Young Husband: It Might Not Be Her; It Might Be Her Situation

October 30, 2017

Christian husband, listen up. Preachers and teachers on marriage (and I have been among them) often warn young moms about being moms first and wives second. It’s certainly a dangerous and ever-present temptation that deserves attention. But this post is for the young husbands who have their own temptation—expecting their wives to be more than any one woman could possibly be while raising their kids.

Something for the Christian Husband to Consider

One August morning in Houston I waited just a little too long to go out for a run. The sun was unmerciful, and all the shade was gone. My pace slowed, and I even had to walk. I thought I could power through the run as planned but it was stupid not to shorten it before turning around, and I paid the price for my stubbornness.

About a mile and a half from home, I noticed the distinctive bounce of my wife as she pedaled her bike my way. She had a towel and a bottle of electrolyte-laced water. “They said on the news that it was dangerously hot and humid today and I thought you should have been home by now so I figured I better go find you.”

I fell in love with my wife all over again. She is the best.

But she’s also an empty nester.

When she was a homeschooling mom of three, I don’t think, number one, she would have had time to watch the news in the morning. Number two, I don’t think it’s likely she would have noticed I had left, as she would be trying to keep child number one from ripping up her assignment, child number two from throwing a ball through the window, and child number three from having a diaper accident. Not to mention keeping our dog Amber from eating somebody’s shoe.

I suspect, as a young Christian husband 15 years ago, had we lived in Houston and I had gone out for a run, I’d limp home, my wife would see me dripping sweat on the floor, and she might say, “You went for a run? In this? Are you crazy?”

As an empty nester, I now get all her care. There’s a lot of it, but it’s just…different when it’s not divided among four people. There’s just me now. We don’t even have a dog anymore.

Young Christian husband, please give your wife a break. Try to understand. She wants to be a world-class wife—most women do. But when she’s got a job, kids, a pet and a house, never forget that there’s only one of her and about 10 of them (if you add everything together).

Yes, she should be a wife first. But you’ve got to do your part with understanding. I wish I had been more empathetic as a younger husband. Back then, I could occasionally be resentful. Lisa would freely admit there were seasons when she was definitely a mom first. I thought the problem was her, but now I’d tell my younger self that the problem was really her situation. “Give it time, Gary,” I’d say. “Let her work this out. By the way, some amazing years are coming.”

If your wife really cares for your kids, she’s a caring person. When the kids are gone, all that care will be poured out on you. If you leave her now, she’s likely to end up with someone else and then her care will be poured out on that person. You’ll have endured the years in which she was stretched the most, only to miss the years when she could focus on you and love you the most.

It’s not a coincidence that I wrote Sacred Marriage about embracing the difficulties and challenges of marriage when I was in my late 30s, and now, in my 50s, I’m writing about building a marriage based on cherishing each other.

Same wife, but a different life.

The Idol That’s Eating Away at Your Church: Part 2

Steve Hoppe

October 30, 2017

Read part 1 here.

Three Test Questions

How do you know if you’re approaching food in an unhealthy manner? How do you know if it’s an idol? Here are three very practical test questions:

1. Does food control your mind?

Are you constantly thinking about food? Are you spending an unhealthy amount of time planning meals? Do you look forward to eating way too much? Or, on the flipside, do you dread eating? Do you become anxious if you’re forced to eat—at a dinner party, for example? Do you create complex plans to avoid meals? If food rules your mind, it rules you. And it’s an idol.

2. Are you using food to get something else?

Perhaps you’re eating excessively to feel a sense of comfort. Perhaps you’re using food to ease the pain of a recent breakup. Perhaps you’re cutting calories to lose weight so you’ll gain approval in the eyes of others. Perhaps you’re depriving yourself to feel a sense of control over your chaotic life. If you’re using food to give you something only Christ can give, it’s an idol.

3. Do you talk about food way too much?

We will talk most about what we treasure most (Matthew 12 v 34). Is food your go-to conversation piece? Are you constantly recapping your meals to your friends? Do you speak with more passion about your favorite dessert than you do about Jesus? If so, it’s probably an idol.

If you’re using food to give you something only Christ can give, it’s an idol.

Good News

If you find yourself idolizing food, I have good news for you. You can open up about it. The church is—or at least should be—the place to admit it. Talk to your pastor about your struggles with food. Talk to a trusted Christian counselor. Talk to a Christian friend. You can be honest with yourself and with others about your food struggles. They probably struggle too.

But most importantly, if you’re idolizing food, there is hope. You can find both forgiveness and freedom in one place. You can find them in the Bread of Life—Jesus Christ (John 6 v 35). And I promise you—he’s infinitely better than food. He’s God. He can feed your soul in a way food never could. And should you choose to feast on him, you’ll never go hungry again.

Steve Hoppe’s new book, Sipping Saltwater: How to Find Lasting Satisfaction in a World of Thirst, explores how Christians can view things like food not as gods, but as gifts from God.

This article originally appeared on thegoodbook.co.uk. Steve Hoppe is the author of Sipping Saltwater: How to Find Lasting Satisfaction in a World of Thirst.

Why Run-Throughs Matter

Don Chapman

October 29, 2017

Those of us forging ahead into the 21st century of worship face challenges never before imagined! Gone are the days of throwing together a few hymns mere minutes before the service, then waving our arms as we lead the congregation behind the pulpit.

Those of us involved in contemporary worship (especially worship leaders in smaller churches who end up doing…everything) must coordinate a complex sequence of events—lyrics projection, praise band dynamics, song selection, vocal mix, video, sound and lighting—and we must blend these events into a smooth worship flow. With so much going on each Sunday morning, run-throughs are critical.

This simple rule saved me much pain and sorrow: We must run through our entire praise set at least one time prior to the service.

If we don’t run through every lyrics slide, one will turn up missing or misspelled during the service. The problem is caught in the run-through.

If we don’t run through the entire track, a horrible glitch will erupt in the middle of the performance. (Ever see that old VH1 special where Milli Vanilli’s track got stuck, repeated a phrase over and over, and the embarrassed duo ran off the stage?)

If we don’t run through tricky song transitions we’ll cause a musical train wreck and disrupt worship.

If we don’t run through…you get the idea. I know run throughs are sometimes hard or nearly impossible to squeeze in, but insist upon it.

As I found out later in my worship career as I transitioned from music director at a smaller church to a keyboardist in a larger church, the megachurches had this figured out from the get-go. Any church with a top-notch sound you’d envy doesn’t necessarily have the best players in town—they have the most well-rehearsed. Some megas I’ve played at actually have two complete run-throughs every Sunday morning—they’ll start with a short rehearsal/warm up followed by an informal music-only run-through, then after a short break they’ll have a full run-through with music/sound/tech.

