Hey there Bootcampers! We know this week has you busy wrapping up all sorts of things as you get ready for those Christmas Eve services and family gatherings. In this short EP the guys reminisce about some good ole 80s Contemporary Christian Music, share a few laughs and listen to Bob lament about his old BMW.
We pray that thru all the days ahead you feel the joy of the Lord, knowing that God sent his son, Jesus, to redeem and restore us into a right relationship with him.
Hey Bootcampers, thanks for joining us this week! Today after Jimbo recounts his misadventures with “hot chicken” the guys get down to the serious business of speaking about an important leadership move, sharing the Pulpit. Do you share preaching responsibilities in your church? How would you start? What is the benefit? Listen in and follow along and be encouraged to take steps to add to your preaching team.
Why should you share the pulpit?
Gives your congregation a diverse diet of preachers
It is an avenue for raising up, empowering, and sending out new leaders
Helps keep you in a humble posture
Creates space for personal renewal
Gives your congregation a diverse diet of preachers
Sometimes it can be helpful to hear from different but unified perspectives or styles
Avenue for raising up, empowering, and sending out new leaders
Move toward decentralized leadership
There is a shortage of pastors right now – there is no better place to raise them up than in local churches – normative-sized local churches
There is no better way to help raise up preachers than to let them preach
It is a blessing to see others thrive in their God-given gifts and passions
Helps keep you in a humble posture
Makes sure Jesus is the main hero
Sets the church up better for your eventual exit via death, retirement, or resignation. Every pastor is an interim pastor
Creates space for personal renewal
As wonderful as the opportunity and blessing to preach are it can become burdensome (6 weeks seems to be a consistent pattern from people I have talked with)
It can be very refreshing and encouraging to sit under preaching
It frees you up to spend more energy on other pastoral tasks instead of prep
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We hope you are well Bootcampers! Jimbo has been released from his quarantine and Bob is feeling a little under the weather, but do not fear loyal Bootcamper we held forth and produced another EP for you that is an important listen.
Leadership is often lonely and challenging, that’s why it is vitally important to learn how to share the burdens and blessings of leading the local church. In this EP we remind ourselves of Ezra and Nehemiah and how they each played an important role in leading God’s people.
Ezra is a pastor/priest who seeks to get others to take the Bible seriously, and live faithfully. Nehemiah is essentially a visionary who sees the need for the rebuilding of the ancient walls of Jerusalem.–Tim Mackie
This restoration required, first of all, the rebuilding of the temple and the reinstitution of ceremonial worship. The two accomplished a lot, both had frustrations with those they led, some success and some failure – a real story of the reality of leadership.
Leaders, keep this in mind:
God uses Pastors and Civic Leaders
Both are needed for Kingdom work
Both are valued by God
Each has an important task, a divine gift set, and a specific calling
Working together for Kingdom purposes
Value each other’s gifting, call
Collaborate and Compliment rather than compete
Lead and follow – the best leaders are also great followers
Recognize that absolute success is often measured in many cycles of victory and setbacks
Keep the big picture in mind – Your God-given assignment is faithfully fulfilling the assignment God has given, success is being faithful.
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Hey there Bootcampers, we hope you had a great Thanksgiving. One of the realities of pastoring is this: Sooner or later, someone in your church will decide they no longer wish to be a member of your church under your pastoral leadership. That can be difficult and discouraging, especially if you are early in the work of church renewal. How can you respond? The guys break that down in this important episode of the Bootcamp.
Know this Bootcamper, you are not alone, we’re praying for you. We’d love to hear from you and offer a word of encouragement or counsel, just drop us a line, comment or hit us up on the Bootcamp hotline.
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Hey Bootcamplers, we’re thankful for each and every one of you! We took a few minutes to pause reflect and share our thanks. Praying you have a blessed gathering time with church family and friends.
Hey there Bootcampers, happy Fall! We’re talking about how to make decisions as you lead your church toward renewal. Our topic is consensus, what it is, why it sometimes leads you to decisions that may not be the best for your congregation. Listen in and join in the conversation.
Consensus = a general agreement, to arrive at an agreement about a matter, thing, or initiative….
