Should We Try To Make Our Churches Cool?

The concept of church is thousands of years old, yet we’re still understanding, debating and re-forming what we believe church should look like. We all grew up with different experiences of church. Some of us grew up in small, family-oriented community churches, while others of us didn’t grow up in church at all. For some of us, church was the kind of thing you had to dress up for, while others of us only attended on Christmas and maybe Easter.

For many of us, church is a topic of great debate, great frustration or even great pain. Many of us haven’t connected with the kinds of churches we’ve experienced, or we don’t agree with how we’ve seen church done. And so, in response, some of us have disconnected completely, deciding church just isn’t for us. Still others have decided to do things differently.

A result of this church frustration is what I am calling “cool churches.” More than ever, churches are striving to be culturally relevant, attracting church-goers with their décor, their cool music and even their coffee. Churches are more creative than ever before, striving to be places people want to be in, adapting to fit what they think people want. But is this a good thing?

I see pros and cons on both sides, but I want to hear what you think. Do we need our churches to be cool?

Benefits:

1) Diversity is a good thing. Something we sometimes miss in thinking about the diversity between churches is that our churches could, and maybe should, be as diverse as the people who attend them. A group of artists will hear and respond to the gospel in a different way than businessmen in Manhattan would. Although we’re all speaking the language of the gospel, why not allow room to speak in different dialects?

2) How else could we attract new people? One-size-fits-all churches can be a major deterrent when the size doesn’t, in fact, fit all. If we want to attract a different kind of person to our churches, we need to be different too.

3) It’s important to stay in the conversation. I often hear that churches are out of touch. Many churches skate around pressing issues, preferring to do things the way they’ve always been done. But in order to stay relevant, to continue to have a voice that people listen to, we have to be willing to adapt and keep up.

Drawbacks:

1) We may lose our focus. One legitimate question we should be asking ourselves as we’re revamping our churches to try to be cooler is this: Are we losing our focus? Where are we putting our money? Where are we finding our identity? What takes most of our time? Demonstrating our church’s personality through décor and the service is a great thing, but it should never trump our focus on the gospel.

2) We might get lost in what people want, rather than what Jesus wants. Are people craving the same things from their churches they’d look for in an apartment building or a restaurant? Is this what’s actually important to the people looking for a place to belong? That’s a question with many answers, but one to think about as we’re making decisions.

3) We run the risk of sacrificing truth. Something “cool” churches seem to value more than more traditional churches is a feeling of acceptance for everyone. Jesus modeled nothing less. But one question we should consider as we’re setting the tone for our churches is this: As we’re striving to create a place where everyone feels comfortable, are we ignoring the truths Jesus taught us in the process?

Jesus’ truth isn’t always comfortable. In fact, it rarely is. As we’re creating a welcoming environment, we need to make sure we’re not ignoring an uncomfortable yet important truth. In this sense, welcoming and comfortable aren’t synonymous.

Can we find middle ground? I think so. There are pros to doing church in a new way, to revisiting what Jesus said church should be. But there’s also wisdom in focusing on what’s most important instead of trying to appeal to everyone or make everyone happy. What are your thoughts on the subject? Should we be trying to make our churches cool? 

Are We In Danger Of Worshipping Worship?

