One Great Way to Observe Advent

November 21, 2017

I sat in my office today dreaming of the Thanksgiving feast; it’s hard to concentrate on much else and I would rather have been at home digging out the Christmas decorations.

It’s times like these that I turn to reading in an attempt to re-focus on what I’m supposed to be doing here. I pulled out my devotional book based on the liturgical church year, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants, and realized that next Sunday is the first day of Advent.

How did that happen?

Christmas snuck up on me like a middle school boy with a dodge ball.

Advent is my favorite church season and I felt like I didn’t do anything to prepare our students for this amazing month of wonder and expectation. I tend to do this every year. I find myself saying, “Next year, I’m really going to do advent big.”

Then I read further in my devotional.

“To have found God, to have experienced him in the intimacy of our being, to have lived even for one hour in the fire of his Trinity and the bliss of his Unity, clearly makes us say: ‘Now I understand. You alone are enough for me.’” –From The God Who Comes by Carlo Carretto

Arrested.

The question must change. The “what will we do” must turn into “what will we know?” It’s in the knowing that Christ alone is enough, and that knowledge will change what we do. Doing Advent big isn’t what it’s all about. Advent, the season of preparation for the coming of Christ, should be a time of prayer and devotion—a pulling back from the hectic over-programmed, hyper-scheduled norm many of us call youth ministry.

Advent has been referred to as a “little Lent,” a time of repentance. I would like to join with our students in the next few weeks in humble searching, in heartfelt prayer, in intentional listening to the needs and stories of others around us.

Rather than planning the best Advent series ever, I tried to stick to leaving some space for God to work, trusting that, as we devoted time and attention to honoring the birth of Christ, we’d find a childlike wonder that draws us closer to the reason we are here in the first place.

So I came up with a plan for our middle school students in December (if you can call it one).

Come together whenever we can.
Pray and sing.
Honor the story of Jesus’ birth by telling it.
Give students some experiential ways to enter into the story and give them a chance to tell how they have been a part of it.
Listen.
Celebrate.
Be content.

God, we thank you for coming to us long ago in the birth of Jesus. We offer our lives and our ministries to you, asking that you would give us courage to truly wait in expectation for what you are going to do in us and through us. Help us to be patient. Uncomplicate us. Wreck our ideas to make room for your leading. Thank you for giving us unlimited grace. Help us to be faithful, each in our own way—and responsive with our lives for being given such undeserved gifts.

This article originally appeared here.

Leadership Resiliency and Why It Matters

Gina McClain

November 21, 2017

Resiliency is a leadership game-changer. Our ability to recover from critical feedback, unmet expectations and failed outcomes is the difference between thriving and languishing in leadership.

If asked whether you want to win or lose, I think most of us would say we want to win as leaders. No one sets out hoping their leadership declines over time…let, my leadership influence has been negatively impacted during seasons of low-resiliency.

What can low resiliency cause? I think it has several ripple effects, but here are three easy-to-identify ripples that feed into each other. If you can tackle one of these, you’re set to arrest all three and turn them around.

Ripple #1: Feeds a Negative Perspective. One outcome of low-resiliency is your outlook on your circumstances. It’s impossible to have low-resiliency and a positive perspective at the same time. They can’t coexist. In fact, your perspective feeds your resiliency and your resiliency feeds your perspective.

Ask yourself: What leadership challenge are you tempted to sweep under the rug, right now? Why are you tempted to ignore it? Do you have hope for a great outcome? Are you uncertain you can lead toward that outcome?

These questions can uncover a leadership opportunity that you are ignoring. And though I understand the temptation to ignore it, let me challenge you. Ignoring it never brings resolution. Looking the other way and leaving the opportunity unaddressed will only make it worse.

Ripple #2: Erodes Vision. One of the first things to erode with a negative perspective is vision. You can’t embrace a vision for tomorrow when your outlook on today is in the toilet. It’s hard to get excited about what the future holds when you feel like your present situation is impossible.

Ask yourself: How have I communicated vision today? What level of conviction do others feel from me?

You can’t lead others toward a vision you aren’t actively pursuing. And I’m not sure how you can pursue a vision fervently that you don’t believe you can obtain.

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In Church Leadership, Be an Action Taker

Rick Warren

November 21, 2017

Procrastination has a high cost. When we cram for tests, we get lower grades. When we wait until the deadline to file taxes, we miss things and make costly mistakes. When we put off difficult conversations, we hurt people and relationships.

And the cost of procrastination in ministry can be significantly higher. For us, procrastination isn’t measured in dollars; it is measured in ministries never started, people with needs going unmet, and those who are spiritually lost never hearing the Gospel.

The Bible says in James 4:17, “Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not to do it” (NLT). When God calls you to do something, but you don’t do it, it’s not just a bad strategy or a missed blessing. It is sin.

If God has called you to do something in your ministry and you are not doing it, do it now! Not next month, next week or even tomorrow—do it right now.

Proverbs 27:1 says, “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring” (NLT). None of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. You may not have the opportunity tomorrow to do what God has called you to do. You could be saying you’ll do it someday. That someday is today! One of these days is none of these days. Do it today. Start right now!

I talk to people who say they’re planning to do something in ministry. And I always want to ask, “When are you going to pull the trigger?” They’ve been taking aim for years, yet they never seem to get around to pulling the trigger.

Don’t be like that. You need to pull the trigger. These three words could change your ministry forever: Do it now!

Spend a few minutes right now and write down one thing you know God wants you to do in your ministry. Whatever it is, write it down and then put that note in a place where you can’t miss it—like on your bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator.

But don’t just write it down. Don’t just read it on your refrigerator. Do it—now! Every time you catch yourself saying you’ll do it later, it should be a warning light that says you’re procrastinating. There’s no better time than now. This is the moment of truth. There’s got to be a time in your life when you stop intending and start acting. Stop making excuses.

NASA says that getting the rocket off the launch pad requires the most amount of energy. Once the rocket is in orbit, it takes a lot less energy to keep moving forward. That’s why you need to get started now. The initial thrust will start you moving forward.

This article originally appeared here.

Assimilation & Our Churches: Do We Do It Well?

Ed Stetzer

November 21, 2017

For those in church leadership, the issue of assimilation typically comes with questions of effectiveness and strategy. Truth be told, there is no one-size-fits-all plan for assimilation in every church.

That said, let me share a few of my thoughts. I’ll start with an analogy that, although not perfect, is nonetheless helpful to make a point.

