1)  What is your passion?

2)  What spiritual gifts, talents, and skills do you possess?

3)  What is your purpose?

I feel that where the responses to these three questions connect, that is where an individual will find his or her ministry.  We also discussed as a group the importance of continually asking these questions so that as our responses to the three questions change, we continue to adjust our ministires. This concept applies not only to the individual but also the congregation as a whole.

This also provides a basis for us to filter the various ministries, programs, and use of resources that come our way.  If these do not fit in our area of connecting circles, then this is not the time to venture down the path of opportunity.  Collins points out that the "good" companies sometimes get caught up in chasing opportunites or good ideas, and the expend time, energy, and resources in too many places which causes them to reamin in the "good" category but never achieve "great".  I feel churches and individuals do the same thing. 

My hope that this may provide my leaders, my congregation, and you who read this blog, another tool for improving the effectiveness and focus of your ministry. 

Called to Lead

I recently was engaged in a series of conversations focused on the changing church.  In the midst of these conversations, I was reminded of a very important concept that deserves serious consideration by those in the church today - Are our pastors called to lead?

Let me start out by saying that I feel that in the original sense of the office of "pastor", the answer would have to be an emphatic YES.  If we attempt to trace the role of "pastor" to its Scriptural origins, I feel we are lead to see this role develop out of the Apostles.  There is very little question that the Apostles were called to be leaders.  They were to be leaders in a spiritual sense and in an organizational sense.  They were to be leaders in discipline and doctrine. 

The problem that I feel we face today is that the term "pastor" has become one that has represented a variety of offices which all require some varied degrees of skill.  It has become intertwined with the word "minister" which adds to the confusion.  Because there has been such a large variety of expectations and perceptions that are associated with the word "pastor", there has been a large degree of frustration and confusion within the church and within the lives of those that have been given that title. 

I strongly believe that it is time for the church to return to the original understanding of the role of "pastor".  I believe that we need to reclaim the Scriptural understanding of the office and that we need to clarify to the congregations and to those that carry the title, what the expectations of that call really are.  I believe that in the Lord's call to those that are "pastors" that there is a strong expectation on the Lord's part that we will be leaders.  This reclamation may cause some anxiety and angst because it would require us to look at the wonderful gifts that those who have the title possess and determine if we should be giving a different title for those who are not gifted in leadership.

As I conclude this post, let me be very clear - I do not believe that an individual that is not gifted in leadership should be precluded from serving the Lord using the gifts and passions that they possess.  I am not advocating removing individuals from their roles in the church.  I am advocating clarifying titles and expectations.  I am advocating that in my understanding, those who carry the title of "pastor" are expected to be leaders with their own style and strengths of leadership. 

Success

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. The definition of success according to the dictionary is: “1. The gaining of something desired, planned, or attempted. 2a. The gaining of fame or prosperity. b. The extent of such gain. 3. One that is successful. 4. A result or outcome.” Now some of you may be wondering if my goal is to give you a vocabulary lesson. Let me assure you that I have a much different thought in mind than a vocabulary lesson. But I feel that it is important for us to cognitive of how the world defines success as I share with you a matter that has come to me recently.

A few weeks ago, I engaged in a conversation with a friend about a decision that Jamie Pollard, the Athletic Director at

Iowa

State

University

made a few months ago. Many of you know that he decided to offer tickets to the Iowa/Iowa State Game only to season ticket holders at Iowa State. I am not going to debate the decision that he made but instead want to respond to a comment that my friend made in regards to that decision. In the midst of our discussing the merits of the decision, he indicated to me that “no matter what, you must admit that he was successful because this is the highest season ticket sales in a long time and that was his goal.” That comment made me think about what it means to be successful. My friend was right, the Mr. Pollard had increased season ticket sales and therefore the revenue generated. However, I had to wonder at what cost. I am not sure that there will be an immediate cost that is noticeable other than some grumbling by Hawkeye fans and even some Cyclone fans but that does not mean that there is not some lasting cost.

