Your Life in Rhythm

In a book by Bruce Miller called "Your Life in Rhythm", he essentially says it is a myth to live a life in balance. This requires a continual balancing act that is always compensating based upon the demands life. He states that we should stop the balancing act and yield to a higher calling from scripture that is described in Ecclesiastes 3. In essence, Ecclesiastes tells us that there are times and seasons that come and go. Miller tells us that we all have personal seasons in life that are unique to us as well as rhythms that come with stages in life. A stage in life can be teenage years, young adult, married life, family, empty nest, retirement etc. A personal season might be an immediate crisis that is unique to us.

A great question every healthy pastor needs to answer is what stage of life am I in and what personal season is affecting my life? Once we have answered that we can find rhythm by practicing these three disciplines.

1. Release expectations. Take the pressure off by rethinking priorities based upon stage and season and let go of those things that are least important.

2. Seize the moment. Rather than wish you were in another season or stage, embrace the stage you are in. Look for the blessings of the moment. What opportunities that are unique to the moment that can be seized?

3. Anticipate what comes next. This is a matter of hope for the future. We need to anticipate light at the end of the tunnel while embracing the present.

Tis the SEASON!

Spiritual Receptivity

I was recently reading one of my favorite authors and came across this devotional from A. W. Tozer.

Pick at random a score of great saints whose lives and testimonies are widely known. Let them be Bible characters or well-known Christians of post-biblical times. I venture to suggest that the one vital quality which they had in common was spiritual receptivity. They acquired the lifelong habit of spiritual response. They were not disobedient to the heavenly vision

Receptivity is not a single thing; it is a compound, rather, a blending of several elements within the soul. It is an affinity for, a bent toward, a sympathetic response to, a desire to have. It may be increased by exercise or destroyed by neglect. It is a gift of god, indeed, but one which must be recognized and cultivated as any other gift if it is to realize the purpose for which it was given.

The idea of spiritual cultivation and exercise, so dear to the saints of old, has now no place in our total religious picture. It is too slow, too common. We now demand glamour and fast flowing dramatic action. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar.

It will require a determined heart and more than a little courage to wrench ourselves loose from the grip of our times and return to biblical ways!

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

Ephesians 5:17 tells us to make the most of our time. Americans seem to be the most time poor in all of the world. Full-time ministry probably ranks as high as any profession, when it comes to demand for our time. The needs are endless. The guilt piles up. The ability to set boundaries becomes more and more difficult. Let me suggest some ways you can be a better time manager.

1. Make a time budget. We have financial budgets to see how we spend our money. Why not make a time budget for a week and see where you spend your time? You might be surprised where your time is spent.

2. Be purpose driven. I would suggest taking the time to sit down before God and develop a mission statement for your life. It will help set your priorities so you know what the "big rocks" are. The apostle Paul tells us to run the race with purpose. Without it the tail can wag the dog.

3. Know your rhythms of effectiveness. What are the most productive times in your average day? Are you a morning person or a night owl? How much rest do you need to stay energized and alert? Make good use of working on your priorities during those productive times.

4. Simplify. The recession of the last couple of years has taught us to downsize and simplify.

What are the activities that need to cease? How can you integrate your systems of efficiency?

What kinds of projects or responsibilities can be downloaded?

5. Prioritize some extended time with the Lord. There is no higher priority in life than to maintain your relationship with the Lord. Out of those times God will reveal his will for your life and thus set your agenda.

6. Learn to say no. It is important for us to pay attention to the signals of burnout in our lives.

5. Prioritize intimacy with G

Personally Transformed

I recently asked a group of pastors, "What is the one thing you would like to see in your ministry above anything else?" The answer was, "To see lives transformed".

I would assume all of us in ministry would respond the same way, but let me ask a different question. How have you been transformed in your ministry this past year?

If God isn't moving us toward Christlikeness then how can we expect those we minister to be conforming to the image of Christ.

As I have asked that question to numerous pastors recently, here are some of the responses.

- I have become more comfortable in my own skin.

- I have become a more courageous leaders.

- I have learned to set better boundaries and maintain my priorities.

- I have grown in the area of intimacy with my wife and kids.

- I have become gentler, more approachable.

- I have become more assertive in my leadership.

- I haven't changed a bit.

- I have developed a little tougher skin.

How has God transformed your life this past year?

PAST PRESENT OR FUTURE

I was talking with a young ambitious pastor the other day. He was sharing with me how disappointed he was in the progress of the church. The reality was, that God had been doing great things in his church.