Assimilation, I would argue, is a bit like staffing a nursery. You never know who is going to show up. And you barely know who will offer to help. And so you take a Sunday draft and everything goes OK. The babies may not be the happiest separated from their parents but, in the end, everybody got taken care of and there were no major problems. Yet internally you feel it is always an area of struggle.

Assimilation can be like this.

The No-Plan Approach

My first comparison between a nursery and the assimilation plan is the no-plan approach. This is quite dangerous for the baby. And it also might drop an adult who shows up for the first time. The only difference between the nursery and the assimilation is that the parents are ultimately responsible for the baby. And guess who is responsible for the newcomer? History calls the church the “Mother Kirche.” This is not because going to church makes you a child of God. Instead, the church is the place where people are trained up to know God. They are looked after and are parented in a responsible way.

The Mini-Plan Approach

The no-plan approach moves to a mini-plan approach when you have a way to gather names. Somebody visits. Someone is a guest. Someone came to something and you gather that. Perhaps you have registers to pass down the aisle, or you have people fill out cards. If we do these kinds of things on a regular basis, we have moved from a no-plan to a mini-plan.

The Full-Plan Approach

Moving from a mini-plan to a full-plan is all about the hand-off. How do you get the cards out of the offering plate and into the hands of someone who will do something about them?The mini-plan needs a paper trail or it won’t be consistent. Who wants a nursery that is clean some weeks and is a mess the rest of the time?

The consistent hand-off must work every time. It needn’t be a complicated computer program. It just needs to assign the task. Notice the word assign. It sounds like the idea of signing a document. One pastor I know had the follow up members sign a note that they would meet with the newcomers. Although at first glance this may sound odd, I believe it’s a good idea. It helps people to take ownership. Keeping our analogy, it’s like signing the birth certificate.

Moving from a mini-plan to a full-plan means that you have a destination. For me, I want the destination to be the life of comprehensive sanctification and the fruit of leading everyone in the neighborhood to Jesus. I want the goal to be so outrageously biblical that everybody sees it as a dream that is only possible with God’s full engagement with people fully engaged with him.

Now, that is a goal that should be held out for the whole church!

The full-plan goal for assimilation is most likely that newcomers are fully engaged in a group. Then, the group can take them on to the next steps of growth in Christ.

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5 Ways to Lead Well During the Holidays

Greg Baird

November 20, 2017

It’s hard to believe it, but Christmas is just around the corner (I’m pretty sure you realized that by now!). This can be a wonderful time of year…or it can be a complete nightmare. How do we, as ministry leaders, maximize the season and lead well? Here are five ideas:

1. Focus on people, not program.

The holidays can be a heavily programmed time of year. Depending on your church, you may not have a choice but to drive the program during this season. But that doesn’t mean that you have to put people second. In all your interactions, planning for the programs, etc., always keep the needs and concerns of the people in mind. Always seek to invest in those involved, not just use them to to fill a spot in the Christmas play.

2. Don’t neglect your own family.

The demands of the season can be many. I hear it all the time:

“But I have to be at the church…”
“It’s my job…”
“The Christmas musical would fall apart without me…”

Yep, all that might be true. But that’s no excuse for giving your family second best. I don’t offer specific ideas on how to solve this issue except this: Figure it out. What is important in your life gets your time and attention. Your relationship with God and your family should never be superceded by your ministry, even during the holiday season. I’ll say it again: figure it out.

3. Don’t be a grinch.

It’s well known that the holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year, and leading in ministry isn’t excluded. It can really wear you down. For most of us, getting worn out means we start fighting attitude problems. Be aware of this and what your “buttons” are. Stay focused on setting the tone with your attitude and not letting those buttons get pushed. Being a grinch during the holidays likely will cost you some leadership influence in the New Year.

4. Be sure to celebrate the season personally.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are not just for the people in your church…they are for you! It’s a time for thankfulness, reflection and the wonderful celebration of YOUR Savior coming to earth. It’s an opportunity for YOU to worship the King of Kings.

Be intentional about carving out opportunities to celebrate these truths personally. That might be making sure you get to the services with your family. It might mean you find some private worship time. It might mean taking a few minutes daily to walk through a holiday season devotional. Your own personal celebration can take many different forms. Be intentional and celebrate!

5. Capture momentum heading in to the New Year.

The holidays can be an enormously profitable time in sharing a great vision for the future. Good leaders are always thinking beyond the present, and the holidays are no different. How can you capture the joyful spirit and translate it into movement in the New Year? What relationships can you create and/or deepen that you can draw from after the holidays? What spiritual investment can you make in the life of a parent or leader that you can continue beyond the season? Or how can you maximize the giving spirit to draw people into making a tangible investment in the vision of your ministry?

Leaders find a way to not only enjoy the season, but also use it to influence the future. How are you doing that?

What do you do to ensure you lead well during the holidays?

This article originally appeared here.

4 Ways to Fight Anxiety

Jeremy Zach

November 20, 2017

It is very common for a small church youth pastor, who is trying to orchestrate a healthy youth ministry, to feel some sense of anxiety. Anxiety is not only a valid emotion, but rooted in fear, uncertainty and insecurities.

Youth pastors experience many of these unsettling emotions because we have to live in a reality of always feeling inadequate. We simply have to get use to feeling inadequate even though we are doing A LOT of ministerial duties. It is a tough reality to accept, but it is true. Our youth ministries will never be all things to all students.

The reality is that youth pastors have many roles to play. Some of these roles we are really good at and we will feel confident, collected and cool. Some of the other roles we are not good at and we will be very inexperienced in, which will produce some very anxious feelings

It is OK to feel a bit uneasy sometimes when ministering to the youth. Although it is NOT OK to let our anxiety make us become hesitant and for it to cause us to doubt our youth ministry calling. When we let anxiety get the best of us, we are letting anxiety control us.

In my experience, I believe the best cure for anxiety is action. The goal is to overcome the anxiety before it overcomes you.

How to Fight Anxiety:

First, read these Scriptures:

NAU Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

NAU Ecclesiastes 1:9 That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

NAU Luke 21:34 “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

NAU 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

We ask for help from the Holy Spirit and rely on some basic cognitive skills (thinking patterns), which can be used to confront the anxiety beast.

1. Our anxiety is sending us a message. It is imperative we identify and clarify what the anxiety is all about, simply appreciate it and find a way to change it. We have to realize, we can control our emotions. We give our emotions attention and a definition.