     The question needs to be asked:  Are we in danger of worshipping worship?  The mood.  The atmosphere.  The melody.  The crowd.  The emotion.  Your favorite worship leader or your favorite speaker.  The band.  The performance.  The feeling.  Are we being moved by the right things?  Are our hearts aimed in the proper direction?
     The problem with our worship culture is that we equate worship with an experience, a moment.  We end up loving worship more than we love God.  We end up talking about worship more than we talk about God.  Our culture has made worship an end in itself, rather than what it should be--a way of life with Jesus at the center.
     But when life is chaotic, what do you turn to?  When crisis hits your life, what worship songs are you singing?  I'm not advocating we create boring, terrible music or rid our services of emotion.  I'm issuing a caution--a warning to guard our hearts from loving worship more than we love God.
     With good intent, many of us are running around focusing on anything and everything but God Himself.  It's as if Jesus is enthroned before our eyes, but we're taking Instagram shots of the throne itself.  We're more enamored by the gifts and talents of God's people than we are by the Creator of all things.  If we took away the music, the songs and the artists, would we have anything to say to God?
     If you were alone in a room with Jesus Christ, what would well up from the depths of your heart?  What would you say or feel?  How would you respond?  Can you talk about worship music for hours but have nothing to say about who God is in your life and what He is doing?  Do you know all there is to know about the latest worship album but are barren when it comes to knowing Scripture?
   My intentions are not to guilt anyone.  I want you to know God.  I want you to have a history of seeing God move and seeing His promises at work in your day to day life.  I don't want you to only look back to the glory days of your faith.  I want each day to bring new perspectives, adventures, divine appointments and experiences that show the reality of God to the world.  That's why the biblical understanding of worship needs to be kept paramount in our minds.
     Being impressed by talented people and feeling good through the duration of their performances is not enough.  The true worshipper will enjoy that and encourage that, but will also see through it to the Giver of all gifts.  The true worshipper learns to sing through the storm and cry out through the confusion of life.  The true worshipper knows how to scour the Scriptures for daily bread. The true worshipper knows how to pray and seek the heart of God.  They aren't just moved by powerful music, true worshippers are moved by the weight of God's glory.  They are hushed by the magnitude of His presence. 
     It's not that great art is wrong or unnecessary.  On the contrary, I'm a musician with a love for the art of playing music.  I do understand, however, the worshipper of God knows how to use it.  It's never an end in itself but a gateway to seeing more of the glory and perfection of God.

The Power Of Partnership

Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. — Phil 1:4-5

Partnership is the ability to accomplish more together than apart. It recognizes that a team is stronger than a lone individual. A group committed to each other will help the struggling and the fallen.

At Compass Worship Center, our members are known as partners because the success of kingdom work hinges on partnership rather than membership. 

Mother Teresa said, "You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together, we can do great things." An anonymous author wrote, "It is better to have one person working with you, than three working for you." Andrew Carnegie confessed, "I owe whatever success I have attained, by and large, to my ability to surround myself with people who are smarter than I am." John Wooden, perhaps the greatest basketball coach of all time, reminded his team, "The man who puts the ball through the hoop has ten hands."

Call it whatever you want--teamwork, association, synergy--partnership is the remarkable ability of two or more people working together to accomplish more than what each could do alone.
This truth is a fit reminder to God's people that when we are working together in harmony, the talents and gifts of the body minimize the weaknesses and shortcomings of the body, thereby making a stronger unit. Just as a baseball team needs nine players on the field or the game is forfeited, the local church needs everyone participating, or the strength of the body is weakened and the advancement of the gospel is threatened. If you took away one musician from an orchestra, the symphony would be incomplete. So, too, if one member of the family of God is missing, the church is incomplete.

We need each other.  You need someone, and someone needs you.

How To Engage Ministry Volunteers

Does it seem like there’s more ministry work to do than people do it? Do you have trouble recruiting good volunteers to contribute to your ministry’s work, or sadly watch good volunteers quit when you still need their help?

It’s possible to get good volunteers to serve faithfully in your ministry if you engage them in ways that will motivate them to give their best effort. Here’s how you can engage your ministry’s volunteers:

Start with prayer. Make prayer your first response whenever you encounter any kind of crisis or special need for God’s guidance, such as opposition or open doors. Ask God to give you and your ministry’s volunteers the strength, comfort, and wisdom to deal with whatever happens with the ministry. Let your volunteers know that you’re praying for them regularly.

Give families opportunities to serve together. When volunteers serve alongside their spouses, children, siblings, or other family members, they may enjoy serving more and be more likely to stick with regular service. Create opportunities for families to serve together at events such as evening vacation Bible school, on local community service projects, or on family mission trips. Recruit family members of existing workers to contribute to the ministry’s work.