All of this made me think about what people are willing to do to be “successful”. Many years ago, I realized that the way we major success does not always take all matters into consideration. Jamie Pollard made a decision that will look favorable on his next job review but what cost were paid in regards to relationships in the state. What costs were paid in regards to what might be considered “fair and equitable”? The actions that we take must be measured not only in terms of visible impacts but also in the way that it impacts people. To me that is what Jesus tried to communicate to his disciples and anyone who would listen. Our actions, while they may bring us immediate rewards and levels of success, do have much deeper impacts that we must consider.

This has led me to the following conclusion: Just because something is successful, does not make it right.

May the Lord guide you in all your decisions!!!

Audience of One

In their book, "Lead Like Jesus", Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges point out that as Christian leaders (and I believe Christians in general) we need to remember that we have an audience of One - the Lord.  This is an important concept for us to grasp and to live by.  There is probably not one of us that feels at times we are pulled in multiple directions with multiple demands and priorities upon our lives.  It seems that there are more than enough people who are willing to tell us what we should be doing and how we are to be doing it.  Blanchard and Hodges remind us that we only have one who should be directing our lives - GOD. 

When we start to live with this concept as our guide, it can make dramatic impact upon our lives.  Anyone who has tried to provide leadership knows that when you work with a multitude of people, there is absolutely no way, no matter what you do or don't do, to please every person.  Someone always can point out a better way you could have done something or a better decision you could have made or a better way you could have used your time.  A person could go insane if we tried to follow everyone's directions.  However, if you adopt an audience of one approach to what you do, then you are no longer running around in circles but instead are striving to listen for the Lord's voice and direction and honor that.

Another benefit to this philosophy is that you are being faithful to Scripture.  Jesus shows over and over again that our primary objective (or primary directive for you Star Trek fans) is to follow the Lord's direction and call for our lives. 

The potential difficulty with adopting this philosophy for our lives is that some times people will be upset with us.  The reason is that we are no longer catering to their opinions and whims but instead listening to the Lord of our lives.  On occasion the Lord will direct us to say and/or do things that will not be popular.  But if we are striving to place the Lord as our audience of one then Jesus points out that our reward will be greater than anything that may be offered to us during our time in this life.

So I encourage all of us to be faithful to our audience of one and share this concept with others!!!!

Responsible Freedom

As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 231st anniversary of independence, I thought it would be important to remember another independence - our independence from sin and death.  Both of these privileges of independence did not come without a price.  For our nation, men fought and gave their lives to secure and to maintain our independence throughout the years.  For us as individuals, Jesus Christ gave his life to secure our independence from sin and death.

So this year as we celebrate the independence of the United States of America, let us not only give God thanks for the privilege of living in a free nation but let us also give thanks for being freed from sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Not Separate But Equal

I just had lunch with some friends and a discussion ensued that caused me to take a step back.  During the course of the conversation we began talking about a local grocery store and their practices.  One member of the group made the observation that he wished this business was open on Sunday.  I indicated that I was thankful that they were not.  We then spent a good deal of time talking about different points of views in regards to businesses being open on Sundays.

The point which caused me to take a step back is when an individual made a statement along these lines, "Faith is a separate matter from other things in life."  I responded immediately that I felt that was one of the problems many Christians have.  I believe that faith in Jesus Christ should be a very integrated part of life.  As believers, our faith should guide and direct all other aspects of our life.  Too many people make a strong effort to separate faith from the other aspects of their life and this disconnect is the cause of many struggles in the life of the church and the individuals.  While I realize that this is a difficult reality to obtain at times.  I believe that it is a reality that everyone of us who claims Jesus Christ as Lord should always strive for.  If we fail to integrate our faith into our life, how can we have integrity in our witness to others?

So let me take a stand of not accepting a concept of separate but equal when it comes to the relationship of our faith with the other aspects of our lives!!!

Support Community

A few months ago the Winterset Ministerial Association adopted a new mission statement.  We made a definitive move from being an organization that was about "doing" programs and toward a support group for those who are in ministry in the area.  I was concerned that there would be a limited level of trust among the members of the association so that the level of support would be weak at best.  What I found was surprisingly different.  This is now one of my greatest support groups and I am excited about the opportunity to share and to listen to my colleagues.  We are finding how much we truly have in common and who each person truly is.

