The Best Kind of Busy

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November 7, 2017

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Life seems busier than ever. The pace of modern society drains us of vitality, creativity and focus. You’ve heard the adage, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll just keep you busy.” A mentor once told me, “Busyness destroys relationships.” Most of us are overly busy and many of us don’t know how to fix it.

One writer noted, “The opposite of busy in today’s world is sustained, focused attention. It is deep engagement in activities that really matter to us, or in conversations with those we care about.”[i] How do we define the right activities that really matter to us? What are the key conversations we should pursue with “those we care about?”

The Right Kind of Busy

Here is some inspired advice from the Apostle Paul: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). The final section of Paul’s letter to the Colossian believers is marked by an encouragement that they should be faithful in prayer. The original meaning of this phrase “continue steadfastly” is literally to “busy oneself with or be busily engaged in” prayer. It speaks of deep devotion and persistence. This is the idea of being diligently occupied with prayer.^[ii]

This is the best kind of busy. Are you busy with prayer? Does it occupy a significant part of your schedule, your focus, your thoughts? Is it naturally infused in all parts of your life? According to Paul, this is an activity that really matters. This is the key conversation we should pursue with the One we care about; the One who ultimately cares about us.

Charles Spurgeon noted, “If you are very busy, think and pray all the more, or your work will wear and weary you, and drag you away from God. For your work’s sake, break away from it, and give the soul a breathing time. Get a holy subject and keep to it till you have drawn somewhat from it to feed your soul upon, and then you will do your lifework with less fatigue because you will have more strength to spend upon it.” [iii]

The Best Kind of Alertness

Paul explains the kind of prayer that we should embrace when he writes, “being watchful in it.” Other translations say, “keep awake, be on the alert.” This idea is taken from the imagery of guard duty. As one commentator states, “At the very least the sense of an impending threat requiring constant alertness is retained, and prayer functions as the vital channel of communication with the commander in chief.” ^[iv]

Alert to Attack – We live in the environment of spiritual war. Ephesians 6:10-20 warns us of the nature of our battle and calls us to stand in the power of the armor of God. The nature of the battle is clear: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In light of this serious contest we are to pray: “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Peter issues a similar warning: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Alert to Apathy – Because we pray with the attitude of one on guard duty, we cannot afford apathy, sleepiness or lethargy. In a crucial moment in his journey toward the cross, Jesus called His inner circle of Peter, James and John to join Him in the garden and to “watch and pray.” They dozed off more than once. They had done the same thing when Jesus called them up to the mountain for a previous prayer meeting (Luke 9:28-36). As I wrote in my book PRAYzing! (CLICK HERE), “God is not the author of boredom, especially when we are talking with Him.” When are busy with prayer we can be fully engaged and awake through “Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based” prayer.

Alert With Anticipation – As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live in eager anticipation of His return and toward our accountability in eternity. First Peter 4:7 states, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (NIV). Because life is short, eternity is long and the gospel matters, we must busy ourselves with prayer.

The Best Kind of Attitude

In Colossians 4:2 Paul directs us to the proper attitude in prayer when he says that we should pray “with thanksgiving.” As I often state, “Discouragement is a temporary loss of perspective.” Thanksgiving counteracts discouragement, neutralizes negativity and fuels hope. A thankful heart compels us to be busy in prayer because our hearts are confident in a personal, prayer-answering God.

So get busy—not with trivial matters, not just with more tasks, not just with Christian service. Get busy in prayer, both in extended moments of focus and in the course of the day—as naturally as breathing.

A.J. Gordon said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.” I’ve always been encouraged to stay busy in prayer by the story of two elders:

Two elders’ wives sat mending their husbands’ pants. One of them said to the other, “Poor John, he is so discouraged by his church work. Just the other day, he said that he was considering resigning. It seems like nothing ever goes right for him.” The other wife replied, “That’s too bad. My husband was saying exactly the opposite. He’s been feeling so inspired lately, it seems like he’s closer to the Lord than ever.” A heavy silence filled the room as the women continued mending the pants—one the seat and the other the knees.

God give us grace and wisdom to pursue the best kind of busy.

[i]Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much.

^[ii] Dunn, J. D. G. (1996). The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: a commentary on the Greek text (pp. 261–262). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press.

[iii] Charles Spurgeon, Flowers from a Puritan’s Garden.

^[iv] Dunn, J. D. G. (1996). The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 262). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press.

This article originally appeared here.

The Two Documents You Need for a Communications Strategy

By

Kem Meyer

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November 7, 2017

I’ve been recently given the Director of Communications position and have been asked to come up with a comprehensive communications strategy designed for our particular church body, mission and vision, etc. I was hoping to not completely reinvent the wheel and was wondering if you had any white papers that could be used as a framework for developing our strategy?

If you’re writing a communications strategy for the first time or the 50th time, I’m a big believer in simplicity. The more pages and detail you have in your plan, the harder it is to execute. There are so many great, multi-page templates out there that are impressively robust. I’ve used many of them. I used to write them myself. I’ve also worked with some of the best and brightest agencies and consultants in the marketplace who have solid, researched deliverables with professionally designed tables, charts and graphs. They are beautiful, comprehensive strategy manuals that NASA scientists would envy. They hold a ton of great information that’s right and true, but not portable or contagious.

In my experience, the bigger the strategy document, the more likely it is to end up in a binder on someone’s desk or lost in a network file folder. Inevitably, in these cases, there also ends up being a stressed out communications person (or team) who lives in a constant state of frustration trying to understand why nobody is following the plan! I’ve seen it countless times.

Try this approach instead. Simple rules. Simple frameworks. That’s the secret weapon to a successful strategy that everyone owns, not just the communications team.

I’ve seen the most effective strategies gain traction and really work for the long run using a small document set of “conversation tools.” These one-page documents are at a glance tools that serve as the strategy compass for your day to day work and decisions. I believe three to five one-page documents are all you need to rally stakeholders, streamline processes and prioritize activity. It’s amazing what you can get done if you don’t over design or over produce it.

“Too often, a company’s strategy sits on a shelf, gathering dust. A strategy that doesn’t influence critical decisions on a day-to-day basis, however, is not a strategy—it is a book report.” ― Donald Sull, Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World

Here are two templates to get you started.

I guarantee, if you put the work into it, you will never regret this minimalist approach to your communications strategy. It’s the best way to equip your stakeholders (your brand handlers) to happily carry their part of the defined strategy. You’ll spend more time collaborating and less time handholding or pulling your hair out.

This article originally appeared here.

When Your World Caves In (What to Do and Not Do!)

By

Kurt Bubna

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November 7, 2017

This is not going to be one of those blogs that tells you how to turn lemons into lemonade. (I hate that cliché.) I’m not going to give you 10 steps to overcoming your struggles and finding victory. You won’t find any secrets or keys or any mysteries revealed here either.

