Valuing the People You Lead May 27, 2008

As a ministry or church grows larger its leaders must work harder to be approachable, accessible and personal.  As tasks multiply it is easy to become less people focused and more project focused.  Soon people will begin to have a portrait of us much like some people think of God in the Old Testament–unapproachable, inaccessible, and
impersonal.  
Tucked away in the Old Testament book of Exodus is a poignant illustration that paints a very different picture of God.  It is a picture of a very personal God who puts a high premium on people.  In this passage, God builds into the regular priestly duties a constant reminder that ministry is about people.  These two verses serves as a compelling example of how God wants us to view those we shepherd in ministry.  
“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. [30] Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.”  
Exodus 28:29-30 (NIV)  
Every time Aaron went to perform his priestly duties, he was reminded of God’s heart for the people of Israel.  Each gem in the four rows of stones represented a different tribe of Israel.  Every man, every woman, every boy and every girl was represented in those stones.  There wasn’t one person in all of Israel that God didn’t love or care about. And
God wanted Aaron to authentically love and care for the flock.    
God wanted the people to be on Aaron’s heart.  Ultimately, ministry is not about projects or activities, it is about people.  This seems painfully obvious, and yet we consistently lose perspective.  It was possible for Aaron to carry these stones on the breastpiece but yet his own heart be far from the people.  It was possible for him to carry out his priestly duties and yet be relationally distant from the very people he was called to serve.  The same can be true of us.  What do you do in ministry to keep people front and center?
Listen to the emotion and passion Paul had for those he led.
“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” Philip. 1:7 (NIV)  
“I have you in my heart”.  Let those words sink in.  Would the team you lead say that they are on your heart?  
When life and ministry moves too fast, one of the casualties is personal attention of those on our team.  Without even being aware of it, our mindset toward people can slowly begin to change.  Even the people on our team can begin to be viewed as tools we utilize to accomplish our ministry task.  They can become those we minister through
instead of those we minister to.  
Ministry that is Christ-honoring is never accomplished at the expense of those on our team.  There are some symptoms or indicators that this may be an area you need to work on.
People could be feeling less valued if you are . . .
• Skimming relationally
If you are not authentically experiencing biblical community and personally enjoying life-giving relationships, your own heart will become hard toward others.
• Spiritually drained
When your own soul is healthy and replenished, your heart will be soft towards people.  But, when you are empty and have nothing to give, people become a nuisance.
• Always in a hurry
Do you walk fast everywhere you go?  Even when you do stop to talk to people, do they sense that you are rushed looking past them?  Hurry is the archenemy of intimacy and deep relationship.
• Never engaging their personal life
When was the last time you just sat down with somebody on your team and asked “How are you doing, really?”, and then took time to really listen.  Try just asking someone you lead how you can pray for them personally.
• Not praying for them
As Aaron went in before the Lord, he carried the names of the people he was responsible for.  It is our job in ministry to carry the names of those we are responsible for before the Lord.  Praying for them helps keep them on your heart.
Have you ever thought about this question, “if Jesus were to physically come to your church or ministry, what do you think he would want to see?”  Would it be our buildings, our strategic plan, our financial report, or the song selection for our weekend service?  I think we are given a clue to the answer in I Thessalonians 2.
“After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus when he comes back again. [20] For you are our pride and joy.”’ 1 Thes. 2:19-20 (NLT)  
What would God want to see?  Our people.  Those precious people he has entrusted to us.   

By: Lance Witt (replenish.net)

Scot McKnight on Evangelicalism May 19, 2008

I read this on his blog today and had to post it here.

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Two recently published items illustrate the “evangelical” problem — David Wells’ grumpy summary screed of his four volumes that, for over a decade, have attempted to reveal how superficial evangelicalism is and the generously-spirited Evangelical Manifesto. What is happening? Let me explain it this way:
There are too many today who want to usurp control over evangelicalism by demanding uniformity in theology. Evangelicalism never has been and never will be uniform in theology. Three groups today threaten to destroy the fabric of historic American evangelicalism:

The Religious Right, which seems to think all evangelicals have the same political views;
The Neo-Reformed, who think Calvinism is the only faithful form of evangelicalism; and
The Political Progressives, who like the Religious Right think the faithful form of evangelicalism will be politically progressive.

