Author: Jimbo Stewart

Replant Bootcamp Co-Host

Don’t Pastor Alone

Written on September 13, 2024.

In two separate conversations I’ve recently had with individuals involved in replanting a dying church, pastoral moral failure emerged as a significant factor contributing to the church’s decline. Similarly, in another conversation, an affinity group of churches revealed that 50% of their congregations had been affected by pastoral moral failure.

These conversations underscore a pressing issue within the church community.

Church members: Pray for your pastor

Your pastor carries a significant burden and is often the target of spiritual attacks. Your prayers are a powerful support in their life and ministry. Lift them up regularly, asking for wisdom, strength and integrity.

Pastors: Don’t Pastor in Isolation

Isolation is a dangerous place for any leader, especially pastors. Over the past 20 years of ministry, I’ve observed four behavioral patterns that frequently precede moral failure.

Recognizing these patterns can be the first step toward prevention:

1. Studying Scripture solely for lesson/sermon preparation

Ministry leaders who only engage with Scripture for the sake of teaching miss out on the personal transformation and guidance that comes from a deeper, personal engagement with God’s Word.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to

God.” (Col. 3:16)

2. Relying on personal strength and natural gifts

Leaning on one’s own abilities, rather than leading from a place of spiritual overflow and dependence on the Holy Spirit, can be detrimental. True leadership in ministry flows from a vibrant, personal walk with Christ.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17)

3. Developing a cynical and negative attitude

A ministry leader who becomes cynical and negative about their circumstances often exhibits a competitive rather than a cooperative spirit. This attitude shift can erode the collaborative environment necessary for healthy ministry.

“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Pet. 1:18-19)

4. Gradual isolation

As ministry leaders drift into the aforementioned patterns, they tend to isolate themselves. They may maintain a façade of accountability but, in reality, keep people at a distance, which can lead to moral failure.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:12-13)

In Southern Baptist life, building strong relationships within your local Baptist association is one of the best ways to avoid pastoring in isolation. Recently my association, First Coast Churches, identified “Don’t Pastor Alone” as the main stated thread of their ministry, but it was part of their ethos long before it was a motto – and I am a better man for it.

Pastoring in isolation is a recipe for disaster. Genuine accountability and community are crucial for spiritual health and effective ministry. Church members, your prayers are vital. Pastors, your connection with others is indispensable. Together, we can support each other in fostering a healthy, vibrant church community.

Don’t pastor alone.

**This article was originally posted on the NAMB Replant Blog

Reframing Conflict

Written on September 12, 2024.

None of us like conflict. If you like conflict, then you better quit being a pastor. As pastors, most of us want to avoid conflict. Like the plague.

If we have a problem with somebody in our church or know there are two people who are arguing or fussing, and you come out of your office on Sunday morning and see them coming – you duck into any Sunday school classroom you can to avoid the conflict.

Conflict in ministry can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to bring the light of the gospel into your church. Instead of running from conflict, these five things can help you reframe it in a healthy and constructive way:

Conflict is inevitable, but it’s also an opportunity
You can’t avoid conflict, especially when leading a church through renewal. Instead of seeing it as something to flee from, view it as a gospel opportunity. This is your chance to let the gospel do its transformative work within your congregation.
Avoiding conflict can lead to greater harm
While most pastors naturally want to avoid conflict, dodging it can lead to bigger problems down the line. Addressing issues head-on, with grace and wisdom, helps to prevent larger divisions and misunderstandings.
Reflect on your relationship with conflict
If you find yourself drawn to conflict, it might be time to take a step back. Some individuals thrive on drama, which can be damaging to both them and their ministry. Honest self-reflection is crucial to ensure your motives align with your calling.
Lead with the gospel
Conflict is not just a hurdle; it’s a platform to demonstrate gospel-centered leadership. Approach disagreements with a spirit of reconciliation, aiming to restore relationships and bring healing through Christ.
Embrace the process
Reframing conflict isn’t about finding quick fixes. It’s about embracing a process that requires patience, prayer and persistent gospel application. Trust that God is at work, even in the messiness of ministry conflicts.

Remember, conflict is not something to be feared but an opportunity to glorify God by applying the gospel in real and tangible ways.

Liston to Mark Clifton discuss this with JimBo on Episode 257 of The Replant Bootcamp podcast.

This article was originally posted on the NAMB Replant Blog

FREE RESOURCE: Navigating Alignment in Church Adoptions

Written on September 11, 2024.

Replanting often involves adoption: A healthy church enters a conversation with a declining church so that two congregations, each with different stories, can prayerfully unite to reach a community for the glory of God.

Let’s say, for example, Redemption Crossroads Church, a new congregation meeting in a school cafeteria, enters an agreement with First Baptist Church, which has a building but only a handful of people. Redemption Crossroads has no building but does have a huge community presence and close to 200 people. The plan is for the new church to adopt the older one and move into their building.

