Experiences In Christian Living and Leadership

Breaking the Mold

Recent conversations with a few individuals have led me to decide to write about something that has been on my heartfor a while.  Since I have been in leadership in the church, my concepts regarding the role of pastor has changed.  I have come to realize that the definition of the role has been altered as I have grown in my understanding of the gifts that I bring to the role.  It has also been altered by my study of Scripture and my understanding of the call of the Lord.  I have moved from a broad definition of the pastor's role to a much leaner and defined definition.

The definition of the pastor's role when I began ministry was sort of a jack-of-all-trades role.  I felt that in my newly accepted position, I was to be able to preach, teach, counsel, provide comfort, visit member's homes, visit people in the hospitals, officiate weddings and funerals, administer the sacraments, fix the copier, turn on the heat (or air conditioning), decorate the sanctuary, answer the phone, read to remain current and grow, write newsletter articles, serve in roles within the presbytery, be active in community organizations and events, attend school functions..... and the list goes on.  The problem is that as I tried to do all of those things, I found that I was doing some of them very well, some of them partially well, and some of them were areas of complete failure for me.  I tried to handle the later of the two outcomes by doing more of those things and feeling if I just worked harder I would see improvement.  Unfortunately, I was just setting myself up for more failure, more frustration, and more difficulty maintaining a positive outlook toward any of my work.

Once I realized that I could not continue on the path of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades, I began searching for a more manageable definition of my role as pastor.  I knew that I was called by the Lord to be a leader in the church.  I knew that I was given gifts by the Lord to teach and to preach.  I knew that I loved the church.  But I was uncertain what carrying the title of pastor meant in regards to the things I knew with confidence.  As I studied Scripture seeking answers and as I began discussions with others and myself, I came to realize that while my definition of my role was in need of altering, the definition of the role by the members of congregations might be in need of some altering.

Somehow in the church we came to create the image of the pastor's role as being all-encompassing.  There were written and unwritten expectations that fed the image of a jack-of-all-trades.  The role of pastor had morphed into being the resident theologian, the expert Bible teacher, the ambassador of the church, the visitation guru, the outstanding worship leader, the visionary, the fill-in-the gaps person, and again, the list goes on.  In essence, we created in the church culture a mold that set any person who might feel called to serve in the role of pastor up for failure.  We created in the collective minds of church attenders the image of a pastor that no one could ever live into.

The dilemma that now exists however is that the mindset of many church attenders is that the pastor can truly do all the things that have been listed above.  If a pastor is not successful in fulfilling all these expectations than we might label she/he as being uncaring, lazy, inadequate, or maybe even, not truly called to be a pastor.  If the pastor tries to redirect our understanding of the role he/she plays in church leadership, than often the person is viewed as self-centered or very mistaken. 

For myself, I believe that it will be imperative to break the mold in regards to the pastor's role in the context of church leadership and the life of a congregation.  If we are going to truly create a healthy environment for those called to fulfill the role, we must dispel the myths of what that role looks like.  I think that it is vital for the church to review how Jesus, and later the Apostles, lived out the role of church leader.  We can learn much about expectations from the Scriptures.  We must also get a clearer understanding of the call of the Lord and how gifts are distributed among believers for the benefit of the ministry of the Lord.  There is not one person that has every gift necessary for the building of God's kingdom.  So why is that we have come to assume that those called as pastor should have all the gifts?  What ever became of the idea of distribution of labor that is evident in Acts?  Why do we not encourage the pastor to utilized the gifts that she/he have been given and be willing to allow others that are gifted in other areas to help compliment the pastor's gifts by utilizing their own?

Hopefully this has provided some food for thought.  Hopefully we will be able to start breaking the mold that has surrounded the title of "pastor" and create a different image of the role.  I look forward to hearing others thoughts on this subject.

Purpose vs. Custom

I have been spending time lately considering the Confirmation & Commissioning class that I am scheduled to teach this school year.  This has made me run into a question that I find myself debating over and over as I strive to lead a community of faith.  Are the activities and programs that we are doing under the banner of the church done because they have a purpose or are they done because it is our custom? 

I must confess that the first part of my struggle has been to properly form the question.  The word that has given me so much of a problem is the last word in the question.  I settled on the word custom but I must admit that I am not altogether happy with that word.  As I searched for the word to capture what I was truly wanting to communicate, I first placed the word tradition in the question but that generated some interpretations that I didn't like.  The reason is that I do not believe that tradition has to be negative in our faith.  Tradition gives us a historical foundation from which we can grow our faith.  The next word that I tried was practice. Again, I didn't like that word because I think that there is value in practicing our faith, by which I mean, living out and exploring what we believe.  I settled on custom because while there are still values associated with customs, the word conveyed more of a sense of doing things because that is what we have always done.  Again, I am not totally happy with it because I do not perceive customs as having to be a negative but right now it is the best word I can find.