I suggest you go read something from Tony Robbins if you’re looking for blue skies and rainbows.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with having a positive attitude; it’s always better than the alternative. But I’ve grown a little weary of the abundant and overused sappy or religious platitudes.

Sometimes life sucks.

You hurt.

You ache.

And from somewhere deep within you, there is a groan and a sorrow that seem unquenchable.

Your marriage ends.
You get diagnosed with cancer.
You find out your kid is on drugs (again).
You go to court expecting a fair and just outcome that doesn’t happen.
You pour your life and every dime you have into a business that goes bankrupt.
You find yourself saying goodbye to a parent on the edge of eternity.

You see what I mean?

When you’re in the thralls of devastation and despair, when a dream dies or your hope gets crushed, the last thing you want or need is for somebody to slap you on the back and say, “It could be worse! Hang in there, buddy.”

Why do some well-meaning Christians forget that it’s OK to grieve with those who grieve? Why do some feel the need to slap a happy sticker on everything? Why are we afraid to embrace one another in the valley of the shadow of death?

I love these words of Ann Voskamp in The Broken Way: “There is no fear in letting tears come. Sadness is a gift to avoid the nothingness of numbness, and all hard places need water.”

Pain is often a present reality. On this side of eternity, there is no avoiding it. Of course there are good times. Certainly there is much to be thankful for in this life. By no means am I suggesting we become a Debbie Downer or just throw in the towel (another cliché I hate).

So, what can you do? When your world caves in and all seems lost, what can be done?

Just take the next step.

That’s it.

Just determine to do one more thing, to take one more breath, and to go one step farther down life’s road.

There is very little you can do about what was or is to come.

As Jerry Sittser writes in his book A Grace Revealed, “The future is as unknowable and uncontrollable as the past is unchangeable.” In other words, you and I have absolutely no idea what is coming, and there is nothing we can do about what has been done.

However, right now, because this moment is the only thing you can control, you can choose to take one more step.

“Bubna, what in blazes does that mean?”

It means you don’t give up.

It means you get out of bed.

It means you put one foot in front of the other even though there are no guarantees that anything is going to change or get better tomorrow.

It means you just keep moving forward even when (especially when) you don’t have a clue.

Why? Why not just quit?

Because giving up never ends well, but taking one more step might.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Strategies for Kingdom Networking

By

Andrew Mason

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November 7, 2017

Having a specific strategy when it comes to networking can immediately add value to our kingdom assignment. Without a strategy, though, you could find yourself wandering around aimlessly.

First off, I want to say that I personally believe that I can learn something from anybody. Anyone can sharpen me and help me grow. I try to maintain a diversity of backgrounds in my networking to keep my perspective well-rounded and balanced.

With that in mind, I also use some guidelines when I’m trying to network for ministry growth. Here are few attributes I keep in mind when I’m trying to see my small group ministry break through to another level…

Church and Groups Ministry Size. I look for churches and small group ministries that are one step ahead of me in numerical size. As I said before, I believe I can learn from smaller ministries and larger ministries, but I find it really helpful to glean from a ministry that has broken through to next level that I’m currently reaching for.

Sometimes there can be a tendency to only look to the largest churches for answers to our ministry questions. However, if I’m a groups pastor of 100 groups in a church of 1,000 people, I believe I can learn more from a church of 1,500-2,000 people with 150-200 groups than I can from a church of 10,000 people with a 1,000 groups. Why do I believe that? The church of 1,500-2,000 people is at the next level of numerical growth that I am specifically reaching for. If I can compare their leadership infrastructure, their equipping tactics and their level of excellence to our own ministry at my church, hopefully I can find some practical ideas that will help us increase our own kingdom potential.

Small Group Ministry Model. There about 10 different small group ministry models that churches use. Understanding the certain groups model a church has chosen in comparison to the groups model my church is using is a very important piece of information. It doesn’t need to be an identical model to our own necessarily, but I need to understand the similarities and differences. In some cases, it can be helpful to learn from a similar model in order to refine our current approach. In other situations, I might need to consider different models that would allow me to consider making necessary changes to what we’re doing.

Cultural Context. I also look for church leaders to network with that are working in a similar cultural context as I am. I work in a large city and highly populated region where people are busy. A lot of my church members commute to work one to two hours every day. Keeping that in mind, there are some ministry strategies that might work in a different cultural context that might not work in my own.

Church and small group size, ministry models and cultural context are dynamics I keep in mind when I do strategic kingdom networking.

This article originally appeared here.

Forgiven, Forgiving and Free!

By

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

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November 7, 2017

Some time ago, a woman came to the microphone at a conference and told of how, 14 years earlier, her adult daughter had been stalked and then viciously murdered by a man. The woman turned to me, standing in front of the whole congregation, and began to pour out her heart. “I have hated this man for 14 years, and you say I have to forgive?” she asked. Brokenly she pleaded, “How can I forgive? How can I?”

The details of each of our lives are different, but at one time or another we have all asked that question: How can I forgive?

Let’s take a look at some biblical insights about the matter of forgiveness.

Everyone Gets Hurt

First, we need to realize that everyone will get hurt. It’s inevitable. Hurt cannot be avoided.

You may have been hurt by a trusted friend who lied about you. You may have been hurt by a teacher or professor who embarrassed you in front of a classroom. You may have been hurt by a parent who was harsh or abusive or who did not know how to express love. You may have been hurt by someone who wounded your children. You may have been hurt by a child who has rebelled and turned on you. You may have been hurt by an employer who wronged you or your mate. You may have been hurt by someone who stole your moral innocence and used you sexually in a way that was sinful and inappropriate. You may have been hurt by a husband who broke his wedding vows and has not been faithful to you. The list of potential hurts could go on and on.

In many cases, that pain comes out in anger. It’s been said that the most dangerous animal in the forest is the one that’s been wounded. I think that’s a good picture of what we’re seeing in our homes, in our communities and in our schools today. People who have been wounded instinctively tend to wound others.

Women talk today about how angry they are—angry with their husband, their children, their parents, their pastor and, ultimately, with God. Those harbored hurts, that smoldering bitterness, has turned to anger, hatred, revenge and, at times, to violence.

Although we cannot avoid being hurt, the important thing to remember is that the outcome of our lives is not determined by what happens to us. Nothing that anyone has ever done to you or ever will do to you can determine who you become. What is done may affect your life, but it cannot determine the outcome of your life. The outcome of our lives is not determined by what happens to us, but rather by how we respond to what happens to us.

Two Ways to Respond to Hurt

The first way to respond, and the way that most people choose, is what I call becoming a debt collector. The mentality of the debt collector is, “This person wronged me; she owes me, so I’m going to hold her hostage and put her in debtor’s prison until she pays me back.” This way of responding ultimately leads to resentment, bitterness and anger—it is the way of retaliation. That is where most people live much of their lives today. The way of retaliation is a subtle, secret desire for revenge. We may not retaliate with guns, but we do it with looks, attitudes and words.

