4 Spiritual Positions

What is your spiriutal position in relation to God?

Which group do you most desire to live Jesus’ mission with?

What is Success in Church Planting?

While discussing this question, Kevin Haah and I considered how God’s definition of success may be the antithesis of man’s. As men, we easily become caught up in the physical size of the launch team, opening Sunday, one year anniversary, baptisms, and stories of changed lives. To us, success is often measured by what we can count. But God looks beyond the physical realm and considers the attitude of our hearts which leads to the conclusion that success by human standards may often be seen by God as failure. Where as, failure in the eyes of men, may be seen by God as success. It is in our failings and humility that God leads us to a place of greater dependence on His Spirit and power – success.

With this in mind, Kevin captured the meaning of success and ended our conversation with one word – “OBEDIENCE”. When we are obedient to God, physical outcomes are immaterial because God’s purposes are achieved. Success is obedience.

In a recent article in “Mirror”, Patty Park quoted Kevin saying, “Success is not defined by results, how the church does or how many people come,”…. “The definition of success is not about moving up in the world; it’s about obedience. I’ve realized that success just means figuring out what God wants me to do, and doing it.”

You can also listen to a message given by Kevin titled “The Definition of Success”.

Larry Osborne on Multiplying Leaders at Exponential Conference

Larry Osborne – North Coast Church
Multiplying Leaders

Empower people and then platform people – this gives people power with authority.

Barnabas factor

• personal financial generosity – if we won’t share our earthly treasures, then we won’t share our leadership resources. If someone is stingy with their stuff, they will be stingy with their ministry. This enables us to raise up people who will raise up people who will fly higher than we can.
• He looked for anointing and track record – God has a great track record of picking wrong people and making this soar.
• He looked for people who were different. Defend the right for people to be different withing the vision. Make people color in the vision, but not within the lines. Look for young eagles, but remember they won’t see the world the way you.
• Be willing to step aside. Don’t raise up helpers. Multiply leaders.
• Don’t let a favorite child, become a spoiled child. The mission is more important than the relationships.

 Random thoughts and musings:

• “Ministry is addictive; don’t ask for too much too fast.” Work people into ministry positions slowly – let them grow into ministry leadership.
• “The ponies are more important than the mail.” Take care of your leaders – they are more important than the people they serve.
• “Develop a nose for leaders and a heart for the regular guy.” This prevents us from seeing people as leaders and losers.
• “As you multiply leaders, beware of high passion – high contentious people.” If someone is a pit bull for righteousness, they are still a pit bull. Be careful of people who are contentious for the right reasons. Because when they disagree with you; they will bit you. Pit bulls love to growl. They are easy to identify.
• “Beware of suffocating discipleship.” The process is intense but no one is becoming a leader. Suffocation happen with too much relationship and training.
• “Accept the fact that you can’t have both empowerment and excellence.” Empowerment and excellence are always in some tension even when people are operating in gifts. Empowerment doesn’t mean everyone gets a chance.
• “Have a plan to make room at the table.” Make a plan to get young leaders involved in decision making processes.

Rick Warren on The Challenge at Exponential

Besides this blog post – you can email Rick Warren Directly for his “8 Laws of Spiritual Maturity” – prw@saddleback.com

“Pastor, listen to your wife. She is usually the Holy Spirit. When you disagree with her, she IS the Holy Spirit.”

The purpose of marriage is not to make you happy, it is to make you holy. Listen to her. Let her be a counselor to you.

“You don’t have to have a building to grow a church.” Saddleback did build a building until they had 10,000.

“Never compare yourself to anyone else.” “God wants you to be you.” Don’t listen the the critics or the complements.

 Suggestions on how to build a reproducing church:

• “Never stop growing personally.” You can never delegate your faith. God can only reveal His vision for you to you. How do you stay consistent. You must make disciples. God takes 6 hours to grow a mushroom and 28 years to grow an oak tree. Do you want your church to be a mushroom or an oak tree. Integrity – humility – generosity.
• “Pay attention to your family.” Love your wife and kids. You have to take a day off. Take a sabbath every week. Which means you don’t read email or answer your phone. You gotta build your family before you build your church. It’s all about surrender. If you start living like Jesus you won’t be liked by other ministry leaders.
• “You must develop a Kingdom mindset.” God’s agenda is bigger than you. What is God’s agenda – the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is wherever Jesus Christ is King. The Kingdom is wherever God’s will is done. When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus answered with evangelism.
• “Focus on building people NOT the church”. You focus on building and God will build His church. Build the purposes of the church into the people’s lives. It takes more than than sermons for people to grow spiritually. Acts 13:36 (Rick’s life verse) – he served God’s purposes in his life and then he died.