Bottom Line: Complete run-throughs will drastically improve the flow of your service and the emotional well-being of your praise team.

This article originally appeared here.

Dear John…Who’s More Popular Now?

Greg Laurie

October 29, 2017

When the Beatles were at the very peak of their popularity, John Lennon made a very controversial statement in an interview with the Evening Standard, a British publication. Picked up by the American press, it caused a lot of people to get very angry at this band from England. Lennon said, “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now: I don’t know which will go first—rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity.”

Who’s more popular now? The Beatles have long since broken up, but Jesus is more popular than ever. When a 2013 Time magazine article listed the 100 most significant figures in world history, Jesus was in the No. 1 spot.

Jesus was popular in the first century as well, especially after he raised Lazarus from the dead. The name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. Wherever he went, crowds of people thronged him.

Matthew 12 says that large crowds gathered to him, so he got into a boat and sat down because the crowd was standing on the beach. In effect, he needed a floating pulpit to get a little distance from the crowd. We read in Luke 12 that so many thousands of people gathered to hear Jesus that they were stepping on each other.

Jesus was very popular. But the same people who were singing his praises later shouted for his crucifixion. That is because they never really understood his real mission.

Even his own hand-picked disciples didn’t fully get it until he died and rose from the dead. But there was one exception. I would like to say it was Peter, James and John, the three Christ would take with him on certain occasions. But it wasn’t. Nor was it any other of the disciples that Jesus handpicked. In fact, it wasn’t a man at all. It was a woman with greater spiritual insight than those who effectively spent every waking hour of their lives with Jesus for some three extended years.

Who was the woman that seemed to get what all the guys missed? Her name was Mary, and she was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. It’s worth noting that every time we read of her, she is at the feet of Jesus. Maybe that’s why she had such great insight.

On one occasion when Jesus showed up at her house with the disciples, Martha was getting a little frustrated because she needed some help in the kitchen. She was frantically making the meal while Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha came out and demanded that her sister come help her. But Jesus said to Martha, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42 NIV). Jesus was saying. “Martha, listen. I appreciate the awesome food. But actually Mary is right in being here. She has chosen the one thing that really matters, which actually is better.”

Mary seemed to grasp an essential truth that was largely missed by the others. It was that Jesus had come to die. She had a unique understanding as to who he was and why he came. And because of this, she went on to bring the most incredible, valuable gift she could. Jesus was so moved by her sacrificial act that he commended her and said it would be a memorial that never would be forgotten.

So what did Mary do that so impressed Jesus? Did she deliver an amazing sermon? No. Did she pray an incredible prayer of faith? Actually, no. What she did was not very practical at all, really. You could even say it was somewhat impractical. But it was very heartfelt.

We read about it in John’s gospel: “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. … Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 12: 1, 3 NIV).

There’s a good possibility that this bottle of perfume was a family heirloom. It was valued at $25,000–$30,000. Now, it would make sense if she had put a few drops on his feet. A little goes a long way. But Mary took the whole bottle and poured it on his feet. It was an act of complete devotion and adoration.

Judas Iscariot, a man who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing, instantly calculated how much of a waste it was. But it wasn’t about perfume at all; it was about sacrifice. Mary brought the most valuable possession she owned and gave it to Jesus.

We are living in a time and nation in which a lot of monuments are being torn down. But this is one monument that never will be torn down. It’s memorialized in time by Jesus himself. Jesus said that wherever the gospel is preached, the story of what this woman did would be told. This was a big deal to Jesus, and therefore it should be a big deal to us.

Maybe one of the reasons we don’t see the work of God on quite the same scale as the early church saw it is because these first-century believers had a sense of abandon about them. God would tell Philip go to the desert and wait for further direction, and he would do it. God would tell Peter to take a disabled man by the hand and pull him to his feet, and Peter would go for it. They took risks. They bet the farm on stuff. And God blessed them as a result. They simply were in love with Jesus.

I would rather try and fail in my attempt to bring glory to God than to never try anything at all—and even worse, to criticize others who try.

In Mark’s account of the same story, Jesus said, “She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial” (Mark 14:8 NIV). Mary did what she could. And the more we know of what Jesus did for us, the more we will want to do for him.

Nothing is ever wasted when it is done with the right motive for the glory of God. You can’t do everything. But we all can do something. We all need to do what we can, when we can do it.

This article originally appeared here.

One Non-Negotiable Key to Small Group Growth

Joel Comiskey

October 29, 2017

Persistence. Determination. Pressing on. Successful cell church ministry is like running a marathon and not a 50-yard dash. The race requires persistence. Many begin well but don’t finish. The difference? Persistence.

Often pastors become excited about cell ministry because of the large cell churches around the world. They dream about being the next David Cho and seeing their church grow as large as Yoido Full Gospel Church. And yes, church growth is wonderful when God gives it. The problem is that often pastors take short-cuts to obtain that growth. They copy other churches, seminars or books that promise quick growth or the latest anointing.

These instant growth schemes remind me of the difference between a tomato plant and a coconut tree. The tomato plant grows quickly and provides immediate results, but it dies at the end of one year and needs to be replanted. The coconut tree, on the other hand, is planted only once, but it lasts for a lifetime. Persistence in cell ministry that comes from belief in biblical values is like planting a coconut tree. Taking short-cuts might bring immediate results but the fruit won’t last. Are you planting a coconut tree or a tomato plant?

I know one pastor who is struggling right now in cell ministry. Some members are leaving because of the demands of cell life. But this pastor has a bedrock conviction that what he is doing is biblical. He persists because he wants to make disciples and not just hearers. In fact, he’s focused on future generations, so he’s developing children and youth cells. This pastor is planting a coconut tree. He has a dream and is willing to persist until he sees the reality.

Colin Powell, the famous U.S. general, once said, ” A dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” All pastors and churches fail at times, but those who succeed keep moving forward.

As I do seminars around the world, I like to give the illustration of Mario Vega handing out plaques for those who had led a cell for 25 years or more. For those who received the plaques that evening (and I happened to be present), cell ministry was a lifestyle. For these people, it would be very hard not to lead a cell group.