Ultimately, those seeds of bitterness and resentment are likely to grow up and produce a multiplied harvest, not only in your life, but also in your children and their children and the next generation.

The second way to respond is to choose to release the offender from prison. We choose to forgive, not because the offender deserves to be forgiven or has even asked for forgiveness, but because of God’s grace that He has poured upon us, which we then are able to pour out upon others. This is the pathway of reconciliation.

Our God is a reconciling God. He took the initiative to be reconciled to us. We were His enemies, we were estranged, we were sinners. We hated God. We were not seeking Him. We were not searching for God, but He came searching for us as the Hound of Heaven, pursuing our hearts, pursuing reconciliation. And He calls us in His name to initiate reconciliation in our relationships.

What Is Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice, an act of my will. If I waited until I felt like forgiving before I forgave, I might never forgive. We are not to wait for our emotions but rather to choose to obey God. Then, in time, God will cause our emotions to catch up to right choices.

Second, God commands us to forgive, regardless of how we feel and regardless of what has been done to us. Jesus says in Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (NIV).

“If you hold anything against anyone”—that pretty much includes every offense, doesn’t it? When you come to offer up to God your prayers, before you pray, if you hold anything against anyone, there’s one step that you must make first: to forgive. Jesus says we must do this so that our Father in heaven may forgive us our sins.

Third, forgive as God has forgiven us for the ways that we have sinned against Him. How did He forgive us for taking the life of His Son? Psalm 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us.” He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; rather, He deals with us in mercy and kindness. His mercy toward us is infinite, unconditional, complete and undeserved.

The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. That’s how God forgives us. He didn’t wait until we deserved it to extend forgiveness. He didn’t wait until we realized our need for forgiveness. He forgave us before we had any thoughts of seeking Him.

As infinite and unconditional and great is His forgiveness toward us, that is the measure of the forgiveness we can extend to others. The person who is not a Christian does not really have a capacity to forgive the person who has never experienced God’s love and forgiveness. But if you are a child of God, if you have been washed by the blood of Jesus, if you have experienced His forgiveness, then you can extend that same forgiveness to others.

Fourth, forgiveness is a promise. It is a promise never to bring that sin up against the offender again—to God, to him or to others. It is a promise to clear the record of the offender.

I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. But one thing I’ve learned the hard way is the meaning of the “delete” key. I’ve had the unhappy experience of spending a lot of time working on a document and then pressing that delete key accidentally. What happens to that document? It’s gone. Forgiveness is pressing the delete key. It is clearing the record of the one who has sinned against us.

Now that doesn’t mean the person never sinned. It just means you’re clearing the record so she no longer owes you for those sins. You’re promising never to hold it against that person again.

How can we expect the world to believe that God’s grace is so wonderful and His forgiveness is so available if we, who claim to have been forgiven, refuse to forgive others? Our lack of forgiveness steals our credibility. It’s no wonder that people aren’t knocking down the doors to get into our churches. They know us. They work with us. They live next to us. They listen to the way we talk about those who wounded others and who have wounded us. They hear the bitterness, anger and resentment that come out when those names or those situations come up. They don’t see in us the grace and the forgiveness of God. As a result, they have no interest in what we are offering.

Without forgiveness, you and I are really not much different than the unbelieving world. I believe that when we begin to demonstrate biblical forgiveness, our message will finally become believable to our world.

This article originally appeared here.

Horizontal Hostility: What Is It, Why Is It Killing the Church, and How to Fix It

By

Rich Birch

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November 7, 2017

Horizontal hostility is a sociological phenomenon used to describe infighting or factionalism within a minority movement. Rather than banding together, subgroups snipe and fight with each other.

It’s that weird thing that happens in small subcultures—when outsiders look in, they can’t believe the groups fighting each other. Some humorous examples would be:

Why do people who love Star Wars not get along with Star Trek fans?
Did you know that vegans can’t stand vegetarians because they haven’t gone “all the way”?
There are people within the Disney fan subculture who love Walt Disney World in Florida and refuse to go to Disneyland in California (and vice-versa)!
Within the motorcycle community, there are BMW bikers who would rather walk than ride a Harley Davidson (but don’t worry…the feeling is mutual).

To people outside these subcultures, these differences seem almost comical or trivial. But to the people in the midst of these communities, the differences are huge and define who they are. In fact, as these subcultures become more enthusiastic and entrenched in these turf wars, they end up looking more and more bizarre to the general public.

There are times when the consequences of horizontal hostility are even greater and have a deep impact on social change movements. For instance:

Heather Whitestone was the first Deaf Miss America; however, she was protested against by deaf groups because she uses oral English and not American Sign Language…she wasn’t “deaf enough” for her contemporaries. [ref]
Maria Hylton was the first African American Law Professor at Northwestern University and was protested against by the Northwestern Black Student Association because she was too light skinned and not considered “black enough.” [ref]

In recent years, this behavior has accelerated because it is now possible for these subgroups to self-organize on the Internet. The dark side of finding a community online is that groups can continue to splinter into smaller and more passionate subgroups, having even more stringent rules defining who’s in and who’s out.

This behavior is pervasive within the church too, and it’s killing us.

The widespread impact of “horizontal hostility” on the Body of Christ is accelerating our collective irrelevance and paving the path toward the decline of the church.

Unfortunately, it’s relatively easy to find examples of this behavior online. Even a quick search can find fresh examples of Christians within relatively similar communities of the evangelical Christian world sniping at someone else within our same community. Here are some examples:

Jared C. Wilson from Midwestern Seminary publically questions Andy Stanley from NorthPoint Church and his use of the Bible. Ironically, if you compare the statements of faith from both Midwestern & NorthPoint you’ll notice striking similarities due to North Point’s leadership being drawn mostly from the same Southern Baptist circles.
Harvest Bible Chapel Pastor Jacob Reaume calling out The Meeting House’s Bruxy Cave’s view of scripture…even going as far as to call him a false teacher. This was after The Meeting House went out of its way to affirm & celebrate Harvest and its distinctives publically.
The most shared article on the progressive evangelical site Red Letter Christians (RLC) calls into question the very term “evangelical” and whether its community still wants to be a part of that movement. Ironically, more progressive movements within the broader Christian community condemn RLC for holding on so tightly to a historical understanding of Jesus while more conservative evangelicals criticize RLC for being too progressive. It would seem like RLC isn’t at home really anywhere!

All this arguing among ourselves would be interesting parlor conversation if the broader church was having widespread impact, but it’s really the opposite that’s true. We don’t have that luxury anymore.

Ninety-four percent of churches are losing ground against the population growth of their communities.

By 2050, the percentage of the U.S. population attending church is estimated to be half that of 1990. [ref]

The church is caught in a dramatic downward spiral, and rather than banding together, we’re scattering farther and farther apart. At the very moment when we need to see the commonality of our fellow Christ-following brothers and sisters, we’re actually fracturing into smaller and smaller subsets with decreasing impact and effectiveness.