2. Get curious and ask God why you are experiencing anxiety. What situation/person/circumstance/deadline is causing you to feel the way you are feeling? Is your anxiety valid? Are you choosing to feel this way? In the past, did you have any experience with success? Identify the situation that is causing you to feel anxious. What is your current mood? What are some automatic thoughts (images) you are experiencing? What evidence supports your anxiety? What evidence does not support your anxiety? Is your anxiety a rational thought? How have you been in the past after a stressful situation? Have you gotten through this before? The goal is to discover evidence which does not support your anxious thought. What are some balanced thoughts that counteract your thought of anxiety? You need to write out a healthy and hopeful perspective in light of your anxious mood.

3. Get confident that God can meet you in your worried state. In the past have you been OK? Has God ever let you down before? Attempt to focus on the bigger picture rather than the immediate picture.

4. Get certain. There is nothing new under the sun. You will get through it. In the end, it really doesn’t matter. Don’t waste your time thinking about how that person disrespected you. When our life seems to be so out of control, we need to lean on the ONE who is in control. Be thankful because it really could have been worse.

A person who knows how to control his/her anxiety really does have the edge. The question is: Are we (Holy Spirit and you) letting nervousness dictate our life? Or are we (Holy Spirit and you) dictating our valid feeling of anxiety?

This article originally appeared here.

Seven Ways Being Nice Hurts Your Church

Thom Rainer

November 20, 2017

Don’t judge me too quickly on the content of this article.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen it again and again. Church leaders and members sacrifice the health and good of the church for fear of hurting one or a few persons. The body is sacrificed for the sake of a few members.

We think we are being nice, but we are hurting the church.

See if you can identify with one or more of these seven “nice” issues.

We don’t make a needed personnel decision. “It not the Christian thing to do,” we often rationalize. But most people know we need to make the change. We are just too nice to do so.
We are unwilling to confront sin. “Who am I to judge that person?” we often ask. That’s the “nice” rationale. But if that church member is living in open and flagrant sin, we are failing our biblical duty.
We won’t eliminate a weak program or ministry. The ministry or program has outlived its effectiveness, but we don’t want to offend the few persons who have sentimental attachment to it.
We are unwilling to make tough decisions on facilities. The parlor is hardly used at all, and the church needs the space for growing ministries. But we are unwilling to tell the keepers of the parlor we need “their” space. It just wouldn’t be the nice thing to do.
We compromise the Word of God. Yes, some church leaders do just that because they don’t want to seem narrow or exclusive. But the gospel is narrow and exclusive. We think telling someone they are “okay” without Christ is just being nice. But it’s like telling them they can go to Hell.
We let volunteers continue in positions where they should not. One clear example is the man who was lacking in social skills, yet was out front serving on the welcome team. Despite many attempts to help him or work around him, he kept offending guests. But no one asked him to step down. It just wouldn’t be nice.
We make bad financial choices. Many of these issues could impact the financial wellbeing of a church. For example, one church refused to eliminate the full-time student minister position, despite the fact that attendance was down to 45 senior adults. The church ran out of money and had to close.

Sometimes we are so nice we are hurting our churches.

But perhaps the real issue is lack of courage to make the tough decisions.

This article originally appeared here.

10 Pet Peeves About Church From One Who Loves the Church

Joe McKeever

November 20, 2017

By “pet peeve,” we mean only a minor disagreement. An annoyance. We find certain things irritating, but they are not deal-breakers. No federal case, no mountains from a molehill. OK to disagree. A personal thing is all.

One. The pastor rises to begin his sermon, and says to the congregation, “Will you stand in honor of the Word of God?”

It sounds noble. It is meant to inspire honor for Holy Scripture.

My question is: So, preacher, do you have them jump up every time you quote a verse of Scripture? Then, why do it at the first? And if you say this practice is scriptural, which it is (Nehemiah 8:5), then why don’t you have them stand up throughout the entire sermon? The Bible says Jesus sat down to preach (Luke 4:20). And somewhere it says the people stood up while he preached.

What it feels like—to me at least—is the preacher is trying to come across as holier than those who do not ask people to stand for the reading of the Word. He saw some other preacher do it and thought it was a good idea. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, only that it’s unnecessary and may be motivated by less-than-noble motives. But it’s not a deal-breaker. Do it if you feel strongly about it. (Ask them to stand every time you quote a verse, however, and this will go south quickly! Smile, please.)

Two. The preacher opens the service rebuking the congregation.

“Good morning, everyone.” They call out a response. Then he says, “Oh, you can do better than that. I said, GOOD MORNING!” And the congregation gives it a second try.

Or, he says, “God is good,” and the congregation answers “all the time.” Then he rebukes them for a tepid response to his noble declaration.

Better to say it and move on, preacher. Never begin a worship service of the living God by rebuking the worshipers.

Three. The layman who gives a testimony goes on and on and on.

If you’re going to invite an inexperienced speaker to share in the service, pastor, have someone work with him/her in shaping their message and holding it to its time slot. The typical layman has no idea how fleeting time can be when speaking to the congregation. I’ve seen them open with, “They’ve given me five minutes…” and 10 minutes later, they say, “In the time I have remaining….”

Four. Too much talk before a song.

In most cases it’s a guest singer who introduces their song with a story. And almost in every case, it was unnecessary. In fact, it detracts from the effectiveness of their presentation.

I know why they do it, and you do too. They’re nervous and a brief time of talking will ease their jitters. But they should practice going straight into their song without the banter. A good worship leader will help prepare them to do this. (And will caution the singer not to talk. The preacher will do the talking.)

Five. The person praying forgets he/she is praying on behalf of the congregation.

They say “I pray” and “I ask” and “I make this prayer.” Someone has misinformed them that “you cannot pray for everyone,” or something to that effect. But our Lord taught us to pray “Our Father,” “give us,” “lead us,” “forgive us” and so forth. When praying before a congregation, you are praying on behalf of everyone. So, it’s we and us and our.

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The Hope of Relief in the Opioid Crisis: The Church

Bob Ditmer

November 20, 2017

The White House reported this week that the opioid crisis is worse than previously thought. New estimates from the White House Council of Economic Advisors show opioid-related fatalities have been underreported by 24 percent, raising the death toll to more than 40,000 in 2015 alone. By all accounts, the opioids crisis worsened in 2016, as synthetic opioids flooded the heroin market.