Keep your volunteers focused on the right issues. Counteract distractions that can weaken the quality of your volunteers’ work by helping them focus on what kindles their passion and motivates them to give their best effort to their work. Also, whenever you want to lead them in a certain direction on a particular issue, focus on one issue at a time, such as the importance of being on time or the need to see the big picture of how their volunteer work impacts others. Shepherd them through the changes you’d like to see them make by heading in that same direction yourself and lovingly calling them to follow you rather than trying to drive them harshly. Help your volunteers remember key concepts you’re trying to communicate to them by reviewing, reminding, and repeating.

Help your volunteers find personal meaning in their work. If your volunteers find personal meaning in their ministry work, they’ll be less likely to quit than if they didn’t find their work personally meaningful. Get to know your volunteers’ personalities and passions, and try to place them in ministry positions where they’re best able to connect with people to make a positive impact and feel fulfilled. As often as possible, include your volunteers in the thrill of leading people to relationships with Christ. Talk with your volunteers about how they can grow spiritually from their service experiences, and give them opportunities to do so. Express your heartfelt appreciation to your volunteers often, through whatever ways would be most meaningful to them, from giving them gifts and to writing them thank you notes.

Equip your volunteers for their work. Give your volunteers the support they need to do an excellent job. Establish a clear chain of command and follow-up policy, unified strategies for all ministry workers, clear rules for volunteers and all the people they serve, and an organized structure that helps volunteers understand what to do and when to do it. Train your volunteers to develop all the different types of skills they need to work effectively in your ministry, such as teaching skills and technical skills. Come up with incentives to motivate your volunteers to work hard, such as encouraging words, gifts, or awards.

Equip your volunteers for spiritual warfare. Ask God to deliver your volunteers from evil forces that may be trying to undermine their ministry work. Encourage your volunteers to read the Bible often and absorb its truths into their souls. Set a good example of holy living for them by making daily decisions that reflect the love and integrity that God wants you to have. Help volunteers resolve conflicts and develop peaceful relationships with each other. Urge your volunteers to have faith in God to empower them to minister to people successfully, rather than relying on their own efforts apart from Him. Help volunteers deal with the frustrations of their ministry work by looking at challenges from an eternal perspective.

Connect your volunteers to God’s vision and other people. Your volunteers are likely to remain faithful to their ministry work if they feel closely connected to God’s vision for the ministry, to the people they serve, and to their fellow volunteers. So give your volunteers plenty of opportunities to interact with each other so they can develop camaraderie that will help them work well as a team toward the common goal of fulfilling God’s purposes for the ministry. Encourage volunteers to pray for each other and help each other succeed at their tasks. Schedule some joint outings and regular training and prayer sessions for your volunteers.

Practice what you preach. Ask God to help you successfully serve as a good role model for your volunteers of personal holiness and devoted service. Do your best to obey God in all areas of your life. When you fail, be open and honest about your failures. Let your volunteers see that you’re a real person, just like them, struggling with vulnerabilities, grief, and uncertainties. Be most concerned not about what your volunteers think of you, but about what they think about Christ as they watch how well you represent Him. Be humble, reminding yourself daily that you’re one of Christ’s ambassadors who should serve Him as well as you can. Make a habit of confessing and repenting of your sins so you can keep growing closer to Christ.

7 Things I Want My Kids To Know About Me

1. That I love God

I want my kids to know that I believe in a God who created the Universe and created me to know him. The way that I live, the decisions that I make, the way that I spend money, and the way that we interact with our neighbors all flow from my relationship with God.

2. That I love their mom

Jacque and I celebrated 26 years of marriage this year.  For the sixteen years that we have had children, my kids have seen me love and prioritize my wife. I want my kids to see me put their mom before myself. I want them to see the committed, love relationship that exists between us. I want them to see us be affectionate with each other.

3. That I love them

Daily, I tell my kids that I love them and I work hard to show them that I love them. When correcting my kids, I labor to make sure that they feel and experience love from me. I want Tori to feel loved by me and to not look for inappropriate love from another man. I want Ian to know that I love him and value him.

4. That I work hard

God created us to work. My kids would love for me to hang with them all day every day. I do spend a lot of time with them, but they also see me work. In parenting them, I continually explain to them the value of hard work.

5. That I care about other people

The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. As a family, we prioritize showing love to other people. I want my kids to see me model this.  We strive to know and care about our neighbors, we look to build and grow friendships, we are committed to love our extended family members.

