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Author: Caleb Duncan

Blog Contributor

Measuring Success in Ministry (Part 1)

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My father has been in the ministry for almost 34 years. In many conversations, he has commented on the summer season of church life during those few hot months in between school sessions. In talking with him this week, he said, “Many families are gone over the summer, but we don’t slow down very much. However, the dynamics of our ministry change.” Instead of continuing with the same caliber of ministry activities, they place their focus on summer events for the community and missional engagements such as VBS and Mission Trips. They also use summer months to focus on their teams and committees, even having a short retreat for their staff.

Summer presents a unique challenge to the life of our churches, and depending on the DNA of your Sunday gatherings, missing out entirely for a few months seems like a normal practice for young families. Of course, people need vacation time and rest to spend with their families. But when several core families are missing for a fourth of the year, the effects can seem devastating and confusing. 

During these summer months, many pastors even take sabbatical time themselves. Or, they will use the opportunity to restructure and rethink their ministries and calendars. Continuing with the same momentum in June and July, versus the rest of the year can seem like a daunting task. To avoid burnout, there are several ideas presented on this week’s podcast episode, and last week’s blog, that will help you think about the upcoming months in the life of your church.

Discern and Adapt

Some leaders want to double down and get into a deep study during the summer. But it can help to take a step back and use less-attended church services to focus on your core people and discern a ministry plan for the rest of the year. In Romans 12:2, Paul says to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The type of mind-renewal Paul is talking about takes time. 

But if you’re anything like me, there are some seasons that you are running so fast, and so chaotically busy, that you have no time to think. And when you don’t have time to think, it’s difficult to discern the will of God for you and for your church. Summer should be a time of reflection and focus. This is why many pastors take a season of rest during the summer while continuing to maintain the regular services and ministries of the church.

This time of discernment and adaptation takes place by:

1. Immersing yourself in the Word of God

In John 15:8, Jesus says, “By this my Father is glorified. That you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Did you catch that? Did you know that it is possible for God to be glorified by you simply abiding in Christ and bearing fruit? Sometimes we forget that in the busy-ness of ministry, God is not solely pleased by our righteous deeds. He is also glorified when we simply rest in Him. Sometimes we need to talk less and listen more to the voice of God to discern what the next steps are. 

2. Reflecting on culture, the world, and the church

What’s going on in the world today? This question will affect the way you do ministry and the elements you highlight, even in preaching. The gospel of Jesus Christ never changes, but the world around us constantly does. How can you be a faithful pastor that speaks directly to what your congregants are facing? I’ve talked to some leaders who are completely unaware of what is going on in the culture. Yes, we are called to “not love the world or the things of the world.” But the way we can love others is by speaking the truth of the gospel to the current situations our world is facing. God can and does use cultural affairs around us to open up gospel conversations! Spend significant time reflecting on the surrounding culture, and it will make you a more direct and pertinent leader.

3. Exercising good decision-making by utilizing your teams and leaders

No one is expecting you to do ministry alone. Summer can be the perfect time to identify leaders, equip them for the next season of church life, and deploy them to help serve and minister. Ephesians 4:12 tells us the purpose of church leadership: “…to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for edifying the body of Christ.” When you dialogue with your deacons, elders, or members of a leadership team, their unique viewpoints of church life can help you determine how to engage with church members in the upcoming season. Every pastor has to learn the tools of delegation and equipping.

Lead Paradigmatic Change

Summer can also feel like a time to re-invigorate old programs that have no value. But if there is one thing that the COVID years taught us, it’s that some programs have not resurfaced, and they don’t need to. Summer presents a time to simplify, evaluate the functions of your church and determine whether or not any change is necessary.

In the podcast, Bob talks about the difference between a leader and a manager. A leader asks questions about how the ministry you’re doing affects the Kingdom of God. But a manager simply seeks to maintain the same strategy without asking any questions. As Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” And if a leader is unwilling to determine where change is needed, then they should not expect the church to change in any positive direction.

Empower and Equip the Body

Don’t exhaust yourself to the point of no return. A good leader is one who recognizes leadership around them, identify and develop them, and then deploy them to the work of ministry. There is a reason God gave us deacons and gifted church members! To use for the work of ministry, in ways that a Pastor is unable due to time restraints and exhaustion. 

There is a sense in which we need to “deconstruct” the Pastor-only mentality. Recently, our Church Development team was looking through an Job Description to help a Pastor Search committee at one of our local churches. In the job description, we changed a lot of language because the language seemed to elevate the Pastor’s responsibilities to…everything, while reducing the member’s responsibilities to nothing. One of the duties was, “The Pastor will plan and conduct all worship services on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights.” Is this the Pastor’s role in the church, or can it be delegated to other members?

Pastors can easily burn themselves out with too much ministry related programs and activities. But in many ways, a man can only do what a man can do. Summer gives us an opportunity to identify and develop members around us, using their gifts and abilities, to carry on the work of ministry themselves. 

Be intentional this summer. At the beginning of it, set some goals for yourself, your ministry, and the church. Then, put some of these tools in place. God wants to use you this summer for His glory in the most effective way possible.

Leadership Capital

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Through college and seminary, my wife and I jumped from rental to rental, often finding the cheapest, most functional places we could. We knew our stay was temporary, so we tried to find rentals with a 6-month lease. Until we finished up our degrees, we lived in a variety of homes. But after moving back to Florida and temporarily staying with family, we began to search for a home to purchase and live long-term.

The language of mortgage loans was frustrating for me, and I felt ill-equipped to understand it all. Underwriters and Realtors were helpful, but I wish I had more economical knowledge before running into barrier after barrier. I didn’t understand why it was difficult and time-consuming to be approved for a mortgage loan, until my underwriter explained it to me in a way I finally understood: “Caleb, this process is all about trust.” 

In order to be approved to pay back a loan, the bank has to establish trust with you, by evaluating your proof of income, history, employment, family, and other factors. At some point, they’re willing to approve your request, because you’ve had time to build that valuable trust with them. 

And in the same way a bank might approve your request after adequate time, you have to build trust with your church before making any major decision.

Trust-Building Takes Time

Whether you are a Replanter or Revitalization Pastor, every leader must learn how to build “Leadership Capital.” Think of Leadership Capital as stored influence you acquire over time, that you can access when you need to make leadership decisions. A tendency among new leaders is to come in, shake things up, and move quickly. You may desire to make “big changes,” to prove yourself as a leader or visionary. However, trust-building takes time, and leaders need to learn the art of building Leadership Capital. Leadership decisions must be made in great wisdom.

If you think of this illustration in financial terms, capital isn’t earned overnight. It is built over time. The rate of growth is equivalent to the time spent in earning. As a church leader, you would be hard-pressed to find a church whose members will do everything you desire the first time you ask, with no question. Church members want to know if the pitfalls, the possibilities, and the opportunities around them are worth the risk. A healthy leader will build trust with them first, before enacting major changes.

Some leadership decisions have to be done quickly. But decisions require capital, and time builds trust. Leaders normally start out with zero trust. Or, you may be building back trust that has been lost by former leadership. If a former pastor overspent their capital, it could have left the church in burnout with trust issues, and confused about how to trust a future leader. 

Important and Urgent

As a church leader, you must understand the importance of discerning between things that are important and things are urgent. John Ortberg says that leadership is, “Disappointing people at a rate they can absorb.” Most leadership decisions will be met with feedback, pushback, and accountability. So before making too many decisions at once, consider Eisenhower’s Matrix:

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, once said, “The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” This matrix has been a helpful resource for many leaders. It helps you schedule your time, manage your resources, delegate others, and get rid of the things that are wasting time. Tools like this are helpful for church leaders.

Often, I will be working on several projects simultaneously, and need to write out everything on a big white board. Then, I have to list out several priorities, and delegate whenever I possibly can. And yes, there are some things that I have to look at and take an eraser to, because they are not urgent, not important, and way too time-consuming. 