So now that I have settled on the words to my question, maybe some explanation of what has led me to the question might be in order.  You see as I was pondering what to teach and how to teach it this round of confirmation/commissioning, I was forced to ask myself why I felt compelled to invite junior high-aged youth to participate in the class.  As I explored that, I came to discover that it was mainly because it was the custom in all the churches I have been a leader within to offer a class which was to be part of a step toward being a voting member within the congregation.  While it has been a long-standing rite among most churches, I was struggling with the value of the rite. 

Next, I asked myself, if I indeed could justify the continution of such a custom what would I teach.  This led me to consider the material that I presented and worked through with the class in the past.  Are those bits of knowledge shared because that is what I have shared in the past and thought important in the past, or are they shared because they have value to the spiritual growth of the youth?  Do I teach these items out of custom or is there something more to it?

So I decided that I needed to take some time to examine what the purpose of confirmation and commissioning is and what I need to be engaging the youth with to achieve that purpose.  You see, I have become convinced that the one question that is most important for church leadership to continually ask is "What's the purpose?"  While my current application of that question is in regards to confirmation and commissioning, it is a question that should be asked of all that we do under the banner of the church.

It is easy for church leadership to fall into an endless round of customs.  But what we should be truly be concerned with is the purpose behind those customs.  And what I am coming to find is that the practice of asking that question and frequently examining our customs and purposes, helps us to be more attentive to the Spirit and to make the adaptations that the Spirit desires for us.

What do you think?

Life and Death

We have a piece of shrubbery outside the main entrance to our church building.  For reasons unknown, it seems to be dying (or maybe already dead).  It made me ponder the other day if this piece of shrubbery might be a vision for the condition of some churches today.  I also began to think about what it may be communicating to those that are thinking about entering our building.  So I decided to share some of these thoughts with those who read my blog.

In some ways, I believe that all believers are in a similar state as this bush.  Scripture tells us of the need to die to one's self and to become alive in Christ.  We also hear Jesus and Paul speak of being dead to sin and being made alive by the grace-filled action of Jesus.  So this bush could be imagery of this transition that occurs in all those who strive to be followers of the Lord.

Another image that comes to mind is in regards to the life within some churches.  Because churches at times make the conscious, or unconscious, decision to remain in their same mode of behavior, there can be the beginning process of death that occurs.  While some life may continue to exist, eventually there is great likelihood that death will overcome all of the church life and the community of faith may need to be removed.  When, and if, this bush finishes dying, it will need to be removed and potentially replaced.  But there is no absolutes in even this.  For if the bush receives the care needed, adjustments are made, there might be the possibility of rebirth and regrowth.  Many of the churches that I am thinking of, have the same opportunity.

Finally, as I consider the placement of this bush, it causes me to wonder if the Lord is trying to communicate something.  When a person walks up to our door, are they going to experience and see the spiritual life within the congreation as being dead or are they going to experience one of growth and potential.  What is the spiritual well-being of those who worship and serve within the walls of this building?  If there are dead aspects, are we willing to prune them out, remove them, and/or nurture what is living to the point of continued growth and possible rebirth?

I'd be anxious to hear your thoughts.  What do these images bring to your mind?  What do you think about the images that it has brought to mine?

What if......

Have you ever had one of those days when your mind loves playing the "what if?" game?  Today is one of those days for me.  I thankfully am able to still focus enough to accomplish the work that has been set before me.  However, I am finding myself constantly asking this question as I think about different aspect of my life and my ministry.

I view these times as the Lord wanting to open me to new visions and new opportunities.  While it can be a bit disconcerting, I think that these openings that the Lord is creating provide a great chance for growth to take place.  I am not always certain of the results of playing the "what if?" game but I have begun to accept that uncertainty is a part of my walk with the Lord.  I also sometimes struggle with how the game impacts my productivity but it seems that whenever I look back on a day like today, I discover that the game has produced some wonderful new threads for my life and my ministry.  New views, new approaches, new insights, and the acknowledgement of new opportunities definitely are productive even if they do not reduce the "to-do" list.  In fact I often experience growth in my "to-do" list on days like today.

So I invite all of you who read my blog to play the "what if?" game whenever the chance presents itself.  Don't accept just remaining in a current holding pattern but challenge yourself to dream new dreams, experience new opportunities, and explore in areas you have never considered before.

Outside the Walls

A very good friend of mine just included in the weekly newsletter of his presbytery this article and it caused me to start thinking so I wanted to share it with you.