Don’t give up. Persistence and determination are the ingredients for cell church victory over time. You will see the breakthrough. The best is yet to come-if you persist. Let’s talk about persistence in October. We’ll cover:

October 01-07. Cell ministry as a lifestyle. The journey might start because of the great examples of growing worldwide cell church but it will only continue due to heartfelt convictions based on the biblical foundations.
October 08-14. Failure is the backdoor to success. Many, many have tried cell church and stopped. Often the reason is because they viewed cell church as a quick growth strategy and not as a long-term lifestyle based on biblical convictions. The key is learning from mistakes and not giving up.
October 15-21. Counting the cost. Asking members to take the extra time to be in a cell group, equipping and possible coaching is a big commitment. It will take time to make this a lifestyle, especially when “the church down the street” only asks people to come to an incredible service. The good news is that faithful persistence will eventually lead to lifestyle.
October 22-28. Keeping leaders refreshed and pressing forward. Leaders get tired. How can they remain on the cutting edge? Many cell churches hold conference, reward cell leaders, and budget monies for materials and coaching. We’ll look at how to keep leaders and supervisors moving forward.
October 29-November 04. The Best is yet to come. Through patient persistence in developing disciples, God gives the results and the fruit becomes manifest to everyone. The great cell church examples around the world didn’t happen overnight. Their persistence eventually paid off.

Feel free to share your journey about persistence in cell ministry here.

This article originally appeared here.

5 Fall Festival Follow-Up Ideas to Reach Your Guests

Dale Hudson

October 29, 2017

Churches across the country are hosting fall festivals this time of year. In most churches, one of the goals of the event is to reach unchurched families in the community. What are your fall festival follow-up ideas to bring guests back?

Fall festival is definitely a great time to connect with unchurched families. With the right advertising (which includes print, social media, invite cards for your regular attendees, community papers, etc.) you can see lots of families walk on your church property for the first time. And check out this article for 100 fall festival ideas.

But the big question is always: HOW DO WE SEE GUESTS RETURN FOR A CHURCH SERVICE AND EVENTUALLY BECOME A PART OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY?

Let’s look at five effective ways for fall festival follow-up.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #1. Get their contact information.

It’s hard to follow up with guests if you don’t have their information. Here are some ways to do this.

Have people register for a free gift that they receive right on the spot. It might be something as simple as a full-size candy bar for their kids. With all the mini-candy bars being passed out, you’d be surprised how many people will give you their contact info just to get a large candy bar for their child.

- Have a drawing for one or more nice gifts that evening. Things like a TV, family movie tickets, gift certificate for a restaurant, tickets to a local family entertainment place like mini-golf, an amusement park, etc. Set it up so families can enter their information online with their smart phone or a standard paper form or both.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #2. Start an engaging weekend series in close proximity to your Fall Festival.

Use a relevant topic like a marriage series, parenting series, how to survive the stresses of life, big questions people ask about God series, etc.

You can also start a fun, relevant engaging series for kids. Here are some series ideas at this link. If you get the kids excited about coming back, you’ll be able to get their parents to come as well. Kids don’t drive themselves to church.

Get information into guest families’ hands about the upcoming series. You can do this by email, text, a letter, postcard mailing, etc. You can also include a coupon the guests can bring back for a free gift they can receive at the weekend service.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #3. Have your Fall Festival as part of your weekend services.

Many churches engage guests in their weekend services right up front by having the event as part of their weekend services. This can be very effective. I know several churches that do this and their fall festival weekend services end up being their most attended of the entire year.

One way to do this is by having the event right after your weekend service. I know one church that makes one of the doors coming out of their auditorium the entrance door into their fall festival. Families first attend a short, relevant, engaging service and then enter the fall festival through that auditorium exit door.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #4. Add them to your mailing list for big events.

While the goal is to see families come back immediately and attend a weekend service, the reality is that will not be the case for some families. But don’t give up on them. Add them to your mailing list for future big events. The more times you can get them to return, even if it’s just for another big event, the more opportunities you have to see them come to a weekend service.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #5. Take a family photo for them.

There’s several ways you can approach this. It starts with having family photo spots set up at clearly marked, key locations.

You can have a backdrop at the photo spot that has your church’s name, website or a hashtag on it.

You can also provide props that families can hold for their picture such as an empty picture frame, pumpkins, funny hats, etc. These props are another great place to put your church’s name, web address, a hashtag, etc.

One approach is to have someone there to take the family’s photo with their own phone. The good part about this is the family will then put the picture on social media and people will see the information about your church on the backdrop or props they are holding. This has the potential to go to hundreds or even thousands of people as families tweet, Facebook, Instagram, etc. their pictures out.

Another approach is to have a professional photographer there to take their picture. Offer to print out and frame a 8″ x 10″ picture of the family that they can pick up at a weekend service.

If you really want to leverage this, you could do both—let them take their own photo and offer them a professional printed and framed photo.

Be intentional about following up with families and a year from now you’ll have stories to tell about people who were reached and are now part of your church family.

Your turn. The floor is yours. What are some other ideas for fall festival follow-up?

This article about fall festival follow-up ideas originally appeared here.

8 Key First Impressions at Your Church

Dan Reiland

October 29, 2017

The first 10 seconds matter, and in the first 10 minutes decisions are being made.

For example, when I walk into a hotel, a concert venue or a retail store, within seconds the first things I encounter have made an impression on me. Either positive or negative.

I’ve walked into restaurants that were so bad, I literally froze in the doorway and said to my wife, Patti, “We are not eating here.” We were really hungry, but we left!

In contrast, I recently walked into an incredible hotel. It was stunning, and within minutes I told Patti, I’m not sure we’re ever going home!

Your church creates the same effect. One way or the other. Your guests make lightning-fast decisions about your church. No church is perfect, we are all working on stuff, but we can’t afford to mess up on the first impression.

If your first impression is positive, you gain instant grace for any other element of your church overall that needs improvement.

If your first impression is negative, it is far more difficult for a guest to overlook any less than inspiring element of your church.

Eight Key First Impressions:

1) Clearly marked street signs directing where to turn into your church.

Not every church comes with several police officers and a couple of hundred orange cones to make plain where to turn in from the main road. Even with sophisticated GPS apps like WAZE, that final turn is often the most confusing. Make sure it’s marked and easy to see.

2) Friendly parking lot attendants.

I’ve pulled into churches on vacation or places I’ve consulted, and it seemed like the parking lot attendants were angry with me. Hey, I’ve never been there and don’t know where to go! At other churches, they seemed bored. But the ones I love have me smiling before I get out of my car! They are waving, saying good morning, directing, some even wearing giant Mickey Mouse hands! I instantly think…“I like this place!”

3) Well maintained landscaping and buildings.

Everyone notices when they drive onto a property and see a professionally maintained look. It signals that you care and subtly hints toward a good experience inside. You don’t have to spend a fortune; you may even have professionals in your church that will offer you a discount to take good care of your property.

4) Warm and engaging greeters and ushers.

Your greeters and ushers are of utmost importance. They are among the first smiles and personal conversations once a guest is out of their car. World-class hospitality is essential. A bored, untrained or distracted greeter might ensure your guest does not return. An usher who is talking to his or her buddies and doesn’t make eye contact can sour a guest’s experience. Nothing is too small to pay attention to.