Three Challenges
100% agreement about something is impossible (stating the goal is arriving on something which you can all agree upon – may limit the best decision)
Arriving at agreement based on consensus may put us as the standard makers for decisions
Striving for consensus is good in principle, but it may leave room for people to withhold opinions and reserve judgment if whatever you decide doesn’t work out.
Three Correctives
The goal is the best decision that honors God and is consistent with his work and way. (it may go against your best-laid plans and best thoughts).
Getting to the best answer requires mutual submission.
Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit
What insights do you have? Has your team navigated the decision-making matrix? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line, a comment, or a voicemail.
Make the right decision and get our great sponsor, One Eighty Digital, working on your social media and web presence. They bring their expertise and passion in an affordable way to your church’s message and platform.
Greetings Bootcampers. Today the guys tackle an important and oft asked question; “Can a long tenured Pastor lead a church toward renewal?” Characteristically the answer is usually a not affirmative. We want to push back on that a bit and stress, a long tenured Pastor might be able to lead a church toward renewal-but it takes some clear thought, a huge commitment and the power of God working through the Pastor and the congregation.
Here are some of the highlights.
There are 3 things involved in considering a church and renewal:
Pastor
Church
Culture
Pastor (he must become a renewed pastor)
Personal renewal comes first
Take a sabbatical (even if it’s just for a week)
Do some prayerful personal evaluation
Make sure you are ready to make the commitment to see this through
Get some perspective and insight from others
Decide what strengths you need to lean in on and maximize
Decide what weaknesses you need to focus on as growth areas
Church (it has to be willing to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and earnestly desire to be renewed)
Ask the church to enter a season of prayer and anticipation
Do some strong evaluation (maybe get some outside help/perspective)
Rightly define reality and lead your church to holy discontentment
Build or enlist your leadership team to help you not do this alone
Decide on a plan and a direction (that is not the same direction you have been going)
Choose Bible Studies and sermon series that are about pursuing God’s will
Lead with the Word not force of personality
Culture (things cannot stay the same, or business as usual)
Define the new direction in a clear and compelling way
Amplify that message as often as possible. When you are tired of talking about it you may have started to get through
Create some small wins to keep the momentum going and celebrate them loudly
Setup a process of continual evaluation and adjustment where necessary
What do you think? Have you renewed a church as a long tenured Pastor? We’d love to hear from you. Why not drop us a line, a voice mail or a comment? While you are at it, get with our great sponsors over at One Eighty Digital-they have the know how to refresh and renew your church’s website.
Hey there Bootcampers! We hope your Fall ministry season is going well. Today the guys tackle the subject of Associations and church renewal. Both Jimbo and Bob are firm believers in the relevance of the local Association and recommend any church pastor considering engaging in Replanting or Renewal connect with the AMS and other Pastors in their local Association.
Here’s how AMS leaders can serve the churches in their area.
CORRECTLY DEFINE SUCCESS:
Normative size church is a church with less than 199 in gathered worship.
91% of all SBC churches have less than 199 in gathered worship
79% have less than 100
Every SBC pastor who preached to more than 2000 would fit on a regional plane. The could bring their spouses and fill a 737
Less than 90 churches reported over 2,000
Every SBC pastor who preached to less than 200 would fill a major league stadium
COOPERATION: Cultivate a culture of cooperation instead of competition.
Churches in need of replanting will be far more open to receiving outside help from a church that they already feel they have a relationship with.Find ways to get churches to do things together – not just the pastors – but the congregations.
COHORTS: Another way that associations can help is to help their pastors grow in their leadership together through cohorts. Bring pastors together to learn together. Help equip them to be better pastors – but it is important that they do that together to help cultivate the community and culture of cooperation like I mentioned before.
CALL OUT THE CALLED & CREATE RESIDENCIES: We also can help churches setup residencies to train up men called to ministry so that we have guys ready. We can also help older pastors think through how to pass the baton well, maybe by having them help train up pastors in a residency to pass the baton to.
CONSULTING: Associational leaders can also help their churches by consulting and coaching them.
Help them define and face reality
CRISIS INTERVENTION– Part of this is stepping in when crisis happens.
Interim pastors
CELEBRATE: When you have a great story of revitalization or replanting – share it – celebrate it