6. That I tell the truth

I am constantly telling my kids to tell the truth. Telling the truth is sometimes difficult. I work hard to model truth-telling for my kids, teach them the importance of keeping their word, and commit to model speaking the truth in love.

7. That I apologize when I am wrong

Being wrong is hard, but I am an expert at it. I have apologized to my kids many times when I was wrong.  I have apologized to their mom in front of them when I was wrong.  In doing this I explain the importance of taking responsibility for your actions.

Drop Anchor and Fish

When you speak to a person about their ministry and their conversation is punctuated with quotes and references from people who are not in your city, not ministering in your context, not at your church and among your people, and most importantly, not you, then you know you have a problem.

While principles of ministry are useful, ministry is done in context. And at the end of the day, a pastor has to prayerfully decide what ministry will look like for them and then drop anchor and fish. Otherwise, valuable time will be lost puttering all over the lake looking for the best place to fish. And the truth is God blesses faithfulness and commitment more than he blesses the latest strategy.

I've always said that a quality in successful ministry is “sticktoitiveness.” Obviously, there’s a squiggly red line under that word in your editor, but I think you get the meaning. Choose the best ministry paradigm given the context you are in and then stick to it. Success is built over time, not overnight.

5 Church Change Killers

The very fact that we’re leaders means we have to chart the course and make bold steps toward the destiny God has designed for us.

The problem is … it doesn’t always work. Change is a scary proposition for most people, and so it’s not always received with the enthusiasm we envision.

Here are some reasons why change is so hard for churches, and a few things we can do to make it easier:

1. Unbridled Tradition.

Tradition is great—it’s one of the things all of us look forward to in our lives. Vacation traditions, family traditions, holiday traditions. No matter what your personality, you find comfort and meaning in the few things that don’t change in your life. Everybody does.

The problem with tradition in churches is when programs and practices become an end in themselves rather than a means to an end.

If the Great Commission and the Great Commandment are our marching orders, and our goal is to reach and grow people, then our focus has to be on the mission, not on the means.

Question: Are there traditions, programs, silos or sacred cows holding your church back from impact?  

If so, are you willing to shift the emphasis to the mission and off of the means?

2. Dysfunctional Structure.

Just like our physical bodies need a structure (skeleton), so our churches need structure. Structures are the people and processes you use and the way you organize them.

The best structures for creating positive change are the ones where decisions can be made quickly, trust is built through flowing communication and authority comes with responsibility.

Whenever there’s frustration on your team, it’s wise to ask whether the structure is creating problems. Fixing structural problems is one of the quickest ways to gain momentum and raise morale.

How’s your structure?

3. Unresolved Conflict.

Jesus made it clear that unity in the Body of Christ is a non-negotiable. It’s intended to be the hallmark of Christianity in the world.

The truth is, teams with unresolved conflict cannot make significant progress until the problems are addressed and the conflicts are dealt with in a healthy way.

4. Lack of Faith.  

Years ago, Rick Warren did a study on the 100 fastest growing churches in America. He was looking for the common leadership characteristics in the leaders of these effective churches.

What he discovered is each leader was a very unique, with the exception of one quality: great faith.

Both the task and the challenges of church leadership are outrageous, and they require a leader who has the faith to believe God will prevail.
What are you believing about yourself and your church?

5. Fuzzy Vision.

Nelson Searcy says, “people say no to what’s confusing.”

If the vision for our churches is foggy, the buy-in will be minimal. What people are looking for in life is a purpose, a clear and burning opportunity to connect their lives with something greater and more enduring. And when a leader clarifies a clear and compelling vision and asks people to sign on, they do.

Personally, this is the most difficult part of leadership for me, but it’s also where I see the greatest payoffs for the work I put in.

A good vision answers the question, “What will it be like when we get there?”

Real Discipleship

I get funny looks from some people when I tell them I believe God is calling us back to radical discipleship. Those in the over-50 crowd—people who lived through the charismatic movement of the 1970s—are likely to have a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to the dreaded “D word.”

