Stop Doing Ministry

I’m guessing you’re familiar with the story from Acts 6 where the widows in the church were not getting fed. That’s a bad situation. I know how grumpy I get when I’m hungry. I can’t imagine how grumpy a group of hungry, older women can be. That can’t be good.

The grumpy, old women weren’t getting fed because the apostles weren’t getting the job done. These leaders were supposed to be focusing on prayer and teaching God’s Word (see Acts 6:4), but instead they were stuck trying to pull off a not very effective food distribution effort.

So who’s at fault? It could be the people in the church who are just showing up for services on Sunday morning but not engaging in ministry. Maybe they haven’t studied the Bible enough to learn that it’s not biblical to pay pastors to do all the ministry of the church.

It could be the fault of the leaders. Maybe they’ve fallen into the “I can do it better” trap (see the post below). Maybe they aren’t really leaders, so they aren’t spiritually gifted to empower other people in ministry.

Either way, here’s what strikes me about this passage in Acts. The apostles were engaged in ministry. In that day, food distribution was just as much a part of the ministry of the church as praying and teaching. They were doing ministry; they just weren’t doing the right ministry. In other words…

It’s possible to do the work of God without doing the work God has called you to do.

That should be alarming for us. Because as the church grows, it requires us to prayerfully consider questions like this:

• Am I encouraging people to serve in ministry?
• Am I helping people determine their gifts?
• Am I empowering new leaders?
• Am I a leader, or am I just in a leadership position?
• Am I doing what God designed me to do?

Fortunately, the apostles decided to empower seven other leaders to take responsibility for the food distribution. That allowed the apostles to get back to focusing on prayer and the teaching of God’s Word. I guess you could say they stopped doing ministry, and encouraged others to do it instead. As a result of that, “God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too,” (Acts 6:7).

If you’re doing all the ministry, you’re probably going to lead a small, ineffective ministry that’s not consistent with God’s plan for your life. So what are you going to do? Are you going to continue to do the work of God, or…

Are you going to do the work God called you to do? Here are some Scriptures to consider:

Galatians 6:4 NLT Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.

Ephesians 5: 17 NLT Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

I Can Do It Better

Pride makes you do stupid things. One of the consequences is falling into the “I can do it better” trap. It’s what happens when you look at a situation and or a decision and say to yourself, “I can’t let anyone else have this one, because it’ll just be easier (and better) if I do it myself.”

Here are some thoughts for those of us who wrestle with this:

• If you are a perfectionist, people won’t like to be around you. It’s one thing to give our best effort. It’s another thing to think it always has to be perfect. Perfectionism isn’t attractive.
• Needing to be in control will kill you. It leads to anxiety and fear. It’s an indication that God’s not in control. It will paralyze you.
• If you always do it, no one else will learn to do it and you will always be stuck thinking you have to do it. It’s a vicious cycle.
• If you always do it, you’re denying other people the opportunity to live out God’s purpose for their life. That’s kind of like telling people you know better than God what’s best for their life.
• What if Jesus said, “I can do this better.” Because, if you think about it, he could do it better…but he still elected to give ministry away to others.
• When we don’t let others do it, we limit our influence and impact. Small organizations (and churches) have leaders who think they need to do it all.
• When we choose to do it ourselves, we’re taking the easy way out. It’s harder to find someone else, train them, coach them and check up on them. In other words, we’re basically admitting we’d rather not do the hard work that could ultimately lead to better results.

Just so you know, I’m a recovering perfectionist. This is something God is continuing to work out in me. The crazy thing about this mindset is that it directly conflicts with my ministry calling. Here’s what I believe my primary calling is in my life:

“[My] responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13 NLT).

For me to fulfill that calling, there’s really no room for “I can do it better.” In order for me to do what God is calling me to do, I have to equip God’s people to do his work. Which, not to state the obvious, must suggest that God thinks …

They can do it better.

Who's The Leader?

I'm currently reading Greater Than Yourself by Steve Farber. This is a wonderful leadership book written in story or parable form. The big idea of the book is to make others greater than yourself, and this is accomplished by living out three tenets; expand yourself, give yourself, and replicate yourself. This is definitely not your average leadership "how-to" book.

