Preparing for 2023

Sunday will be the first day of a new year. Are you ready to lead your church in 2023? If you are one of the pastors who are still waiting for things to return to normal after Covid you are not ready to lead your church into the new year.  That normal no longer exists nor will it return. Much of what you learned in seminary for how to lead a church is now outdated and will do you little good. Leaders have to find a new normal because pre-covid days will not return to the church.

Thom Rainer wrote a very helpful little book in 2020 called The Post-Quarantine Church that should be required reading for all church leaders. At 111 pages it easily readable in a day or two, but I encourage you to spend more time than that with this book. As I read it I felt like the author clearly understood the changes Covid has brought to the church. In this post let me address just one chapter in the book, the one on doing ministry in a digital world.

Most smaller churches never considered putting their services online prior to the Covid quarantine. Suddenly, many of those churches began exploring how to stream their services on social media or on hastily developed web pages. Overnight many pastors became tele-evangelists! Rainer's organization estimates that more than 100,000 churches that never had an internet presence developed one during the pandemic. The church I now serve as Transitional Pastor would be included in that number. Churches had to learn a lot to begin streaming their services, and many of continue to learn how to improve that internet presence. 

Many churches probably assumed that once the quarantine was behind us we could forget streaming our services. Surprise! Many in our congregation never returned to live worship services but continue to faithfully watch our online services. While we may have once considered our digital ministry to be an emergency stopgap it is now being seen as an important part of our ministry. In fact, it is more than that. Rainer writes in this book, "As we move into the post-quarantine church era, the challenge is how best to reach people and serve them on the digital mission field." Beside that statement I wrote in the margin, "The digital world is a new mission field for the church."

The author suggests that churches realize that we are now dealing with three different groups. One is digital only, one is digitally transitioning, and the third is dual citizens. In addition, we continue to have those members who physically attend the worship services of our churches. If you are only focusing on those physically present each Sunday you are missing out on ministering to an important group of people.

As you prepare to lead your church into 2023 make sure you are considering all the groups Rainer has identified in this book. If you ignore the digital opportunities you now have you will miss an important group of individuals God has given you.

If you have not yet read this book you need to do so. You can order it through Amazon by clicking on the title above. Yes, I will receive a small payment if you do that, but if that bothers you let me know and I'll send you a check for those pennies I'll receive from Amazon. Have a great New Year!

2022 Reading List

 For the first time in my adult life this year I read more fiction books than non-fiction. The non-fiction books were all Star Wars related so I must admit to being a Star Wars nerd. They make good reading when one is standing in line at Wal-Mart, waiting for a meal to be served in a restaurant or while watching a ball game on TV. Fortunately, I did manage to read some other good books in 2022 and want to share the top six books that I read this year.

#6 - A Non-Anxious Presence by Mark Sayers. We live in a very chaotic world, and the church finds itself in the midst of that chaos. Few church leaders would question that the church is going through a transition time as we seem to be passing from one church era into another one. The author refers to this period as a gray zone, and it is in this gray zone that we must minister. None of us knows what the church will be like as it emerges from the gray zone, and this uncertainty makes many of us, pastors and lay people alike, nervous and concerned. One of the challenges of pastoral leadership to to lead in these gray zones. I found this book a very good guide for how to do that. The author also encourages us by writing, "gray zones are preciously the kinds of places that God seeds with renewal and rebirth." Believing that as I do makes it much easier to provide pastoral leadership during these uncertain times.

#5 - Intentional Churches by Bart Rendel and Doug Parks. One word that has been very meaningful to me in recent years is intentionality. I have grown weary of churches thinking they can continue to do what they've always done and somehow things will magically begin to improve. I feel the same way about individuals who drift through life never understanding why their lives do not improve. As the authors point out, intentional churches understand the vision God has for their church and take the steps to achieve that vision. Moving forward with purpose is always better than drifting with no sense of direction. They also point out that intentional churches needs intentional leaders. This includes both pastoral and lay leaders, and until these are intentional in their ministry approach, the church never will be.