Continue

Top 20 Blogs Every Christian Leader Should Read

By

Brian Dodd

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November 7, 2017

The following is my list of the Top 20 Blogs that Christian leaders need to be reading. Here is how the list was selected:

These blogs must provide solutions to the issues that Christian leaders face.
They must be experts in their area of discipline with a track record of success. This speaks to credibility.
Their posts must regularly contain elements of inspiration and creativity.
They must post regularly. Some great thinkers were omitted from this list simply because they only posted two to four times per month.

I have separated the sites into categories to assist you. Hot links are provided for your convenience.

Business Administrators and Executive Pastors

Tony Morgan Live – Tony is simply the finest strategic thinker on the Web. His book Killing Cockroaches is the finest Christian leadership book I’ve ever read. In addition, Tony’s blog inspired me to launch this site.

Jenni Catron – Jenni is the author of several books including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. She brings a completely different set of insights to the strategic process.

Ministry/Leadership

churchleaders.com – This site is a daily must read and provides the best compilation of blog posts available.

Encouragement

Serving Strong – I always read Scott Couchenour’s posts for encouragement. If you are a pastor facing burn out, start with this blog.

Great Pastors

Brandon A. Cox – Brandon is a “man who wears many hats.” In addition to planting Grace Hills Church in Bentonville, Ark., Brandon also oversees the content and online community of Pastors.com and Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox. Brandon is as talented as anyone in Christendom.

Ron Edmondson – The senior pastor of Grace Community Church in Clarksville, Tenn., is one of the top five most read Christian leaders on the Internet. A true leader of leaders.

Steven Furtick – Pastor Steven Furtick is the founder and Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, named by Outreach magazine as the second fastest growing church in the nation. In my opinion, Pastor Steven is the most influential pastor under 35 years of age in America.

Cary Niehuof – The founding pastor of Connexus Church north of Toronto, Canada, Carey blogs, podcasts, writes and speaks to church leaders around the world about leadership, change and personal growth.

Pastors and Church Leaders, Do You Remember When…?

By

Chuck Lawless

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November 6, 2017

I’ve just been thinkin’ about the yesterdays of ministry. I’m not arguing that they were better days—they’re just memories. Pastors and leaders, do you remember when…

social media meant the local yellow pages?
we used our telephones to actually talk to someone?
we went door-to-door telling people about Jesus, and we didn’t have to get permission to get beyond the gate?
singing praise choruses required lyrics cast on the wall via an overhead projector?
background music on a cassette tape was progress?
we knew the numbers of the hymns in the hymnbook?
having a lapel microphone required being tethered to a cord?
screens were on portable stands, and we had to set them up?
the musicians were only a pianist and an organist?
books and cassette tapes were our only access to others’ sermons?
the King James Version was the only real option to consider?
all of our small groups met on the church campus?
no one had ever heard of a “multi-site” campus?
denominational affiliations were a primary factor in choosing a church?
entire families drove one car to church?
the church library was a big deal?
the church covenant—ignored though it was—was plastered on the wall of the church?

What do you want to add to this list? Encourage others to contribute to the list as well.

This article originally appeared here.

Does Jeremiah 29:11 Apply to You?

By

Russell Moore

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November 6, 2017

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

These words are the John 3:16 of American cultural Christianity. Watch how often they show up on the Bible verse plaques sold in Bible Belt mall kiosks or posted on Facebook walls, even on tattoos. Whether as home decor or on social media posts, I see this passage claimed fervently by people I know haven’t been in a church service since the first Bush Administration. Naturally, this love for this verse has often led to more theologically-oriented Christians lamenting the out-of-context use of Jeremiah 29:11. So much so that a young Christian asked me recently, “Does Jeremiah 29:11 apply to me, or not?”

My answer: kind of.

Let me take that back. Yes, it does apply to you, but not in the way many “claim” the passage.

Many understand the text to be about God’s favor on one’s life and on one’s plans. If I just have confidence and follow my heart, someone following this line might think, God will bless me. That’s not the prophet Jeremiah; that’s Deepak Chopra. Anyone who could find that kind of moral therapeutic deism in the Book of Jeremiah hasn’t read any verse of Jeremiah above or behind this verse.

The Book of Jeremiah is all about God disrupting his people’s plans and upending his people’s dreams. This verse comes in the context of a shocking message from the prophet. Those “left behind” in Jerusalem—anchored around the temple and the throne—assume that their relative fortune is a sign that God is for them, while those carted off in captivity to Babylon are seen to be under God’s curse. It’s not just those in Jerusalem who are tempted to think this way; those in Babylon are tempted to think it too. Israel’s God seems distant to them, and they seem as though they’ve been raptured away from the promises to Abraham. Jeremiah says, though, that God’s judgment will fall on Jerusalem, and that God’s purposes will come to being through the exiles.

This isn’t actually good news for any of the hearers. The Jerusalem establishment chafes at this message, and finds prophets who will say that peace is just around the corner. For the exiles, the message isn’t a cheery one either, at least in the short-term. In Jeremiah’s letter to them, they are told that their return from exile won’t happen anytime in their generation, so they should create new lives in Babylon.

So how does this passage apply to you? Well, Jeremiah 29:11 must be read in the context of the whole Book of Jeremiah, and the Book of Jeremiah must be read in the context of Israel’s story. But all of Jeremiah and Israel’s entire story must be read in the context of God’s purposes in Jesus Christ. All the promises of God “find their yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20). If we are in Christ, then all of the horrors of judgment warned about in the prophets have fallen on us, in the cross, where we were united to Christ as he bore the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13). And, if we are in Christ, then all of the blessings promised to Abraham’s offspring are now ours, since we are united to the heir of all those promises (Gal. 3:14-29).

Through Jeremiah, God told the exiles that their scattering isn’t accidental. God has plans for them, plans that include even what seems chaotic and random. Moreover, these plans mean that the exile isn’t permanent. That isn’t because of their faithfulness but because of God’s promise to Abraham—a promise that was itself looking forward to Abraham’s son, the Lord Jesus (Rom. 4). And indeed, the exiles didn’t stay scattered. God restored them to their home. Why? He brought them home because through them “according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5).

Moreover, God tells us that since we are in Christ, we are strangers and exiles in this time between the times (Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 2:11). We suffer, we bleed, we die—and through all that we are tempted to think that this means that God has abandoned us. We conclude that we are “as sheep to be slaughtered” (Rom. 8:36). Not so, the gospel word tells us.

God has a plan for us, in Christ. That plan is not for our destruction but for our well-being. We are being conformed into the image of Christ—by sharing in his suffering—and our ultimate end is not as victims but as victors, as joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:12-39).

How do we know this? We know it the way the exiles of old did: not by observing our present condition but by the word of God, his oath and his covenant. That means that our plans may evaporate. Our dreams may be crushed. Our lives might be snuffed out. But the God who raised Jesus from the dead will raise us up with him.