LEARN & LEAD

Equipping Your Church for Ministry

 

U2 is a popular Irish Rock band and many of you know the lead vocalist, Bono. However, some of you may not know that Bono is a Christian who uses his popularity as a rock musician to fight AIDS and extreme poverty. During the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast, he made the statement, stop asking God to bless what you are doing and get involved in what God is doing because it's already blessed. This is a good reminder to us, the churches in the Presbytery of East Iowa.  God is already involved in our communities--through food banks, student mentoring, backpack programs for kids and flood relief.  God is also evident as we give back to our communities by being volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel, caring for hurt children through foster care, helping challenged adults, teaching parenting classes, serving on community agency boards, building a town band shell or educating about the care and stewardship of creation.
 
Thriving churches understand that our response to God's overwhelming love for us is to be actively involved in redeeming all of creation. Where hurts exist, where injustice is present, where the environment is treated with careless abandon, these are the places the church is called to go.  Recently I heard a woman say, "just because I am an atheist does not mean I don't have many of the same values as Christians."  Building authentic relationships with those with whom we share a set of values is the beginning of mirroring the love we have experienced as a gift from God.  It is in these relationships that others can see God more clearly! 
 
Look for God's nudge as you joyfully say, Here I am Lord, send me.

 

Harry D. Olthoff

General Presbyter, Presbytery of East Iowa (PEIA)

I received a couple of important messages when I read Harry's article.  The first is that we need to remember that the work that we are called to be engaged in is the Lord's work.  The Lord is already at work in the world and already has placed ministries in motion, we need to find where we can contribute to the work already in progress.

The second is the importance of authentic relationships within the church.  I plan on writing on this topic some more in the future but for now I would put forward the understanding that our relationships are called to mirror the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Harry's call to be in authentic relationship with fellow believers is one that I think demands us to review the relationships within our congregations and begin dialogue about the status of those relationships.

Search For the Authentic

Recently, I have been engaged in discussions that have forced me to confront the word, "authentic".  Because of those conversations, I decided that I need to put some thought into and strive to gain some insight into the concept of being authentic.  So the first step in my thought quest was to go to the dictionary.  This is what I found:

au⋅then⋅tic 

–adjective

1.	not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.

2.	having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: an authentic document of the Middle Ages; an authentic work of the old master.

3.	entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy: an authentic report on poverty in Africa.

4.	Law. executed with all due formalities: an authentic deed.

5.

Music. a. (of a church mode) having a range extending from the final to the octave above. Compare plagal. b. (of a cadence) consisting of a dominant harmony followed by a tonic.   authentic. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/authentic (accessed: February 23, 2009).

As I looked at these definitions, I came to focus on the words genuine and real.  It seems to me that there is a huge search going on today for something that is genuine and real.  People are getting tired of experience only the "fluff" of life.  There is a hunger to have something deeper, something meaningful, something that will last.  It is clear that the fluff of life is not lasting and that the reason it is not lasting is because there is nothing genuine or real about it.

I believe that this quest incorporates many aspects of life.  The search for the authentic is taking place in relationships, in areas of employment, in education, and especially in the realm of faith.  People want to connect with other individuals and with concepts that have a lasting purpose and reality.  They have grown weary of promises made up front only to turn out to be fake or a disappointment.

I think this speaks to two important concerns that the church should have at this time.  First, there should be a concern for the authenticity in the way that we attempt to be the church.  We need to deliberately spend time in thought and prayer concerning the approaches we take in ministry and the messages that we put forth.  We need to be mindful of the importance of being real in the manner we use to represent Jesus Christ.  We need to show an authentic relationship that we find in the Lord by establishing authentic relationship.  We need to communicate the worship of the Lord in authentic manners.  We must be authentic as the church of Jesus Christ.

Second, I believe this forces us to confront as individuals how we are or are not being authentic.  I am not sure what prompts us so often to be anything less than genuine but I feel we probably are far less authentic with others than we realize.  We may explain it away as us trying to be polite.  We may struggle with the fear of rejection if we are authentic.  We may have a whole myriad of other excuses but I am not sure that we have much reason to support our excuses.  I wonder what differences would occur if we all worked harder on being authentic in our relationships and actions.  I know that I personally find this a difficult battle at times.

So today I wish to encourage all of you to ponder the search for the authentic.  What does that search look like?  How does it impact relationships?  How does it impact the church?  How should the church respond?  How should we, as individuals, respond?  I look forward to hearing your dialogue.

The Problem

The biggest problem with the church.......... THE CHURCH

Over the last few days I have been giving a lot of thought to a concept that I read in a book called "The Shack".  While this book was a piece of Christian fiction, I found that there were some awesome concepts within its pages.  One of these concepts dealt with the Church.  A main character in the book identified that the Church had become a human institution and because of that had destorted main concepts about God.  The character also asserted that the institution had damaged many lives.

As I have chewed on this some, I have come to agree wholeheartedly.  While I think that what the Church has become is just a part of the natural evolution of human endeavors, I do not believe that we have to be satisfied with it.  I find that most of my frustrations in the role of a leader within the Church is due not to people or the ministry that I am engaged in, the frustrations come from dealing with the institutional aspect of the church.