The main point of using a tool like this is to make leadership choices in wisdom and lead your people with effectiveness. Leaders will often experience a pace of change that is slower than what is expected. 

The Value of Trust

It is so easy to get frustrated with certain groups of church members because they aren’t moving as quickly as you want. However, each time you are eating a meal with a family, sitting in a classroom, praying with someone, or even giving some counsel about a mundane decision in someone’s life, you are building valuable trust with them. Finally, when you say, “Let’s start a new ministry to our community,” they will listen to the leader who has spent adequate time with them.

A helpful recognition is our lack of capital that we have to begin with, and how quickly it runs out. It takes time to demonstrate competency, character, and display commitment and consistency with people. It also takes time to build connections with people emotionally, so that your leadership will go a longer way and yield better results.

Don’t forget that once you decide to “use” some of your capital by making a big decision, you are responsible for organizing it in such a way that you establish healthy credibility with those around you. If you delegate, delegate with the right people, and make it the best you can. Plans made like this go a much longer way than we think.

When you love people well, listen well, pastor well, and establish credibility, you are building your capital, and you can feel a greater freedom to spend it when the timing is right. Some questions to ask yourself when making a decision is: “Which of these decisions will help our church move together more holistically towards church health? Are there any of these that are barriers to church health?”

For more information on leadership decisions, check out some of our previous podcasts on this topic:

 

The Works You Did At First (The Rise and Fall of Ephesus)

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The Life Cycle of Ephesus

In the podcast this week, our team had the opportunity to have Kyle Bueermann as a guest. His thoughts on Discipleship in a Replant were helpful, and caused me to think about examples of some churches in the New Testament who neglected this important topic.

There are many churches mentioned in the New Testament that we don’t know much about. Even in Revelation, Jesus speaks directly to some churches that haven’t been introduced in Acts, and certainly don’t have their own epistles from Paul. Churches like Pergamum are noted in Revelation for holding fast to the name of Jesus and being faithful to the gospel, but we’re not sure of their history.

However, there is one Church in particular where we can see a majority of their life cycle. We know when the church was born, when they plateaued, and we can even see the church when it nears death. That church is Ephesus.

Birth, Growth, and Maturity

In AD 52, the Ephesian church was born. The first place we read about Ephesus is in Acts 18:19, where Paul begins planting gospel seeds in the synagogue and reasoning with the Jews. With the discipleship of Apollos and 12 new believers in Acts 19:1-7, this early church was born. Here are some characteristics of its first two years:

Evangelism

The birth and rapid growth of this church is nothing short of Spirit-led. The apostle spent three months persuading those in the synagogue about the Kingdom of God, and some of his disciples spent intentional time sharing the gospel in the hall of Tyrannus. And for two years, this church was responsible for spreading the gospel throughout most of Asia.

Ministry

The Holy Spirit was using Paul to heal the sick and cast out demons. His ministry was a public ministry, one in which people saw and recognized the hand of God. Because of this expulsion of darkness, Jesus’ name was extolled, evil practices were halted and repented of, and the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily  (Acts 19:17-20).

Public Theology

In the public square, the city of Ephesus was home to the great Artemis. But Paul was committed to the truth of God. A silversmith, Demetrius, admitted, “…in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.” What a testimony of reputation to the surrounding culture! Paul’s ministry of the word had caused quite the stir, and possibly potential persecution for the church. However, he held fast to the truth and did not waver. 

Leadership Development

Paul was also intentional in developing leaders. In his return through Macedonia, it lists a number of men who accompanied him: Sopater, Aristarchus and Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus. Paul regularly identified leaders, trained them, and appointed them to positions within the church.

Intentional Discipleship

In more quiet and intimate times, Paul spoke to church members with words of encouragement and care. He spent intentional time with them, studying the word of God, conversing with them, and bidding them a long farewell.

Confidence in his Ministry

One of the last things we see about the growth and maturity stage of this church plant were the tender words Paul spoke to the elders of the Ephesian church during his departure. He notes that he served the Lord with all humility, tears, and trials. He did not shrink from declaring anything to them from teaching in public or from house to house. After giving an encouraging word to the pastors, he admonishes them to help the weak and to give sacrificially.

Plateau

Ten years later, Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesians. When it first started, the church in Ephesus was a vibrant, growing church focused on the ministry of the word and bold evangelism. But now, in AD 62, Paul needed to remind them of the gospel truth they believed, and he also needed to call out some potential warning signs.

Paul knew that if he did not make them aware of the potential pitfalls, it was possible that their church could decline and become unhealthy. During this letter, there is no clear indication that the Ephesian church was in any kind of serious trouble, but Paul felt the need to remind them of their peripateo seven times. He was reminding them to look carefully at their conduct in life.

A Plea for Love

We first see these warning signs when Paul “urges” them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they have been called. The way they must do this is by genuinely loving one another. This type of love must be shown through humility, gentleness, and patience. Bearing with one another meant that love must be the focus of this ten year-old church to stay in relation to one another. 

Striving for Unity

Paul also desires that they would not simply maintain, but that they would be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. He reminded them that there was one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. Paul knew that if this church was not eager to be unified, they would very quickly be vulnerable to the enemy.

Pressing on to Maturity

Another warning sign that Paul gives is the most clear indication of healthy discipleship: maturity. God’s people are supposed to grow, and Paul wants this church to remember that they are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:15). If this church did not press on towards maturity, they would forget the reason for their work of ministry: discipleship. Their growth in the faith had to be something they continually longed for as a church body.

Putting Sin to Death

In chapter 4:17-32, Paul gives them a list of sins to flee from. Were these indicative in the early church? We aren’t sure to what extent, but Paul found it necessary to address these particular sins: sensuality, greed, falsehood, sins of the tongue, bitterness, wrath, anger, and sexual immorality. 

Getting Busy Again

Another point of responsibility for Paul to address is the issue of idleness. In other books, Paul warns against being lazy or idle in the Lord’s work. And in 5:15-17 he reminds the church of making the best use of their time. Alongside instructions to the family design, and cautioning them against spiritual warfare, Paul gives many general instructions or reminders to this church to remind them of what they should focus on in their present age.

Decline, Potential Death

Outside of a few other letters, the next time we really read about the Ephesian church is not from Luke, nor from Paul, but Jesus Christ himself in Revelation. Before the apostle John was taken up on a cloud of glory and shown glimpses of the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus had some words he wanted to share with seven churches. The first one mentioned is Ephesus.

This is 30 years later: potentially AD 95. At this point, the church is 50-60 years old, and much has happened in between Paul’s letter and Jesus’ letter. Apparently this church is commended because they are working hard, enduring until the return of Christ. They are even commended for their commitment to doctrinal purity. However, they’ve forgotten one major thing: they’ve forgotten their first love. 

The church that was the powerhouse for the word of God in the AD 50s had stopped loving Jesus. They cared more about doctrine than they did the object of that doctrine. And Jesus’ rebuke is solemn: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”

When Jesus said, “do the works you did at first,” what did he mean? Jesus was encouraging them to do the ministry they were doing when they first became a church. They needed a renewed zeal. They couldn’t forget the reason why they first were preaching the gospel with such boldness: because they had been saved by Jesus. 

When a church forgets the basic, simple truths of the gospel, all the doctrinal purity in the world has lost its purpose. The point of theology is doxology. The reason we study is not simply to show ourselves approved, but to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). And this is why discipleship is so necessary to any type of Revitalizing work. 

Discipleship Has to be the Focus

In the podcast this week, Kyle Bueermann shared with the Replant Bootcamp about the necessity of discipleship in a Replant. If the Ephesian church was a church we started working with at the Association, they would be a church that had missed the first two windows of Revitalization. Even Jesus was close to removing the lampstand of the church. The lights would go off and the doors would close, because they were trying to do ministry void of a genuine love for Jesus.