#4 - Forward by David Jeremiah. I admit I am late to the David Jeremiah party. I've been watching his ministry on TV for the past few months and this is his first book I've read. I love his biblical approach to real life. Jeremiah points out that our best lives are ahead of us. That is especially encouraging to someone 74 years old, but it is one I readily accept! This is not only true of individuals; it is true of churches. I really loved this book.

#3 - Determined to Believe by John C. Lennox. One reason I read fewer non-fiction books this year is that I read more non-fiction books that took longer to read! This is one of those books. Not only was it 356 pages long, it was rich and deep requiring a lot of concentration on my part. Much of the church world is being challenged by the Calvinist-Arminian debate. I've read enough from both sides to know their proof-texts. Lennox moves beyond these to address the important issues regarding fatalism and freedom. Serious readers wanting to better understand this disagreement will want to study this book.

#2 - Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bolsinger. This is a reread of a book I read a couple of years ago. I was so impressed with it that I felt it important to read it again. He compares Christian leadership today to the Lewis and Clark expedition. Their purpose was to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, a trade route everyone knew was there. Imagine their surprise when they reaching the Rocky Mountains and found their canoes would not take them where they needed to go! Does this sound like the challenge facing today's church? What has got us here will not take us where we need to go. Lewis and Clark had to ditch their canoes and find new ways to continue their journey. So must the church. I love this book.

#1 - Historical Theology by Gregg R. Allison. I'll start the review by stating the book is 733 pages not counting the index and glossary of words. This was slow reading for me, but I'll admit I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box. Maybe you'll read it in a couple of days, but I doubt it. Allison follows the bestselling book Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem. He traces the various components of Christian doctrine according to a topical-chronological arrangement. There are a lot of footnotes! The book leans towards a Calvinist approach to many of the doctrines, but not enough that is will be troubling to those who do not hold to that approach. No doubt this is a book that will be used in many seminaries as a text book, but it is accessible to most readers who will take the time to study it. It is well worth that time.

One of these days I've got to start cleaning out my library, but I don't have time right now. I've got more books coming in this week.

Christmas travel

 We left Monday morning to visit our son and his family in Austin, Texas. As always, we had a great time. While having a wonderful lunch of barbequed brisket, as you can only get in Texas, I got a notice that our flight for Thursday morning had been canceled. With the weather storm approaching I wasn't entirely surprised but was hopeful that the timing of our flights would keep us ahead of the storms. My son helped me schedule another flight for Friday morning, but he was certain that flight would also be canceled. He began to search for another flight on a different airline.

We found American Airlines had flights that would return us to Louisville, KY where our car was parked at the airport so we quickly booked it. We had little time to rush to the airport to catch the plane but managed to make it. Unfortunately, although we had booked seats together, when we printed our boarding passes my wife and I were on opposite ends of the plane. We flew into Charlotte and had about 10 minutes before our next plane began boarding. Although it was only a 50 minute flight from Charlotte to Louisville, there as a medical emergency on the plane. Fortunately, there were medical people traveling and they were able to attend to the emergency. We finally made it home about 2:00 AM.

Obviously, the back-up flight I had booked would have been canceled, and we likely would have been stuck in Austin until probably Monday at least before we could have found a flight out. Or, as we are now seeing on the news, it might have been much later. Our original flight was on Southwest, and we now know they are having serious problems. As much as we disliked missing out on one more evening with our son we made the smart move to catch a flight out ahead of the storm. Thousands of people are now stranded in airports and unlikely to be home for Christmas.

Southwest has given us refunds for the canceled flight and the one we canceled. Our next two trips to Austin are now paid for. American Airlines was wonderful in accommodating us and the other passengers on the flights we took with them. I know airlines get a lot of criticism, but I have to congratulate them based on our experience this week.