5) Clear and informative interior signage.

The larger the church building, the more critical the signage is, but even in small churches clear signage is vital! For example, clear signage to the bathrooms can make a guest feel at ease rather than frustrated! Clear signage to the nursery is also a top priority.

6) A clean and well-staffed nursery.

For any family that has infants or toddlers, this is mission-critical. If your nursery doesn’t seem safe or clean, they will not likely trust their child to your care. And more importantly, they may not return.

7) Worship service starts on time.

Americans in general are time conscious. Perhaps we shouldn’t be clock watchers, but it’s part of our culture. When you start late, or your service runs over, that feels disrespectful. It communicates that the church’s agenda is more important than your guest’s plans for the rest of the day.

8) Elements of surprise and delight!

The first-time guests were seated, and the husband asked for a blanket for his wife. An unusual request, but the usher learned that his wife was undergoing chemotherapy and felt cold nearly all the time. The church didn’t have blankets, but the usher said, “I’ll get one right away.” He ran to his car and got a blanket from his trunk and gave it to the guest with cancer. This couple still attends that church!

Surprise and delight might not be that dramatic, but notice how simple it was. It can be humor during the service, or maybe a small gift like chocolate for first-time guests. Don’t underestimate the positive impact of surprise and delight!

This article originally appeared here.

The Right Decision Is Better Than a Quick Decision

Brandon Cox

October 27, 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 rather than a quick one.

This article originally appeared here.

Record and Share Your Sermon With This Simple Process

Joe Hoagland

October 27, 2017

Recording and sharing sermons on the church website is not a new concept, but for many of us in smaller churches the concept and process can seem daunting. Today, I want to show you an extremely easy way to record and share your sermon this week with this simple process.

First, you are going to need an adequate video camera. The great thing about today’s smartphones is most of us have one built right into something we use every day. If you have an iPhone or a recent Android phone, most likely you are going to have something that records video well. The drawback to smartphone recording is your audio is going to suffer. For many congregations they take care of this issue by having a dedicated camera or cameras that plug directly into the soundboard for optimum audio, but this might not be an option for you.

This is where the Zoom Q4n Handy Video Recorder can come in for you. My church currently uses one for sermon recording and many other uses. Here is a quick example of the camera’s quality with a member of our ministry staff:

As you can see the Zoom produces nice video for $250, but what I have been blown away by so far is the audio quality. Check out this sample of the Q4n handling a full orchestra:

Along with the camera, invest in a quality tripod and SD card and recruit someone to hit “record” when you go up to preach. You can then just upload the raw file to your website or Facebook page or even do some light editing in iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.

Here is the simple process in a nutshell if you use the Zoom Q4n:

First you will install the SD card, then mount the camera on a tripod, find the best distance to get a good view of the preacher, recruit someone to push record when you start preaching, push record again when you are done, take the SD card out and put it into your computer or hook up the camera to your computer with the included USB cable, upload the file to your website, Facebook page or video site such as Youtube or Vimeo.

There you go! You could start this this week and have a quality video of every sermon for people checking out your church to watch and those who want to rewatch or might have missed service.

What’s Your Process Like?

This article originally appeared here.

How to Win the Battle for Your Christian Mind

Jeff Myers

October 27, 2017

The battle for your Christian mind is a battle of ideas. As ministry leaders, we need to constantly remind those we teach that mindless Christianity does not please Jesus. We need to stay focused on sharpening our worldview. Why? Because we live in a time of war. There are no soldiers in this battle. There are no landing craft, no bombers flying in formation, no artillery emplacements. Yet attacks occur every minute of every day.

Ideas are thoughts and suggestions about what we ought to do. Our ideas largely determine our understanding of life’s meaning and guide us in the way we live. Everyone forms ideas about questions such as:

Am I loved? If I were to disappear, would anyone miss me?
Why do I hurt? Bad things have happened to me. Can I overcome them and find joy?
Does my life have meaning? Is it possible for me to find direction in life?
Why can’t we just get along? What will it take for us to stop fighting and find harmony?
Is there any hope for the world? So many things seem to be going wrong. Are we doomed?
Is God even relevant? Does God get involved with the details of my life?

The set of ideas that we form in answer to these questions is called a worldview. A worldview monitors the ideas we are exposed to and isolates the ones that appear to be destructive. But it’s possible to have a worldview that is porous, letting through some of the most damaging ideas. Or a worldview might be skewed in some way, welcoming ideas bent on doing us harm.

We can develop a worldview that gives us something to live by—and something to live for. A worldview also helps us ward off bad ideas that make us miserable. It functions like as an immune system for ideas. This is important because bad viruses can’t be conquered with good viruses. There is no “good” cold that combats the virus that causes a bad cold. Preachers and politicians and philosophers can’t live out our worldviews for us. It’s time for each of us to step up.

My life revolves around boosting the power of good ideas and blunting the effects of bad ones. Through a program called The Summit, I help prepare people of all ages to strengthen their Christian worldview and become leaders. Once my students tune in to the world of ideas, they can see the way that bad ideas fill their hearts and minds with wrong answers to questions to life’s biggest questions. In the end, most of them learn to trust what God has revealed about himself, the world, and humanity. I have seen it change thousands of lives.

Long experience shows me that our deepest heart questions revolve around love, hurt, meaning, peace, and hope. Here’s a simple set of “declarations of freedom”—six truths that release us from the grip of idea viruses that intend to do us harm. These declarations help us get a proper view of the world and for the world and resist the bad ideas trying to penetrate our defenses:

I am loved. Deep, unconditional love exists, and I can have it.
My suffering will be overcome. Hurt will not win. Indeed, it already has lost.
I have an incredible calling. My life has meaning. I bear God’s image.
I am meant for community. I can overcome conflict and live at peace with those around me.
There is hope for the world. I am not doomed. What is right and just and true will win.
God is relevant. God is real and the Bible is true. His love is unconditional.

These declarations of freedom are not just positive self-talk. They have deep roots in the teachings of Jesus and his culture. Nor are they theological platitudes. They’re very practical and livable. That’s the good news.

But the bad news is that these declarations are under attack. Bad ideas flood our minds and hearts every day, trying to convince us that love isn’t real, that suffering is meaningless, that our lives have no purpose, that we are all alone, and that despair is our lot. Bad ideas are on the attack. We need a strong worldview to keep them at bay.

True Christianity is not mindless. We need to strengthen our minds and have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16).