It is not an overstatement to call this a crisis. In 2015 alone, drug overdoses killed more people than the entire Vietnam War. Drugs are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50. And opioid deaths outnumber car crashes and gun-related deaths.

SPIRITUAL CRISIS?

While the death toll has risen sharply these last few years, there is one aspect of the epidemic that hasn’t changed: Many believe this phenomenon is fueled by a spiritual crisis in America.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, wrote in the Hill.com:

“There’s also a reason why this is all happening now. Long ago, people found purpose in their responsibilities. They lived for their spouses, to whom they sought to bring feelings of preciousness and love. They toiled for their children, whom they struggled not just to support, but to show constant affection, giving them a sense of self worth. People were also more spiritual, and in a treasured connection to God they found a sense of purpose that gave context to their existence. Often, they also fought for a cause, be it their communities, their countries, and their values. And it was in this fulfillment of a purpose that people got high. It was in causes that were larger than themselves that they found an escape from the ordinary and mundane.”

TRYING TO FILL A GOD-SHAPED HOLE

Opioids are just the latest substance Americans use to find happiness and joy apart from God. A 2015 study found 30 percent of Americans had an alcohol abuse disorder at some point in their lives.

The crack epidemic of the mid-to-late 1980s hit a peak of two overdose deaths per 100,000.

Then there are prescription medications for depression and anxiety. The United States leads the world in per capita consumption of these drugs, with roughly 11 percent of the population over the age of 12 using them.

Damon Linker, writing for theweek.com, says opioids are the new trend, “What is clear is that the United States is filled with people pursuing various forms of relief from various forms of profound unhappiness, discontent, malaise, agitation, and emotional and/or physical pain.

A PLACE FOR MINISTRY

If the problem is indeed spiritual, churches are best equipped to help, and many are responding.

Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church in Belmont, Massachusetts has hosted 12-step recovery programs in the building’s basement for several years. Pastor Mike Clark told WBUR one of the first things he noticed was the number of people coming to church, but not for the service upstairs on Sunday. “I realized that people’s lives were being saved every day in this building. And that it was happening in the basement, it was happening outside our angle of vision—and that’s fine, it was happening anonymously—but that it was an amazing story of human transformation.”

While many might see two different churches at the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church, pastor Mike Clark says they are more alike than many will admit. “In my experience, there are as many active alcoholics and addicts upstairs in churches as there are recovering alcoholics and addicts downstairs. But the ability to be honest about it and seek help unfortunately is a challenge for most people.”

One of the programs that many churches are using is “Celebrate Recovery.” Launched in 1991 by John Baker, a recovering alcoholic, now a Saddleback minister, Celebrate Recovery uses biblical principles to help people overcome their hurtful habits—from codependency to anger and addiction. It’s solution is to fill the void with Jesus, not a substance or behavior.

RESPONDING TO THE CHURCH-STATE DIVIDE

Faith-based solutions come with the typical church-state tensions and plenty of secular groups looking to exploit the schism. But that hasn’t stopped some governments from looking for spiritual answers. One is Tennessee.

In Tennessee, more than 50 percent of adults attend weekly religious services according to a 2014 Pew Research Center study. About two years ago, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services launched a faith-based recovery network to spread the word about addiction, recovery and available services. It also encourages congregations to start their own support programs.

Monty Burks, the director of the department’s faith-based initiatives and special projects, told the tennessean.com, “Historically, institutions of faith have been at the forefront of every single major issue that we’ve had in our country. The key component in recovery is faith. So why not try to educate them and let them harness that number and that power and that belief and helping people in recovery.

A PROBLEM THE CHURCH CANNOT IGNORE

The opioid epidemic is a huge problem in America and getting worse. Being a place of hope for those suffering and dying from it is a tall order for the church. But it is also a plight the church cannot ignore if it hopes to show God’s love for mankind. As Augustine pointed out “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”

If any one group of people should have reason to hope, it is the church. Coupled with our commission to introduce people to the source of that hope, we should have no qualms lending ourselves to fight in the battle against opioid addiction.

A Truly Good Thanksgiving

Daniel Henderson

November 20, 2017

Thanksgiving is a day when Americans, some of whom seldom reflect on God’s goodness, take time to consider the source of their blessings in this life. Truly, pausing to express gratitude is ultimately a recognition of the goodness of God. Yet, many of us fail to understand the real nature of God’s goodness.

In fact, in the next few days, tune in to the common and often confusing use of the word “good” as it is employed in conversations, news stories and modern day culture. In all likelihood, you will hear references like:

“It’s all good!”
“That was a good movie.”
“She’s a good woman.”
“The weather looks good.”
“Good game, son!”
“He’s good looking.”
“The food was good.”
“It’s good that you were here.”
“He’s a good preacher.”
“I feel good about it.”
“Sounds good.”
“There was a good crowd.”
“This will be good for you.”
“They had a good selection.”
“Oh my goodness!”

Of course, the interpretation of these phrases can yield a convoluted and even confusing understanding of goodness. Just to prove the point, look over each phrase and try to figure exactly what is meant by the word “good.” These common expressions (and there are MANY others) remind us of the subjective nature of the word. What is “good” to one person might be seem bad to another, or mediocre to yet another. As one example of the diverse meanings, The Reader’s Digest Complete Oxford Word Finder devotes a full page of very fine print to various definitions of “good.”

Ultimate Goodness

Jesus stated “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). We know that no one is righteous, not even one, and all have sinned (Romans 3:10, 23). God alone is good and the source of all goodness.

A.W. Pink explains that the goodness of God refers to the perfection of His nature and that nothing is lacking in it or defective in it, and nothing can be added to it to make it better.¹ Puritan writer Thomas Manton states, “He is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God. He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself; the creature’s goodness is but a drop; but in God there is an infinite ocean and sea, or gathering together of goodness.”²

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How to Break Through When Your Church Seems So Small

Carey Nieuwhof

November 19, 2017

Church outreach presents a classic chicken and egg problem that plagues so many leaders.

There’s an 85 percent chance you’re facing it right now because 85 percent of churches in North America have congregations of less than 200 attenders.

Here’s the challenge: You think that if you had more people and money you think you could reach more people, but you don’t have the people or team you want, so you feel stuck.

Earlier this year, I surveyed over 1,400 pastors of small to mid-sized churches to find out what they struggled with.

I learned so much from that survey.

I incorporated the learnings into my new course on breaking growth barriers, called Breaking 200 Without Breaking You. (You can check out the course here.)