We must not forget loving, growing, and maturing towards our relationship with Christ. If you are a church that is in danger of closing, my first encouragement to you would be this: start loving Jesus again. When that becomes the focus of the church, you begin to be more passionate about the gospel, and you start falling in love with your community again. But none of this is possible without an intentional focus of discipleship in your church. 

If you think your church is in danger of closing, take this church health assessment. This self-assessment is meant to help assist you in determining the current state of your local church. Another way to get started is by taking an introductory course that will help anyone understand what church replanting is and how it provides hope for dying churches.

Practical Stewardship Helps

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In another blog, I wrote on the “why,” behind healthy stewardship. But this week on the podcast, we learned the “how” of Stewardship with Rick Wheeler from Stewardship Simplified (Florida Baptist Financial Services). On the podcast, Rick helped us understand how a Replanter or Revitalizer who has few resources can take practical steps to manage a church well for the glory of God.

Prioritizing Our Roles

When it comes to understanding the roles and titles that many of us carry, it helps to create a distinction between our job descriptions and our role as Christ followers. Before I am an Associational Mission Strategist, and before you are a pastor, \ leader, or  bi-vocational worker, you are first and foremost a follower of Christ. 

As  followers of Jesus Christ, we carry roles that take predominance over our job titles. For example, Paul tells us in Colossians  the primary roles of those who have “been raised with Christ” (3:1-14).

I reference this because as  Christ-followers, we must understand what it means to be a steward, even before we seek to become the best pastors, leaders, and teachers that we can be. The title of “Steward,” has biblically been given to you as a follower of Christ, before becoming a pastor. I can say this with certainty simply due to the qualifications that Paul gives to Timothy and Titus in 1 Timothy 3:4-5. Paul addresses the topic of stewardship when he says, “He must manage (steward) his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”

This is why the topic of stewardship is so important for us to understand. Before Paul gives Timothy “Instructions for the Church,” (1 Timothy 5:1-25) he gives the “Qualifications for Overseers” (1 Timothy 3:1-7).

Insights for Practical Stewardship

Stewardship is not simply money management. As Rick said, stewardship is not about fund-raising, but Jesus following. Stewardship is the God-honoring management of resources as an obedient and a faithful disciple of Jesus. The Bible talks about stewardship and  money in almost 2,350 verses, and in 11 parables, Jesus deals with money in some way or fashion. However, as biblically important as this topic is, many people know so little about it.

Preach and Teach Regularly on Stewardship

I personally know some pastors who joke around about having a “tithing sermon” once a year where they talk about giving. But if the Bible talks about it so much, shouldn’t we? The reason why this topic is so important is because stewardship is related to the first commands that God gave to humanity. He told Adam and Eve to “Fill the earth and have dominion over it…” (Gen. 1:28). God wanted Man and Woman not to just multiply and fill the earth, but to have some type of control or management over what He was giving to them. 

This act of love from God theologically sparks my interest because from this one command flows the rest of creation’s responsibilities. Even when they were banished from the garden, their role remained. Yet, it was now marred with sin and broken. Only through Christ can we recognize the best way to steward: for God’s glory. Preach and teach regularly on the topic of stewardship, because we have a short life on Earth and we are called to manage it, and all our resources well. If we do this, we will make the conversation normative in our churches.

Ensure Appropriate Control and Accountability 

If you trace back a church’s factors of decline and look into their history, you’ll find that most churches have had arguments related to finances. Churches in our community have had major church splits due to preference on managing finances. Often, these conflicts occur because there was inappropriate control over those finances. Dual control means that any time finances are being handled or dealt with, you have at least two sets of eyes on it. Checks have two signatures, and all the way through the financial process there are multiple eyes on the movement of money.

A team at our Association had to look into a church that had closed down several years ago and what we found in its history and in interviews from former members was uncanny. The church had two CD’s (Certificate of Deposits) worth about $20,000. The church badly needed a new A/C system throughout the church, but at that time, the secretary was forcibly removed (through a secret church vote) due to a manipulating church member. Then, when someone else stepped into the role ofa secretary, she and her husband decided to use that $20,000 to buy a new tractor to keep on the church property. WOW! Yes, this is a true story. And yes, this could have been avoided if there was dual control, with multiple eyes on the movement of money.

Bring in an Outside Voice 

Another thing that can help is to bring in an outside voice to help work with your church and provide some training and resources. Thankfully, there are people who do this type of work professionally, and have a lot to bring to the table. As a pastor, you are also the handler of a 501(c)(3). This doesn’t have to be complicated, if you’re willing to bring in some help. These outside voices can help assist your church in setting policies and practices, and some can even analyze your budget and provide recommendations. I’ll list some financial resources at the bottom of this page for more information.

Communicate Structure to your Congregation

As a leader, one way to help communicate with your congregation is by setting some time in place where they can hear about these structures. When I was a member at Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, we would have monthly Member’s Meetings. During these Sunday-afternoon meetings, we would welcome new members, celebrate ministries in the church, do any business related to church discipline, and also have a financial report. The way the financial report was communicated was exciting, because the pastors brought a lot of zeal to our meeting. This is a great way to regularly communicate with your church.

Another way to do that is in a New Member’ class at your church. For new church members to understand the function and mission of the church, they also need to understand how their church functions not just as a ministry, but as an organization. Take significant time in your New Members’ class to go over your financial structure.

Understand Your Budget

The last way you can apply practical stewardship in your church is by helping members understand the function of a budget. So many have misconceptions about the budget. According to Rick, your budget should be a goal, a guess, and a guide. A goal: your budget is something you are leaning toward. We have to intentionally make our budget faith-oriented, and know that our largest expenditures are ministry-related. A guess: your budget should not be set in stone to the point where flexibility is impossible. There should be some leeway in your policies for the budget to be adjusted as needs come available. Lastly, a guide. The budget helps you know your boundaries and it serves as a guide. But overall, your budget should not be a god. Don’t make an idol out of your budget, but use it to benefit the ministry of the church.

For more information on this topic and to check out Stewardship Simplified, click here. For years, Dave Ramsey has been a leading voice on finances not only for regular Christian living, but for church assistance. See this page for information on solutions for a church with a lower budget. There are a myriad of financial resources online, but my encouragement would be to touch base with your Associational Director, or connect with NAMB resources for help and ideas.

The Church Dies Without Discipleship (Part 2)

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Note: This is Part 2 in a 2-Part series on Barriers to Discipleship.

All Revitalization is Discipleship

Last week, we covered three major barriers to discipleship in a church, and today we cover the last three. If we don’t remove these barriers, it can become extremely difficult to work with a church in revitalization and replanting efforts. Discipleship, not numbers, is the measure of success in churches we are working with. 

I was meeting with one of our pastors recently who is a young man and brand new to the ministry. A church called him to be their pastor and he’s done exceptionally well in loving and caring for his congregation, but he’s faced many hurdles. Myself and someone from our Replant team were encouraging him. “Sometimes you may have a hard and miserable week, and you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything. But if you meet with someone to disciple them, it’s a successful week.” Discipleship is the point of the work we are doing, it is the mission. And when these barriers come up, we do everything we can to remove them. To see part one, click here.

4. Theistic Pragmatism

Related to Spiritual Consumerism is the idea of Theistic Pragmatism, which is a type of theology that pervades our culture and our churches much more than we realize. It represents a gradual drift away from the gospel, because it lessens Biblical Doctrine with spiritually empty ideas for the betterment of human life. The best way I can explain this is by using the word “Deism.” Deism is an alternative worldview from Christian theism. 

I can list for you a number of church websites that you can go to, and see messages like “3 Ways to Have a Better Marriage,” or “5 Parenting Hacks.” From the pulpit, preachers are preaching messages using a bible theme to convey spiritual messages that are void of the gospel. This dangerous work is more common than we know.