As leaders we are called to be visionary. We dream dreams. We set goals. We have a great desire to "become". To become what? A finally tuned organization with all the bases covered,

or a fully staffed team team hitting on all cylinders, or a dynamic ministry that attracts people to the services like a magnet, or maybe a more attractive facility to accommodate the growth.

During my pastorate, it was difficult for me to enjoy what God was doing in the present or rejoice in the victories of the past because my mind would always take me to the future. The tapes kept playing like: "If we just could hire that next staff person". "What do we need to change to be more effective?" "We need to do a better job of assimilating." The list could go on and on.

While thinking ahead is a part of leadership, we dare not get so caught in the future that we miss the blessings of present and the victories of the past. Getting caught up in the future can breed impatience, a critical spirit, and great discouragement.

When was the last time you just sat down and contemplated the Lord's blessings of the past and present? The old hymn we used to sing, "Count Your Many Blessings" name them one by one" might be appropriate.

Keep being farsighted, but don't forget 20/20 hindsight, and the joy of being near sighted as well.

Are You a Prophet?

A. W. Tozer has always been one of my favorite writers. I was challenged by these thoughts in one of his devotionals.

"To be effective the preacher's message must be alive; it must alarm, arouse, challenge; it must be God's present voice to a particular people. Then, and not till then, is it the prophetic word and the man himself a prophet.

To fulfill his calling the prophet must be under the constant sway of the Holy Ghost; and further, he must be alert to moral and spiritual conditions. All spiritual teaching should be related to life. It should intrude into the daily and private living the hearers

Without being personal, the true prophet will yet pierce the conscience of each listener as if the message had been directed to him alone.

Really to preach the truth it is often necessary that the man of God know the people's hearts better than they themselves do!

Thus a minister is driven to God for wisdom. He must speak the mind of christ and throw himself on the Holy Spirit for spiritual power and mental acumen equal to the task. "

May God put more prophets in the pulpit!

COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP

For many of us as leaders of ministry there are times when we have to be courageous. These are times when consequences can trump what God wants us to do.

Pastor/shepherds probably find it most difficult to act courageously because it may require some tough calls that leave some segment of people disenchanted. Let's face it, most pastor/shepherds would rather avoid controversy or confrontation at all cost. However we also know there are those moments when we must step up to the plate and lead courageously.

So the question becomes this: How do we find the courage to confront or make the hard decisions that come with the responsibility of leadership? Here is how I have discovered a "holy boldness" over the course of 30 years of ministry.

1. It always starts with "communion" with God. I first must spend enough time with God listening to what he has to say.

I truly believe that God wants to speak to us if we take the time to listen. Hearing from God is the key.

2. It is important to seek "counsel" from others. Scripture says there is wisdom in many counselors. (Be certain that they are mature

objective and trustworthy people).

3. Once we have heard from God and others there must be "conviction" established. This is where we are fully convinced in our own mind as Paul tells us in Romans 14. Once that is established, conviction will trump consequences. Paul goes on to say, "happy is the man who

doesn't condemn himself in what he approves.

4. Conviction will lead to ultimate "contentment". This means that you can rest assured that no matter what the cost, God is pleased with

us. We are most content when we sense that God is pleased with us even if there are men who are not.

So let me encourage you to find that holy boldness in your ministry.

LET'S GET PHYSICAL!

For months I have addressed pastor's spiritual and emotional health, without once calling us into account for our physical health.

In a recent study by Kansas State University it was discovered that there was a direct correlation between the pastor's physical health and the physical health of the congregation. It became clear in the study that pastors are indeed a role model for their congregation's to emulate.

Statistics are staggering for the United States when it comes to the rise in obesity. 32.7 % of adults over 20 in America are overweight. In almost every state in the U.S. 25-30% of the population is obese. That means they exceed the number 30 on the Body Mass Index. (BMI)

A part of the Kansas State study revealed that 77% of middle class white males are overweight.

That would include most pastors in America today. This would lead us to believe that pastors need to be the "biggest losers".

There are certainly some sins that we can hide, but a lack of fitness and obesity is one we can't.

So what steps do you need to take to do a better job of caring for your temple?

What preventative ministries could be developed in your church to increase better health?

Let's get physical!

CONSCIOUS AWARENESS

How many times have you been asked this leading question? "How is your prayer life?"

If you are like me, the answer to that question immediately creates a little bit of dissonance.

I have to sift through in my mind what the person is asking. Are they asking how much time I spend praying each day? Are they asking if I am a good prayer warrior? Are they asking me if I really connect with God or just going through the motions? Are they asking me if I am getting some great answers to prayers? Are they asking me if I keep a journal? The list goes on.