That’s because the so-called Discipleship Movement (also known as the Shepherding Movement) turned a vital biblical principle into a weapon and abused people with it. Churches that embraced the warped doctrines of shepherding required believers to get permission from their pastors before they bought cars, got pregnant or moved to a new city. Immature leaders became dictators, church members became their loyal minions, and the Holy Spirit’s fire was snuffed out because of a pervasive spirit of control.

"Reclaiming this process of discipleship is going to require a total overhaul of how we do church. Do we really want to produce mature disciples who have the character of Jesus and are able to do His works? Or are we content with shallow believers and shallow faith?”

I don’t ever want to live through that again. I know countless people who are still licking their wounds from the spiritual abuse they suffered while attending hyper-controlling churches in the 1970s and ‘80s. Some of them still cannot trust a pastor today; others walked away from God because leaders misused their authority—all in the name of “discipleship.”

Yet I’m still convinced that relational discipleship—a strategy Jesus and the apostle Paul modeled for us—is as vital as ever. If anything the pendulum has now swung dangerously in the opposite direction. In today’s free-wheeling, come-as-you-are, pick-what-you-want, whatever-floats-your-boat Christianity, we make no demands and enforce no standards. We’re just happy to get warm rumps in seats. As long as people file in and out of the pews and we do the Sunday drill, we think we’ve accomplished something.

But Jesus did not command us to go therefore and attract crowds. He called us to make disciples (see Matt. 28:19), and that cannot be done exclusively in once-a-week meetings, no matter how many times the preacher can get the people to shout or wave handkerchiefs. If we don’t take immature Christians through a discipleship process (which is best done in small groups or one-on-one gatherings), people will end up in a perpetual state of immaturity.

David Kinnaman, author of the excellent book unChristian, articulated the problem this way: “Most people in America, when they are exposed to the Christian faith, are not being transformed. They take one step into the door, and the journey ends. They are not being allowed, encouraged, or equipped to love or to think like Christ. Yet in many ways a focus on spiritual formation fits what a new generation is really seeking. Transformation is a process, a journey, not a one-time decision.”

Reclaiming this process of discipleship is going to require a total overhaul of how we do church. Do we really want to produce mature disciples who have the character of Jesus and are able to do His works? Or are we content with shallow believers and shallow faith?  We must not fall into the trap of entertaining our congregations with events and programs.

How can we make this paradigm shift in to discipleship? How can we add “the D word” back into our vocabulary?

·        *Churches must stop exclusively focusing on big events and get people involved in small groups, where personal ministry can take place.

·        *We must stop treating people like numbers and get back to valuing relationships.

·        *Leaders must reject the celebrity preacher model and start investing their lives in individuals.

When we stand before Christ and He evaluates our ministries, He will not be asking us how many people sat in our pews, came to our events or filled out response cards. He is not going to evaluate us based on how many people fell under the power of God or how many healings we counted in each service. He will ask how many faithful disciples we made. I pray we will make this our priority.

The Paradox of Patience

By Shawn McEvoy:

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5:7-8

We all know that patience isn't easy, or fun. What it is, though, is the path of the wise. Or, perhaps it's better to say the "non-path," since it usually involves a decision to do nothing for a while, to be still and know that you are not God, to reflect, or to strategize.

I recently gained new insight into the value of patience and the reason it's prized so highly in the Bible, from verses about "those who wait on the Lord" to "letting endurance have its perfect result."

In the first half of 2010 I raced through a blog of the TV show LOST. The series is replete with Christo-religious metaphors and parallels. One such area it studies in detail is patience. Early on, one of the characters tells another that "Patience, which you lack, is the quality of a leader." It almost flew right by me, like it did the first time. Patience? The quality of a leader? Does that sound right? Not really, not to today's ears. Don't we usually think of leaders as people who make immediate, command decisions, rush into action, tell others what to do, and make people feel safe (which is to say, how they think they need to feel)?