What happens, however, is more than one church just adopting another. Adoption actually creates a new entity

An adopting church just doesn’t absorb the other one. Rather, it brings in those people with their culture, corporate identity, history, experiences and story. That changes both the new church and the old one. What comes out is something new and different.

Both groups, however, must know each is going to lose something and gain something. Both must decide whether the potential gain is worth the losing and gaining. The two churches begin the adoption process in prayer and with a posture of humility.

When you can bring two generations together, not based on preferences but on the love of Jesus, that’s glorious! This is hard work. It’s not easy, but if we follow the Lord’s leading, it can be great.

All that sounds good, but what does the adoption process look like? How do you get from entering the adoption conversation to the end of the process? How do you navigate the conversation?

Those are important questions and we are excited to introduce a new free resource that we hope will help simplify the adoption conversation process.

The purpose of the adoption process is to prayerfully explore God’s direction regarding one church adopting another. This resource will help a church and its leadership navigate alignment with another congregation during adoption.

Adoption is a significant and sacred undertaking that requires careful thought, prayer, humility and open communication. This new resource is designed to guide both churches through a structured process with a facilitator, ensuring that each aspect of the potential adoption is carefully considered.

The process is divided into six stages that represent different levels of exploration and discussion, beginning with prayerful preparation and culminating in the details of daily operations and the final decision.

While every adoption process is unique to the churches involved, there is a common path forward. We hope the Church Adoption Alignment Process resource will help you on the path toward vitality.

For a more in-depth discussion of this subject, we recommend a corresponding episode of The Replant Bootcamp Podcast, which focuses on navigating alignment in church adoptions.

The free Church Adoption Alignment Process resource can be downloaded here.

**This blog was originally posted on the NAMB Replant Blog

So You Want To Be A Replanter

Written on October 10, 2022.

How might God be calling you to serve a dying church as a Replanter?

“What about a dying church brings glory to God?” Wrestling with this question is what led Mark Clifton to shift his focus from planting churches to replanting dying churches.

For a long time the prevailing wisdom was to avoid investing resources into the black hole of dying churches. It’s been common to run away from them, avoid them and let them die. Over the last decade, however, there has been a continual increase in awareness and effort given towards dying churches in North America. How might God be calling you to serve a dying church?

God is calling more people to the gritty and glorious work of replanting dying churches. How does a called and qualified replanter find a replant? Replanting is messy. It is often challenging, from finding a church ready and willing to be replanted to providing financially for a replanter and his family.

Replanting requires a commitment to radical dependence on the Lord. You aren’t smart enough, strategic enough, or dynamic enough to replant a dying church. But this is precisely why God is calling people to this work. Replanters are like Gideon’s army; we get to be co-laborers with Christ to serve his bride.

Like discerning God’s will for any area of our lives, pursuing replanting must start with prayer. Bob Bickford and Mark Hallock wrote a book called “Am I a Replanter.” Use this resource as a guide to praying through this calling for 30 days.

Pursue confirmation in your calling through guided conversation with a trusted ministry coach or mentor. The North American Mission Board offers a free Replanter and Revitalizer Characteristic Survey that is a self-assessment tool based on research.

The free report provides discussion questions and resources to help you learn more about yourself and replanting. Take time to wrestle with and confirm this call with the Lord, with your family, and with wise counsel.

Finding where God has called you to replant is more complicated than finding a place to plant or even finding a normal pastorate. Connecting with local planters who are already working with these churches can help you become aware of their need, and let them know of your calling. Leaning into your Baptist and association network can open these opportunities. Grab a meal together, and ask questions about churches in their area.

Bob Bickford and I dive into how to find a church to replant in Episode #48 of our podcast. Bob goes deeper into this discussion at the Replant Blog as well in this article.

Further Exploration

Once you have taken the survey listen to Episode #46 of our podcast for guidance from our podcast hosts on further exploration:

SURVEY SCORES
- The free survey will give you a self-assessment score on each of the 13 characteristics. Do you think they are accurate? Did anything surprise you?
SELF-REFLECTION
- At the end of the online survey, you will have an opportunity to download a free report. Work through the self-reflection questions on your own first to get a better self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. If you are married you will want to follow up your own reflection by discussing some of the reflection questions with your spouse.
SIT WITH A COACH
- The scores you receive may not tell you as much as you want. The real value of this process comes when you sit down with a trusted ministry mentor or coach and work through the reflection questions with them. You have already explored them in the self-reflection process but as Proverbs 20:5 says, “Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water; but a person of understanding draws it out.”
SELECTED STUDY
- The downloadable report will have several links to resources for further exploration. Take advantage of these to strengthen your weaker areas and maximize your strengths.

Replanting takes time. Leverage this season of waiting to prepare for the work ahead.

If you think your church may be in need of replanting or revitalization, you can find out by taking a quick, free online assessment.