What does a good prayer life look like for those of us who want to be healthy? The fact of the matter is that it will look different for each of us. God has uniquely created all of us to relate to Him somewhat differently. For many it will be in our prayer closet. For some it will be lengthy prayer sessions on our knees, and for some it may be one liners throughout the day.

The bottom line is this: Are we living our lives so that all the words we speak will be said with the conscious awareness of God's presence? That sounds to me like the essence of a what a good "prayer Life" should look like.

So the question I want to leave you today is this: Has your prayer life become something so compartmentalized that it has become a to-do list?

HEALTHY ELDERS

For months now I have been discussing the need to be a healthy pastor. In order to be healthy, each pastor must be continually transformed as stated in in Romans 12:2. This shouldn't stop with just pastors. Elders need to be continually transformed as well. A great way for this dynamic to take place is to have elder meetings that are more than micro-managing the church.

Micro-managing the church is not the first priority of an elder board. There must be time set aside for personal growth and development of each elder. The elder board should be a close knit brotherhood of men who are willing to be vulnerable with each other. If the elders are not held accountable for their own spiritual transformation than how can we expect the folks in the pew to be transformed.

There must be a high degree of trust and unity in order for the elders to function in a healthy way, not only with each other, but with those who represent the staff. When there is tension between the staff and elders it demonstrates deficiencies in the spiritual and emotional maturity of the individuals involved.

With these thoughts in mind let me leave you with some questions that need to be answered:

1. Do you look forward to elder meetings, or have they become a necessary evil in your ministry life?

2. Have your elders demonstrated transformational growth as a member of the board?

3. Do you take time in your meetings to equip and challenge your elders to spiritual growth.

4. How much time do you spend in elder meetings micro-managing the business of the church rather then giving spiritual oversight?

5. Is there a deep trust between you and the elders.

6. Is there an atmosphere of transparency and love for one another on the board?

7. How much time do you spend praying together for the church and each other at your elder meetings?

Living out my spirituality uniquely

I have recently been reading Ortberg's book, "The Me I Want to Be". It has resonated with something that has been on my heart for a long time. We have done a dis-service in Evangelical Christianity by putting people in boxes of performance to measure their spiritual maturity.

We have dangerously externalized ones spiritual maturity into a bunch of rules just like the pharisees of old, thus not honoring how God has created us uniquely.

In Ortberg's book he illustrates the individuality of becoming intimate with God by quoting Gary Thomas's book "Sacred Pathways".

The following are ways we can all uniquely find our pathway to God:

Naturalist- find God in nature

Ascetic- is drawn to disciplines

Traditionalist - lives historical liturgies

Activist - comes alive spiritually in a great cause.

Caregiver - meets God in serving

Sensate - senses God through five senses

Enthusiast - loves to grow through people

Contemplative - is drawn to solitary reflection and prayer

Intellectual - loves God by learning

"It is good to be familiar with each pathway, but you will find that one or two are the most gripping for you. When you do identify which ones you resonate with most, you will also find that they are the most sustainable for you, because your desire for them will be highest."

Let's seek God uniquely together!

"

RISK REQUIRES FAITH

Healthy things grow, growing things change, change requires risk, risk requires faith, and faith keeps you healthy.

Acts 16:5 tells us, "So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew daily in numbers".

The word strengthened is used in Colossians 2:7 where Paul writes, "Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught".

What kind of faith was strengthened in the early church?

First there was a courageous faith.

In Acts 4:29 it says, "And now O Lord hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching". Courageous faith is a necessity for healthy leaders.

Secondly there was a generous faith. The early church stopped at nothing when it came to sharing their possessions. There was a clearly a motivation for meeting the needs of those around them.

Third there was a tenacious faith. Acts 14:22 Paul tells the church to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter in to the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.

Finally we see that the church exercised miraculous faith. Acts 2:43 says that a deep sense of awe came over them as the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

It is obvious that exercising our faith is the very thing that makes us strong and vigorous.

(HEALTHY) AND HEALTHY THINGS GROW!

CHANGE REQUIRES RISK

So far I have said that, "Healthy things grow, growing things change, change requires risk". Risk is the X factor in any changes that need to be made along the way. The risk the apostles took was to identify with the message of grace that Jesus introduced into the establishment.

The traditions of the past were being revolutionized by a new relevant message of grace. New wine was being put into new wineskins.

The pharisees tried to do everything they could to stop the progress of the gospel. Threats were made, along with the Roman government becoming more vigilant in stomping out the Way.