Andy Stanley on Apostalic Vision at Exponential Conference

Andy Stanley’s talk on Apostolic Vision at the National New Church Conference – Exponential – is the outline of his book “Making Vision Stick“.  As Andy encouraged us, listen to this session (or in your case – read this blog post), save your money, and don’t buy the book. Here it is…

How do you make vision stick as a church planter?

Vision – a mental picture of what it could be, fulled by some passion of what could be

Vision always begins as a burden for what could be – we do what we do because of a burden for the way things should be.

The challenge of leadership is to take what is clear in our head and make it clear to others. How do we bring others to do what needs to be done?

1.  State it Simply

• Keep it simple stupid! Memorable is Portable. Make it memorable. Make it portable. Vision that sticks must be memorable and portable.
• Never assume people know as much about what you are doing as you know about what you are doing. Keep your language the same on your vision.
• Only simple visions can communicate from person to person, from church to church to reproduce disciples. Keep it and state it simply.

 2.  Cast it Convincingly

• Define the problem – help people feel the problem – craft vision as a solution to a problem – what must be done in the environment we are in? What would go undone if your church ceased to exist?
• Offer a solution.
• Explain why and why now – be sure to answer why now? Have a long discussion with your team on this.

3.  Repeat it Regularly

• Look at the rhythms of your church and use them to repeat the vision.

4.  Celebrate Systematically

• When you find someone living the vision. Tell the story – celebrate the story. Stories do more to communicate and clarify values than anything else. Celebrate the win. Showcase the win of those people who are living the vision.

5.  Embrace it Personally and Publicly

• Let people you really believe in the vision by telling stories and living the vision. People need to know that you are bought into the vision God has given you.

 

The Emasculated Church

Two years ago, David Murrow stirred conversation in evangelicalism with the publication of his book “Why men hate going to church“. Church leaders across the country tried to crack the code on reaching men. Mark Driscoll began speaking about “the ‘Chick-i-fied’ church” (see video below).

AND … nothing changed. Most churches are still emasculated. Why? Perhaps pastors have spent so much time discussing what they need to “do” to attract men, they have forgotten that leaders attract  people like themselves – a feminine man will attract femininity. Brian Jones addresses this in his recent blog titled “Effeminate Pastors“. The issue of the emasculated church may be found in the nature of today’s church leaders.

Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels

I’ve just finished reading “Courageous Leadership” by Bill Hybels – a great book for church planters, mission minded pastors, and high capacity volunteer leaders. In this book, Bill provides ministry and leadership wisdom from both his success and failure. He provides what seems to be an authentic look at his struggles in pastoral leadership and the lessons he has learned through the journey. I pray that God continues to weave these pastoral leadership principles into the fabric of my own life and leadership.

Following are the cliff notes I gleaned from “Courageous Leadership”:

“Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.” page 33

During my years as a Willow Creek Association conference speaker, I would teach Willow’s definition of “vision” as “the ideal picture of the future”. This is true, but limited. I greatly appreciate how Bill has modified the definition to include passion. Vision is not just a picture of the future; it is a picture of the future that produces passion and excitement within the church body for accomplishing Jesus’ mission. If you know me, you know that I am a very passionate person and leader. It’s no wonder this expanded definition resonates so strongly within me.

The selection process for building Kingdom dream teams is based on ‘three Cs’: “first character, then competence, and finally chemistry…. Character, Competence, Chemistry.” page 81.

In hiring ministry staff, I have always focused on character and competence, but I learned the hard way that chemistry is essential. My most recent staff teams have possessed all ‘three Cs’. Ministry certainly is easier and more enjoyable when I labor in ministry with people I enjoy sharing life with. Relational chemistry on ministry teams brings added joy in fulfilling Jesus’ mission – even when the journey is hard.

“…leaders are at their very best when they are raising up leaders around them. Or put another way, leaders are at their best when they are creating a leadership culture.” page 122

One of my greatest passions in ministry is empowering leaders. I love coming alongside emerging leaders and coaching them to a place where they experience the fullness of God’s power through their spiritual gifts in accomplishing Jesus’ mission. This is why reproduction of leaders is an essential part of our spiritual formation process in the new church and community based organization we are starting. Click here to read a brief overview of our CPR² spiritual formation process.

“Who is your toughest leadership challenge?” “YOU.” page 182

How true! Great leadership begins with great self-leadership. If we can’t be disciplined enough to lead ourselves, how can we ever expect to be great at leading others? For me, this is holistic. Self-leadership involves my physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual health. How can I lead, encourage, or disciple others into the fullness of life that Jesus offers if I am unfit in any of these areas of my own life? I want others to be able to follow my example. Like all pastoral leaders, I have to focus with un-wavering determination to live healthy. It doesn’t come easy. But I have found that the ongoing practice of spiritual disciplines goes a long way in helping me maintain my physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual health.