That's part of it; however, those are the very flaws about the concept that plagued most of the characters on LOST. They were so driven to do, fix, run, save, correct, fight, and prove themselves that they often didn't take time to actually ponder the next step or, even better, to wait for the next step to present itself. Their lack of wisdom in making rush decisions and actions was obvious to the audience. We kept wondering why they couldn't remember the miracles they'd already seen, why they couldn't reflect on what they'd already come through, the amazing ways they'd been granted second chances, the redemption they'd been given despite not deserving it, the way they kept longing for home while failing to realize they were building a new one (if they could have just slowed down and seen it).

As I watched it all unfold, I was reminded of the children of Israel. Granted, 40 years in a desert would be a long time to wait for anything, particularly a promised new home. So they grumbled. They longed for the old ways, even though those meant bondage and servitude. They failed to stop and understand that the miracles of manna and the Red Sea meant more were on the way - at the right time. They nagged their leadership, sought unproductive solutions, and just like the characters on LOST, were plagued by always feeling they had to do something, to take control.

The paradox is that control is indeed involved, but it's self-control instead of situational control. Relax. Quiet yourself. Let's remember where we came from and the amazing ways we passed through peril for a while. Let's reflect on the present - the fact we're here - and how amazing the Lord is. Let's ponder our future steps before rushing up them and tripping.

Patience - the "strengthening of the heart" James refers to - then is directly related to another fruit of the Spirit, self-control. Self-control thus leads to maturity, which is completeness, which is wisdom, which is leadership, which is purpose, which is ministry, which is being used of God, which is where we see miracles again. Full-circle we come, eventually, when we patiently wait on the Lord, who is never late and perpetually victorious.

Situational control may provide temporary satisfaction, but it also often makes a situation worse. Patience is a willing temporary dissatisfaction, but it puts your emotions under control and God in control. It might make a situation feel like it's not getting better, but the solution can only be miraculous with it as part of the equation. Patience prevents rash judgment, and judgmentalism. It secures a plan. It is a beautiful paradox of being a non-action and yet a conscious exercise of free will. It is the basis for the merciful ways the Lord deals with us. Patience provides the path in proper time, and promises that faith will be rewarded.

Practice patience this week by seeking not to pursue control in one particularly vexing portion of your life, and ponder whether it's indeed your problem to solve in the first place. Start by remembering the miracle of how God got your attention and delivered you, and his promise that the great work he began in you will not remain incomplete, no matter how long it takes. What miracle will be next? Wait and see. "You will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame (Isaiah 49:23)."

Ten Things That Can Cause Stress In A Leader

Thanks for the reminder, Pastor Perry.

Actually…I am not sure if these cause stress in every leader…but I know these are the 10 most common things that cause stress in me…

#1 – I actually believe the church is MY church and not HIS church…and that I am in control rather than HIM! (See Matthew 16:18)

#2 – I do not trust the people who I delegate authority and responsibility to and actually begin to believe the lie that, “if I want something done right then I must do it myself.”

#3 – When I know without a doubt what God has spoken to me to do…but I begin to listen to the “experts” who tell me that the very thing God has called me to do is an impossibility.

#4 – When I try to explain myself to those who don’t really want an explanation…they just want to argue.

#5 – When I refuse to take some time to disconnect and rest, claiming that the devil never takes a day off while not understanding that the devil isn’t supposed to be my example.

#6 – When I begin to take on the “Messiah complex” and begin to think about how much the church needs me rather than how much I actually NEED CHRIST!

#7 – When I worry about results more than obedience!!!

#8 – When I focus on the size of the problem rather than the size of God!

#9 – When I fail to share my worries and concerns and admit my mistakes to others for fear that it may make me seem weak and stupid. (When…the opposite is the case, those around me actually love and respect me more when I ask for help!)

#10 – When I become unaware of HIS presence every single minute of my life!

Responding to Failure...Responding to Success

I think that the greatest test of leadership later in life is how we respond to our success. Do we let it go to our head or do we give God glory? Do we use it to build an army of fans or do we use it to make fans of Christ?

I think the greatest test of our leadership early on is how we respond to our failures. Do we go into self-defense mode? Do we abdicate responsibility? Do we try to make ourselves look better than we actually are? Or do we embrace the failure as an opportunity to learn?

In both instances, it’s a matter of who holds the reins on our lives. Is it all about us? Or is it all about God?