Whenever there is change you always risk opposition. Opposition can come in all shapes and sizes , from active to passive. This typically is when the boo birds come out with the "we never have done it this way" slogan. Not only are there always opposers to change but there is a risk of failure with the new direction or philosophy that is enforced. However, without these risks the early church would would have stagnated into oblivion. Praise God for healthy leaders who were willing risk their lives for cause of the Gospel.

Courageous leadership is willing to take a risk. The greater the risk often the greater reward. The greater the risk the greater the conviction of the Holy Spirit must be present.

Scripture tells us to count the cost before we build a tower. I am sure that accounting includes all the risk factors.

What is God asking you to risk as you seek to grow stronger as a leader?

GROWING THINGS CHANGE

A fact of nature is that when things grow they change. Change doesn't often come easy however.

Most resist change because it makes us feel uncomfortable, perhaps insecure, and takes a lot of effort. It is a lot easier to maintain the status quo.

We see how exponential growth impacted the early church as the Greek speaking widows were not being properly cared for. The influx of the gentiles caused a need to change their outlook on circumcision. So logistical and traditional matters were being challenged. Fortunately the apostles were flexible enough and knew how to set their boundaries. It was also exciting to see how the early church had great men of God waiting in the wings to serve.

Change is good for us when we are forced to ask the right questions. Such as:

Are the present ministries being effective in their present state?

Do our ministries align with our vision and values?

Is there a more relevant or effective way to do ministry?

What are some of those modern day changes that affect a growing church?

- Change of influencers. Homesteaders get invaded by squatters. This can be a vulnerable

time in the life of the church.

- Change in polity. Growth can force structural changes to create greater efficiency.

- Change in strategy. Such as two services, small group ministries, etc.

- Changing traditions. Dealing with those sacred cows.

- Change in vision. Setting a new course. Dreaming new dreams.

- Change in leadership style. Maybe more empowering and letting go.

Remember, healthy things grow and growing things change.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A HEALTHY LEADER/CHURCH

If you have been around me much you have heard me say this many times:

Healthy things grow

Growing things change

Change requires risk

Risk requires faith

Faith makes you healthy.

This is what I call the life cycle of a healthy leader, or for that matter, a healthy church.

For the next several blogs I would like to dissect these modules. So let's start with "healthy things grow".

We often use the early church as our picture of health. When you read the book of Acts you see two very profound things taking place. There was incredible numerical growth as well as spiritual growth. In other words we can safely say that the early church grew both in depth and breadth. More than 10 times Luke tells us that the church grew numerically because of the many conversions taking place. It was also critical to the early church to continue to be strengthened. The level of persecution and trials the early church endured required them to persevere and grow deeper. That is why Paul challenged the church in Collosse to be strong and vigorous in the truth so their spiritual roots would grow deep. You read the same thing in Acts 14 where Paul and Barnabas were strengthening the believers so that they would persevere in the faith.

The bottom line is this. In order for any leader or church to be healthy there must be evidence of fruit in two areas. One is that of conversion growth and the other of growing deeper in love with Jesus Christ.

So the question for you and your church is this: Are you healthy? If so, are you growing in these two areas?

SUFFERING FROM INFLATION?

I have seen many preaching pastors that seem to have an inflated view of their skills. Unfortunately too much of our identity is wrapped up in our ability to preach. Therefore it is often a difficult issue to bring up in many pastor's lives. So let me take a risk by challenging you to do a little self evaluation,

1. Have you ever seen people checking out during your messages?

2. Are your too long? (Sometimes more is less and less is more.)

3. Is your message congruent, logical, and systematic so they are easily followed?

4. Are your messages too academic and not practical enough?

5. Is there any evidence of life change as a result of your messages?

6. Are your sermons pointing out the obvious or is there some intrigue that captures both the

immature and mature listener?

7. Is your delivery sort of flat rather than dynamic and captivating?

8. Are your sermons transforming your life?

9. Are your listeners able to connect with you as much as the message?

10. Are you leaving room for the Holy Spirit?

11. Have you done a thorough study of the text?

These are just some questions you might want to give someone whom you trust and know will give you some loving and honest feedback. You also may want to listen and watch your preaching if you haven't done so in a long time. It may give you some clues as to how you can improve. Remember, healthy pastors aren't afraid to ask the hard questions.

Think and Do Christianity

Christianity in America today has become a performance based religion. Our linear mindsets coupled with microwave results have caused an alarming drift from a relationship with Christ. We "born again" Christians have boasted that our belief system is based on a relationship not a religion. However it grieves me to see too many Christian leaders who have fallen into a trap of performance. Our success driven churches have become more enamored with the bottom line than true intimacy with the living Christ.