Does Jeremiah 29:11 apply to you? If you are in Christ, you can count on it. The passage doesn’t promise you the kind of future American culture prizes, and maybe even promises a future you would tremble at it if you saw it in a crystal ball. Short-term, you may suffer. But, long-term, your future is co-signed with Christ. That’s a future for your welfare, and not for evil, a future of hope, not of despair.

This article originally appeared here.

Why Small Group Coaching Matters

By

Allen White

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November 6, 2017

In conversations with small group pastors from some of the largest small group ministries in the country, I’ve learned that many have completely given up on coaching group leaders. Others are on the other extreme and hire coaches. Whether your approach is the “phone-a-friend” method or the metachurch model, here are some reasons coaching is significant.

More Group Leaders Will Quit BEFORE a Study Begins Than After.

From the moment someone offers to be a Leader/Host/Friend and start a group, they need a coach. I have seen more potential group leaders stall between the invitation to lead and the start of the study than at any point in the process. Most groups who actually do the first study or first semester will continue on, but groups that fail to start tend to not continue.

It is mission critical for a leader to have a coach from when they say “Yes” until the end of the study. You may ask, “But, what about the rest of our group leaders?” Here’s the deal, if your other groups have survived without a coach, put that on the back burner and start coaching your new leaders now.

People Hate Meetings.

You’re probably frustrated that your group leaders don’t show up for your training. The short of it is people simply hate meetings, especially when the topics don’t affect them. How do you train your leaders if they won’t come to meetings? Coach them.

Rather than coaches being your spies or your report-takers, have the coaches train the group leaders on what the leaders actually need training on. It’s not cookie cutter. It’s customized to what the leader is currently facing. If you are answering the questions your leaders are asking, then they will become very interested in training. But, what is training?

What if training, especially on-going training, is not a note sheet and a PowerPoint presentation? Training could be a short video emailed out to your leaders. Training could be a short conversation. Training could be solving a current problem. Training should come from the coach.

But, if the coaches do the training, what do small group pastors/directors do? Train the coaches and build a small group team. By working at a higher level in your small group structure, you can have a greater impact and get much further faster.

You Can’t Successfully Coach More Than Eight Leaders Yourself.

Why eight? That’s my number. I tried to coach 30 leaders once. There’s wasn’t much coaching going on. What I discovered is eight is great. In a church under 1,000 adults, your eight might be your coaches or small group team. In a church over 1,000 adults, your eight is definitely a small group team. Just follow the pattern Jethro gave Moses in Exodus 18.

Let’s face it—most small group pastors/directors wear more hats than just small group ministry. If that’s the case with you, then you certainly can’t coach all of your leaders by yourself. Consider your best and brightest leaders. Could they coach? Let them give it a try.

But, there’s a much bigger reason to invest in coaching—you won’t always have as many groups as you currently have. You’re going to have more! How are you going to serve your group leaders when you have twice as many as you have now? It happened to me in one day! Plan for where you want your groups to grow. Recruit coaches even before you recruit leaders!

Coaching will make all of the difference in both starting and supporting group leaders. No doubt building a coaching structure is the hardest work of small group ministry.

The only thing harder is not having one.

This article originally appeared here.

When Tiredness Is a Gift

By

Brooklyn Lindsey

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November 6, 2017

I am tired.

And it’s OK.

I used to think that being tired was a sign of weakness.

But now I think it’s a gift. It is the knowledge that it’s time to be still.

Together we can say, the stillness is good—it’s called for, it’s necessary.

I guess it’s why I haven’t been writing much.

Sometimes, things just need to wait.

In ministry we find ourselves invested. Bright lights leading the way.

Like an exploding firework, we are fired up and then drift down.

Loud screams of life fizzle to silence.

We hope, even as we come down from the bright moments.

Hoping our smoldering embers cause no harm in their descent.

Protect our families. Our children. Our friends.

As we land softly in the grass of grace.

Post camp. Post experience. Post “I gave it everything I had in me”.

We retreat. We die to self. We wither not in weakness. We wake up in wonder.

We are not going to lose control.

Nothing has to feel out of control.

Unplug your performance orientation and put your feet up.

Let the comfort of God’s abilities give you peace over your inabilities.

Let the stability of an unchanging ever patient all powerful loving God give you rest.

There will be a season when there is more.

But for now, this is enough.

We’re supposed to rest.

And call it good.

It’s so good.

___

Is there something that can wait or be put on hold, in order for you to be able to enter into sacred rest? As I was mentoring Lexus this morning, I heard myself say to her that 100 percent commitment shouldn’t always equal 100 percent engagement. Jesus is our example as he withdrew with a few of his friends, or often by himself, to rest, to pray, to be emptied and then filled again. It’s vital for me. What does rest look like for you?

This article originally appeared here.

Dear Pastor’s Wife, You Are Not Disadvantaged

By

Megan Hill

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November 6, 2017

I’m having second thoughts about those “serving your pastor’s wife” articles. In 2011, Mark Driscoll wrote “Loving the Pastor’s Wife”; then, just a few weeks ago, a pastor named Ryan Huguley wrote a popular, and related, post called “6 Ways to Serve Your Pastor’s Wife on Sunday.” His list is very practical, especially tailored to the needs of women (like me!) who are married to the pastor of a small church and have small children. His six suggestions are: Remember that Sundays are different for her, pray for her, have realistic expectations of her, encourage her, go talk to her, and don’t forget she has kids.

These articles are valuable. Thinking about how to serve one another, even thinking about how to serve certain groups of people with specific needs, is the way of Christ. I appreciate the compassion being advocated by these posts, and, when Huguley tells church members to bring their pastor’s wife a cup of coffee on Sunday morning, well, I certainly wouldn’t turn a dark roast down.

But, as a pastor’s wife, I’m not sure these kinds of posts establish a helpful way to think about myself.

First, they can aid my temptation to feel entitled. (Hey! Why don’t people in my church give me a hospitality allowance, save me a pew, designate my parking spot?)

But I think they can also create a false impression: Pastors’ wives are disadvantaged.

Driscoll and Huguley both rightly say, “The pastor’s wife is simply to be a Christian church member like everyone else.” Agreed. But, coupled with the lists of needs and challenges, this statement seems contradictory. The pastor’s wife in their articles appears both deserving of special treatment and, at the same time, crippled in her efforts to be a Christian. True; you are not “more” because you are a pastor’s wife.

But you are not “less,” either.

I’d like to supplement Dricoll and Huguley’s well-intentioned posts with Five Precious Truths for a Pastor’s Wife on Sunday (or Any Day):

(1) You are not alone.

Do you dread worshipping without a husband beside you? Yes, says the elderly widow, three rows back, and the single woman who always slips in late. Do you struggle to be generous on a small budget? Yes, says the wife whose husband was laid off in October. Do you feel like people have unrealistic expectations of you?

Yes, says every woman everywhere.

Instead of allowing your struggles to isolate you from the body of Christ, feeling yourself to be in a unique category, you can use them to find connection with dozens of others who seek grace in the same situations.