One of the common refrains leaders voiced was uncertainty about how to lead when they didn’t have much money or the right team.

After all, most of us visit megachurches and think if I only had a tenth of their money and their people, it would instantly solve my problems. And then we go back to our own context and get almost instantly depressed.

So when you have almost no money for ministry and you clearly haven’t got the right kind of people in the room, where do you start?

Effective Church Outreach Strategies

Believe it or not, neither condition is fatal to your cause. In fact, almost every great movement, church or organization you admire started with no money and no people.

So how can you lead when resources are scarce to non-existent?

There are at least five things you can do to help you find traction.

1. Cast a Big Vision for Your Church Outreach

Of course, you know that one of the principal roles of the leader is to cast vision.

But what do you do when you have almost nothing other than vision?

What to Do When a Christian Doubts

Lore Ferguson

November 19, 2017

I’m always looking for the easy way out. I’m inherently lazy, short-sighted, impatient, passive or fill in the blank with some other vice. I do not like walking in the tension of anything and if there is a more comfortable option, I will take it with a cherry on top, thank you very much. I fear the unknown—especially when the unknown exists within me, not just around me.

I was created from dust and bone fragments, so I don’t know why I would believe perfection is possible before the return of Christ. I seek it though, friends. I seek it.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture, one I return to again and again and again, is from Mark chapter 9. Jesus had just undergone the transfiguration and had come back down the mountain, running into the father of a demon possessed boy. The father cries to Jesus, “If you can do anything, have compassion and help us!” Sweet Jesus responds with incredulity: “If? If I can heal him? All things are possible to him who believes.” And this, my favorite line in all of scripture, is the father’s response: “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

I come from a charismatic background, not name it and claim it, health, wealth and prosperity, but certainly a side that believes words have life or death in them. That if we speak death, we run the risk of experiencing it, and if we speak life, then the odds are higher we’ll experience it. I look back now and see the ways I misunderstood and ingested theology without parsing it for myself, eating the words given me instead of the Scripture informing them. But what resulted for me is that I became a bundle of fear, afraid to ever speak what was actually true about myself, my sin, my fears, my anxieties, and only willing to speak what was not true, that I had assurance, joy, peace, faith. I didn’t know how to walk in the tension of speaking what was not fully true but which I wanted to be true and speaking what was true but I wanted to be untrue. I could not have said, “Help my unbelief,” because to confess unbelief seemed like the pathway to destruction, but I felt like a liar every time I said, “I believe.”

All that changed in early 2010, when I could not live the lie of belief anymore. I pounded my fists into the tan carpet of my rental house and cried harder than ever before and said to God, for the first time ever, “I do not believe in you!” I have never heard the audible voice of God, but I will never forget the strong impression of the Father picking up his robes and running toward me saying, “Finally. We can begin with this.”

I think there are two temptations for the Christian who doubts. The first is to only say what is yet untrue (I believe) and the second is to only say what is true (I have unbelief). If you come from a background, like mine, where to utter words of unbelief means you are silenced by well-meaning friends who say you’re just going through a hard time and it will wear off, you probably will be bound up in living the lie of belief, and, as Jeremiah 17 says, “You will not see good when it comes.” If you come from a background where it’s OK to have struggles and wrestle with truth and faith, you might be afraid to say the words, “I believe,” because you don’t want to lie about having something you don’t fully have.

How to Worship a Limitless God With Limited Resources

Bob Kauflin

November 19, 2017

Earlier this fall, prior to having the joy of participating in the Getty Sing! conference in Nashville, I chatted with Sol Fenne at a lunch sponsored by 20Schemes. Sol is a church planter, musician and songwriter who has a passion to see the gospel transform lives in the poorest housing projects of Scotland.

One of Sol’s passions is to discover how the gospel enthusiasm and musical excellence from the Sing! Conference could be applied in the contexts of Scotland’s poorest schemes, or housing projects. So he sent me a follow-up email asking if I’d be willing to write a blog post addressing this question:

How we can encourage our eight-chord guitarists facing 10-20 musically impartial believers to strive on in tough circumstances where there is little to no encouragement and new believers who come from zero congregational singing cultures?

A Common Problem

You don’t have to live in one of Scotland’s schemes to identify with the issue that question raises. The majority of churches aren’t working with a stable of professional musicians leading a congregation of enthusiastic, engaged worshipers. We’re trying to get by with:

• Unskilled musicians and/or leaders
• Attendees that check their emotions and ability to move their bodies at the door
• A soundboard that’s limping along on its last legs
• A tight budget that never seems to include equipment
• Musicians that can’t figure out the chords on the album

And on it goes.

Some Ideas to Implement

We regularly find ourselves leading under less than ideal conditions. How should we respond? Here are a few thoughts.

Recognize that the gospel, not music, is the power of God (Rom. 1:16).
When our musicians, instruments, lighting and technology aren’t impressive, we can wonder why people would come to our church. They come because we have something the world doesn’t: the amazing news that Jesus Christ died in the place of lost, rebellious sinners to reconcile them to God. Music, no matter how great it is, can’t raise a dead soul to life. The gospel can and does. Your church may never come close musically to what the church down the street does or what people listen to on their iPhones. That’s OK. Faithfully preach, sing and explain the gospel and you’ll see lives changed.

Trust in God’s Word more than your own words (1 Thess. 2:13).
Trusting in God’s Word more than our own means featuring and treasuring the content and meaning of Scripture in our songs, prayers, sermons, visuals, sacraments and conversations. I say featuring and treasuring because we’re not simply providing information. We’re proclaiming life-giving, faith-imparting, direction-changing, mind-transforming truth. People should be able to see how much we love the word of God and the God of the Word, with or without music.

Pray for and expect God’s Spirit to work in people’s hearts for the glory of Jesus (1 Cor. 2:12; 1 Cor. 12:4-7).
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that God’s Spirit prefers working in a church of 5,000 or 500 more than in a church of 50. Where Christians gather to sing, pray, hear God’s Word and celebrate the gospel, God’s Spirit is there to do what only he can do. Bring conviction. Comfort the grieving. Give hope to the hopeless. Satisfy the spiritually hungry. And he loves to work through ordinary, dependent people like you and me.

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How to Bless Your Child With the Gift of Thankfulness

Andrew Linder

November 19, 2017

Have you ever encountered this scenario in your home? … Your kids go into the kitchen for a snack. They open up the cupboards, move around all the boxes, bags and cans of food trying to find something to eat, and then make this amazing declaration, “There ain’t nothing to eat in this house!”