My wife and I were home for Christmas. Due to the road conditions our daughter and her family were not able to be here for Christmas, but everyone is safe. We want to thank God for providing us with a flight out ahead of the winter storm, and we want to pray for those who are stuck in airports and bus terminals unable to get home. We ask that you pray as well for those who need shelter in this horrific winter storm.

Building Size

 Several years ago I led a healthy church seminar in a church in Colorado as part of a series of seminars I was doing for that particular denomination. During lunch the pastor told me the church had been struggling for years. Like many churches, at one time the building was full nearly every week, but now attendance had fallen off. I believe he told me the sanctuary would seat 500-600 people, but their attendance now was around 60. He said it felt like the place was empty.

He had led the church to do something very wise. They had closed off much of the sanctuary so that there was now seating for around 200 people. The building didn't feel as empty now. He said this had improved the worship service and simply made the service more comfortable.

Whether he knew it or not, he was following a strategy that is important for a growing church. Growing churches have a worship attendance of about 65-80 percent of the building's capacity. If the building seems too empty it sends a message to any newcomers that this meeting must not be too important since there are so few people attending. This becomes one of the first impressions your guests will make and will be challenging to overcome.

On the other hand, if the church is too full, over 80% capacity, it makes it difficult for late-comers to find a place to sit. This is especially true for families as there may only be one or two seats available together. They may decide they would rather stay home than have to go through the discomfort of finding a place to sit. I think of a few churches I've seen who had to bring out chairs into the aisles to accommodate the people attending the service. It wasn't too long before those chairs didn't need to be brought out again. People simply stopped coming due to the discomfort the crowded sanctuary made them feel.

This does not apply to those special Sundays in which you expect larger crowds such as Easter, Christmas, and Mother's Day. It's OK to be overcrowded on those days, and you don't want to make changes that will make the church too large on the other Sundays.

So what can church do that is overcrowded?

• If you use chairs in the sanctuary you might be able to rearrange them to improve the seating capacity of the church. With pews you have less flexibility in this matter.
• You can set up seating in another part of the facility with the service broadcast in.
• You may be able to enlarge the sanctuary by knocking out walls and adding seats.
• You can start another service.
• You can build a new facility with more seating.

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing. The capacity of your sanctuary will determine the size your church will be. If you want your church to grow it's important for the sanctuary to be neither too empty nor too full.

Don't let parking determine the size of your church

Most church leaders can identify many reasons why their churches do not grow beyond a certain size, but one of the things they may not consider is that their parking is a major factor in determining how large a church can become. Church growth leaders suggest that a church should calculate that one parking space will provide for two worshipers. If a church has 50 off-street parking spaces that church will struggle to grow beyond about 100 worshipers. We also know that if a parking lot is 80% full, that lot is full. Guests especially will not spend a lot of time driving around a parking lot hoping to find a space. 

Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is to add additional parking spaces. However, that may not be easily done. Many churches find themselves landlocked and unable to enlarge their parking lot. They may not be able to purchase additional land from surrounding neighbors. If that's the case for your church, there are still some things you can do.

You might want to offer valet parking. People can pull up right in front of your entrance, hand their keys to an attendant and enter the church. This could be a major help to senior citizens who may not want to walk long distances. Your guests would appreciate not having to drive around an unfamiliar parking lot to find a space. Certainly, in bad weather this could be a huge blessing to those attending your services.

You might be able to arrange for off-site parking and provide a shuttle service. Many churches already own a van that could be used for this purpose. A bank or other business that is not normally open on Sunday could be approached for permission for members of the congregation to park there on Sundays. 

Adding a second worship service would make your existing parking available to more people. Service times would have to scheduled so people would be able to leave the parking lot in time for those in the second service to park. One important thing to note is that you are not making 100% of your parking lot available to those in both service. Probably only about 80 percent of your parking spaces would be available for the second service people.