We Evangelicals have been proud of our loyalty to the scriptures, thus we have had a measure of success in increasing the knowledge of the average person in the pew. Unfortunately most Christians find themselves motivated intellectually to obey what they have learned without taking the time to allow God to cultivate truth in the depths of their hearts. Thus there is no ownership, conviction, or real transformation. The result is, we try and obey what God's truth is telling us without the real inward motivation of the Spirit.

No wonder we are not seeing as many transformed lives. We have bought into a a think and do mentality, skipping the most important part: "the being".

When is the last time you really have allowed God some extended time to have truth penetrate your heart instead of taking the usual bypass?

I thought heart bypass was only in the medical world. Maybe not?

SECRET SHOPPER

When I worked in a retail store many years ago, often a secret shopper would come and evaluate everything from the curb appeal to the service.

Have you ever enlisted an objective outsider to come to your church as a secret shopper? What would they experience from the curb appeal to the parking lot to the service?

I would encourage you to solicit someone from off the street to do an evaluation as well as someone who has been in many churches. Wil Mancini writes in his book, "Unique Church" these insightful words. "Most churches are like an animal at the zoo that only looks in the mirror. They have a hard time seeing their unique potential because there is little experience comparing and contrasting with other animals."

Here are some questions you can ask yourself that might bring a more objective view of your church from Mancini's book.

1. If a guest visited your church how would they answer this question? What did they like best about your church? What did they like least?

2. If you were bringing a guest to your church for the first time, what singular promise would you most be willing to make, in what they would experience?

3. If you were stop nonmembers who drive by the church regularly and ask them how they feel about the church, what would they say?

4. If your church was gone from the neighborhood what would the community be missing?

5. What is the biggest impact our church has made in the community?

6. What atmosphere do you tend to create when your people meet together on Sunday?

7. What do your new members say attracted them to your church?

8. If your church were a hotel or department store, which one would it be?

Maybe it is time for other animals to check out your cage?

LEADERSHIP STYLE

What kind of a leader are you? Bill Hybel's book "Courageous Leadership" is descriptive of 10 different styles of leadership. Let me list them:

1. Visionary. Carries a crystal clear picture of what needs to happen and recruits others to the dream. Idealistic, black and white. Will die for the vision

2. Directional. Uncanny ability to choose the right path for an organization. Can sort through the options based on an organization's purpose, values, personnel, and opportunities

3. Strategic. Ability to break an exciting vision down to sequential, advisable steps. Gets team to work together on the various components.

4. Managing. Ability to organize people, processes, resources and systems to achieve vision.

5. Motivational. Ability to keep teammates inspired. Overcomes tiredness, low morale, discouragement, apathy and fogginess.

6. Shepherding. Slowly builds a team. Loves them deeply and draws them into community so that mission is accomplished through commitment to each other.

7. Team building. Can recruit, develop the right people for the right positions and tun them loose to lead. Drive by vision, strategy and correct placement of personnel.

8. Entrepreneur. Exemplifies and of the proceeding styles but functions best in a start-up mode. High energy, creative, easily bored, loses energy, looks for challenge.

9. Re-engineering. Creates a turn-around environment, renews vision and focus, revitalizes organizations. Takes a consulting approach.

10. Bridge building. Builds alliances to achieve mission. Flexible, skilled in negotiating and achieving compromises. loves a wide variety of people and a complex environment.

All these styles have their strengths. We need to embrace all these as effective leadership styles.

Which ones do you most identify? Can you accept other styles that may be brought to your leadership table? Are you functioning outside of your leadership wiring?

CAN DO vs. MUST DO

Leonardo da Vinci said, " Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Too many pastor/leaders get bogged down with complexity. Let me give you a quote from Wil Mancini's book called "Unique Church".

"Leaders must constantly fight the good fight of clarity to overcome complexity. When God blesses the ministry, the discipline to say no determines whether the battle is won or lost. This is true for both the church as a whole and the individual leader."

The more the church grows the greater the opportunities. The more opportunities multiply, the greater the temptation to make ministry more complex. The key is to have a clear vision and be able to sort out the can do's from the must do's. Healthy leaders must learn to sort out what opportunities could be a distraction from the primary focus that God has called the church to have.

Unfortunately too many churches have never articulated clearly their vision. When that happens leaders become reactive rather than proactive. So let me challenge you to think through two issues. Have you clearly articulated your vision and are you able to sort through well the must do's from the can do's? If you haven't let me recommend Mancini's book.