Oh, my…how I wish I could say that’s never happened in our house before!

November is considered “Thanksgiving” month, but we all know that thanksgiving is not something to be limited to one month out of the year, but something that needs to be present all year round in our families and our homes.

But is it? How do we cultivate a lifestyle of thankfulness that lasts all year round and ultimately becomes a part of the fabric of our children’s character for life?

Here are some suggestions or reminders for how to bless your kids with the life-long gift of thankfulness:

Don’t give them everything they want. Overly spoiled kids are usually not overly grateful kids. It’s important to remember that we do well for both our kids and ourselves not to give them everything their hearts desire. Some of the biggest enemies to a thankful heart are materialism, instant gratification and always getting what we want. However, some of the greatest assets to developing a thankful heart are discipline, delayed gratification and hard work.
Take whining and complaining very seriously. Philippians 2:14 is a great verse to memorize and remind each other of as a family. God commands us to “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” And if God commands it, we would do well to require it in our homes. Give the members of your family permission to quote this verse to each other when needed, and establish some incentives and/or consequences in your home for when thankfulness is displayed or found lacking.
Regularly serve and expose them to people with less. There are so many ways that you can do this, but here are just a few ideas:
- Find families with less that you can serve or give to during the holiday season.
- Volunteer your family’s time to serve in a ministry at your church or in your community.
- Save up some money and take your kids on a mission trip to open their eyes to how blessed they are.
- Encourage your kids to look for ways to be generous to other children with what they have.
- The more our children are exposed to others with less, the more easily they will develop a gracious attitude toward them, as well as a greater gratitude toward God.
Make family prayer a time of giving thanks, not just a time of asking. Every family would do well to have times of family prayer beyond just praying around the dinner table. Make family prayer a time to celebrate God’s goodness and kindness in your lives. Every once in a while, take time to pray as a family without asking for anything at all, but spending all of your prayer time allowing each person to only pray for what they are thankful for. Prayer and thanksgiving are often closely linked in Scripture, and for good reason (Phil. 4:6, Col. 4:2).
Be a thankful person yourself. No matter what else you do to try to raise thankful children, if you fail to be a thankful person yourself, actions will always speak louder than words. I’m absolutely amazed sometimes at both the little and big things that kids imitate from their parents, from simple things like mannerisms to more important things like attitudes and character traits. Never forget that your children are simply mini versions of you. Whatever you are becoming, so are they. Be a thankful person.

If you’re serious about blessing your kids with the gift of thankfulness, here’s a great place to start… As a family, commit one or all of these verses to memory in the month of November.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4

O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Psalm 95:1-3

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thessalonians 5:18

As a help, here’s a Free PDF that you can save or print to help your family commit these verses to memory this month.

This article originally appeared here.

This Is Better Than Making Quick Decisions

Brandon Cox

November 19, 2017

If you aspire to lead an organization with greater confidence, you’ve no doubt felt the pressure to be the bold decision maker—the one out front ready to charge into the fray.

The problem is, sometimes we charge ahead, ignoring the pitfalls, traps and perils in our pathway, and it doesn’t end well. We can wind up crashing and burning, and hurting other people in the process.

When I first started watching The Apprentice years ago, I was impressed with Donald Trump’s ability to make a decision very quickly and execute it confidently (think, “You’re fired!”). And now that he’s the leader of the free world, the very trait I thought reflected good leadership scares me a bit.

It takes humility to slow down, listen and view a situation from multiple angles.

I’ve had to come to a place of acceptance about my own leadership speed. I used to spend a lot of emotional energy wishing I could be the quick decision maker. But I’m learning, sometimes the hard way, that I really need to put thought and prayer into my decisions before executing.

Things work out better when I’m willing to slow down. Why?

Slowing down allows me to clear my head.
Slowing down lets me involve and empower other people.
Slowing down reduces risk by getting more of the facts.

Remember the story of Sully, the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson River, saving the lives of all on board? I watched the movie depiction of the events in which Sully was played by Tom Hanks. What the public never really knew was just how close Sully came to getting in serious trouble over the incident because leaders with the National Transportation Safety Board were fairly convinced he should have been able to make it to a runway at a nearby airport instead of landing in the river.

Sully spoke up for himself and reminded the board that he was human, and therefore required a little more time than a computer simulation to make a decision in a moment of crisis. When the simulation was adjusted to reflect the human element, Sully was vindicated. Landing in the Hudson was indeed the only viable option to save the lives of all on board the aircraft.

Obviously there will be moments when decisions are rushed because an opportunity may pass quickly or a crisis is imminent. But those circumstances are the exception, not the norm.

How do you slow down while retaining the confidence of those you are leading? You remind them that you’re taking your time with the decision because you understand the gravity of leadership.

As the leader, you’re responsible for the lives of the people on board, so it’s worth it to wait for clarity.

It’s always better to make the right decision than a quick one.

This article originally appeared here.

What’s the Problem With Joel Osteen?

Philip Wagner

November 17, 2017

Last year Joel Osteen was conducting an evangelistic crusade at Dodger Stadium. Since the Dodgers are in our home city, Los Angeles – I wanted to support the effort. I mentioned to our congregation about the upcoming crusade and helping out so we could be a part of reaching thousands of people who would make decisions to follow Christ.

A few days later someone said to me, “We’re supporting Joel Osteen? He is pretty controversial you know.”

I was surprised.

I thought to myself, “Joel Osteen, controversial? How could that be? He preaches the most clear and simple gospel message a person could hear.”

I had not been keeping up with what people and other leaders were saying on the Internet.

One local pastor said to me later, “I hear you are supporting the Joel Osteen Crusade.”

I said, “Yes I am. He reaches thousands of people for Jesus Christ, he’s in our city, I want to be a part of it.”

The pastor responded, “I’m not going to, I can’t go for all that ‘positive gospel stuff’.”

I don’t know what that means!??!

Are we supposed to be preaching the ‘negative gospel?’

What is the positive gospel?

1. Our sins are forgiven?

2. God loves us – just like we are?

3. God has something special for each of us to do?

Just sounds like the ‘regular-amazing-outstanding-full of mercy- gospel’ to me!

You know… ‘Amazing Grace’ and all that.

So in the last year I’ve discovered there are many outspoken Christians and leaders who don’t like Joel Osteen.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion – even if it is ill informed.