Let me offer a peace offering into this unfortunate turn of events. I believe the threat of complete disintegration is far more serious than many today seem to realize.

Evangelicalism has always been ecumenical for the sake of the gospel.

Evangelicalism has always dropped theological distinctives (confessional level statements of faith) for the sake of the gospel.

Evangelicalism’s approach has always been more like George Whitefield than Jonathan Edwards.

Now a few words of explanation:

Evangelicalism is essentially “gospel ecumenism” instead of “theological conformity.” Evangelicals unite around the gospel but tolerate all kinds of diversity theologically. Thus, from the time I’ve been around this theological issue — and I began reading this stuff in the 70s and have not stopped — evangelicalism has agreed to agree on the basics — the gospel — but has been willing to let theological confessions be what they are: church confessions for local congregations. Instead of haggling over theological confessions, evangelicals have agreed to agree on the gospel.

It is essentially “cooperative” rather than “confessional.” Yes, evangelicals — as Bebbington and Noll have made so abundantly clear (see M. Noll’s The Rise of Evangelicalism and Bebbington’s The Dominance of Evangelicalism) — there are four hubs of thinking in the center of evangelicalism: the Bible, the cross, conversion, and active Christian living.

What alarms me is that some of those today most concerned with taking over evangelicalism, namely the Neo-Reformed and the Southern Baptists, seem to have forgotten the last fifty years of evangelical history: Many in the Reformed camp didn’t think and still don’t think evangelicalism is their kettle of fish. Thus, Hart’s book is a good example of this (see his Deconstructing Evangelicalism). And the SBC was at best a distant “member” of the early rise of the neo-evangelical movement shaped by Billy Graham, Wheaton, and the likes of Harold Ockenga, Carl Henry, Harold Lindsell and others.

To be sure, a robust Reformed faith or a clear commitment to the SBC way of life were more than welcome, as long as the cooperative spirit of a commitment to an ecumenical gospel was what guided the participation. Today many seem to have forgotten this.

Hence, I love what I’m reading now in An Evangelical Manifesto.

1. It welcomes a universality to the presence of evangelicals throughout the world (p. 2).
2. It believes the word “evangelical” is worth saving (2-3).
3. It embraces a world setting where co-existence is paramount (3).
4. It defines “evangelical” by “gospel” (4) and theologically (4).
5. There is some humility to this statement: “We do not claim that the Evangelical principle … is unique to us” (5). We illustrate our own doctrine of sin (6).
6. There is a healthy balance of theology and praxis in this document.
7. It affirms classical christology, salvation, Holy Spirit, Scripture, discipleship and evangelism and social action, return of Christ, and also discipleship for all. [Could be more Trinitarian and have a deeper ecclesiology.]
8. Evangelicalism here is defined as larger than, deeper than, and older than Protestantism (10).
9. It bemoans failures among evangelicals (11ff).

I could go on … this is historic evangelicalism. It’s the kind I embrace.

Books I’m Currently Reading May 14, 2008

Values inform practice May 14, 2008

We’ve been having an interesting discussion amongst our staff about our values. We are trying to determine what our current core values are versus what they should be in the coming years.

However, we discovered a glitch in the system along the way. We had been talking about what our strengths and weaknesses were, how we could better reach our community, what our mission and vision statements could be, etc, etc.

After discussing these we moved on to talking about core values. We quickly realized that the first step in any process about vision, purpose, and mission MUST be built on the foundation of values. If you have not fleshed out your values, you cannot determine the other issues.

VALUES INFORM PRACTICE! This thought came to me yesterday during our discussion. What we value as a church staff and body will determine our steps. If we value community, we will focus our efforts and mission on building a communal body of believers. If we value Scripture, our teachings will revolve around the Word of God. If we value authenticity, we will tear down any barriers that build up a false image of who we are.