There are elements that I'm continually learning about leadership. One thing I've discovered is people are in positional leadership roles who aren't necessarily the leaders of their organizations. Leadership is no longer a title on a business card. (Do people still carry those things?)

Leadership looks a lot different these days.

• It doesn’t necessarily reside in the corner office.
• It’s something that’s earned rather than bestowed.
• It rarely tells people what to do, but rather asks how can I serve?
• It can’t be bought, because most people ultimately care very little about the money.
• It’s focused more on the mission than the tasks.
• It’s concerned more about fostering influence instead of wielding power.
• It recognizes the next new idea will come from someone else.
• It doesn’t necessarily require words.

The Paths to Discipleship

I've been thinking about discipleship a lot lately. After all, it's my job; to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ. But what does that mean and how do we do it? I've spent quite a bit of time developing a "discipleship track"- a four tiered track of academic type classes that are designed to help people rise to the next level of discipleship. The track is easy to implement, manage, and measure. But are people really being changed? I'm not sure.

The more I observe, the more I understand that when it comes to spiritual growth, Christ-likeness is never the same, linear path for every person. And Jesus' approach with his disciples appears to be anything but linear. It was personal and born out of relationship. I think spiritual growth can be predictable to some degree, but it never seems to be linear. This is a theme that I keep coming back to.

Still...I'm not sure people are truly being changed or if they are just checking off boxes. We run the risk of building programs instead of building people. How can we make sure we stay laser-focused on building people. I'm convinced that information without relationship is not true discipleship.

Does Size Matter

Why do some people go to small churches? Why do others go to large churches?

This is certainly an oversimplification, but track with me.

People tend to stay at small churches because they are:

1) Needed

Each week, someone is counting on them to pass out the red attendance folders, vacuum the floor, fill the communion cups, or help organize stuff. They are needed.

2) Known

People love small churches because they are known. If they have a toenail operation, someone knows. If they miss church, someone calls. If their pet cat gets hit by a car, someone cares. They love being known.

All things equal, why do people go to large churches? The answers vary widely:

• The church has a good Mother’s Day Out.
• The videos are cool.
• The church has great music.
• The junior high pastor is creative.
• They have a group for widows.
• They have a group for addicts.
• They have a group for everything, including annoying people.

People have tons of reasons to go to large churches.

But why do they leave? Typically because they don’t feel:

1) Needed

The paid staff does most everything. The professional band is too good for most. The yard is mowed by a company. The daycare workers are paid. If there is no place for me to use my gifts, I just might leave.

2) Known

If a person misses church and no one calls, it hurts. If someone is in pain and no one knows, again, not good. One can be in a crowded church building and still feel all alone.

What can we do to help people become needed and known no matter what the size of the church? Post your comments.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Mark Ingram (22) and the University of Alabama.

Discipleship Track

We have been developing and tweaking our Victory Discipleship Track for the last two months. Several people were invited to participate as I worked through the bugs. We are ready to launch the track in 2010 and initiate our process of discipleship...Victory 101-Intro to Victory, Victory 201-The Essentials, Victory 301-Discovery, Victory 401-Dream Team. I ask, Lord, that You bless our efforts!

Mobility, Technology and Community

If you work with people and building community and have not read the book Refrigerator Rights, you need to go get it right now. It's authored by Drs. Will Miller and Glenn Sparks, and it contains fascinating studies and perspective on the effect that mobility and technology have had on relational connection.

Consider the following:
*According to the 2000 census, over 16% of the population moved their residence during the census period.
*One third of young adults ages 20-29 moved in one year—from 1999 to 2000.
*Nearly 45 million Americans move every year, and the average America moves every 5 to 6 years, thereby rupturing significant relationships with family and friends.

The technological surge of the past 50 years has also impacted our connection points.
*Roughly one-fourth of America’s dinners are eaten while watching television.
*According to the Kaiser Foundation, during a typical year, the average child in the United States spends the equivalent of two months of television viewing.

And we have not even begun to consider the impact of social media on face-to-face connection. We've got lots of anecdotal evidence pointing to both the positive and negative impacts of Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social networking on feelings of isolation and detachment. I really think it's a net positive. But if we are honest, we just don't know yet what the full impact will be.