This false teaching is so dangerous because its implications sound so similar to what Christians teach and believe, but it misses the gospel entirely. This type of mindset is a barrier to discipleship because it represents many misconceptions that people have about the God of the Bible. I’ve talked to many friends and even family about their ideas about God, Jesus, and the Church. Because the popularity of Deism is so widespread and it represents most peoples’ view of God, it can be difficult to combat. But this is the point of discipleship, that as we grow in the faith, a true and more clear picture of the gospel would remind us daily of who Christ truly is. And that we would not be swayed by the false teaching of our day. 

In the book “A Field Guide on False Teaching,” Deism is explained in this way: “…deism offers modern people a religion that appears to be more charitable than Christianity. “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” offers people a God who does not meddle too much in their lives and who also encourages them to be good, fair, and nice to one another. It guarantees salvation to those who pursue a life of goodness and kindness.”

Coined by sociologists in the 2005 book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism refers to the main belief system in America: that God exists, He wants people to be good to each other, the goal of life is to be happy, God does not involve himself in human affairs except to resolve problems, and good people go to heaven when they die. 

This barrier to discipleship should not be overlooked. Many Christians are being discipled by books, podcasts and other resources that would classify under these topics. But in discernment, we can seek to identify false teaching and put an end to it where we can.

5. Programmatic Ossification

A good definition of Ossification is the process of habits or ideas becoming fixed and unable to change. The example that Armstrong gave is a church that sees a church down the road with an idea, and then patterns their church program or ministry after that idea. When a church’s programs fail to adapt or change with the surrounding community, and they decline to the point of death, it is time for a church to reevaluate their ministries and functions. Related to discipleship, new believers can find difficulty being connected to a church that seems so foreign to their community.

At the very root of this is a loss of missional context. In his book Future Church, Will Mancini calls this the local predicament. Every church’s community context is unique, and church growth is local, not imported. But what happens to discipleship when a church loses contact with their community? 

I credit Mancini for his thought-provoking dialogue. What happens in Programmatic Ossification is the usefulness of programs is potentially mismatched. When leaders are not emotionally connected to local problems, they can indiscriminately run solutions designed by someone else, somewhere else, for someone else – like David wearing Saul’s armor. 

The uniqueness of setting can be tragically squandered. When it comes to both substance and style of ministry, local trumps generic. Every location has a unique story, unique features, unique strengths and unique possibilities. Believers have a harder time building relationships, serving, and having spiritual conversations with unbelievers when the church separates them from their neighborhoods to do church activities elsewhere.  

What needs to happen in church revitalizations is local awareness and creativity when it comes to ministries and programs. We have a church located in a rural area of the community with very low-income. They were able to use a government program where they have food drop-offs at their ministry site. Bi-monthly, they have a large food giveaway, and people are lined up for miles to drive by. Their church is well-known as a loving church in their community because they represent Jesus well in the community. 

6. Truncated Vision

Another barrier to discipleship in a church revitalization or replant is Truncated Vision, or a loss of purpose. In one church revitalization I am working with, we decided that the first step was to refocus the church spiritually by spending 90 days in prayer and fasting and gathering for worship and fellowship. This is where all churches should begin in a revitalization process.

But the second phase is important and should not be overlooked. That is to recenter on Gospel Mission. A great biblical comparison is to compare the Ephesian Church to the Philippian Church. 

In Revelation 2:4, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus, ‘I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” The Ephesian church was laboring, toiling with patient endurance, but they lost their first love. They had lost their purpose, so they were toiling and striving aimlessly. Jesus wanted them to remember why they had begun this work in the first place.

In comparison, Paul writes to the Philippian church in Philippians 1:3-5 and says, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” The church in Philippi had understood their purpose, and their toil and striving had a clear direction. The members knew what they were supposed to do: they were to proclaim the gospel. 

In the book Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer says, “Rarely could anyone point to a singular event or historical moment where the purpose was forgotten. It was a deadly and slow process. Attitudes shifted from gospel-centered and other-centered to self-centered. An outward focus became an inward obsession. Routines and traditions and rituals replaced the original purpose of being a gospel-driven people.” Then, Rainer even makes this claim: “A Church without a gospel-centered purpose is no longer a church at all.”

When Paul said, “From the first day until now,” this indicates that they did not stop understanding their purpose. There was a constant reminder to live and share the gospel. For churches that have no clear purpose or direction, one of the first steps in revitalization is to strip the church down to its bare bones and simply remember why it exists. This is why so many resources today help churches on the identifying markers of a healthy church. 

In a Neat Little Bow

How do we wrap this up? I think in a statement like this: “Discipleship is messy, but it’s worth it.” Going and making disciples is difficult because it involves sinful people – and you’re one of them. 

I couldn’t summarize this better than Joel Woodruff, who is the president of the C.S. Lewis Institute. In a Research Paper called “Discipleship is Messy Business,” he said this: 

“If Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians is any clue to us, we shouldn’t expect relationships in the church to be easy. Paul addresses all kinds of human foibles, busted relationships, and corruption that are taking place in the midst of God’s people, the church. It is clear that it would be naïve to think that church life will be easy. 

“On the other hand, we should expect relationships among Christians to get better if we are seeking the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to help us live righteous and godly lives. As we seek to carry out the Great Commission, make disciples, and learn to obey all that Jesus commanded, we should see marked improvement in the way we love and care for one another. If we don’t see improvement, then we need to question whether or not we are really Jesus’s disciples. 

“It is clear that discipleship is messy business. Just look at the antics of the apostles who walked and talked with Jesus. They were far from perfect and did some pretty stupid things. Yet God used them to ‘turn the world upside down.’ That should be encouraging to us. 

“The good news for us is that Jesus has also chosen to work with you and me despite our sin. If we are able to work through the messiness of our own discipleship process, I trust people will be able to say, “This place, the church, is gorgeous! And what loving and beautiful people!”

The Church Dies Without Discipleship (Part 1)

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Note: This is Part 1 in a 2-Part series on Barriers to Discipleship.

All Revitalization is Discipleship

During a conference, I heard Bob Bickford say, “All Revitalization is Discipleship.” At first, I didn’t know what that statement meant. I had read a lot of books on revitalization, and discipleship is always a part, but it sounded like he was boiling down discipleship to be the main factor in all church revitalization.

But the more I thought about it and worked with churches, the more that I discovered that statement to be true. No, discipleship is not the only thing involved in a church revitalization, but it certainly is the underlying factor.

How can this be true? Consider what discipleship is and what happens in a declining church. Is a Church not declining in numbers because in some way, they have failed to continue growing and maturing in Christ? Perhaps the conversation of “discipleship” has become boring for many. In 1980, Eugene Peterson wrote a book called A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. This classic book on Discipleship was originally rejected by 17 publishers. It wasn’t “new” or “exciting” enough, but it was a needed book, rooted in the realities of the Christian life.

I was working with a church recently that has gone down to about 10 people, whereas 40 years ago, they were averaging closer to 80. After our team met with theirs, we saw one of the most glaring reasons why. The church has had one baptism since 2005, that’s one baptism in the past 17 years.

The church was not reaching their community, they were not doing evangelism, they had become stagnant where they were. But discipleship beckons a life of following Christ, continually. And just as God sanctifies believers, he also sanctifies his church. In Philippians 2:12, Paul says to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” This means that there is something on our part when it comes to working out this faith in our lives. God sanctifies us, but we also have a part to play.

The same can be said true of our local church. When we stop growing in Christlikeness, we begin to fall apart. It’s true in our life as much as it is in the church. 

And Luke 9:23, Jesus gives us a good definition of Discipleship. He says “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

This type of denial means that we sacrifice our desires, our wants, and our preferences, for the sake of following Jesus. This verse implies something that Paul picks up on later on in Galatians. That is that our desires (in the flesh) are actually set at odds with God’s desires. And that the desires of the flesh are against the desires of the spirit (Gal. 5:17).

This denial of self must be practiced in our churches, if we desire to grow in Christ. 