The only way that I can find to change this course that the Church seems to be on is far from anything innovative.  It is plain and very simple.  We need to take out more of us (humans that seem to think we know what the Church and world needs) and invite more of the Lord to enter.  I am convinced that only the Lord is capable of changing our direction.  The reason that we are not willing to do this is that the process is going to be painful and it will require us to surrender power and authority.  It will require us to sacrafice those things that we view as indispensable.  It will require us to submit to the love of the Lord.

Are we truly ready for this?  I hope so because the alternative looks pretty bleak to me.

Oh NO, it's here

In my last blog post I talked about the anticipation in regards to a projection screen arriving.  Within 48 hours of that post, it arrived.  Now you would assume that I was terribly excited about its arrival but within 72 hours, I was anything but excited.  You see, with the arrival of the screen came the realization that I huge learning curve had just been dumped into my lap.  I had to learn a new way of organizing worship, a new computer program in much more detail than I had known prior, and a new way of even leading worship.  Of course, this learning all needed to take place on an already very hectic week.  I was ready to scream.

Thank goodness time changes perspectives.  This week has been much better with the learning and the time management.  I was able to devote a large portion of yesterday to helping my administrative assistant learn the new computer program and to revamp the way that I put the elements of a worship service together.  There has been an increase in organization and an ability to get key players more involved.  I am excited about worship this Sunday and an opportunity to fully integrate the new technology to enhance our worship of the Lord.  There have even been a few members comment on how great an addition the system is to our worship (and they only saw 1/3 of the service utilizing it last week).

I am sure that there will still be some glitches to work out.  I am sure that I will continue to make mistakes with the system and its use.  But what an exciting time it is for our congregation and the worship of our Lord.  Like a friend said to me, "It is kind of like having a baby, you anticipate what great joy it is going to be but when it comes time for the arrival, you realize what a learning curve you now have."

Having a Touchstone

There have been two very important actions that the leadership of our congregation has taken in the last couple of years.  The first is that the group adopted a vision for the ministry they felt the Lord calling them to be faithful to.  The second is that they adopted a mission statement.  These are leadership approaches that are not new in any fashion.  They are also concepts that seem to have as many meanings and definitions as there are leaves blowing in the autumn wind.  So let me share briefly with you how our leadership has utilized these concepts.

The vision statement, or more accurately rubix, was adopted to provide a challenge and a broad overview of the ministry that the Lord seemed to be leading us toward.  It is relatively broad in nature and has a strong Scriptural basis.  For a couple of years we have used the vision to generate questions about what the Lord might be doing in us and through us at this time.  The leadership has challenged themselves in identifying how we are responding in the different ministry areas that are contained in the vision and making adjustments where and when needed.

The mission statement flowed out of our vision statement.  We came to the point of saying we needed a concise response to how we were going to fulfill the vision.  We also determined that we wanted a statement that could be remembered easily and by a large number of individuals.  A statement that we could place on all communications that flowed in and out of our church.  A statement that would give some insight for the community at large into what this congregation was called by the Lord to do. 

The exciting reality of these two activies is that it helped the leadership to discern what the Lord was telling us.  It also helped the leaders to get on the same page with each other.  The other vital reality is that we now have a touchstone from which we can determine activities and expenditures that will strengthen our ministry versus distract from the ministry.  I have seen a couple of recent examples when the leadership asked the question of "how does this fit within the vision and mission that the Lord has called us to?"  As they responded to this question, it became very obvious what decision needed to be made.

So I encourage you to set up touchstones that will provide guidance as you transform and respond to the Lord's call.   

Find a Need, Fill a Need

Recently in a conversation concerning Christian service with my confirmation/commissioning class, we viewed a video clip from the movie Robots.  One of the main characters, Mr. Bigweld, makes the statement that all people can contribute to the world.  They just need to "find a need, fill a need".  The class discussed how such a statement would apply to Christians and their use of the gifts God has given each person.

I think that this is an important concept for the church as a whole.  To begin with, the church should be actively finding the "need(s)" of the community which they are located in.  This would require actively being in discussion with members of the community that may not necessarily be a part of the worshiping community.  Of course the transformational dynamic that this would be associated with is Re-entering the Larger Community.  From the discussions and observations that occur as part of this step, we can then move on to the next half of Mr. Bigweld's statement --- fill a need.

The church then needs to identify how they might be able to fill the need(s) identified in the first step with the gifts, passions, and interests of the members of the congregation.  This will lead to being faithful to the call Christ gives to each of us as believers.  It will be a true demonstration of the body of Christ being alive in the world today and not just huddled within the safe confines of the church building.

So my challenge to all Christians is ----  Find a need, fill a need.