(2) Your children are not a liability.

They squirm and squeal. They run up and down the aisles because, truly, they feel at home at church. And they have souls that will never die. Bringing them to church, paying attention to them and helping them to become worshippers is not an inconvenience. It’s ministry.

(3) Your husband is helping you.

Yes, he is up front and you are in the fourth row. But he is preaching the words of life to your soul. How many women would love to have a husband who would even read his own Bible, let alone labor in the word for the good of his wife? On Sunday morning, standing in the pulpit, your husband is teaching you to become more like Christ. He is helping.

(4) Your worship is pleasing to God.

You may have been stopped by chatty church members on your way to worship. You may have kids and responsibilities and expectations and weariness and secret burdens. But none of that makes you unable to offer acceptable worship.

When you sing, you add your voice to the never-ending heavenly anthem. When you pray, your prayers fill the bowls in front of the very throne of God. When you listen to the Word, the Spirit goes to work in your heart, cultivating holiness.

When you worship God in the assembly of the saints, you please the Lord—which is your highest aim.

(5) You are being served.

Christ came “not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Whether or not the members of your congregation bring you a gift card or a cup of dark roast, you have been served. Christ, the suffering servant, comes to you bearing eternal fellowship with Him.

It is more than enough.

Megan Hill is the author of Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities, and Churches (Crossway/TGC). She is a pastor’s wife and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. This article first appeared on her blog, SundayWomen, and is reprinted here with permission.

The Top Preaching Books to Read Before the End of the Year

By

Brandon Kelley

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November 6, 2017

2017. It’s a new year where many of us have set new goals to work toward in our home, our church and our life overall. My hope is that one of your goals is to grow in your gift as a preacher of God’s word. Podcasts, blogs, YouTube and Vimeo all contain great resources for us to grow as a preacher. But there remains no other better way to learn from someone else than to dive deep into their thoughts, processes, insights and wisdom inside a book.

We want to help you find some valuable books on the subject of preaching so that you can grab them, read them, underline them, highlight them and apply what you learned from them. Also, if you have grabbed some great preaching books for this year and they are not listed below, please leave a comment below this post and share those books with us.

What About You?

We’d love to see what preaching books are on your reading list for 2017.

This article originally appeared here.

What the Bible Means When It Talks About Justice

By

Megan Briggs

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November 6, 2017

A new video by the Bible project asks a question that has come to the forefront of our cultural consciousness lately: What is justice, exactly, and who gets to define it? True to their mission, the Bible Project looks to Scripture to tackle this tough question.

“This is the bedrock of the Bible’s view of justice: All humans are equal before God and have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness no matter who you are.”

Justice in a fallen world

However, due to the fact that we live in a fallen world, people don’t always live out the principles we see in the Bible. And the stories in the Bible acknowledge this reality. “We are constantly redefining good and evil to our own advantage, at the expense of others,” the video explains.

Perhaps this is why Abraham was chosen by God to “keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.”

But what is righteousness and justice? These words are so important and the concepts they represent so complex, sometimes we don’t fully grasp what they mean. Plus we need to look at these words and their meaning in ancient Hebrew in order to truly understand them. “Righteousness is an ethical standard that refers to right relationships between people. It’s about treating others as the image of God—with the God-given dignity they deserve.” Justice can refer to retributive justice, such as someone paying the price for stealing, but more often it refers to restorative justice. “It means going a step further—actually seeking out vulnerable people who are being taken advantage of and helping them.”

Mentions of Justice in the Bible

The video highlights a few verses that mention justice explicitly:

Proverbs 31:8-9 talks about opening your mouth for those who can’t speak for themselves.

Jeremiah 22:3 “Rescue the disadvantaged, and don’t tolerate oppression or violence against the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow.”

Psalm 146:7-9 “The Lord God upholds justice for the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. He loves the righteous.”

Everyone is guilty of injustice

While God has given us the instructions to do righteousness and justice, we don’t always obey those instructions. Everyone is guilty of injustice on some level or another. Whether it is through explicit acts of oppressing other people or through our complacency—everyone has participated in injustice at some point.

God’s response to our disobedience is the life and example of Jesus Christ. Jesus showed us a radical way of life. He offered mercy and kindness to those who didn’t deserve it. Jesus was truly righteous and showed us how to be righteous. Jesus was the word made flesh, and he lived a life of justice and righteousness as an example for us.

But even though we have the example of Jesus to follow, the work of justice is still very hard. “It’s courageously making other people’s problems my problems,” the narrators explain. “This is what Jesus meant by loving your neighbor as yourself.”

If you enjoyed this video from the Bible Project, you’ll like these as well:

Animated Explanation of ‘The Messiah’

Do You Understand the Psalms?

Understanding the Book of Proverbs

The Gospel of the Kingdom

We Are First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas

By

Thom Rainer

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November 6, 2017

According to the latest reports, at least 26 people are dead, including the pastor’s 14-year-old daughter. Many more are wounded. Families are devastated. The small community is in shock. My words are not adequate.

But these things I will do:

I will pray. I will pray for the families of those killed and wounded. I will pray for the church. I will pray for the community. I will pray for Pastor Frank Pomeroy as he leads and comforts his congregation in the midst of his own grief. I will pray for the shooter’s family.
I will trust God for His comfort, His promise, and His guidance for those affected.
I will pray for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be magnified in this tragedy.
And I will embrace in spirit the members of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. I will identify with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.

We are your brothers and sisters in Christ.

We pray for you. We care for you. We love you.

Please, readers, join me in sharing your own prayers and love for this church and all those impacted by this tragedy.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Ways the Holy Spirit Helped Spurgeon Preach

By

Neal Thornton

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November 5, 2017

Every preacher has been there, probably last Sunday. The music is playing, people are singing and the preacher, well he’s praying. Because he’s about to stand and preach. The Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, surely did the same. He was remembered as having prayed, “I believe in the Holy Ghost,” while making his weekly pulpit ascent at the 5,000-seat London Metropolitan Tabernacle.

Spurgeon prayed, and rightly so, because he understood there to be a connection—between the Holy Spirit and the preaching event. That is to say, Spurgeon saw a relationship between the operation of the Spirit and the proclamation of the Word.

In his book The Forgotten Spurgeon, Iain Murray recounts:

“The true explanation of Spurgeon’s ministry, then, is to be found in the person and power of the Holy Spirit. He was himself deeply conscious of this. It was not men’s admiration he wanted, but he was jealous that they should stand in awe of God. ‘God has come unto us, not to exalt us, but to exalt Himself.’” (Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon, 38.)

The Prince of Preachers believed preaching to be a spiritual enterprise—a Holy Spirit endeavor. Spiritual assignments require spiritual attention. Therefore, the Spirit is the sine qua non of gospel preaching, the one ingredient to the preaching event that without which nothing else matters.

“The Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. Without Him our office is a mere name.”