Still in following Jesus, we face many barriers along the way. But it’s difficult to overcome those barriers when we can’t define them. Thankfully, Walker Armstrong was a guest on the podcast this week and gave several ways we can identify barriers to discipleship. Think about these closely, and seek to identify them in your own church.

Barriers to Discipleship

#1. Human Ego

In the book, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Tim Keller quotes Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:3, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.” Keller argues that this was a totally unnatural view of self. Quite frankly, one needs the Holy Spirit to think of himself this way. It’s not that Paul thought of himself less, it’s that he didn’t think of himself at all. 

Human Ego naturally gets in the way of everything God wants to do in us and through us. When we think too highly of ourselves, it prohibits us from growing in our relationship with Christ. Likewise, in a church that wants to revitalize, the pastor, leaders, and members must do all they can to humble themselves and realize that it is not all about their image or reputation. If the end goal of a Church Revitalization is a changed trajectory of a congregation’s spiritual life, that begins by following Christ’s plan for his church again. It won’t happen until we deny ourselves. 

Just to recenter and focus back on its origins, it helps to ask this question: “Who does the Church belong to?” Here is Jesus’ claim: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). In Colossians 1:18, who is the head of the body, the church? Who is the chief shepherd that gives the crown of glory in 1 Peter 5:4? In Revelation 2:1, who is it that holds in his hand the seven stars and walks among the golden lampstands? The name of Jesus Christ is on the deed of our churches. And no affidavit can transfer that title to us. 

Paul said in Philippians that you must “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” and he explains how Jesus emptied himself, became a servant, and humbled himself to the point of death on a cross. Jesus could have brought all attention to himself and escaped the accusations of religious leaders and Roman authority. Instead, he willingly brought himself low, and as a result, He is now exalted.This is the type of humility we are to have in a Church Revitalization or Replant. This humility actively denies self for the greater purpose of exalting Christ.

#2. Spiritual Consumerism

Another great barrier to real discipleship in a church is spiritual consumerism. The past generation has seen a wave of church growth techniques and resources to help churches grow a mile wide in numbers, but often an inch-deep in spiritual maturity. The sentiment is often to “get people’s foot in the door,” and immediately engage them with entertainment. Draw them in, and allow people to slowly learn about the love of God and the gospel. 

I do not want to be too cynical. There are surely good and meaningful tips that can come from this advice. Many walk in the doors of church with aesthetically pleasing decor, catchy music, and a pastor with the latest clothing line and shoes. Some would never walk in the door of a smaller church because of personal preference. Indeed, some churches are “fishers” and some are “catchers,” to use a fishing analogy. I believe it can even be helpful to have a sanctuary and music that is appealing, an enjoyable worship experience, and a place for plenty of activities and events for kids and students. 

But if a church is more focused on production and entertainment than spiritual maturity and depth, the numerical growth can be more of an unfortunate illusion. Churches that use entertainment as a replacement for gospel-saturated discipleship are not going and making disciples, they are going and appealing to consumers. 

Where did this model come from? It did not come from New Testament Church principles, but American Culture. If we look at how the New Testament church grew, we see that it grew by adding and by multiplying. (1) How did the Jerusalem church go from 120 persons to over 5,000 (Acts 2:41, 4:4)? It was simply the clarity of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the favor of God’s hand. People got saved, and immediately were brought into the church family. (2) How did the New Testament Church multiply? They multiplied by being committed to the word of God, and by being obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). This is what biblical discipleship looks like: commitment to the word and obedience in the faith. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says, “teach them to observe everything I have commanded them.”

Spiritual Consumerism is dangerously close to prosperity-gospel theology. The method of easy-believism is to have people believe in you or appreciate you at a superficial level by tickling their appetite with things that appeal to the eye. But pure charisma and entertainment can not turn a dying church around. I would venture to even say that the growth that often takes place in churches like this creates the illusion of God-glorifying life and vibrancy. When in actuality, it exposes the difference between a believer and a disciple. Anyone can believe in God, even the demons do (James 2:19). But where are the followers? The disciples? 

Perhaps a litmus test is necessary to determine whether or not a church is focused on biblical discipleship or spiritual consumerism. As Paul said in Galatians 6:7, “whatever one sows, that he will also reap.” Therefore, we can determine the main focus of a church based on the type of disciple that this church produces. Believers who come to church to be entertained and leave with no life change have been visiting a church that is more focused on production than the gospel. But a disciple who not only hears the word of God, but does it, and one who is actively growing in Christlikeness, is part of a disciple-making church.

#3. Organizational Complexity

This may be one of the most important, practical barriers to overcome, especially in a re-plant situation. Every church has a few sacred cows, programs and ministries that they’ve held onto for years. 

I remember attending a church once, and there was a new member class afterwards. I decided to go out of curiosity to see what the church was about. For a couple of hours I learned all about the different ministries and programs of the church, but I never once heard what was the mission or the vision of the church itself. I left with a great confusion about everything that the church offered, but never understood the purpose or driving force of this particular church body.

I believe this type of problem persists in many churches that have focused on programs and ministries. For many years, oftentimes without remembering the reason why they first began, churches added ministries on top of ministries. But in a replant or revitalization, simplicity is key. With organizational structure, the best thing a revitalizing church can do is get to its bare bones and focus on fellowship, worship, evangelism, discipleship, and unity.

We understand it can be difficult to recommend changes like this. However, it is important for the church to understand the complexity of structure. Would we rather run 12 ministries decently, or run 4 ministries extremely well? How can we be most effective and fruitful for the Kingdom of God? These are questions for churches to ponder. 

There are other barriers to discipleship in a church, but I will give some others in a “Part 2.” If you think your church is in danger of closing, take this church health assessment. This self-assessment is meant to help assist you in determining the current state of your local church. Another way to get started is by taking an introductory course that will help anyone understand what church replanting is and how it provides hope for dying churches.

Traits to Change

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Cycles of Personal Growth

“I’m working on myself,” is a common phrase people say when they want to start improving something about their physical appearance, their emotional state, or their daily activity. The personal goals we make for ourselves change over time, and we all personally go through phases of decline, plateau, and growth (sound familiar?). Like the Life Cycles of a Church, our goals also have life cycles.

Last year, I made it my goal to lose some weight. I started a diet at the beginning of the year and had some great success with it for about two months! Then, I started getting busy…very busy. I lost the energy and motivation to continue because the progress I had made was adequate. So, I started reintroducing foods/drinks that I had previously been abstaining from. By the end of the year I was facing some depression and lost some motivation to continue, and even gained some of that weight back. The last phase is when we recognize that we need to “jump back on it,” and the cycle starts over.

In ministry, church leaders ought to be looking for ways they can improve their leadership. In another podcast we learned about some traits of a godly leader. Our life navigates us through learning, growing, and improving. This is not only our desire, but it is God’s desire through the Holy Spirit at work in us. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a gift, to lead and guide us, to convict us of sin, and to give us boldness to be a witness for Christ. It is through the Holy Spirit that God wants to sanctify us.

Sanctification – In Every Christian Life

The word “Sanctification” is related to our growth in conformity of Christ. God uses people, places, and the Holy Spirit to move us towards being set apart or holy. The Bible says, “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 20:7-8). 

  In the book How Does Sanctification Work? David Powilson says this: “The Christian Life typically lurches forward rather than marching uniformly in a straight line.” We were meant to grow.  No matter what your goals are for self-improvement, we all need to recognize that change is coming – and we should be prepared for it. God’s sanctification will guarantee us that change will either happen with our willingness or without it. 

I cannot tell you how many times in my life that I have suffered through a situation and questioned God, only to look back years later and realize how it produced a Godly trait in me.We are fortunate to know that we can learn from men and women in the Bible who sought some of the traits we will talk about in this blog. Speaking of biblical examples, Powilson also says, “I am convinced that our understanding of the process of the Christian life is greatly enriched by considering multiple mundane examples, both in Scripture and in our lives.” 