Another option is to offer a worship service off-site from your main campus.  There are a variety of ways to do this, and numerous books are available to provide a church with a step-by-step way to go adding a second worship service in another location. Doing this will certainly relieve the parking pressure of your current situation.

When churches consider how they might begin to grow, few consider how that growth will impact the church and how the parking might hinder that growth. Your parking limitations do not have to limit the size of your church. We've offered several ways to add additional parking that can accommodate the growth a church might experience.

Outreach ministry for the Sunday school

I think it was in 1983 that I took a Christian Education class at what was then Boyce Bible School (now Boyce College). We were taught that the four primary purposes of Sunday school were reach - teach - win - develop. At that time, especially in Baptist churches, the Sunday school was the primary outreach tool for the church. This mindset has been largely lost in many of our churches today.

Rather than our Sunday school classes being outward focused, they are primarily inward focused. Few Sunday school classes have any kind of intentional outreach planned. They often serve more as social gatherings. The best of them offer quality Bible study, but there is little emphasis on growth or outreach in many Sunday schools.

One noted Christian educator has said that "Evangelism is the chief work of the Sunday school. In fact, Christian education cannot be Christian unless it is evangelistic. To fail here is to fail in our primary reason for existence." I think he's right so what we can do to help our Sunday school programs become more evangelistic.

In many churches the first step might be to start a new Sunday school class for adults. Studies find that most classes stop growing after about 18 months. The reason is that in that period of time the people in those classes have formed bonds with one another that make it difficult for new people to feel comfortable joining in. They know one another's children, what each person does for a living, they've shared personal histories with one another, and a new person knows none of this when he or she attends the class. Very quickly the new person can feel like an outsider and may be reluctant to return.

A church can identify a people group they want to start a class for. This might be young couples, persons with special interests or concerns or any group that your church feels called to reach. Identify two people who are willing to lead the class. Select a topic that would be of interest to the group you are wanting to reach. Begin to build a list of names of people that can be invited to the first class. This first class should be no longer than 8-12 weeks long. This way people do not feel like they are making a lifetime commitment to the class. If they wish it to continue longer, they can decide that later. Find good curriculum to use in the class. Personally invite those persons you've identified to attend.

This is where many churches make a major mistake. They might put a notice in the church bulletin or a flyer on the bulletin board and then wonder why no one shows up. Personally invite these individuals to the class. 

Once the class begins ask the participants if they know of others who might benefit from the material that is being covered. Chances are they do. If they are willing to provide you with the names and contact information you can invite them to the class. Of course, since they already have a relationship with these individuals you should ask them to invite them as well.

From the beginning it's important to build relationships within the group. You want the people to feel connected to the class and those attending it. These relationships will help determine whether or not this class will continue beyond the initial period.

As the class begins to end ask the participants if they want to continue meeting. If these steps are done right it is likely that this class will continue long-term. 

2023 will be a good time to begin adding classes and inviting your existing classes to become more focused on evangelism. Of course, some churches have eliminated Sunday school classes for small groups, and everything that has written here would apply to small groups as well.

Attacks from the "woke" culture

 A research fellow at Cambridge University recently came under attack by parishioners when he declared in a recent sermon at Trinity college that Jesus Christ had a trans body. Many in the congregation left in disgust shouting "Heresy" as they left. The dean of the college defended the speaker saying that the sermon "suggested that we might think about these images of Christ's male/female body as providing us with ways of thinking about issues around transgender questions today." The university responded that neither the school nor the researcher suggested that Jesus was transgender, but that the sermon addressed the image of Christ as depicted in art and was in keeping with open debate and dialogue at the school.

As I mentioned in a recent sermon, the theology and beliefs of conservative Christians have been under attack since early in Christian history. These attacks have come from both within and without the church. I am currently reading Historical Theology by Gregg Allison, a 777-page study on the history of theology highlighting the specific tenets of the faith as it was developed through various historical periods. The author does an excellent job of addressing the challenges to each of these theological fundamentals that arose throughout history and how the church addressed those challenges. The sermon mentioned above is one more attack from within the church on the person of Jesus Christ and an attempt to please the woke culture that now exists throughout the world.