The preaching task is made effective only by a spiritual means—the attention and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The preacher longs for the Spirit’s attendance, that the Spirit might engage and apprehend the souls of men. “Our hope of success, and our strength for continuing the service, lie in our belief that the Spirit of the Lord rest upon us” (Lectures, 197).

The Spirit must attend. The Spirit makes the dull minds bright. He makes the dry bones flesh. And He makes the dead men live. Only with the Spirit comes an otherworldly power to our otherwise weak and mortal preaching. “We cannot do it without power,” said Spurgeon (All-Round, 29).

In terms of sermon delivery, how might the Spirit help us in our weakness? Spurgeon suggest the following:

1. Power and Freedom – The Spirit is our Live Coal

As Isaiah’s lips were touched, so must ours be. The Spirit touches our ministry in a way and in a wonder, which no human method or means can avail. Let the Word go! Preach the Word! The preacher has Bible in hand and text in heart. The Spirit works to anoint the preacher to speak with a liberty and freedom to exalt the risen Christ.

“How gloriously a man speaks when his lips are blistered with the live coal from the altar—feeling the burning power of the truth, not only in his inmost soul, but on the very lips with which he is speaking!” (Lectures, 203).

2. Control and Restraint – The Spirit is our Bit and Bridle

May God control our tongues! May we never eclipse the cross with a misspoken word or a misplaced tone. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:4). May the Spirit keep us from ourselves, that we might not sin against him.

“We need the Spirit of God to put a bit and bridle upon us to keep us from saying that which would take the minds of our hearers away from Christ and eternal realities, and set them thinking upon the groveling things of the earth” (Lectures, 203).

3. Strength and Devotion – The Spirit is our Anointing Oil

The Spirit of God relates to our entire course delivery. May there be an intense desire to bring God glory through all we do behind his sacred desk. “You are conscious of a deep sympathy with the people to whom you are speaking,” said Spurgeon, “making you mourn over some of them because they know so little, and over others because they know so much, but have rejected it” (Lectures, 204-205).

“The Spirit works to maintain our mind of devotion. We continue praying while we are occupied preaching. Look to the hills whence cometh your help all the sermon through…from the first word to the last syllable, we may be looking up to the strong for strength” (Lectures, 205).

A Final Word on Pride

We all fight it. The notion that we can do this thing we call preaching—in our own strength. That’s called spiritual, ministerial pride. Seminary degrees, preaching experience and accolades from others—yes we can. No, we cannot.

Fellows preachers, do you long for a power that is otherworldly? Do you long for the supernatural to be in your midst? Then ask the Lord of Hosts to attend your preaching.

“The fact is, the secret to all ministerial success lies in prevalence at the mercy seat.”

Charles Spurgeon prepared his sermons on his knees. “The best and holiest men have ever made prayer the most important part of pulpit preparation,” he said (Lectures, 45).

Spurgeon knew men prepared sermons, but only God prepared men.

And God is looking for prepared men. Listen to the Prince of Preachers say, “None are so able to plead with men as those who have been wrestling with God on their behalf” (Lectures, 46). Preacher, your strength comes from outside or you, from on High.

May God not leave us to ourselves. May the Holy Ghost always attend our work, in power and grace. Remember, the preacher alone may stand; but the preacher to whom the Spirit attends, is never standing alone.

This article was written by Neal Thornton and has been adapted from Southeastern Seminary’s Center for Preaching and Pastor Leadership blog.

This article originally appeared here.

Bad Math…Why Just Planting More Churches Is Not Enough

By

Greg Stier

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November 5, 2017

There is a church planting frenzy in America. It’s the thing these days. And speaking as a former church planter I can see why. It is one of the most exciting, faith-stretching and rewarding areas of ministry an entrepreneurial pastor/preacher/pioneer can tackle.

But there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America and there are only 35,000 cities and towns. How many more new church plants do we need?

The answer is not always more, more, more! In this case I’m convinced it’s more, more, better!

Yes, we need more churches in more corners of our cities. But we need better evangelistically effective churches in every part of our cities!

We’re just doing bad math. We automatically think that we can increase one side of the equation and that is enough.

It is not!

If I’m doing a multiplication problem and I want to get a bigger end number (aka “product“) I need to increase one, and ideally, both of the factors I’m multiplying by.

To illustrate let’s say the average church leads two people to Christ per year (which, sadly, may be accurate!). Based on these factors 300,000 churches x 2 new converts per year = 600,000 believers annually.

If we accelerate the number of new churches being planted per year from 5,000 (ish) to 10,000 (and the same number of new disciples being made applies) then that’s an additonal 20,000 new believers being plugged into these churches per year.

But compared to a population of 320,000,000 in America and 2,600,000 (ish) deaths per year, 620,000 new disciples being added to the kingdom seems paltry by comparison.

I mean you got to at least beat the death rate right? And 620,000 new disciples is less than one fourth of the way there!

So, for the most part, the answer we have had is simply increasing the number of church plants. But if we are planting the same brand of purely attractional (as opposed to Gospel Advancing, disciple multiplying) churches then we are never going to close the gap.

We must increase the factors on both sides of the math equation. We must, not only increase the number of churches we are planting but, the number of disciples being made in existing and newly planted churches as well!

Let’s do the math again. But this time let’s increase the other side of the equation as well.

Let’s say we can improve the factor on the soul saving/year side of our church math equation. Let’s say that the 300,000 churches that already exist in the United States could be equipped to reach and disciples 10 (as opposed to two) new converts per year. That would be 3,000,000 new disicples made annually. Keeping with the 10,000 churches being planted per year (along with 10 new disciples being made annually) that would be an additional 100,000 new believers being plugged into these new churches per year!

All together that’s 3,100,000 new disciples plugged into churches annually! That number beats the annual death rate…always a good thing to beat the Grim Reaper in a foot race!

I’m no mathematician but this strategy seems to add up.

So the real question is how do we get both of our math factors up? And the answer is, of course, planting more churches and going back to a cutting edge strategy (that’s actually 2,000 years old) in all of our churches!

We call this philosophy of ministry Gospel Advancing. It’s based on seven values from the book of Acts that were active in many early churches and caused them to thrive.

These same Gospel Advancing values can help you with your disciple making math! Check out Gospeladvancing.com to find out more. There’s a diagnostic you can take to gauge where you are at on these values. There are 12 training videos you can watch to help you on your way to becoming a Gospel Advancing church that is exponentially growing (whether your church is 30 days or 30 years old!).

Although this website is designed for youth leaders, the values, training and best practices can be easily adapted and adopted on a church-wide level. More and more pastors are using these values to drive their ministry strategies!

Let’s do the math. Let’s start multiplying!

This article originally appeared here.