Another chapter worth noting, but not quoting, do to it’s reflective nature is “Discovering and Developing Your Own Leadership Style”. chapter 7

Bill first presented this chapter years ago at a WCA Leadership Summit – a message I have heard multiple times over in various context, and now again. But it never gets old. I love coming back to the fundamentals of how God has wired me up. Even if you have heard this message before, get your hands on this chapter, and let God speak His truth of who you are into your life and leadership. My primary leadership styles are the “motivational”, “team building”, and “entrepreneurial” and shift smoothly as the environment and needs of the ministry change.

And now for the home run. “Developing an Enduring Spirit – Staying the Course”. Chapter 12

After 14 years of full-time ministry, I have seen far too many peers benched due to moral failure or exhaustion. So how do pastoral leaders develop an enduring spirit and stay the course. Bill suggests three courses in the graduate school of endurance – 1) “Make your calling sure and stay focused”, 2) “Enduring by developing the courage to change”, 3) “Enduring by discovering safe people”.

The principles presented in “Courageous Leadership” are essential in developing pastors and churches that reach their fullest potential reaching people with the irresistible love of God.

Devotional: Stepping into Greatness

 

“A man can only receive what is given him from heaven….  He must become greater.  I must become less” (John 3:27,30, NIV).

 

The crowds were made curious by his unconventional clothing and daily diet of raw locusts.  They were intrigued by his teaching, and they marveled at his bold message.  Word of his ministry spread like wildfire – causing multitudes of people to travel great distances to see this man who preached repentance, promoted the greatness of God’s kingdom, and claimed to be preparing the way for Christ.  By the time Jesus started his ministry one year later, John the Baptist already had a strong reputation, large number of disciples, and the forefront ministry in the region.

 

It wasn’t long, however, before the ministry of Jesus surpassed that of John in popularity and prominence.  This was an obvious concern and threat to John’s disciples who saw their ministry market share slipping away.  Before loosing it all, they addressed their leader with the apparent stagnation of their ministry: “Rabbi (John), that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.” (NIV)  Listen to their concern:  “Everyone is going to Jesus.”  What was their problem?  Their personal kingdom was shrinking; their personal image was being deflated; their personal greatness was melting away.  A new ministry in town was outgrowing theirs!  These guys where perplexed with a personal and organizational dilemma!

 

Can you see the picture?  John’s closest friends, his disciples, his ministry partners for God’s kingdom had become disillusioned by the growing greatness of God.  They, more than anyone else, should have understood the mission of John’s ministry, but they missed it!

 

Listen to John’s passion, as his words cut straight to his followers’ hearts to address their concern and sin:  “A man can only receive what is given him from heaven…. He must become greater.  I must become less.”

 

Does this send a chill up your spine?  It should.  With these few short words, John re-defines greatness.  Greatness is realizing that I don’t build God’s church – He does!  Greatness is realizing that I don’t win the lost – God does!  Greatness, in God’s kingdom, is about God and others becoming greater as I become less.  Greatness is not obtained through personal drive, skill, or gifts, nor is greatness measured by building projects, financial capital, weekend attendance, or ministry prominence.  Greatness is obtained when we blaze a trail for God’s greatness as we fade into the background of His glory.

 

As Christian leaders, we often find ourselves in an awkward position:  we desire to build God’s kingdom but in doing so we get distracted by our own kingdom – a kingdom of personal image, personal prominence, and personal greatness.  Whose kingdom are you building?

 

Reflection:

Do you feel a silent competition with other churches in your area for larger ministry market share?  Do you partner with other ministries to build God’s kingdom, or do you remain relatively isolated?  Do you silently compare your ministry to the strength and weaknesses of other churches or ministry leaders?  Do you expect your children to live at a higher standard than other children because of your position?

 

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you may struggle with the pursuit of personal greatness.  Ask God to search your heart and check the motives of your ministry and leadership.

 

Prayer:

God, it is so easy for me to pursue my own greatness while serving to expand your Kingdom.  I find myself depending on my personal drive, skills, and gifts instead of on you to win the lost and build your church.  Please help me set aside my personal image, prominence, and greatness that you might become greater as I come less.

Changing Goals

“Do you set goals?”

I smiled, knowing my friend had no idea just how goal oriented I am, “Absolutely.”

A moment of silence ensured as we continued setting our ropes and gear, “How often do you accomplish your goals?”

I grinned, “100% of the time.”

No pause this time. “How in the world do you reach all of your goals without failure?”

Looking up with a short chuckle, “Simple. I move the target.”

My climbing partner was now confused, “What do you mean, you ‘move the target?'”

“As I see it, goals are fluid – not rigid. Goals exist to serve us. We are not to serve them. If a goal is rigid, then we become subservient to the goal. When goals are fluid, they become subservient to us, which is how it should be.”

By now we were sliding on our harnesses. “But if goals are fluid and change, why set them in the first place?”