It is critical that we not allow such attacks go unchallenged. Every Christian has an obligation to study the theological beliefs that have been at the foundation of Christianity since its beginning. Every pastor has an obligation to preach theologically sound sermons that will help their listeners not succumb to the culture that seeks to undermine our faith. Every Christian parent has an obligation to teach these truths to their children so when they go away to college or into the workplace they will not be swayed by the challenges to their faith they are sure to face.

It appears that today's church will go to any length to appeal to the woke culture that exists in the world today. We will sacrifice truth on the altar of acceptability by the masses. We will offer messages that will tickle the ears of our listeners so as not to lose any of them. Too many are more concerned about making the mortgage payment on their buildings that they are in proclaiming the truth of God's Word. Such ministers will stand one day before God and give an account of their ministry. At the same time many pastors are standing faithfully for the truths found in God's Word. We should pray for them and encourage them in their work.

Those called into ministry today need to be very careful about where they pursue their education lest they find themselves being taught contrary to biblical teaching. Those in churches seeking pastors need to be very careful about who they call. Just because a person has an MDiv or PhD after his or her name doesn't mean they hold to biblical theology. The woke generation will not go away and will seek to infiltrate every area of society so it is imperative that Christians hold fast to the theological foundations that have served us well.

Election 2023

 A few days have passed since the mid-term elections ended. A few critical races have yet to be decided, and the votes appear to be so close that recounts are a possibility. Georgia will have a run-off that will decide their next senator.

The election didn't go as many predicted. It had been widely assumed the Republicans would sweep the election. Even many Democrats were admitting they were in trouble. The Republicans won the majority in the House but a much smaller majority than predicted, but until the Senate races are finalized, we will not know who will control the Senate. It was certainly a far cry from the expected sweep that was predicted. I've found it amusing that some House Republicans have been asking what mandate Americans have given them from this election. From my point of view, there is no mandate from this election.

The election shows again how divided this nation is. Personally, I blame both Presidents Obama and Trump for the divisions that exist. Both were very polarizing individuals who did nothing to unite the country. Much blame also goes to Congress who for years has suffered embarrassingly low confidence numbers among Americans. At least, I would be embarrassed by those numbers; it doesn't seem to bother them very much.

Because Congress will have no clear majority in either house I do not expect much leadership from those elected to national leadership. Both sides will work very hard to keep the other side from accomplishing much for the good of the nation. The President has already said he will work with the Republicans but on his terms with many issues not up for consideration. In other words, we can expect the same lack of leadership for at least the next two years.

That's why I'm thankful I am not looking for political leaders to turn this nation around. I have often said in my sermons that the hope of this nation does not lie in the White House, the State House, the Courthouse or any other human institution. Our hope lies in God who alone can change the hearts of mankind. 2 Chronicles 7: 14 continues to provide me hope. Until and unless this nation returns to God and the principles He gave us there is no hope for a better America, but He has promised to heal the land in which His people pray, confess their sins, and seek Him once again. That, my friends, is where our hope lies.

I hope you voted because I believe every vote is important. But more than that I encourage you to be on your knees seeking God for a national revival. The future of our nation and that of our grandchildren depends on such a revival. 

Is Your Church Ready?

 A few months ago I self-published an eBook titled Is Your Church Ready for Ministry in the 21st Century? People no longer leave your church service to return to homes surrounded by a white picket fence planning to sip sweet tea and watch fluffy clouds pass overhead. Many of these homes are struggling with issues that threaten their very survival. They want to hear a word from God about these issues, but they dare not admit to anyone they are struggling. Unfortunately, too many churches avoid discussing the issues that threaten many families today, so these families decide that God has nothing to say about these issues and there is nothing that can be done.