This is an adapted excerpt from Dr. Jeff Myers’ new book, The Secret Battle of Ideas about God. To read chapter 1, click here. To continue reading about how the Christian worldview stands apart from false world views in answering life’s biggest questions and how you can bring this to your church or home, download sample materials or purchase at secretbattlebook.com.

Listen to the ChurchLeaders podcast with Dr. Jeff Myers.

5 Ways to Use Social Media When You’re Not Doing Promotions

Kem Meyer

October 26, 2017

Too often, institutions behave as if communications is synonymous with promotions. Promotions is one, singular layer of a communications strategy, but it is not an interchangeable word for communication.

As part of that bad definition, many churches and businesses treat their social media as a one-dimensional, broadcast tool. “Give it to the communications or marketing guy. They run our social media.”

Take a look at your social media, do all links point back to you? If so, you’re doing it wrong.

It might help you find your center by revisiting the definition of social:

adjective so·cial \′sō-shəl\
: relating to or involving activities in which people spend time talking to each other or doing enjoyable things with each other
: liking to be with and talk to people : happy to be with people
: of or relating to people or society in general

Aja Frost, a staff writer for HubSpot, recently broke down some social media inspiration for EVERY team in an organization. It’s not a tool just for the “marketing” department—it belongs to everyone. Some examples she shared:

Engineering. Share product updates and behind the scenes “how it’s made” content. Get “techie” about stuff other “techies” can geek out over.
Design. Share design-centric articles, use as a social recruiting tool for other designers and join a larger conversation about design.
PR and customer support. Build relationships with influencers, monitor social conversations around your brand, invite product recommendations and respond to complaints or suggestions promptly. Demonstrate care and honesty with no strings attached.
Sales. Browse social media accounts of your customers and prospects to see what “a day in the life” might look like for them, share testimonials, give special access to events get in touch with what your customers are in touch with.
CEOS. Share random thoughts, cool articles, company updates to build trust and loyalty by showing human side of leadership.

It’s worth asking: What does it look like to increase the quality of your “social” by decreasing the volume of your “promotions”?

Switzerland gives their Twitter account to a different resident every week.
If you really want to know what matters to a specific audience, give them the mic and see what they talk about.
A third grade teacher asked her students to complete this sentence anonymously: “I wish my teacher knew…”
Create a feedback mechanism to get honest, vulnerable input about real-life dreams, hurts, desires.
IKEA gave away the chance to win furniture any time someone tagged one of their showroom photos. If they were the first to tag it, they won the entire showroom.
Incentivize participation; make it worth their while.
Online clothing retailer Threadless lets customers vote on the next shirt to be printed.
Let people be part of a process. Trust me, they want to participate.
Guy Kawasaki let his audience compete to design his next book cover.
Co-creation activates different talents in your audience you may not even know are there.

If you put your mind to it, what value could you provide beyond your next event promotion, photo of stage lighting or series graphic? Think of different departments and give them permission to find new ways to nurture their niche. Here are just a couple of starter ideas.

Children’s and family ministry. Share articles with parenting tips for sticky situations, dinner table conversation life hacks and funny “things kids say” quotes from the weekend.
Care & counseling. Recommend books, authors and experts you trust for general advice. Link to support groups for complicated life circumstances; even if those groups are not in your church.

Take it from here, social butterfly.

This article originally appeared here.

Is Your Children’s Ministry Frozen in Time?

Dale Hudson

October 26, 2017

You can walk into many children’s ministries and it feels like you’ve stepped back in time. It’s like the ministry is frozen in time.

The songs are the same songs they sang in 1975.

Flannel-graph is still used as a major teaching tool.

The decor hasn’t been updated in decades.

Teachers communicate with lectures that far exceed kids’ attention spans.

VHS tapes of Bibleman are playing in the background.

There is no check-in and security system.

Volunteers serve without background checks and some even serve alone in a room with kids.

Bulletin boards can be found in the hallways.

The ancient name “Sunday School” is still used to describe what happens on Sunday mornings.

Kids are told to sit quietly in rows of grey metal folding chairs.

It’s as if social media hasn’t been invented yet.

One-hour teacher meetings are held every week.

VBS is still called VBS.

Kids’ choirs are accompanied by an organ.

Guests are asked to fill out forms by hand that are longer than doctor office forms.

The TVs still have large, heavy backs on them.

Curriculum still involves printed student booklets.

Using Captain Kangaroo as an illustration is considered cutting-edge.

There is little to no diversity.

Streaming is only something water does.

The ministry strategy is—the more programs we have and the more events we put on the church calendar, the more effective we will be.

Pre-teens are put in the same room as 1st graders.
______________________________________________

It’s vital that we be willing to change as needed.
Our message is timeless…but our methods must be timely.

This means we should constantly be evaluating what we are doing and how we are doing it.

Is our ministry effective?

Is it connecting with the kids?

Are kids excited about being a part of it?

Are we still reaching unchurched kids and families?

Are we knowledgeable about today’s kid culture?

Are we attracting young, Millennial parents?

Don’t be frozen in the past…be focused on the future!

An example of this is the Borders chain of bookstores. Borders was founded in 1971 by the Border brothers. The company was highly successful through the 1990s. But then they got stuck. They developed their website and online sales too late in the game. They continued to focus on CDs and DVDs while customers were shifting toward digital delivery of content. In store sales dropped as people began to buy more hard copy books online and ebooks became popular. Eventually they had to file bankruptcy and close all their stores.

I believe this is one of the biggest dangers of being frozen in time. Eventually it causes you to become irrelevant, and one day you look up and there is no one left. Empty church buildings across the country are testimony of this.

Learn from the past. Honor the past. But don’t get stuck in it.

Your best days of ministry are ahead of you! God is ready to do a new work in you and through you! Don’t become frozen in time!

This article originally appeared here.

5 Unintended Consequences of Short Pastoral Tenure

Jonathan Howe

October 26, 2017

Not a week goes by when I don’t hear of a pastor leaving one church headed to another. It happens. We all get that. Unfortunately, some of the names or churches mentioned are the same ones I heard just months earlier. For this post, I’ll refer to anything shorter than six to nine months tenure as a “short pastorate.”

While some circumstances do call for quick pastoral turnover, it’s hard not to wonder if some churches fire their pastor (or the pastor bails) too quickly. Regardless of which side cuts the other loose, the church and pastor are nearly always worse off as a result. The unintended consequences of short pastoral tenure take their toll on both sides.