I bent down, picked up a small rock, and began scratching a diagram on the cliff we were about to climb. “When we set and begin moving toward a goal, we need to understand, we are on a journey. In this journey, we gain new information, glean insight, discover more clearly who we are and the community of people we are working with or seeking to serve. If we fail to refine our goals as we gain new insight, we either miss the goal all together or hit the original goal while failing to serve ourselves or others well. Why? Because we have served the goal. If on the other hand, we modify the original goal, as we gain new information, we are bound to hit it every time, while serving ourselves and others better in the process. Why? Because we have been flexible enough to let the goal serve us.”

“Are there times that our goals should remain unchanged or moved?”

“Yes. Sometimes in the journey we learn that the original goal is the right goal and should remain unchanged to best serve ourselves and others. Yet, sometimes we discover that the original goal was completely unnecessary and should be eliminated – why waste our time? After tying in and setting the belay, I looked at my friend, I asked, “So, what’s your goal this morning?”

He smiled, “To reach the summit.”

“Where at the top of the cliff are you going to summit and what route are you going take to get you there?”

“I don’t know. I’ll let you know when I reach my goal.”

_________________________________________________________

In this image the goal setter (•) moves toward accomplishing the goal (G). In the journey, he either gains no new information that deems goal modification or he ignores new information gained in the process and proceeds to accomplish the original goal regardless if it’s potential need to be modified.

 

In this image the goal setter (•) moves toward accomplishing the goal (G). But in the journey (J2), she gains new information that deems goal modification. She assimilates the new information which modifies the original goal. When she reaches the goal it is now a modified goal (MG) based on the assimilation of gained insights from her journey.

 

Older Adults/Parents make Great Small Group Leaders

One of the most frustrating comments I can hear from a parent or someone older than 35 is “I don’t want to serve in Student Ministries because the students prefer to have leaders that are young”. I don’t think these students would agree.

Each statement below is written by a different student pertaining to their small group leader – who, by the way, is 35 or older and in many cases the parent of a student who is in junior or senior high. This year my small group leader…

• really got to know me and helped me along in my walk, and she taught me how to trust God and rely on His plans for me
• explained all the lessons completely and made everything clear to me.  She was so kind and loving to all of her girls.
• is amazing, she really encouraged me a lot
• helped me become saved, encouraged me to be closer to God, taught me more about God
• has helped me realize how to help show other people the glory of God
• helped me grow in relationships with God and my friends.  She also taught me how important it was to be consistent and keep praying
• helped me realize that I needed God!
• taught me to always look to God
• helped me with problems at school and at home, taught me ways to act Godly
• acted as the hands and feet of Jesus, showed us we can trust God with anything
• helped me to remember that God is always there with open arms, Leslie is awesome!!
• showed me how to radiate God’s light
• has been able to give us good advice for our problems, and she has set a good example for us girls.  We really appreciate what she has done.
• was nice and cared for us, and gave us very good advice.
• gave me advice and listened and helped me grow in my faith with God.
• gave me very helpful advice in a very tough situation that I’ve been through.  She has been a very positive role model in my spiritual life and has challenged me more than she knows.
• has helped me forgive people more quickly
• helped me through tough times and used God too
• encouraged us and made our experiences fun!
• I wasn’t here much at all, but my small group leader sent me letters.
• was so fun! She helped me with lots of my problems.
• has helped me to grow in my relationship with God, she has shown me how to live or Christ
• made me feel loved and was a good person to talk to
• helped me by digging deep in the Bible more, and having open discussion about the topic
• challenged me to be nice to people that I didn’t want to be nice to and I had to pray to God for help in doing this
• challenged my faith in a good way, she gave me suggestions on how to get closer with God
• has helped me grow in my spiritual walk, has encouraged me to pursue my goals with my gifts and talents, has always been there to talk about whatever
• has encouraged me in different situations (mainly with friends to do the right thing).  She has really been there for me and someone I can go to for Godly trust.  I love her!
• has been there for me to talk to and be a spiritual role model and leader in Christ.  She’s not perfect but sure is close!
• encouraged me in my faith and showed me a great example of a good Christian woman to follow after
• has encouraged me to grow and helps me look at things out of a Christian point of view, like if I’m going through something at school or home

Youthfulness is a mindset, not an age. We should never let age disqualify us from ministry. Students are simply looking for love. On the other hand, if student ministry isn’t the best place for someone to serve based on their gifts and passions, they should just say it! No excuses necessary.

For more on what God is doing to transform our students’ lives read:

The Best Team of Small Group Leaders in the Country

Stories of Spiritual Formation 

High School Students make Great Small Group Leaders

Note:

For anyone who is offended because I refer to 35 year olds as “older”, relax. I’m 36. Remember youthfulness is a mindset.