I firmly believe that we will not respond to our success well if we don’t first respond to our failures well.

Leadership Can Be Lonely

I've come to grips that leadership can sometimes be lonely.

I try to always lead in teams. But sometimes, leadership can just be lonely. There are places that only you can go. Think about Jesus going into the garden to pray. Or Elijah hiding out in the cave. Or Moses going before Pharaoh. There are some seasons and situations where leadership is lonely.

That’s why you’ve got to make sure that your identity is rooted in something much deeper than your own abilities or other peoples’ opinions of you. Popular opinion is fleeting and it is flawed. Those who praise you too much and those who criticize you too much are both wrong. Don’t listen to either. Hunker down into the Scriptures and discover who God says you are and who he created you to be. Seek his approval, favor, and pleasure. And when the lonely seasons come, you'll be anchored well.

Building People, Not Crowds

One of the most important church leadership principles that I've come to understand is that I am not called to build crowds, but to reach them.  This happens when we build people...and building people is the most fulfilling part of a church leader's job.

What people need most from us as leaders is equipping and encouragement.  Early in my ministry, I was too focused on all I had to do and not focused enough on seeing clearly what God wanted to do for and through our church.  I've learned that He really expects two important things of us as leaders.  He desires for us to equip people through biblical teaching and empower them for ministry so they become excited about what can happen for the Lord.

God calls us not just to reach crowds, but also to build people.

Monday

Monday is the day that most pastors/church leaders struggle…some call it the “holy hangover,” others call it “life!” So many are tempted to quit, give up and/or throw in the towel.

Don’t do it!  Don’t quit!

Galatians 6:9 is true about you..."Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." NIV

I don’t know about you…but I have several quotes in my office, things I look at to challenge and inspire me…here is one I thought I would share because, well, it’s Monday!

“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena. Whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt

MVPs

Who are your MVPs? The people-- whether paid or volunteer-- that you cannot imagine doing ministry without? The people who make it happen, keep momentum flowing, keep the vision at the forefront, and give you joy.

As I read the epistles of Paul, I'm struck with how often he praises people in the various churches he writes. He's so thankful for the many great leaders, and he's constantly acknowledging their sacrifices, accomplishments, and efforts. He heaps gratitude on people who bring him joy because of their ministry and their friendship with him.

We've all got MVPs around us. They are the people that make us happy to do what we get to do. And we should find ways to let them know that.

I Used to Think I Knew it All (a personal reflection)

I thought I knew everything there was to know about marriage…I was the expert and had philosophies and ideas that I knew would make marriage unbelievable. THEN I got married and discovered that it took more than philosophy to make marriage successful…it took work and change and adjustments and a willingness to unlearn everything I thought I knew!

I thought I knew everything there was to know about raising children…I was the expert. I was NEVER going to be THAT parent that had a kid freak out in the middle of a restaurant…I was NEVER going to say ridiculous things such as, “do you want a spanking?” THEN Jacque and I had Tori, and then a little over three years later, we had Ian. Jacque and I came to the understanding that it takes more than philosophies and book knowledge to raise our children…it takes work and change and adjustments and a willingness to unlearn everything I thought I knew.

I thought I knew a lot about leading a church…I thought I was an expert. After all, I had taken some seminary classes, had experiences working in some great churches and had read a lot of books by some people who had done quite well in regards to leading great churches. I've come to the understanding that it takes more than philosophies and some inspirational one-liners from my favorite conference speaker to really lead a church...it takes work and change and adjustments and a willingness to unlearn everything I thought I knew.

I’ve been in full-time ministry many years, and the longer I do this the more I realize that I really don’t know what I’m doing, which is awesome for me because realizing this will keep me desperate for God’s voice; after all, it IS His church.

I will NEVER have church leadership figured out! The more I am around amazing leaders, the more I realize I have so much to learn. The thing that I have learned though is that in order to be an effective church leader we MUST be willing to throw out philosophies, ideas and “book knowledge” that doesn’t fall in line with what the Scriptures and the Spirit is saying.