Members lose trust in the pastors, and pastors lose trust in churches. This seems obvious, but if a pastor leaves a church and the church feels like the pastor burned them in the process, the next pastor will find the deck stacked against them. If the pastor is the one burned, there will be a greater scrutinizing and distrust of the next church—if there is a next church.
Your current church will wonder if it will happen to them. If you had a short pastorate at your last stop, the church you go to will inevitably wonder if the same will happen to them. Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose. Short pastorates eat up trust on both sides of the equation.
The staff is demoralized. Regardless of where the blame for the short pastorate lies, the staff is left to pick up the pieces after a pastor leaves. They have to answer the questions, deal with more uncertainty and try to move forward in a new normal they weren’t expecting—and one they often contributed little to.
The vision of the church is clouded. When a new pastor comes in, a new vision and direction is usually cast. After a short pastorate, there is great uncertainty about the vision and direction of the church. Do you continue in the direction the last pastor was leading? Do you return to what it was before the short pastorate? Does someone internally rise up and cast a new vision? Those are just three options. And it’s likely that different areas of the church will gravitate to a different one. Then you have a whole new set of problems.
Financial waste. This is the most practical consequence of a short pastorate. Financial resources are expended to find a new pastor only to turn around and spend that much or more to do it again within just a few months. It’s a wasteful use of funds. Money for ministry becomes money for mistakes.

In closing, if you’re in a situation and considering leaving your church after just a few months, I exhort you to reconsider and pray earnestly. Far too often “God told me” becomes a convenient cover for “this is hard, and I want out.” Churches, the same goes for you. Far too often “God told us” becomes a convenient cover for “we don’t want to change.”

This article originally appeared here.

How to Help Teens Pray in the Midst of Chaos

Brooklyn Lindsey

October 26, 2017

For a while, we spent one Wednesday night a month in prayer spaces.

These are places that we have imagined where teenagers would be able to connect with God in prayer. We purposefully set up different types of spaces for different types of learners. We go out of our way to have plenty of options for everyone to experience a moment for himself or herself. We spend a lot of time thinking of music that won’t disturb the space but add to its impact. Songs with a cadence too fast or too slow set a tone. We want the tone to be where God is leading. We care about giving them time for God to speak to them uniquely.

We also want them to know that prayer can take many forms and that it’s OK to be honest with God and with each other. We have gifted art teachers helping us create the space. We have themes rising from our context and from youth themselves.

It’s been a night that many of our students have grown to look forward to. A break from games. A pause from small groups. It becomes sacred for some. An introduction for others. A moment that is very much needed for our leaders.

It’s been a great way to grow. And an even better way to see and feel what’s really going on in the lives of our students.

All that sounds great, right?

And it is.

But last month it was a mess.

Not because we didn’t do any of the things mentioned above.

But because we are growing. There are 25 percent more students in the prayer space that is meant to be self-guided. I walked into the space last month and it was chaos. We couldn’t get the boys to chill out. What worked before (asking them to spend the next 20 minutes alone) wasn’t working this time. We paused the prayer time. No one was listening. I think the frappachinos were kicking in.

So, I did the only think I could think of doing.

I stopped the whole thing.

I asked our students to pause what they were doing, writing, drawing, creating, saying and to come into the auditorium space away from the walls. I was so frustrated that I was praying God help this to work as I was devising a plan in the moment.

“OK, this is what we’re going to do. For the next three minutes and 44 seconds—or the duration of the next song—we are going to be still. Spread out. You shouldn’t be near anyone else. And breathe. No words. No movement. Nothing. Just this song.”

I hit the play button and the next song on the playlist started.

It was the sound of All Sons and Daughters…and that is what they are.

I could just sit
I could just sit and wait
For all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am
And hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again

I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am
And never let You
Change me from the inside
I could be safe, oh
I could be safe here in Your arms
And never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I’ll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I’ll go where You will lead me Lord
Where You lead me
(Where You lead me Lord)

I will be Yours oh
I will be Yours for all my life
I will be Yours oh
I will be Yours for all my life
I will be Yours oh
I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy, oh
I will be Yours Lord
And I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy Light the path before me

At the end of the song. I invited them to move into prayer in the same attitude that they moved into solitude.

It’s what they needed in the chaos. They needed a transition. They needed a guide. They haven’t learned or have forgotten how to be still.

So, we must teach them—in little doses—how to do that.

I think this applies to anything we do in youth ministry. Slowing down long enough to give them space to breath, settle into the lesson and receive. When we do this, we are teaching them a way of life.

I love those moments when we get to see students open up to Jesus because we’ve given them a place to do so.

How do you help students find prayer in the chaos?

This article originally appeared here.

4 Ways I Have Made It Through Difficult Seasons of Ministry

Ronnie Floyd

October 26, 2017

After 31 years of serving the same church, I can assure you that as a pastor, you will receive criticism. Understanding that this is part of reality will help see you through the grim times.

I know many pastors, and each one has undergone criticism. Criticism is inescapable in the life of a pastor. Few things challenge a pastor more than criticism.

There have been times when criticism has absolutely devastated me. It is especially difficult to receive criticism when given by someone you respect deeply or by someone who has completely misunderstood a situation.

Criticism can sideline or paralyze you, or it can help you be better in the future. I have personally experienced each of these situations.

Unquestionably, many times criticism is unfair; at other times, it is right on, with 100 percent accuracy! So, when you receive criticism as a pastor, what should you do? How should you respond?

1. Accept criticism.

When someone criticizes you as a pastor, accept it. Accept it with grace. I know this can be difficult at times, but do not let your body language demonstrate defensiveness or disapproval. Assure the person criticizing you that you will receive what they say, consider it, pray about it and determine the direction God wants you to go in the future.

2. Learn from criticism.

Criticism can be a great teacher. We should always be teachable, even through criticism. We are not perfect. We are not sinless. We make mistakes. We need to own them. We need to confess them as sin. If we have wronged someone, we need to make it right with them.

Those who are spiritually mature are able to learn from criticism. Pastors, always take the high road; you will never face a traffic jam there.

3. Outlive criticism.

If a person criticizes you unfairly, outlive it! Through the course of time, a life of integrity and honesty can overcome the criticism of others. Sooner or later, their criticism of you will fall on deaf ears.

Nothing is more powerful than a pastor who lives a consistent and Christ-centered life. Through time and the grace of God, you can outlive your greatest critic and the most unfair criticism. Therefore, outlive your criticism!

This article originally appeared here.

3 Lessons From Nehemiah on Church Change

Charles Stone

October 26, 2017

These lessons from Nehemiah could be exactly what your church needs. Because if your church is not changing, it’s not growing. I heard someone once say, “Don’t be afraid of change. You might lose something good, but you’ll gain something better.” However, bringing change in a church is often difficult. One of the greatest leaders of all time, Nehemiah, effected change in the setting that surrounded the building of the wall around Jerusalem. He modeled for leaders three essentials necessary to bring change.