All of these variables factor heavily in my personal ministry goals- to create environments where connections can happen. We experience turnover at Victory Church every year like so many other churches. I can't think of many of our leaders who don't stare at a computer screen for the majority of their day. The way we relate to one another is changing. What do we do?

Randy Frazee might say to fight against it, to live counter-culturally. I think I'm more in favor of embracing the reality and doing the hard work of building community in the midst of the craziness. But I'm not sure how.

Just rambling...

Senior Staff Retreat

The senior staff of Victory Church recently went to Estes Park on a planning retreat for 2010. Here are a few photos:

Why Do We Do Small Groups/Life Groups

We do small groups because we have found that they are the most effective way to do discipleship within the context of our culture.

This may be a surprise, but small groups are not sacred to me. I do not hold to the view that small groups (or a particular small group model) are the only way to Biblically disciple others. What I care about most is that people grow in their relationship with Christ, transform their lives to look more and more like him, and grow in their relationship with other people. Small groups just seem to me to be the best way to facilitate that process.

I believe there are five primary ways that people grow in their faith:

Relational- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they grow in relationship with others and are influenced by those relationships.

Experiential- people grow in their relationship with Christ when they are immersed in an experience with him that propels them in some area of their faith formation.

Intellectual- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they develop the mind of Christ through the reading, study, meditation, and memorization of Scripture.

Personal- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they incorporate and practice spiritual disciplines into the context of their everyday lives.

Incarnational- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they seek to follow his model of servant leadership and become his hands and feet in sacrificial service to those around them.

Every person tends to gravitate towards one or two of those five growth patterns, and small groups offer opportunities for all five types of growth.

Here are some of the more practical reasons we do small groups:

Organization, The Jethro Principle (Exodus 18:21-26)

v. 21 "But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten."
We do small groups because it establishes a structure that allows for continued church growth and the effective pastoring of people.

Relationship, The Acts Community (Acts 2:43-47)

v. 46 "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity."
We do small groups because we believe they provide an environment for true Christian community to develop through the intentional sharing of our lives with others.

Discipleship and Ministry (2 Timothy 2:2)

2 Timothy 2:2 "You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them along to others."
We do small groups because we feel that discipleship and ministry are ultimately community activities.

Many churches run into problems because they think small group ministry is the “thing to do,” but they have never given any significant thought to why they were doing them. Why small groups? is a critical question to ask and answer before implementing any sort of small group model. It’s imperative to put structures in place and create environments that move people forward in their faith. Otherwise, it’s just one more church program.

What Do You Value?

What do you value most in your life group? The number of people who show up? Or the one life that begins the process of change?

In the 1700s, the spiritual climate of a generation was shaped by two important figures-George Whitfield and John Wesley. Both preached to huge crowds and led high profile ministries. George Whitfield was regarded as the best preacher of his time, and he has left us a legacy of Biblically rich and stirring, convicting sermons that are as relevant today as they were then. John Wesley was a good preacher, as well, but he prioritized investment in people over the sermon. His legacy can be found in people--the millions of followers in churches all over the world that have been left in his wake.

I'd personally rather be a John Wesley than a George Whitfield--a legacy that is found not only on some dusty bookshelves, but in the everyday, walking around lives of people. But that's harder to do because you can't see the immediate success. Recognizing that his legacy was dependent not only on his own gifts and abilities, but also on the gifts and skills of those he discipled, Wesley organized his followers into groups called “class meetings.” At each meeting, the participants shared what they were learning from Bible study, what they were praying for, where they were struggling, and where they were growing.

Wesley also invested significant time and energy in the development of young preachers. Even today, you can visit the chapel that he built at Bristol in which he installed a glass window above the sanctuary from which he could watch his young emerging ministers preach. Afterwards, he would meet with each of them and evaluate their progress.

Over 200 years later, we see the powerful results of Wesley's vision to prioritize people. So what should we value most--how many people show up? how well we led a group discussion? We tend to value most the things we can measure most readily and easily, but placing priority on those things might short-circuit the greater purpose of our group. If we value the growth of one person--no matter how small or how long it takes--we will build the Kingdom of God through people.

ROLL TIDE!

I just couldn't "bear" to go any longer without showing a little Bear Bryant love! ROLL TIDE!