The beginning of Jesus bringing serious change in His church is when He begins to bring that type of serious change in the leadership of that church! If we are willing to embrace all He has for us, we will see things that absolutely blow our minds…and that’s my prayer. I don’t want to know it all, I want to know HIM who controls it all, and trust Him to lead me step by step!

Making Happy Christians Mad

Here's a great post from Tony Morgan...tonymorganlive.com

“I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved,” 1 Corinthians 10:33

Fascinating perspective isn’t it? Typically, we don’t operate like that. We put personal conviction or preferences ahead of what may be best for others. Think about it…

*It isn’t worship if the music is too loud or too fast or the wrong genre.
*It isn’t discipleship if the content is delivered in a home or online instead of in a classroom.
*It isn’t missions if we help a neighbor who has wealth instead of focusing on people who live in poverty.
*The message is good if it calls out the sin of other people, but when it’s our sin, we’re offended.
*Rather than embracing the ministries that are impacting the most people, we want the church to embrace our
personal projects and passions.
*We’re more inclined to give when we can direct how the money is used.

Crazy. You’d think we’d be intentional about living out our faith to do what’s best for others. Instead, we make ministry decisions to try to keep people happy. That’s how we end up with churches full of happy Christians. That’s why churches stop growing. We start doing church for us instead of trying to impact the lives of people around us.

The reality is that if we’re going to reach people outside the church and outside the faith, we’re going to have to be uncomfortable. And, once we figure out what’s best for others today, it’ll be different tomorrow. That will involve change. That means we’ll have to get uncomfortable again.

Let’s face it. It’s a lot easier doing ministry when our only goal is to keep people happy. Doing what’s best for others makes life and ministry messy. We have to be willing to rock the boat. We have to be willing to watch people who don’t have a “1 Corinthians 10:33″-mindset leave the church.

When I stop doing what’s best for me and focus on what’s best for others, though, that’s when real life-change happens. It’s worth making “happy Christians” mad so that many may be saved.

Long Haul Discipleship

Discipleship can't happen in sound bytes. What a profound sound byte!

I think this is a statement of critical importance. In an age of short attention spans, meals in microwaveable boxes, and life moments reduced to 140 Twitter characters, we need to recapture the ideas of longevity and endurance.

Discipleship is a whole life journey, not an 4-8 week class. It's about developing the fruit of the Spirit and spiritual gifts and looking more like Christ, not about checking off a set of boxes. It's a process of becoming, not a destination. There is no way to short-circuit discipleship. It's about turning every moment of every day into an encounter with God.

Read what Paul's final encouragement to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5-7 (NLT)
"Fulfill the the ministry God has given to you. As for me, my life has already been poured out as a drink offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful."

These are not the words of a man who has just finished a set of sprints. These are the words of a man who is on the last leg of a super marathon. Listen to some of his words. He has been "poured out as a drink offering to God." Are we allowing God to pour us out? Have our lives spilled out all over those that God has entrusted to us?

He "fought a good fight." If you want to shorten a fight, there are three ways you can do it- die, surrender, or win. Unless Jesus returns, the final victory is not something we can control, and I know I don't want to surrender. So I have to keep fighting until the death.

He "remained faithful." Discipleship is not about us and our schedules. It's about remaining faithful to God and the people he has put in our paths.

If someone discovers a Biblical way to shorten the discipleship process, then I am all for it. Until then, I'm going to have to find some way to follow Paul's example.

Highest Calling versus Ministry

Don't neglect your highest calling in the name of ministry. We all do it. We don't read the Bible to grow closer to God; we read the Bible to get a message for Sunday. We don't preach for the glory of God; we preach to grow our churches. We cheat our families and our friends to tackle a to-do list of ministry activity that will never end.

Ezekiel gives us a sobering message in the 44th chapter for his book. In Ezekiel 44:10-14, we learn that the priests in the temple have served the people well, but have not worshiped God. So God allows them to continue to work in the temple and serve the people, but they can no longer enter the most Holy place to worship him and experience his presence.

How tragic to live a life of service to the people of God without experiencing the presence of God. And yet if we are honest, many of us must confess that we have found ourselves in that place before...if not living in it now.

Do not neglect your highest calling in the name of ministry.