In Nehemiah 5, after Nehemiah faced opposition from without (criticism from his adversaries) and opposition from within (discouraged people), he faced a new crisis. Wealthy Jews were exploiting the poor by charging excessive interest rates. As a result, the poor faced hunger, crippling debt and even slavery because some had to sell their children into slavery to pay off the debts.

In the midst of that crisis Nehemiah engaged three essentials that resulted in the guilty party changing. The rich repented of their abuse and paid back the money they had taken from the poor.

He engaged these three parts of himself to bring that change.

His heart: He engaged his passion.

In verse 6 he writes, When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. In other words, this issue gripped his heart. It stirred his passion and emotions that motivated him to action.

His head: He carefully thought.

Rather than reacting to the situation and letting his emotion override good judgment, verse 7 says, I pondered them in my mind…. In other words, he paused long enough to get a clear picture of things before he acted. James reminds of this.

James 1.19-20 – My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

His hands: He did something.

Finally, he took action by taking these four steps.

Define reality by clearly defining the change you want to bring (the rich were exploiting the poor and that needed to stop).
Bring the right people to the table (vss 7-12). He had to engage the right people to solve the problem. So, he confronted the guilty party and informed the rest of the people what he had discovered.
Secure commitment (v 12). He held the guilty accountable by asking them to take an oath that they would give back what they had taken.
Set a good example (vss 14-16). Nehemiah didn’t simply expect others to change. He, too, took responsibility by setting a good example. He sacrificed by refusing the king’s food allotment usually given to governors like himself. He committed to never exploiting the people as former leaders had. He committed to being a different kind of leader.

Nehemiah wisely managed change by using his heart, his head and his hands to effect that change.

What has helped you create change in your church or ministry?

10 Signs You Are More Prideful Than You Realize

Eric Geiger

October 26, 2017

Though all of us struggle with pride, we often don’t recognize pride in our own lives and leadership. C.S. Lewis called pride the great sin and the sin we see in others much more easily than we see in ourselves. Following are 10 signs leaders are more prideful than they realize. I wrote the list directed to the leader, and it is filled with sarcasm. I have seen them all at some point in my 20 years of leading, which means, according to Lewis, that tragically they have certainly existed in my own heart and life at times.

1. You don’t think you struggle with pride.

You know others struggle with pride, and you wonder why they do, because in your mind they do not have much to be prideful about. You do, but you have fought it off better than most have.

2. You feel you are owed.

You have done so very much for the organization that you have put them in debt to you. They owe you more money, more time, more of a lot of things they are not giving you.

3. You overestimate your contributions.

You secretly, and even not so secretly, pontificate on how much better things are because of your influence and contribution.

4. You underestimate your team’s contributions.

If you overestimate your contribution, you are sure to underestimate the team’s. You believe that you are the multiplier to all their work, creativity, thinking and focus.

5. You rarely say “thank you.”

Ingratitude and pride are close friends. Why would you thank others, after all? They should be thanking you!

6. You think your successor will have it hard following you.

You wonder aloud to others how the whole organization will need to adjust when you leave because no one can fill your shoes. And if the organization does not adjust, and they put another person in your role, you express how you feel sorry for the pressure he/she will have to endure because of your amazing legacy.

7. You think your predecessor was an idiot.

You love to make snarky remarks about the person before you. It is such good news that you are now here to right all those foolish wrongs.

8. You often compare yourself to others.

It is important to find people whom you outpace in work ethic, intensity, learning and results. After all, you need constant benchmarks to be sure you are dominating.

9. You care more about success than sanctification.

Your sanctification can come later, it is time for success now.

10. You can’t learn from people different than you.

People who are different than you should learn from you. Of course, everyone should. But they don’t have much to offer you because your context and your approach is just so unique.

This article originally appeared here.

10 Thought-Provoking Articles to Help You Decide: Christians and Halloween?

Jesse T. Jackson

October 26, 2017

For Christians and Halloween, the time of year has come when you decide whether or not you will participate in the ‘Trick or Treat’ of Halloween. No matter your age or station in life, Halloween really affects everyone in our culture. Is there such as thing as a Christian Halloween?

If you have children, you’ll decide if you will allow them to dress up and have them gather up candy for you….ummm, I mean for them :), or you will decide if you will turn on your front porch light and pass out candy. You may be involved in the decision of whether or not your church will host a harvest festival or the like.

There are ministers on both sides of the Halloween debate; it’s one of those pesky gray areas that ends up being discussed each year in the church world. The purpose of this post isn’t to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t participate, and we encourage you to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading for you and your family, but rather to give you some perspective.

10 Thought-Provoking Articles on Christians and Halloween

Here are 10 ChurchLeaders posts from other Christ-following leaders that may give you some helpful information as you make your decision.

11 Ministry Leaders Answer the Question “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?”

“Witches, ghouls and ghosts? Or an opportunity to open your door to your neighbor? The holiday with a bad rep is almost here. For Christians and Halloween questions, eleven pastors answer the question, “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?”

Halloween Trick-or-Treating: Yes or No?

“We cannot protect our kids from fear, it will come. There are scary things in the world, but we cannot be moved by fear. Let’s teach our kids what to do when they feel scared.”

Christians and Halloween: In or Out?

“Whatever you do…just reach people…in the end, it won’t matter if you won the debate or not…it will only matter how many kids and families we shared the Good News with.”

7 Ways to Be Missional This Halloween

“The thing that is interesting about Halloween, however, is that it is the one day a year when neighbors (who in reality are total strangers) will actually interact with not one, but many of the folks in their neighborhood! Neighbors who never speak will now knock on each other’s doors and will interact for the first time in a year.”

Halloween Brings the Mission to Your Doorstep

“Depending on your faith community or brand of spirituality, Halloween and trick-or-treating may be controversial for some of you. But no one can argue that when a national tradition literally lines kids and parents up at your doorstep, that has to be a good time to roll out the red carpet for mission.”

Is Halloween Really Satan’s Birthday?

“There are all sorts of opinions floating out there about whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween. Some side with the Jehovah’s Witnesses when it comes to this holiday (hell-i-day?) and choose not to celebrate in anyway whatsoever. Others gather at local church Harvest Festivals for games, candy, and holy fun. Still others dress their kids up and march them door to door to celebrate with the pagan tots.”

4 Reasons You Should Go Trick-or-Treating Tonight

“I know lots of Christians who avoid Halloween. I did years ago. The Halloween church signs we just posted make that clear. I get it and even respect it, depending on how you handle it.”

The Surprisingly Christian Roots of Halloween

“Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Halloween Trivia—Did You Know These 4 Things?

“How much do you know about Halloween? Here are a few fun facts about the holiday some love and some hate.”