Until next time!

SHEEP BITES

It is inevitable that we shepherds will have the sheep turn on us. When that happens our response can be critical to our own spiritual health much less the health of the herd.

We can respond like I did for many years. I was brilliant at substituting rationalization for reconciliation. Some of the rationalizations sounded like this: "They are just having a bad day." "The enemy is alive and well in the church." "This is the life of a pastor, so just get over it." "It isn't about me." "I am spiritually mature, so I can handle it." "It comes with the territory." "Being a leader means being misunderstood."

While all these statements have some truth, the reality is this: I was wounded and hurt and needed to forgive. In stead of spiritually sweeping it under the rug I needed to face the fact that I was hurt and needed to take healthy steps toward reconciliation.

Unfortunately for many years I failed to do this and the sun subtly kept going down on my anger. As we know this is dangerous territory for giving satan a foothold. It took me 14 years to figure this out, when all the anger and hurt bubbled to the surface of my life. Needless to say it wasn't a pretty picture. Now I am able to keep an up to date heart.

How are you handling those sheep bites in your life? Have you found your own ways of sweeping those bites under your spiritual rug?

THINK GREEN!

Everywhere we look now the message is being sent that we need to think green. Conserving resources, using renewable energy, and protecting the environment is in vogue. Unfortunately that is not the case in many pastor's lives. Spiritual and emotional energy is being depleted from the pastors because there has been a failure to think "green" much less do something about it.

Let me give you 1o suggestions to thinking green in your ministry life so you don't end up with global warming in your spirit.

1. Do a time budget. Keep track of how you spend your time in an average week and see where it is spent. You may be surprised how much time is wasted.

2. Know your rhythms of maximum effectiveness, and guard them with your life.

3. Create a mission statement that helps you define your priorities and revisit it consistently

4. Take time to plan. Strategic planning keeps the tail from wagging the dog.

5. Understand and accept your hard wiring. The more you operate in your weaknesses the more draining and fruitless your ministry will be.

6. Carve out extended time with Lord. Your intimacy with God will directly affect your fruitfulness. Ministry from an empty cup is done in the flesh.

7. Seek out accountability. Be approachable. Allow people to speak into your blind spots.

8. Learn to say "no". The word "no" can be the most energizing word in your vocabulary.

9. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

10. Find a way to relax and de-stress. No ifs ands or buts.

In the name of "GREEN" Think it! Do it!

GOOD LISTENER

Healthy pastors must be good listeners. Let me again take a quote from an article on leadership from the Arizona Republic.

Leading others: "Listen for truth. Consciously choose to be in the moment when you listen to another person. When a leader truly listens and understands another, they create an environment for trust and new ideas." Healthy pastors must be approachable. That includes being an exceptional listener.

As the article states however we need to listen for truth. That means we must sort through our own grids of defensiveness and insecurities. When we don't sort through these issues we can become unapproachable, breaking the bonds of community that is necessary for good teamwork.

Ephesians tells us we need to speak the truth in love. We must also listen for the truth in love.

It is critical that we as leaders need to create an environment of trust and understanding. The basic needs of anybody in life are, to be listened to, understood, and loved.

What kind of environment have you created in your realm of influence?

LEADING YOURSELF

BEFORE YOU CAN LEAD OTHERS YOU MUST LEAD YOURSELF

In a recent article in the Arizona Republic I was impressed by these leadership principles that will help us be healthier pastors.

Assess yourself: Ask five of your most trusted friends,colleagues or family members about your strengths and weaknesses. Take two of your strengths and find ways to make them great. Then take two areas that you're not as good at and develop actions to improve them.

Manage your priorities: Before you start each week, schedule your work, not just your meetings.

Build Accountability: Develop a list called, "What am I avoiding, what am I not being responsible for, what am I afraid to say and to whom? Always start by tackling the easiest items first.

Improve your emotional IQ: The next time you assess what caused a painful discussion, break it down into three areas to avoid blaming others. What do I own about this situation? What should they own? And what perception do they have of me that I need to manage?

Build Confidence: the next time someone praises you for the work you've done, fully accept it and say thank you.

WHAT ARE WE PRODUCING?

Jesus told us to, "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you."

Notice he didn't say make Christians of all nations. He said make apprentices or followers who want to obey all of His commands.

The question I want to ask is this. Are we really baptizing people in our churches today who fully understand what a disciple of Christ really is?