The disappointing thing to me is that Christian leaders speak out publically against Joel and thereby encouraging other Christians not to respect him or to doubt his authenticity. They feel the liberty to publically attack those whom they don’t really understand or know. It’s embarrassing.

As a Christian, I’m discouraged by the behavior of leaders who criticize, attack or diminish the significance of other Christian ministers.

This behavior and attitude is why many people do not want to be a part of Christianity or go to church because they feel that when they go to church they will be criticized the way our leaders do to each other.

Could a Social Media Fast Prevent Teen Suicide?

Bob Ditmer

November 17, 2017

A growing body of evidence suggests a link between teen suicide and social media use. Both categories are trending upward at an alarming rate.

From 2007 to 2015, suicide rates doubled among teen girls, reaching a 40-year high. Those same rates increased by more than 30 percent among teen boys according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control.

At the same time social media usage has spiked. The Pew Research Center finds a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade among all age groups with young adults topping the list.

FRIGHTENING NUMBERS

The research found 90 percent of people age 18 to 29 use social media compared to 12 percent just ten years earlier. If placed on a graph, the line identifying teen suicide and one representing social media use would be side-by-side and rising like a rocket.

According to a study published this month in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, teens spending five hours a day on social media were 70 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who reported one hour of daily use.

Psychologist Jean Twenge told the Atlantic in an article titled “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”, “It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be traced to their (smart) phones.

CAN YOUTH PASTORS LESSEN TEEN SUICIDE?

In light of these dire statistics, a Colorado teen has a suggestion: take a break from social media. 17 year-old Caitlin Hearty started the campaign in Littleton in which hundreds of teens agreed not to use the internet or social media for one month. The effort was in response to several local teen suicides. Hearty told the Stream, “After hours of scrolling through Instagram feeds, I just feel worse about myself because I feel left out. The campaign picked up on one of the factors mentioned by the CDC researchers; social media posts depicting “perfect” lives may be taking a toll on teens’ mental health.

Could Caitlin’s crusade stimulate a movement among youth pastors where they recommend a social media fast within their youth groups?

BRAVE AND SCARY NEW WORLD

Dan Boal with Alliance Youth is an advocate of social media fasts used in conjunction with time spent physically with peers in meaningful forms of self-disclosure and solitude with Jesus.

“This generation is the first to grow up without knowledge or experience of a life in which young adult interpersonal relationships occurred without the assistance of social media. It’s a pervasive new world where we are just starting to see the effects of constant relational connectivity. Yes, Scripture says it’s not good to for man to be alone, but at the same time we are given examples of life through Jesus where he would spend hours in solitude and prayer.”

He also fears that the constant connection leads to increased mental illness, self-harm and suicide.

“This is one area where the church can have a real advantage because we can create space for analog interpersonal relationships in which the “‘one another’s”’ of the gospel can be practiced and healthy emotional intimacy can be found in a world where we are always digitally together.”

The idea of digital fasting is a hot topic among many church leaders who see it as spiritually beneficial. Anne Jackson, an author, speaker and volunteer pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee told the Religion News Service, “Unplugging has become essential to my spiritual journey and truly hearing God.”

But now, these sobering statistics relating teen suicide to social media might also reveal that fasting could save some lives.

5 Mighty Women Who Risked It All for God

Carrie Kintz

November 16, 2017

Mighty women throughout biblical and church history have contributed much to the faith, often at very steep costs. They have gone to the uttermost parts of the earth on missions. Written hymns. Shared the Gospel in their homes and cities. And their contributions to the rich tapestry of our faith should be honored.

Here are five women who have significantly impacted the church for the Gospel of Jesus.

Joni Eareckson Tada

It’s hard not to know the story of Joni Eareckson Tada. After a diving accident made her a quadriplegic at the age of 18, she struggled with depression and doubt when it came to faith. It was in those struggles that she eventually came to the Lord.

Joni Eareckson Tada is a champion for people who have disabilities, and a teacher who reminds the church to see all humans, regardless of ability, as made in the image of God. She has shared openly about her own walk with the Lord and the challenges she’s faced in life, including a breast cancer diagnosis in 2010. Her words resonate with millions around the world as she spreads the gospel. Her life is an inspiration, paving the way for many in the body of Jesus who have developmental struggles or disabilities to minister and contribute.

Ann Voskamp

In 2011, a little book simply titled One Thousand Gifts settled on Christian bookshelves and changed the way people looked at Thanksgiving. Ann Voskamp was catapulted onto best-seller lists and became a staple in Christian Living with her blog “A Holy Experience,” which details her everyday live, causes she believes in, and encouraging those to participate in the beautiful and hard things of the Bible.

With a quirky writing style, but the ability to write straight to the heart, Ann has gifted the church with words that call us to simple faith, deep love for Jesus and a desire to love people well. She’s been honest about her struggles and unafraid to challenge her readers to action. Her words changed the course of an entire generation, exhorting them to thanksgiving for the great gifts of God and encouraging them live them out every day. Ann bares her heart and soul about the tough things in life, and has become an example of what authentic Christian life in an ever-changing culture can look like.

Elisabeth Elliot

Her story was something out of the New Testament. A husband martyred for his faith in Jesus in Ecuador. She returned to Ecuador a short time later with her small daughter to preach the Gospel to the same tribe who killed her husband. She wrote 40+ books on enduring faith, purity in relationships and the family.

When Elisabeth Elliot died in 2015, the Christian church deeply mourned the loss of one of its most influential mothers. Elliot spoke with intensity and great depth about Scripture and how it applies to every aspect of life. She modeled discipleship. She showed the church what it means to persevere and endure in suffering. Elisabeth Elliot understood the importance of leading people to intimacy with Jesus. And she highlighted others in the faith who did the same thing. Her legacy of faith, love and hope continues to endure.

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Reflections on Thanksgiving

Michael Guyer

November 16, 2017

Thanksgiving is replete with images of Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock and celebrating the first fruits of the harvest. While a meal of Thanksgiving had long been celebrated in America, it did not become a national holiday until Abraham Lincoln’s declaration in the midst of the Civil War. On October 3, 1863, Lincoln declared:

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him…they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

It is striking to me that in the midst of diversity and division, Lincoln calls for the nation to give thanks to God the Father and intercede on behalf of others that God may heal our wounds and restore our unity.