How to Care for Your Small Group Leaders

By

Tracey Ware

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November 5, 2017

My husband and I recently travelled from Australia to New York. While we were there, we visited the 9/11 Memorial Site. It was a very moving experience for us, however amidst the sadness I heard this story:

“A Callery pear tree became known as the “Survivor Tree” after enduring the September 11, 2001, terror attacks at the World Trade Center. In October 2001, the tree was discovered at Ground Zero severely damaged, with snapped roots and burned and broken branches. The tree was removed from the rubble and placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. After its recovery and rehabilitation, the tree was returned to the Memorial in 2010. New, smooth limbs extended from the gnarled stumps, creating a visible demarcation between the tree’s past and present. Today, the tree stands as a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth” (911memorial.org).

It took nine years of tender loving care before the tree could be replanted. And now with ongoing care this tree flourishes year after year after year. It made me think about the level of initial care and ongoing care we need to give to our small group leaders if we want them to flourish in their role year after year.

As we all know in small group ministry we can experience many positive moments but we also face frustration, disappointment and discouragement which can often be detrimental and damaging. So the question is how can we care for our small group leaders? These three ideas may be of help to you, and/or be a springboard for you to come up with some ideas of your own!

Idea 1 – Develop Peer-Care

In my experience I have found grouping leaders in small groups (three to four) to meet quarterly has had real merit in establishing a sense of care. When leaders meet this way they share ideas, listen to each other’s challenges, feel cared for, recognize they are not alone and pray for each other. Over time relationships develop and care and support happen naturally. This is an absolutely great addition to the care you give leaders in your role as small group point person.

Idea 2 – Value Leadership Time Out

Creating an environment where it is seen to be ‘OK’ to have time out from small group leadership is a great gift of care we can give our leaders. For small groups to thrive and flourish we need leaders:

Who are energized and passionate
Who know that is OK to take a break if they need one (obviously there needs to be a plan and clarity around how this will happen)
Who don’t feel trapped in their role. If the current leader needs a break but there is no one within the group who will take on the leadership role, then maybe the whole group needs a ‘rethink.’

Idea 3 – Prioritize Shared Leadership

I am a very enthusiastic believer that a healthy group shares the leadership.

I recognize that it is important to have a designated leader who has oversight and accountability for the group, but that does not mean that the leader does everything. In fact, I would say that is not very caring!

If we want to care for our small group leaders we must develop a philosophy/structure in our small group ministry, which encourages group members to share responsibilities. A great way for a group member to mature and grow as a leader is to lead a group session. This process can begin slowly by assigning them the discussion time, leading the prayer or organizing social gatherings. There are many ways for a member to become a leader—they simply need to be given an opportunity.

I recognize that most small group leaders do not experience the harsh damage that the Callery pear tree underwent in the events of 9/11 and certainly do not need the level of care it needed. However, they do need to be cared for and we have the privilege and honor of making sure this care happens.

Questions to reflect on:

How does the idea of ‘Peer Care’ fit into your small group ministry system/structure?
How well does your philosophy/structure embrace a leader who may need ‘Time Out’?
What steps could you take to develop a culture of shared leadership in your groups?
Is there one idea in this article which you could share with your small group leadership team?

This article originally appeared here.

3 Easy Ways for Ministry Leaders to Stay Spiritually Fed

By

Amber Hall

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November 5, 2017

If you work in ministry, specifically children’s ministry, you have likely felt the ironic struggle of constantly “feeding” others spiritually while trying to stay spiritually nourished yourself. It’s a continuous battle that ministry leaders face, but it’s extremely important. It’s very difficult to lead others to places you have not been yourself. We must be spiritually healthy if we expect to help others be the same.

That being said, how can children’s ministry leaders stay spiritually nourished when they are always having to be out of the worship services or Bible studies because of the demands of their roles? Here are three easy ways you can do this:

Develop a personal quiet time, separate from lesson preparation.

We all know how important it is to have a quiet time. For ministry leaders however, it can become extremely tempting and easy to call our lesson preparation our quiet time. After all, we are reading the Bible and praying to get our lessons together, so why wouldn’t it be?

There’s just something about taking time to meet with God, that’s just for you and Him. You shouldn’t always be worried about creating an object lesson, craft or game with what you are reading. Having time where you can simply read, pray and reflect on how God wants to apply those verses to your life is extremely important.

Listen to messages via websites or podcasts.

This one really needs no explanation. If you aren’t able to hear a message or Bible study taught by someone else, you can listen to them on church websites or through podcasts in the iTunes store. Perhaps even your church records messages you could acquire and put in your weekly listening routine on your way to or from work.

Find someone to meet regularly with you to discuss a book and/or Scripture.

Having someone to hold you accountable in your quiet time and to discuss issues you may be dealing with is important. When we talk to others about our struggles and how God is working in us, it allows us to learn from one another and become stronger, sharper tools for His use. In fact, it’s so important that God made certain He included something about that in the Bible.

“IRON SHARPENS IRON, AND ONE MAN SHARPENS ANOTHER.” – PROVERBS 27:17 (ESV)

So how do you stay spiritually fed? Do you have a daily routine?

3 Things You Don’t Know About Your Children and Sex

By

Anne Marie Miller

-

November 5, 2017

Dear Parents, Please allow me a quick moment to introduce myself before we go much further. My name is Anne Marie Miller. I’m 33 years old. I’m newly married to a wonderful man named Tim. We don’t have any children yet, but we plan to.

For the purpose of this letter, you need to know I’m a recovering addict. Pornography was my drug of choice.

I grew up in the church—the daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher man with a passion for learning the Bible. I was the honors student; the athlete; the girl who got along with everyone from the weird kids to the popular ones.

It was a good life. I was raised in a good home.

It was 1996, I was 16 and the Internet was new. After my family moved from a sheltered, conservative life in west Texas to the ethnically and sexually diverse culture of Dallas/Fort Worth, I found myself lonely, curious and confused.

Because of the volatile combination of life circumstances—the drastic change of scenery when we moved, my dad’s depression, and a youth pastor who sexually abused me during my junior year of high school—I turned to the Internet for education. I didn’t know what certain words meant or if what the youth pastor was doing to me was good or bad, and I was too afraid to ask.

What started as an innocent pursuit of knowledge quickly escalated into a coping mechanism.

When I looked at pornography, I felt a feeling of love and safety—at least for a brief moment. But those brief moments of relief disappeared and I was left even more ashamed and confused than when I started. Pornography provided me both an emotional and a sexual release.

For five years I carried this secret. I was 21 when I finally opened up to a friend only because she opened up to me first about her struggle with sexual sin.

We began a path of healing in 2001, and for the last 12 years, although not a perfect journey, I can say with great confidence that God has set me free from that addiction and from the shame that followed. I returned to school to study the science behind addiction and family dynamics.

Over the last six years, I’ve had the opportunity to share my story in a variety of venues: thousands of college students, men, women and teens. This summer, I was invited to speak at several camps to both junior high and high school students, and it’s without exaggeration that I tell you with each year I counsel students, the numbers and the stories shock me more and more.

There are more students compulsively looking at pornography at younger ages and with greater frequency than ever before.

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