Dallas Willard writes in his book "The Great Omission" these words: "For those who lead or minister, there are yet graver questions. What authority or basis do I have to baptize people who have not been brought to a clear decision to be a disciple of Christ? Dare I tell people, as "believers" without discipleship that they are at peace with God and God with them? Where can I find justification for this message? Perhaps most important: Do I as a minister have the faith to undertake the work of disciple-making? Is my first aim to make disciples? Or do I just run and operation?"

You may or may not agree with Dallas Willard, but we can say without reservation that we are in the disciple-making business? At the very least we must be careful to teach people that obedience is the primary external force that indicates internal transformation.

What do you think?

MINISTRY MOTIVATIONS

What motivates you for your life long ministry? What keeps those fires burning?

Paul writes in II Corinthians 4 and 5 four motivating factors for persevering in ministry.

1. Looking forward to the day when troubles will be over. The frustrations and stresses of ministry will someday be rapt in the joys to come that will last forever. The tough issues we face in the ministry are brief compared to eternity.

2. Someday we will all be judged for what we have accomplished in his name. That is a sobering and motivating thought. May that kind of healthy fear reign in our lives!

3. Whatever we do it is because Christ's love controls us. There is only one person we need to please in our ministries. Jesus Christ. Aren't you glad that His compelling love is unconditional.

4. We have the privilege of bringing a message of reconciliation to the world. We get to be his ambassadors that God is using daily in the lives of people. What could be more motivating than that?

What motivates us brings back to our hearts once again. Paul writes: "Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before God."

Are our sincere hearts the reason people brag about us or is it spectacular ministry?

WHERE IS THE POWER?

As I have recently read the book of Acts I was again astounded by the power that was present in the early church. Thousands were coming to Christ, while many signs and wonders were taking place.

We know the New Testament church wasn't perfect by any means. We don't have to go much further than Ephesus or Corinth to realize that any church can get messy Even in the early days there were certainly logistical adjustments being made via deacons coming onto the scene.

While I am not into the signs and wonders movement, I do sense something missing in the evangelical church today. I sometimes think what is missing is the power of God's presence being clearly manifested. I wonder if more seekers would be attracted to a church where God's power had a clearer expression?

In my mind there is nothing more powerful than a transformed life. Maybe we aren't giving enough opportunity for transformed lives to tell their stories. Maybe we are so fixed on the teaching of the word that we aren't spending enough time on the transformed lives of the word?

I am convinced that God may want to do far more then we could ask or imagine if we would just be more sensitive to his voice. I believe we have tipped the scales so heavily toward the teaching of the Word being the only way God speaks that we have missed many wonderful opportunities that the still small voice has prompted. In fact, I wonder if we listened and obeyed the still small voice more often maybe his power would be more visible.

Where is the power in your church?

Subtle Celebrating

I recently had a discussion with a pastor who was discouraged in the overall progress of the ministry in his local church. His response to me sounded something like this:

"People don't seem to get it."

"Leaders aren't stepping up."

" I feel like I am the life support of the church."

" We aren't really catching the vision for our community."

" It seems like everybody is satisfied living in maintenance mode."

" The giving is down."

How I remember those very words periodically in my 30 years of pastoral ministry.

As pastors we have big dreams and ideals that motivate us to make an impact for the Kingdom.

We understand what the scriptures are calling the church to be and when we can't see the tangible momentum in our ministries we get frustrated.

Let me help you out of that spiral with a suggestion. Learn to celebrate those subtle victories.

Hang on to that person who recently gave their life to Christ. The elder who stepped up to the plate. The person who you recently counseled who had an "aha" moment. The budget being met, even though the giving is down. The spiritual growth in some of the individuals. The recent baptism.

The point is this: Our stress and discouragement is often measured by the distance between expectations and reality. Reality is, that God is at work when one life is changed. So before you get too discouraged maybe it is time to either lower ones expectations, or get in better touch with reality.

In the meantime keep celebrating the subtleties of ministry.

Spiritual Arrythmia

Ministry can be so fast-paced, so demanding, that your heart gets to the point that it beats out of control. Why is it that the hearts of many ministers are in a racing mode?

People in our culture have grown accustomed to an endless parade of choices. Needless to say, we are living in a culture of gratification and fulfillment.

"What's in it for me?" This is the question that the consumer asks routinely. The Church can get caught up in the market-driven mentality of the free enterprise system, just like a secular business. Once this happens, the law of supply-and-demand becomes the governing principle.

As a result, church leaders find themselves shopping for competitive answers and cutting-edge innovative technology that will improve their product. Pastors begin to spend inordinate amounts of time comparing, contrasting and following the latest church-growth guru in their quest for a newer and more successful formula.