Case Study: Paul’s Maturation

One of the ways we see this is in the life of Paul. Paul was not a perfect man. When Christ encountered him on the road to Damascus, it changed his life forever. But there was still some “renewing of the mind” that had to take place. When we meet him in Acts, he had been changed by Christ and started pursuing the apostolic call on his life. However, clearly Paul struggled with sin. 

In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul said, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all.” He also explained his wrestle with his fleshly desires vs. the desire he had to serve God (Romans 7:13-25). But we also see his growth and maturation in his writing. Paul seemed to much more gracious and calm in the progression of his letters to the churches.

Galatians was likely Paul’s first epistle. And you can clearly tell the difference between his first epistle and his last epistle. See if you can tell the difference:

1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Compared to his last letter: 2 Timothy 1:

3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Now, I’m not saying that the Galatians didn’t deserve Paul’s rebuke. But if you do a deep case study on the writings of Paul, you will see that as he progressed and wrote these epistles, he became more graceful, more patient, and more sympathetic over time. A great resource on studying this is N.T. Wright’s Paul: A Biography. 

Traits to Change

No matter what you do for your own self-improvement, you will encounter hardships. But Jimbo and Bob have done a great job identifying the 5 traits that are necessary if you hope to change anything about yourself. Most attempts of self-improvement will fail, if you do not possess the following characteristics. Here they are, with a brief description of each:

Humility

Humility means acknowledging that you have room to grow and that others have something to offer. We can see the importance of humility in biblical passages such as Ephesians 4:2, James 4:10, and 1 Peter 5:5, which all emphasize the importance of humility. Bob notes that humility is the first touchstone for personal development and that being humble doesn’t mean thinking less of oneself, but rather thinking of oneself less. He warns against assuming that one’s presence alone will fix everything and emphasizes the importance of recognizing one’s weaknesses and inexperience.

Teachability

Teachability involves being open to learning from others, even those who may not have as much experience as you. The second ingredient for personal growth in replanting and revitalizing a church is teachability, which is built upon humility. Teachability involves being willing to receive feedback, instruction, and correction, even if it is painful. Proverbs 13:18 and Proverbs 9 emphasize the importance of heeding reproof and instruction in order to become wiser and more skilled. Without teachability, growth is impossible.

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness requires honest assessment (Romans 12) of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your goals and motivations. Having a realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as an understanding of how others perceive you, can help you make more informed decisions and pursue growth opportunities that align with your abilities and interests.

Integrity

Integrity is about being honest with yourself and others, avoiding excuses, and owning up to mistakes. It’s important to be honest with ourselves and others about our progress and performance, and not make excuses for our shortcomings. When we take ownership of our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions, we demonstrate integrity and earn the trust and respect of others. This is especially important for leaders, who are expected to set an example and inspire others to grow and improve. By being honest and owning our mistakes, we can become better versions of ourselves and gain the support and trust of those around us.

Check out Your Future Self Will Thank You by Drew Dyck for more on self-control.

Initiative

Finally, initiative is the willingness to put in the work required to grow, taking action rather than waiting for others to prod you into it. If you want to grow, these ingredients are essential, and there are many resources available to help you develop them.

Personal development and growth require a combination of these five ingredients: humility, teachability, self-awareness, integrity, and initiative. It’s important to be honest with yourself and others about your progress and to take responsibility for your actions. And ultimately, growth requires initiative and hard work, putting in the necessary effort to achieve your goals. There are many resources available to help with personal development and developing good habits, but ultimately, it’s up to you to take the first step and put in the work.

For more information, check out the Godly Leadership series on our podcast, and read Eric Cofield’s excellent blogs on the 5 Traits of Godly Leaders.

Ministry for the Layman

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Correcting a Common Misconception

For most of my life, I believed that the word “ministry” was only defined by the spiritually elite among us who go to Bible College and seminary and get degrees and names on a piece of paper. When I attended the Baptist College of Florida, my idea of ministry was solely vocational. I came to understand something my freshman year of Bible college. Preparing for ministry wasn’t about getting paid and starting a career. Ministry is the activity of God’s work for every believer. I was taught how to be a missionary in everyday life, outside of being a “pastor.” I realized that ministry is not just for vocational leaders. It’s for every saint.

At its foundation, I had a misconception of the role of a pastor. I thought he  did all the work of ministry. After all, isn’t that what he gets paid for? Our society reassures this thought process with the American system of vocation: you only do the work you get paid for. If I worked a maintenance job and was fixing the A/C at a store, and they asked me to go to the front and ring up customers, I’d be surprised at the question. I would say, “I don’t get paid for that.”

But God’s economy and the role of the church is a bit different from our American system of vocation. Pastors and leaders haven’t always done a complete job explaining the role of church members and ministry for all the saints. Also, some lay members have bought into a lie in the American church today: we pay people to do the work of the ministry so we don’t have to. This has resulted in the inactivity of members for the work of ministry. In order for us to grasp what ministry looks like for the layman, we must first ask the question, “What is the role of the pastor?”

Equipping the What?

Let’s look at a familiar passage of scripture where Paul talks about the role of a pastor and the members, or “saints.” Ephesians 4:11-13 says, 

“11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

Question 1: Did God call pastors, teachers, evangelists to lead in the body of Christ? Yes, absolutely. But he called them for a purpose: that they would equip the saints for the work of ministry and build up the body of Christ. Based on this simple passage of scripture, I believe a pastor has two major roles: (1) to equip the saints for ministry and (2) to encourage the saints (building up the body).

Question 2: So, is the pastor supposed to do the work of ministry? The answer to that is yes. But not just because he is a pastor. It’s because he, also, is a “saint.” Other passages of scripture talk about the role of a pastor as it relates to the work of ministry. See Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:1-16,  2 Timothy 4:2, Hebrews 13:17, and 1 Peter 5:1-14. However, there is a lot of overlap between the ministry of every saint and the ministry of a pastor, such as the “Ministry of Reconciliation” in 2 Cor. 5:16-20. 

Some would object. Question 3: “Isn’t ‘saint’ talking about extra-spiritual and super-religious Christians?” No, my friends. The word “Saint” refers to every born-again believer who has been saved from their sin and in relationship with God. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says, 

“9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

The reason we are called “saints” is not because of our righteous acts, but because of what Jesus did on our behalf. He died to make us a holy, set apart people. That is what the word “saint” means. 

Pastors, Use Your People

“I’ll just do it myself,” is a common phrase we hear ourselves say, especially serving in a Replant or Revitalization. No matter what our misbelief is about church members, we think it would just be better if we did it on our own. But if we are called to equip the saints, this means we have to let go of some of our control and give others the opportunity to lead in a variety of ways.

In the process, we may find out that there are some lay members who are gifted, skilled, and adequately able to do far more than we can. God has spiritually gifted each member in some type of way, and it’s our responsibility to help members engage with God’s work both in and outside of our churches.

I am not a Replant pastor, and I’m not in a leadership position at my church right now, other than teaching a Connect Group. As an Associational Leader I work with the churches and pastors in our area. We have a Church Development Team at the Association. This team has gone through the Replant Training together, and none of the 5 members we have on the team are pastors. Instead, we have an engineer, and superintendent of a shipyard, a pastoral-intern, an artist, and a stay-at-home mother. 

What does God require of those he uses for His glory? Skill-set? Ability? No, God desires to use those who make themselves available for His great kingdom work. 

Let Go and Let Them Lead

While it may require some oversight at first, pastors should feel comfortable letting go and letting lay members lead in different areas. There are times where church leaders feel the need to wear every hat in the church, sit in on every committee, and have a voice in every church matter. This type of micromanaging is more harmful than you realize. It’s time to step back and allow others to manage different areas.