The book addresses sexuality issues, gender-identification issues, addictions, racial divisions, violence, suicide and many other issues common in the 21st century. God does have something to say about each of these challenges. There is much that the church can do to help families deal with these issues but only if we are willing to come alongside those that are struggling and help them walk through their struggles.

Such ministry can get messy. We prefer to reach people without significant issues in their lives, but that does not describe many who need Christ. Their lives are messy, and ministry to them can get messy as well. We may have to deal with some major ugliness in order to point them to Christ. I am convinced that is the ministry to which God is calling His church to perform.

Naturally, I would like you to buy the book. It's available through Amazon. You will find within its covers not only appropriate ministry suggestions for the various issues addressed, you will also find a wealth of information about each of the issues. I tried to pull together research and various studies on many of these issues to provide the reader with up-to-date information to better understand the problems faced by persons within their congregation.

Every generation faces new ministry challenges. This generation is no different. If we are to successfully present Christ to our current generation we must understand it and the issues it is facing. I believe this book can help you do that.

Personal growth of the pastor

I once talked with a professional person who told me he had not read a book since completing his educational requirements. I decided right then I would never use him in his field of expertise because he was no longer an expert in his chosen field. Regardless of the career you have chosen, it has likely changed a great deal over  the years, and if you have not kept up with those changes you are unable to offer value to those you serve. This is also true of pastoral ministry.

Ministry is rapidly changing, and those who have not kept up with those changes are unable to lead their churches into the future. While a person may have received an excellent seminary education, some of what you learned is now outdated. I remember a master's level class I took had a question on the final exam asking the average giving in a bus-ministry church. I wanted to respond that there had not been a bus-ministry church since gas hit $1.00 a gallon, but that was not an option on the multiple choice test. I knew the right answer, but was frustrated that I needed to because the answer was moot. Ministry has changed a lot since bus-ministry churches!

Regardless of a person's career choice, it is important that they continue to be life-long learners. This is especially true for those of us involved in ministry as we are responsible for the souls of those we serve. How do we stay current and informed as life-long learners?

For some it might done by pursuing additional degrees. I was 58 when I enrolled in a DMin program. The time working on that degree was a time of growth as I learned many new things about ministry. My doctoral project was a learning time as well.

Reading is another way to continue growing. I average reading 50 books a year. For a long time I seldom read non-fiction, but I have added those books to my reading schedule. Many of the authors of those books have been mentors to me even though I've met very few of them. John Maxwell has taught me much about leadership. Eugene Petersen and others have helped me better understand ministry. A number of authors have made me a better defender of the faith through their writings on apologetics. Lately, I have been reading more about mental health issues as that is a growing problem in our society that the church has been slow to address.

Don't limit yourself to just reading material relating to ministry or theology. It is important that the minister understands the culture in which he or she serves. That's why I've been reading books on mental health, racial issues, and other issues that impact our world. If we do not understand what is bringing pain to people's lives how can we expect to minister to them?

Attending seminars and conferences is another way to pursue personal and professional growth. I've led many of these events and have attended even more. Some were better than others, but none have been a waste of time. There is almost always a nugget of information found in all of them.

If your church does not have continuing education funds in its budget for the minister, ask them to do so. It is to their advantage that their pastor is pursuing growth, and it's an investment they should be willing to make.

The challenges and blessings of ministry

 It has been a long time since I've posted. Things have been hectic the last few months. I continue to serve as the Transitional Pastor of Westport Baptist Church, our online auction business is doing very well, and we've had some family situations that have taken much of our attention. I guess you could say it has been a normal life for a bivocational minister!

This past week was a very busy one at the church. We had a deacon meeting, a business meeting, and I was scheduled to conduct a wedding and a funeral on Saturday. What a privilege to be able to serve a congregation in this way. Yes, it was a challenge as it required a good deal of time, but it was much more of a blessing to be involved in the life of a congregation and to participate in the lives of individuals and families in such transitional times in their lives. I feel like I am the most blessed person on the face of the earth that I can minister on behalf of God to such a great church.