Regardless of how you feel about Halloween, remember every single day is an opportunity to share the truth of Christ to those you come in contact with. Let’s remember that the devil doesn’t get just one day; he is roaming this world every day ‘tricking’ people into thinking everything else but Jesus is better. As Christ-followers we get the opportunity to ‘treat’ them to the truth of the gospel. I pray we never pass up an opportunity to do so.

3 Ways to Grow Through a Crisis

Jon Noto

October 25, 2017

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b NIV).

Make a list of the top three times of growth in your life. Odds are quite high that one, two or three of them were troublesome times. Maybe you brought the trouble on yourself by going to graduate school. Or the trouble happened to you when multiple staff members left at the same time. Either way, trouble comes our way and we have to face it. In times like these, I’m encouraged by an adage a mentor once told me:

Growth does not come free of charge.

Small group ministry lends itself to messes. We want people to be real and to be in relationships. That’s a recipe for messiness! Fortunately, our God is one of restoration and growth in the midst of pain.

As long as you’re going to have the messes, you (and your small group leaders) might as well grow from them. In God’s Word we see imagery of the refiner’s fire subjecting precious metals to extreme temperatures to enhance and perfect them. Consider a mess you may even be in right now, and let God refine you with it.

Live in the inquiry

Sometimes when dilemmas face us we are so quick to find answers that we end up asking the wrong questions. Our desire to fix a problem keeps us from being open-minded to what God may be up to. Perhaps you need to spend less time answering questions you ask yourself about what’s right for ministry. What if you spent more time asking why God may have put this hurdle in your path?

There’s another reason we need to lean on questioning assumptions. It stares us in the face whenever we look in the mirror. When we are in the middle of a mess, emotions are high. Reactivity and defense mechanisms are deployed. We need to hold our judgments and thoughts loosely so we can self-examine and be balanced stewards of that with which God has entrusted us.

Stop complaining

Complaining is one of those things that you hate when other people do it, but you find yourself doing anyway. Or maybe you don’t complain out loud to those around you, but you give yourself a pass in your own thought life.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). Have you ever considered this verse for your own mental dialogue? What would it look like to guard your thoughts, squash complaint and think about only what is helpful for building yourself up?

If you are faced with a ministry mess, God wants to use you to grow his Kingdom. But if negative press clogs your mind, there’s little room for the Holy Spirit.

Get support

This one is not news to anyone. We all know this, but do we do it in a way that leads to growth and development?

The temptation exists to use support to solve a problem, fill a gap or fix something. When you seek support, do you look for someone/something that will make things easier? Or do you look for someone or something to speak into you that will make you better? More available to God? Even if it causes more upset and pain in the process?

Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (ESV). Do you have someone in your life that is willing to wound you if it saves you? Are you open to the kind of support that will help you grow through a crisis and not just survive it?

God doesn’t just grow us in predictable ways. If we are open to it, and surrendered to him, we can grow through a crisis. And as we align with God’s work in our lives, that’s when we start to see real fruit in our ministries.

This article originally appeared here.

Sing Men of God!

Kris Dolberry

October 25, 2017

In his introductory press conference as head football coach of the LSU Tigers, Coach Ed Orgeron said LSU would be “one team (with) one heartbeat.” That phrase has been his team’s mantra since being named head coach in September 2016. What Coach O knows is that when teams (or churches or families) are in sync, powerful things can happen. This is what the writer of Proverbs was hinting at when he said, “Without vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18). That literally means, “without direction, people go their own way and do their own thing.” In other words, if you want a family, church or organization to be in chaos, a sure way to do it is to fail to have unity.

Paul thought unity was so important that before addressing the issues that plagued the most jacked up church that the Bible records (the church at Corinth), he started with spending considerable time pressing the importance of it into their hearts. Unity (or lack of) can make a drastic difference in the health and effectiveness of any team, family or church. There is incredible power when people are acting as “one team, one heartbeat.” The bottom line: Unity is a MASSIVE deal.

Men, we have an unlikely opportunity to press unity into the hearts of our families and our churches every time we gather with God’s people for worship. It’s easier than you think. All you have to do is…SING! No, seriously. Here’s what I mean…

According to a 2013 article in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, Swedish scientists believe that singing together literally syncs your heartbeats. Dr Bjorn Vickhoff, from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden, said, “When you exhale you activate the vagus nerve, we think, that goes from the brain stem to the heart.” When this happens the heart rate changes.

So, practically what does that mean? It means that every time you worship the Lord through singing, you are literally uniting your heartbeat to that of those who sing with you. When we worship the Lord together, we are functioning as agents of unity in our families and churches. Whether you know it or not, the Lord is using you to foster “one team; one heartbeat” in your family and your church.

In my 17 years’ experience pastoring men, one of the most common frustrations I hear is, “I want to lead my family spiritually. I just don’t know what to do.” Well I have great news! God has given you an incredibly simple yet extremely underutilized tool to leverage when it comes to leading those we influence. Men of God, we must sing! The problem is, we often just don’t.

Think about the average worship gathering you attend. Do men sing until their voices can’t sing any more; or do they stand silently as hands-in-pockets observers? Most often it’s the latter. There are many reasons for this. Male congregants are not always to blame. But that’s for another article on another day.

As for today, let me encourage you to sing like nobody’s listening! Let it fly guys! Start today. Heed the challenge of the Psalmist who says, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord…” (Psalm 98:4). It seems like a small thing. But it’s not. It’s HUGE! It does make a difference. So, lead your families and lead your churches. Sing, men of God!

This article originally appeared here.

Something for the Christian Husband to Consider

Three Test Questions

1. Does food control your mind?

2. Are you using food to get something else?

3. Do you talk about food way too much?

Good News

Let’s look at five effective ways for fall festival follow-up.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #1. Get their contact information.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #2. Start an engaging weekend series in close proximity to your Fall Festival.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #3. Have your Fall Festival as part of your weekend services.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #4. Add them to your mailing list for big events.

Fall Festival Follow-Up Idea #5. Take a family photo for them.

Eight Key First Impressions:

1) Clearly marked street signs directing where to turn into your church.

2) Friendly parking lot attendants.

3) Well maintained landscaping and buildings.

4) Warm and engaging greeters and ushers.

5) Clear and informative interior signage.

6) A clean and well-staffed nursery.

7) Worship service starts on time.

8) Elements of surprise and delight!

What’s Your Process Like?

1. You don’t think you struggle with pride.

2. You feel you are owed.

3. You overestimate your contributions.

4. You underestimate your team’s contributions.

5. You rarely say “thank you.”

6. You think your successor will have it hard following you.

7. You think your predecessor was an idiot.

8. You often compare yourself to others.

9. You care more about success than sanctification.

10. You can’t learn from people different than you.

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