A Replant or Revitalization may not have the funds to hire someone who is a seminary-trained, ordained pastor. The usage of laity is essential. As church leaders, we need to recapture what it means to help members identify their spiritual gifts, and put them to work…which is a different blog for a different day. Use lay leaders in children’s ministry. Use lay leaders in youth ministry. Use lay leaders in worship ministry. Use lay leaders in missions and outreach. Use lay leaders as greeters, ushers, and partners in ministry.

Martin Robinson, former president of Formission College, once said, “A missionary church cannot rely on the professional ministry for the primary work of mission. The role of the laity is critical because it is the lay members of the church who have the greatest contact with those who are outside of the normal structures of church life. In such a situation the task of clergy is not so much to engage in mission themselves, as to support the laity in their mission.”

The Pitfalls of “Personality” Leadership

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Pride in Leadership

Recently, I began reading a book that has been deeply convicting my soul. The more that I read it, the more evidence I see in my own life of areas that I need to change…that I need the Holy Spirit to change me. This book is called The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller. In the book, he defines our culture’s incessant need for the inflation of our own ego, and talks about how the path to true Joy in the Christian life is one of humility and repentance of pride.

In this book, Keller defines our ego as empty, painful, busy, and fragile. The solution to an over-inflated sense of self worth is having a transformed view of yourself that only comes by the saving power of the Gospel and walking daily with God through the power of the Holy Spirit.     

This led me on a study through James where I have been teaching/preaching/writing over the past several weeks. And trust me, the podcast this week was just the icing on the cake. If we as pastors, leaders, ministers, etc. think that we can lead from the power of our own personality and ideas, void of the Spirit of God, we will accomplish nothing for God’s glory.

I believe that pride is the root of all sin. This is because all sin is self-seeking behavior, and all flesh is affected by sin in the world. We naturally have an inclination to inflate ourselves, exalt ourselves, and worship ourselves. This not only carries into our everyday lives, but also into our leadership positions. And I believe that pride is at the very root of the podcast episode this week: “Leading Beyond the Force of Personality.”

Sole-Dependence on Skills and Abilities

One of the characteristics of a productive organization is a charismatic leader. But it can also be a major pitfall. Organizations that are built solely on the personality of one person are not only problematic, but they are seriously dangerous. Last summer, I listened to another podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. It’s a podcast that documents the rise of Mars Hill church to prominence and influence, but also the falling apart of the church after a series of bad leadership decisions. When this podcast first aired, it stirred up a lot of conversation about church leadership.

Some who were a part of the Mars Hill family only had good things to say about their time as members. Many more ended up leaving the church because of unhealthy leadership, bad relationships, loss of gospel standards, and a lack of clear communication. Some people were hurt because of an abuse of power. Listening to the podcast is a tragic story about how hard a church can fall when they have built their whole structure around one man’s personality. 

The reason why this type of leadership can result in failure is frankly because of the sin and pride in our hearts. Trying to lead solely based on our own personality is like telling God “I don’t need you,” while spending every moment wondering how a decision will impact your image. When this happens, we grow too dependent on ourselves and less dependent on God. Consider John the Baptist rephrasing his statement, like this: “He must decrease, I must increase!”

But we must remember what the word of God says: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). 

Pitfalls of “Personality” Leadership

We all have a distinct personality that has been given to us by God. It naturally flows out of us as we make decisions and meet people where we are. Our personality is not a bad thing. However, our personality can sometimes get in the way of leading from a healthy place. Leadership by personality alone is not sustainable.  And while you may have a great personality that is approachable, lively, and full of charisma, people can often feel diminished by the strength of your disposition. 

Unfortunately, this type of leadership is the main reason for pastoral burnout. When we fail to incorporate others in decision making and lead from a position of narcissism (“I can do it myself”), we think that the success of our church or organization is dependent on our identity and persona. This is an interesting thought process, and one that comes from the flesh. Leading solely from our personality is so clearly wrong that the results are painfully obvious. Crashing and burning is just around the corner. We know in scripture that we may water and plant seeds, but who is it that gives the growth? God alone, friends. 

Here is a better alternative: we should humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift us up. Let the Spirit lead us, because the Spirit of God knows much more about how to honor God, than we do. The spirit is willing! The flesh is weak. 

One of the books I continually refer to is called Replenish, by Lance Witt. In the book, Witt sums up my thoughts by saying this: 

“We have neglected the fact that the pastor’s greatest leadership skill is a healthy soul. Our concentration on scale and technique and strategy has resulted in de-emphasizing the interior life. The outcome is an increasing number of men in women leading our churches who are emotionally empty and spiritually dry. It is the story of a neglected soul and mismanaged character. Of a slow drift into relational isolation. Of being seduced by ambition. These leaders didn’t intend for it to happen, but somewhere along the journey they stopped paying attention to what was going on inside of them. The shift was incremental and at times imperceptible.” (p. 19)

For God’s Glory Alone

You can use skills, abilities, and personality in your leadership position for God’s glory! But I think that doing this is easier said than done. It requires that we lay down our own ambition and pride, and we lead from a place of humility. Here is the biblical precedent for it: 1 Cor. 7:17, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” For what purpose? To what end? “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).  If you want to lead from a place of humility, here are some practical ways we can do just that.

#1. Make much of Jesus in every leadership decision. Share about Him often, and make sure the mission or goal of your church reflects the mission of Jesus Christ. It’s about Him, not us! If we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of our flesh. 

#2. Remind yourself daily that the church is not “your” church and the ministry you serve is not “your ministry.” We are shepherds and stewards; Jesus is the owner. 

#3. Work hard at praising others, not yourself. It’s better to be an encourager, not an overbearing manager. 

#4. Be interested in others, and incorporate others into your decision making while taking a general care in their lives.

#5. Don’t isolate, stay in touch with the people who are surrounding you in this ministry. God has put them there for a reason.

#6. Have regular, open accountability with others about your personal pitfalls.

#7. Remind yourself daily of the gospel and its impact on your life.

Cautions…About You

Always be Self-Aware

Look at the people around you. If there aren’t many, look at your wife and your family. Then, ask the hard questions. What are some ways that I’ve been slacking lately? Do you see any selfish ambition or pride in me? Can you help me see things about myself that I cannot see?

Always be Socially-Aware

How do your decisions affect other people involved in your ministry? Could it be said that you do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, and count others more significant than yourself? This caution is meant to cause us to look outwards, towards those around us.

Know when to Self-Regulate

One of the greatest things you can do as a leader is understand how and when to pull back and let others take the lead. 

To lead with humility, a good rule of thumb is to take Paul’s words on humility and put them in the context of leadership. I’ll paste the words here from Philippians 2:1-8

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

For more information on this topic, see the books I referenced: The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Designed to Lead, and Replenish. See this week’s podcast episode here.

Relational, Intentional Evangelism

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Every Member on Mission

How active is your church in the work of Evangelism? In the work of Replanting and Revitalization, it can become quickly clear how active the church is in these areas. And, if you are working with a dying or declining church, odds are that they are not actively sharing the gospel with unbelievers, seeing baptisms, and discipling new believers. When bringing up those topics, some may say, “Well, maybe we need to bring back the ole’ Tuesday night visitations again.”

I recently heard a lecture from Mike Kahn, Associational Mission Strategist for the Tampa Bay Baptist Association. In a new Bible Study on Evangelism, Mike explains that the gospel never changes, but sometimes our delivery methods need to. In What If? Mike asks the simple question, “What If all Churches and all believers practiced relational evangelism?”

In the past, a church’s evangelism strategy might have centered on putting together a large event or hosting a tent revival meeting. Some might have an organized crusade event where large gatherings of people would come and hear the gospel. In the past 30 years, there has been a heavy emphasis on church evangelism programs. Normally, they take place on a specific night of the week where church members go out into the community and knock on doors, sharing the gospel using a number of tools.