All ministry has its challenges. Serving in a denominational role for 14 years makes me aware that some ministries are more challenging than others. However, those challenges pale in comparison to the blessings that come with ministry. For any minister to consider that Almighty God, creator of the universe and God over all He created, called him or her to ministry should humble us. For 41 years I have served in ministry, and many times I have wondered why God would have called me to such a place. I cannot answer that, but I can affirm that I am thankful that He did. Apart from my relationship with God and my family, nothing has brought me greater joy than the ministries with which He has entrusted to me.

The working title for my first book was The Joy of Bivocational Ministry. The publisher changed the title but left that as the subtitle. A pastor friend of mine saw the title and remarked that he did not see how bivocational ministry could be considered joyful. I tried to explain to him the joys I have known in such ministry, but he never understood.

Besides the opportunity to serve wonderful churches in a pastoral role, I have had the privilege of ministering to hundreds of pastors and church leaders in various denominations through conferences, workshops and seminars. The vast majority of those speaking engagements were focused on bivocational ministry. Nearly 3,500 people have downloaded my doctoral thesis on Coaching Bivocational Ministers for Greater Ministry Effectiveness. If you want to read that without all the requirements that go into a doctoral thesis I rewrote and published it with the title The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry. This past week I was privileged to speak to a class at the Houston Baptist Theological Seminary and answer their questions about bivocational ministry.

Over the years I've heard many complain about the difficulties in ministry. A recent Barna survey found that 38% of pastors have considered leaving the ministry due to the difficulties they have faced. Yes, ministry can be quite challenging sometimes, but it is also the most rewarding thing anyone will ever do. 

Every Sunday as I begin the 45 minute drive to the church I'm serving I thank God for the opportunity to serve this church as their Transitional Pastor. I consider it an honor to be allowed to speak to them regarding God's Word and to be allowed to enter their lives. My prayer is that you feel the same way about the ministry God has given you.

Adaptive challenges

 I am currently re-reading Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bilsinger. He tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition that set out to discover the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. At the time everyone knew there had to be a water route that would lead people to the ocean. The expedition traveled by canoe and raft until they realized that what everyone knew to be true wasn't. They came to that realization when they came to the Rocky Mountains! They soon discovered that their canoes were useless and they had to find new ways to continue their journey.

Bolsinger compares this discovery to the challenges facing today's church. Everything we have done in the past has brought us where we are today, but it will not take us where we need to be in the future. Much of what we knew to be true of the church in the past is no longer valid today. Many are finding their seminary education did not prepare them for ministry in the 21st century. We are not facing technological challenges today that can be solved by tweaking our systems. We are dealing with adaptive challenges that are more systemic in nature that cannot be solved with past knowledge. The author writes

"Adaptive challenges are never solved through a quick fix. If talking, trying or tricks work, they would have worked already. They are only going to be solved through new insight into the context, the values and the systemic issues at play in the congregation and within the leaders themselves. In other words, before we can solve any problem, we need to learn to see new possibilities. And, ironically, because the solution will be an adaptation of the core values, identity and theology of the congregation itself, seeing those possibilities depends on first seeing ourselves and our congregations as we really are."

This will become quite an adventure for those congregations who want to thrive moving forward. New ways of thinking will be demanded that may be challenging to many in our congregations. "We've never done it that way before," will be repeated in many church business meetings. Like Lewis and Clark, we will have to admit that what we've done in the past will no longer allow us to move ahead in the future, and we will be challenged to find new solutions to current challenges.

Lewis and Clark had few choices when they came to the Rocky Mountains. They could stop their expedition and give up. They could continue to carry their canoes through the mountains insisting those canoes brought them this far and would somehow take them the rest of the way. Or they could admit they had to find new solutions to address the current issue of getting through the mountains.

The mountains, the challenges, today's church faces is just as real as those mountains were to Lewis and Clark. I'm afraid many churches will hold onto their canoes and fail to make it over the mountains. What will your church do?