This has led me to once again ponder the importance of support networks for all Christians.  God designed the church to be exactly that --- a support network for believers.  Unfortunately, human sin has even tainted this perfect design of the Lord.  Many people have come to find the church anything but a safe haven.  Because of this reality, we have lost a very important tool that all believers truly need.  Following the Lord is far from easy, without a group of individuals to help us and to celebrate with us, we feel alone and often find ourselves turning away from the very things Christ calls us to be and do.

I want to urge all of you to be diligent about finding a group of individuals that you can openly, and safely, share your joys and struggles with.  If you are in leadership in the church and/or actively serving as a change agent in a congregation, this is a survival tool that is vital.  We need to have people that we can bounce ideas off of, and to share the realities of our lives with.

Proper Perspective

I recently had a discussion with a good friend that caused me to pause and think about how Christians should respond to the events of the world.  He indicated to me that he had been listening the previous day to some individuals on talk radio.  They indicated that if our attempts of establishing peace in Iraq were unsuccessful our world would be forever unsafe.  As we discussed this concept, I raised a couple of points to him. 

The first point was purely historical, I challenged him to look over the history of the last couple of centuries.  If you do that, you can see that there always seems to be a challenge to the safety of people in the world, the challenge just changes faces.  I recall when I was growing up there always seemed to be great fear about planes being hi-jacked.  I remember news story after news story of a plane being hi-jacked.  Today, that threat seems to have been greatly reduced.  You hardly hear of a hi-jacking any more.

The second point that I made is more from a Christian understanding.  As a Christian, I have the joy of the knowledge that God is in charge!  I have read the book and I know how the story ends ---  GOD WINS!!!  While it may be true that my existence on earth may be brought to an end by human action, the true end of the story is that I am victorious in Jesus Christ!  Now I am not advocating that we go about life in a reckless manner, nor am I arguing  that we do not strive for justice and peace in our world, I do not believe that those who would cause harm can ever be declared to true victors.  The battle of the greatest significance has already been won and those who believe in Jesus Christ are already declared the victors.

It is very easy when we look at all the strife within our world to succumb to the "Chicken Littles".  But if we truly take heart in the Gospel, we quickly realize that there is no other victory than the one achieved in Jesus.  This leads to a life not lived in fear but with wisdom and great joy in the knowledge of the true WINNER.  So I encourage all believers to continue to share a message of assurance and to help others find peace in the reality of the victory won.

Taking the Journey

We are at that time of year that a lot of individuals are taking new steps in their lives --- graduation, confirmation, shifting from spring to summer activities.  One of the themes that I have been working with our confirmation/commissioning seekers with this year is to look at their faith as a journey.  A journey that begins with our first encounter with the Lord and continues until the day we stand before the Lord and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  For me this is an important theme for all Christians to remember.  Yet I wonder how many times we forget it.

When individuals take important steps in their faith lives - baptism, confirmation/commissioning, becoming an elder, etc. - sometimes they look at it as leaping over a hurdle or putting closer to that "task".  Instead, I believe that we should look at those steps as nothing more than that, a step on our journey of faith.  It does not mean that we are at the finishing line.  It does not mean that we have achieved all that we need to achieve as Christians.  It simply means that we have continued on our journey.  Each step is important to ensure that we do not become stagnant in our faith, but it does not mean that we can stop once a step is taken.

The other exciting thing about understanding our faith as a journey is that no two journeys are identical.  One individual's journey has its own unique characteristics just as the individual themselves have their own unique characteristics.  Sometimes our journey path crosses with other individuals path and that creates exciting encounters.  Other times, our path runs parallel with another person's and that provides fellowship and encouragement.  There are still other times that we cause curves in our paths and/or take steps back along the way.  No one, definitive path is required to be followed by ALL Christians but instead there are many different paths for our journeys.  The only thing that is clearly defined is the ultimate destination.

So I encourage you to enjoy this journey of faith.  All the path, be sure to encourage others to explore their own unique journeys also.  And remember --- the journey and steps do not come to an end until you greet the Lord face to face.