We add more programs, more marketing techniques,more staff-demands, and more of ourselves in the process. In an attempt to market themselves in an ever-changing society, leaders embrace a corporate mentality.

My question is, what sort of impact does this relentless blitz of activity have on the rhythm of the pastor's heart?

My other concern is that-like anything else-our frenzied activity can become an idol in itself.. a substitute for the living God. A wearying pace is hardly the source of any minister's power.

"Power belongs to God" (Ps. 62:11

Dead or Alive Preaching

In a recent article by Dave McCellan in Leadership magazine he writes about sermon preparation.

One of the more recent trends is to preach without notes. I like what he had to say at the end of his article:

"When a sermon is properly prepared and delivered, it is likely that its preacher will not be fixated on the issue of notes: either their presence or their absence. The goal becomes to be so consumed by an urgent message that we forget ourselves and our methods for a short while to concentrate on communicating with those in the room.

When that happens, we probably won't be looking down to find the next phrase. Something much more alive will be happening. Newman refers to this as well: Nothing that is anonymous will preach; nothing that is dead and gone; nothing that is of yesterday, however religious in itself and useful. Thought and word are one in the Eternal Logos, and must not be separate in those who are his shadows on earth. they must issue fresh, as from the preacher's mouth, so from his breast, if they are to be 'spirit and life' to the hearts of his hearers.

Whether we use or don't use notes, I trust every preacher's desire is that our sermons reflect the kind of personal acquaintance with the sacred text that can't help but reanimate it for the pe0ple of God." David McClellan @ Preaching Today.com

Good words!

Who Are the Wrong People on the Bus?

In my last blog I gave some thoughts of how to approach the person who needs to get off the bus. As I contemplated that, the next question that came to my mind is: How do you know if they are the wrong person on the bus? We can be a lot more courageous and confident if we know. So let me give you some thoughts.

1. Wrong people usually have a self serving agenda. They fail to see the big picture.

2. Wrong people do not possess the skill sets to meet the demands of the task.

3. Wrong people may be competent but may have a prideful spirit or flaw that destroys the

chemistry of the team.

4. Wrong people show a pattern of not being teachable.

5. Wrong people are those who sabotage a decision made by the team. This often shows itself

when a decision is made by the team in session, and outside of the session the team

member will disagree openly.

6. Wrong people are those who love to be a Monday morning quarterback. These are people

who love to criticize the leader with 20/20 hindsight.

7. Wrong people are those who want to be a decision maker but who don't model

servanthood.

8. Wrong people are those who have a pattern of resistance to any kind of change.

9. Wrong people can be "yes" men. These people are the opposite of those who have agendas.

A bus full of compliant people can dangerously empower the leader to be too controlling.

Are there any wrong people on your bus?

Getting the Wrong People Off the Bus

Jim Collins in his book "Good to Great" has challenged us to make sure we get the right people on the bus. But what if it is too late, and now we are stuck with the wrong people on the bus? Let me give you some things to think about as you face this challenge:

1. Have you tried everything to clarify your expectations? Some people under perform because they don't know what you expect.

2. At what capacity is this person performing to your expectations? I have had an 80% rule.

If they are functioning at an 80% effectiveness then I am willing to be patient and work with that person.

3. Chemistry and character should trump competency. Does this person get along well with the other team members and do they demonstrate humility and teachability? I would rather have a person who is functioning at 80% with good character instead of 100% and out of control.

4. There is no substitute for speaking the truth in love. If it is not working then it is not working. There should be no blindsiding when the time comes to ask somebody to get off the bus.

5. The bus driver must be courageous in making the decision. Indecisiveness can frustrate the rest of the team when one of the members is being dispensed with too much grace.

Until next time.... Safe Driving!

Codependent Pastor

Moses was a codependent leader. He was very dependent on those who were depending on him.

It was so important for Jethro to intervene in Moses' life or he would have clearly burned out.

What are those tempting or covert thoughts that motivate you to be a codependent pastor?

"Pastoring the flock is my calling in life, therefore my highest priority."

"I need to be validated, feel needed, besides I am good at it."

"If I don't do this what will people think of me?"

"I strive to be the very best."

"If I don't do it, who will?"

"I am the best and most qualified person to be responsible for this task."

" It is a rush to stay busy."

" I am a highly motivated type A personality."

The list could go on. What is the solution to codependency?

1. Set healthy boundaries.

2. Find accountability

3. Delegate and empower

4. Listen to your spouse and kids

5. Find your security in Christ

So what thoughts or excuses do you use to be codependent? What are you going to do about it?

Sincerely, Jethro