Lincoln’s declaration reminds us of power that giving thanks can have in the midst of difficult circumstances. While I’m not sure what inspired Lincoln’s declaration, he touches on many of the themes we find in the New Testament regarding thanksgiving. On this Thanksgiving Day, reminding ourselves of who we give thanks to and what we give thanks for may just make a difference in our own divided nation.

Give thanks to God the Father
The pattern we see in the New Testament is giving thanks to God the Father through or in the name of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:8; Eph. 5:20; Co. 1:3). The motive for our thanks is the character and work of our great God. All of our blessings come from the Father through Jesus Christ and are secured by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Thess. 2:13).

Always and in All Things
Giving thanks is the means by which we express our confidence in the sovereignty and goodness of God. Our thanksgiving is not dependent on our circumstances—whether in want or plenty. We give thanks “always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20) and we do so because giving thanks in all circumstances is the will of God. Giving thinks always and in all things is an expression of our submission to God’s will.

For God’s Work in and Through Others
Many of Paul’s letter begin with a section of thanksgiving, in which he gives thanks to God for His work in and through believers. He thanks God for the Corinthians “because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:4). He thanks God for the Romans “because your faith is proclaimed in all the world” (Rom. 1:8). He thanks God for the Thessalonians “because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thess. 1:3). He thanks God for Philemon because of his love and faith towards the Lord Jesus and love towards others (Phm. 4-5). Paul found ways to celebrate the work of God in others, even when there were reasons for correction and growth (just read the rest of 1 Corinthians).

These three aspects seem to come together so clearly in Colossians 3:15-17:

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonish one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Notice that thankfulness guards the unity and peace believers enjoy together. We ought to give thanks to God for this unity and for the specific people with whom we enjoy it. When that unity is in jeopardy, it can only be retained by returning in gratitude to God who restores and rules in peace through Jesus Christ. Also, thankfulness is the gauge of how well the word of Christ is doing its work in and through. When the gospel dwells in us richly, gratitude will flow out us freely. Finally, thankfulness marks the entire Christian life. Whatever we do, whatever our circumstances we thank God for who He is and what He done. Thankfulness helps us fight against selfishness and discontentment in our own hearts. It turns our eyes to what God has given us rather than what we lack. It turns eyes to see others through the lens of the character of God and the work He can do in them. It turns our eyes to see our circumstances in light of God’s sovereignty rather our lack of control. In short, Colossians 3:15-17 presents a thankful church made up thankful members in whom the peace of Christ rules their relationships, the word of Christ dwells richly in their hearts, and the name of Christ shapes every aspect of their lives.

As our nation seeks to heal its wounds once again, Thanksgiving Day reminds us where we must turn—toward God with gratitude for who He is and what He has done. No doubt, a little bit of gratitude and kindness for the common grace we all share would go a long way in helping us bind up our nation’s wounds and seek unity within our communities. However, I am convinced that the answer to our divided nation is not just being more grateful people in general but being a more united and grateful church. To say that a grateful church is the answer is to say that God is the answer—it is His peace that brings unity, His word which gives life, and His name which defines who we are and what we do. A grateful church puts the character and work of God on display for a watching and wounded world.

This article originally appeared here.

The Pros and Cons of Office Hours

Dan Reiland

November 16, 2017

It’s surprising how much tension there can be about something as seemingly mechanical as office hours. But the truth is, it represents your culture and relationships, and partially sets the tone for the work ethic of your church team.

It’s a little complicated to write on this topic because not every group of staff have the same roles and responsibilities. Therefore, different teams have different needs when it comes to office hours.

For example, it’s commonly a good idea for the majority of your administrative and support staff to have regular office hours usually something close to the traditional business times of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

However, in some situations an administrative staff person, for example, a campus administrative assistant, might work four to five hours on a Sunday. There are many reasons why flexibility is helpful in setting what the actual “office” hours are for some staff.

(Note: This post does not address working from home. That is an entirely different subject.)

To be more practical and therefore helpful, this article will concentrate on the pros and cons of church staff that are more ministry focused (rather than administratively focused).

The following is not an argument for a particular schedule but, rather, practical ideas to help you think through what is best for your team.

Before the list of pros, let me suggest that your ministry staff may be served well by some regular office hours together, but not their full work week, and rarely is ministry contained to a 40-hour week. Again, it all depends on what their responsibilities are.

The Pros of Office Hours:

1) The larger the church staff, the greater the need for office hours.

The scope and complexity of the work in large and very large churches is facilitated better with proximity and quick access amongst staff. Again, perhaps not 40+ hours, but a substantial number of hours when the team knows everyone is there.

2) Teams who are project-based are served well by set office hours.

The idea here is that if a particular member of the team is not present, the project gets delayed and off schedule. It can then impact morale because others must scramble to make up for the person not present.

3) Overall communication is enhanced through regular office hours.

It’s difficult to over-communicate on a church staff. When the staff has regular hours together, they are naturally more apt to communicate more often and therefore catch and correct things quickly.

4) Team relationships are fostered by at least some regularly set office hours.

It’s much easier to maintain and cultivate positive and productive working relationships with consistent time together.

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The No-Plan Approach

The Mini-Plan Approach

The Full-Plan Approach

1. Focus on people, not program.

2. Don’t neglect your own family.

3. Don’t be a grinch.

4. Be sure to celebrate the season personally.

5. Capture momentum heading in to the New Year.

What do you do to ensure you lead well during the holidays?

SPIRITUAL CRISIS?

TRYING TO FILL A GOD-SHAPED HOLE

A PLACE FOR MINISTRY

RESPONDING TO THE CHURCH-STATE DIVIDE

A PROBLEM THE CHURCH CANNOT IGNORE

Ultimate Goodness

Effective Church Outreach Strategies

1. Cast a Big Vision for Your Church Outreach

A Common Problem

Some Ideas to Implement

I don’t know what that means!??!

As a Christian, I’m discouraged by the behavior of leaders who criticize, attack or diminish the significance of other Christian ministers.

FRIGHTENING NUMBERS

CAN YOUTH PASTORS LESSEN TEEN SUICIDE?

BRAVE AND SCARY NEW WORLD

Joni Eareckson Tada

Ann Voskamp

Elisabeth Elliot

The Pros of Office Hours:

1) The larger the church staff, the greater the need for office hours.

2) Teams who are project-based are served well by set office hours.

3) Overall communication is enhanced through regular office hours.

4) Team relationships are fostered by at least some regularly set office hours.

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