I grew up learning the F.A.I.T.H. evangelism strategy and knew it like the back of my hand. I went out on Tuesday nights with my church family in groups of three and practiced sharing the gospel with people in their homes. There is certainly nothing wrong with any of these past evangelism practices. By all means, churches should engage with evangelism in a number of ways, including these outreach nights!

But we currently live in a different culture: a culture that is more antagonistic toward the gospel. People are more prone to shut the door, and reject the message you seek to convey. We live in a very consumerist society, and if what you’re offering doesn’t match the criteria for someone’s personal preference, they are less likely to give you the time to share. However, our culture still craves authentic relationships, and is still in desperate need of the gospel! 

Personally, I can give you examples of people I have tried to share the gospel with in our community. Most people I have talked to seemed so surprised to engage in a spiritual conversation, much less talk about the central message of Christianity: the gospel. But the more we understand our culture, the more we must reevaluate the way we engage with the work of evangelism. What is the best and most effective way to share the gospel with people outside the faith?

Recapturing a Not-So-New Approach

In the recent podcast, Matt Queen shared that people are much more willing to hear the gospel than we are willing to share it. I completely agree with that statement, and can see it true in my own life. I have never had one person turn down the openness to hear the gospel. I’m not saying that they don’t exist, but I believe people are more respectful than we think.

The type of evangelism that our churches need to recapture is not an old program that needs to be resurfaced. It was the method of evangelism that Jesus used: daily, relational evangelism for every believer, every follower. The way that Jesus encouraged his followers in evangelistic engagement was part of what it meant to be a follower of Christ. 

Jesus’ approach to evangelism was intentional, but at the same time realistic. It happened in the normal, every-day aspects of life. I think we can learn much by studying this in passages like John chapter 4, where Jesus has a casual conversation with the Samaritan woman that leads to the “living water.”  We see Jesus regularly take authentic, contextual situations and turn them into gospel-sharing opportunities. In Luke 7, Jesus is blessed by a sinful woman that comes in the Pharisees’ home and asks for forgiveness. He uses a situation like this to explain the Kingdom to the Pharisee, while telling the sinful woman, “your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:47-48).

We also see this intentionality in passages like Luke 10, where Jesus sends out people into towns and villages to prepare the way for the coming kingdom. When we read through the book of Acts, we see the same methodology used by the apostles and followers. They are both intentional and authentic in their approach, and they are always looking for opportunities to share the gospel with others. They are clearly led by the Spirit.

Passages like Acts chapter 8 are so incredible to see these followers intentionally going out, led by the Spirit, and having real conversations with people that lead them to Christ. What can we learn about this strategy? Preparing the way for the kingdom by sharing the gospel with others is something that takes every member on mission, working together.

Gospel Fluency

I haven’t had a chance to read Matt Queen’s book on Recapturing Evangelism but I can’t wait to check it out. Currently, my favorite book on this topic is by Jeff Vanderstelt, called Gospel Fluency. In the book, Vanderstelt makes the following statement:

“We need the gospel and we need to become gospel-fluent people. We need to know how to believe and speak the truth of the gospel –good news of God –in and into that everyday stuff of life. In other words, we need to know how to address the struggles of life in the everyday activities we engage in with what is true of Jesus: the truth of what he accomplished through his life death and resurrection, and as a result, what is true to us as we put our faith in him. The gospel has the power to affect everything in our lives.”

Vanderstelt is arguing one of the greatest motivations for evangelism. If we know and understand the gospel, it should motivate us to help others know and understand the gospel. That is, if the gospel has changed us, our desire is that it will change others. We are the vehicle God uses to accomplish his great kingdom work on earth. Therefore, we should seek with all vigor to make the gospel fluent in all our speech, so that it naturally flows out of us.

The best way for us to regularly share the gospel with others is by knowing the gospel fully and understanding it in our heart, and seeking out opportunities to make every day connections with those around us in our daily spheres of life.

Who are the Ministers?

When I do any evangelism training, I always like to start with a question: who are the ministers of this church? Most people point to their pastor or leaders, and very few church members point to themselves. I wonder why this is? Paul calls all followers of Jesus Christ “ministers of reconciliation.” In Ephesians 4:11-12, he says that God gave us leaders to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Every believer is called to be a “minister of reconciliation,” delivering the truth of the gospel everywhere we go.

Relational evangelism does not mean that gospel conversations cannot take place outside of a deep relationship with someone else. Evangelism can definitely happen in cold-turkey moments. It means that we are building gospel connections while we build relationships with others. While there are many “evangelism” passages, my personal favorite is In 2 Corinthians 5, where Paul shares about this “message of reconciliation” we have received and been entrusted with. This message is the gospel, and we will never share that which we do not know. Here are a few things that Paul teaches us about the gospel.

The Gospel changes the way we see people (2 Corinthians 5:16)

We tend to think of evangelism in terms of strategy and programs, but I honestly believe that Evangelistic living is a way of life. It has to do with the way we see people. In 2 Corinthians 5:16, Paul says, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.” Paul was saying that they didn’t see people around them as flesh and bones! They saw them as people in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

In his third missionary journey, when Paul wrote this letter, he was looking back on many years of serving the Lord and sharing the gospel with others. As he looks back, he says that there is not anyone that comes into their path that  they saw as just a person. How do we see people? Do we see them as flesh and bones, or do we recognize that God has people in our lives for a reason? I wonder if our heart for evangelism would change if our view of people changed.

We tend to gravitate toward people who are similar to us, but the gospel places us all at level ground at the foot of the cross. God places people in our lives for a reason. And the beauty of the gospel is that it isn’t just for us, it’s for the world. This is the starting point for understanding evangelism. If we don’t see people as more than flesh and bones we will never share the gospel with them.

The Gospel transforms us (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a)

Paul helps us understand what the gospel does to our life. It makes us into new creations. God makes us into new creations through the transformation that the gospel brings. Verse 18 continues by saying that all this is from God. If you want to renew your heart and be transformed, you can’t do it by yourself. The gospel is initiated and carried out by God in the peoples’ lives. All this is from God – the one who saved us will continue to renew us by his grace each day. 

This alleviates the stress of the evangelism response. When it comes to evangelism, I rest in the fact that whether or not a person responds positively is not on me. Their response is a work of the Spirit. Success is measured by whether or not we shared the gospel, not whether or not someone received it. Praise God, it is not dependent on us! When someone understands the gospel, the veil is removed. Who removed the veil? The Spirit of God (2 Cor. 3:18).

The Gospel is meant to be extended (2 Corinthians 5:18b-21).

Paul tells us here that God has committed to us the Word of reconciliation. That means that he has entrusted us with the gospel. The word in Greek is Themenos. God has appointed or assigned this gospel to us. He has placed it in our hands, so that we might serve it to others. 

God has not only saved us so that we would be secure in Christ, he has saved us so that we might be sent into the world carrying the gospel of Jesus with us. Therefore, he calls us ambassadors. An ambassador is more than a representative. We carry a message with us on behalf of our great King.

The Gospel is urgent (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

In these two verses, Paul continues the same line of thought. He tells the reader that today is the day of salvation. Paul wants his audience to know that they should not wait to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Chapter 6 also warns us that we must not take the grace of God in vain. The grace of God was meant to be shared with others because grace received is always grace extended. He calls us a “fellow worker with God,” and we are. Working alongside him and seeking to accomplish the purpose bringing the message of salvation. We cannot wait for an acceptable time and wait for the right day, because none of us are promised tomorrow.

Our world is becoming increasingly darker, and the hope of the gospel is needed now more than ever. It really will take every member on mission working together to be a witness for Christ in every area of life.

While the list of resources on Evangelism are exhaustive, here are a few of my personal favorite. Gospel Fluency, Before You Share your Faith, Evangelism as Exiles, Evangelistic Living, and Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations, and Life on Mission. Make sure to check out NAMB’s list of resources here to help you in this endeavor. If you’re interested in Matt Queen’s new book, check it out here. Lastly, I referenced Mike Kahn’s resource called What If?