Determining your core values will make the process much, much easier. Your mission will flow seamlessly from your values. Spell them out for your church body and they will never have to second-guess who you are or where you are going.

Quotes of the week May 9, 2008

Here are a few quotes that influenced me this past week:

“You can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” Anne Lamott

“In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others, because he places his happiness in their good.“Jonathan Edwards

“One of the most important discoveries I have ever made is this truth: God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him. This is the motor that drives my ministry as a pastor. It affects everything I do.” John Piper

“The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.” Robert Bloch

“For me, the beginning of sharing my faith with people began by throwing out Christianity and embracing Christian spirituality, a nonpolitical mysterious system that can be experienced but not explained. Christianity, unlike Christian spirituality, was not a term that excited me. I couldn’t share something I wasn’t experiencing. And I wasn’t experiencing Christianity.” Donald Miller

Last but not least….

“Mom, listen! They have Jesus on KLOVE! (while listening to a Chris Tomlin interview. His mom tells him it’s not Jesus, but Chris Tomlin). But Mom, that’s how Jesus sounds when He talks to me.” Wyatt, my nephew

Need Versus Vision May 6, 2008

As a leader in children’s ministry, I am constantly battling pragmatism. It is easy to get lost in the busy work week leading up to Sunday. You get calls from leaders that are going to be out on Sunday and then you’re forced to furiously call substitute leaders to replace the absentee.

In the midst of that, you may not even have the time to evaluate whether or not that substitute is a fit in that environment. However, you do not really have time to weigh those thoughts against the need to fill a spot.

The battle is often more intense than that. I would estimate that 80% of children’s ministry leaders struggle greatly in recruiting enough leaders. I don’t think there has been a day in my ministry that I had enough leaders or was 100% satisfied with the leadership I had. That’s not an indictment of any current or past leaders. It’s more of an indictment of myself.

I fell into the trap. I did not have enough warm bodies to fill the need, so I would take anyone and put them anywhere I had a vacancy.

That’s the battle of children’s ministry. You must provide enough “staff” to properly care for your children. However, you then fall into the battle of need versus vision.

Jesus chose His disciples based on His vision to reconcile the world to Himself and also bring glory to His name. He wasn’t simply trying to fill twelve slots. Twelve guys with scruffy beards and worn sandals wasn’t the qualification.

Jesus had a vision… a perfect vision. He then had a perfect plan to fulfill that vision. Ministry needs to follow the same method. Now, don’t get me wrong, no church has a perfect plan or perfect vision. Our fallen nature will always interfere. However, we can have a very good, God-ordained vision and plan to achieve that vision.

So, if you’re recruiting leaders, do not recruit simply to fill a spot. Recruit leaders who will lead according to the vision God has given you for your ministry. Also, recruit according to the context of your church. God has planted you in a specific location and surrounded you with a specific group of people. Therefore, equip leaders and place leaders that appropriately accommodate that context.

Do not let your needs deter you from your vision.

SBC Baptisms Lowest in over 20 years May 5, 2008

The Southern Baptist Convention is at a crossroads. For the third straight year baptisms have declined and are now at their lowest level since 1987. To add insult to injury, there are 473 new SBC churches.

The simple truth is that SBC churches are not reaching people with the Gospel like they used to.

We just had a president, Bobby Welch, who spent his entire year in office pushing personal FAITH evangelism. However, baptisms declined under his leadership too. People see through the facade that is the “salesman” approach to evangelism. They are looking for answers elsewhere. They are seeking an answer that doesn’t involve a quick response in a high-pressure situation.

Many SBC leaders are saying that, “we are a denomination that, for the most part, has lost its evangelistic passion.” That’s simply not true. It’s not an issue of losing passion, it’s an issue of no longer being relevant and relational.

It may take a crisis like this for the SBC to reevaluate their “strategy” and refocus their dulled, and honestly irrelevant, evangelistic tools.