It's OK to Fail

 A story I often tell when I'm speaking at a pastor's gathering concerns a time when I was a deacon in a church I attended. A little girl made a profession of faith at our VBS one year, and before the pastor would agree to baptize her he wanted to speak to her mother. He asked if I would go with him which I agreed to do so. The mother and her daughter lived in a government-assisted apartment complex near our church. When the pastor explained the reason for our visit, the mother was pleased that her daughter had accepted Christ and wanted to be baptized, but she had one question. "Will she become a member of your church?" The pastor said not necessarily but asked why she had that question.

The mother explained she had been an active member of a church in our county when her husband filed for divorce. The next Sunday she felt she had walked into a freezer. No one spoke to her, and during the following weeks she realized they really didn't want her there. She commented she felt like she had a large, bright red D stamped on her forehead. She had been deeply hurt by her church, and she did not want her daughter to experience that same pain.

Jumping several years later, for my doctoral project I coached a number of bivocational ministers and wrote about the experience for my dissertation. One of the persons I selected to coach was a female pastor of a very small church out west. In one of our sessions I asked her what would she most like to do in ministry. She responded that she would like to pastor a church that would reach out to persons who had been hurt by the church. I laughed when she said that and explained that if she ever did that her church wouldn't be small for long because there are many in every community who have been hurt by the church.

Unfortunately, many in the church have forgotten that each of us are the recipients of God's grace. Because we forget that we often fail to extend that same grace to others when they experience a failure in their lives. One of the most important things a church can do is to offer someone a safe place to fail.

Jesus said He did not come for the healthy but for the sick and those broken by life. We find His kindest words to those who were caught up in sin and who had failed in life. His harshest words were to those who thought they had no sin, no failure in their lives. This is an example the church needs to follow.

I remember a Christmas special that ran on TV for years. I hope it still does. In the special there was a place known as "The Isle of Misfit Toys." It was a place where toys that weren't perfect went because no one wanted them. Of course, by the end of the special these toys found a home.

The church should be a place of misfit people. People who haven't got it all together. People who struggle with life. People who are broken and need healing. People who have failed and need to be loved. These are the people for whom Jesus Christ gave His life that they might find healing, hope, forgiveness and salvation.

I hope your church is such a place.

Living into God's Dream For Your Life

 I'm currently reading TrueFaced by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch. This evening I came across this in the book.

"God dreams that you would discover your destiny and walk into the reasons he placed you on this earth. God has a ticket of destiny with your name written on it - no matter how old, how broken, how tired, or how frightened you are. No matter how many times you may have failed, God dearly longs for the day when he gets to hand you that ticket, smile, and whisper into your ear, 'You have no idea how long I've waited to hand this to you. Have a blast! I've already seen what you get to do. It's better than you could have dreamed. Now hurry up and get on that train. A whole lot of folk are waiting for you to walk into your destiny and into their lives.'"

Isn't that powerful? So many have given up on their dreams, and even worse, they've given up on God's dreams for them. At various times we may have a sense of what God wants for our lives, but we convince ourselves that couldn't be for us. We're not worthy. We're not capable. We've failed too many times in the past. Besides, even if this was God's will for our lives at some earlier point in time, it's too late now.

The authors insist that it's never too late to live into God's dream for your life. I once knew a minister who had some personal failures in his life. Many gave up on him. He lost his current place of ministry. When I saw him he was one of the most defeated individuals I've met. I reminded him that his failures did not exclude him from ministry, and that the Bible reminds us that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Although some individuals had turned their back on him, God had not, and His call on my friend was just as valid as it ever was. He did find his way back into the ministry and enjoyed a very fruitful season as the pastor of a church.

Of course, the above statement doesn't just apply to those in ministry positions. They apply to all who follow Christ. Each of us has a God-given task to perform. God has a plan for each individual, and our greatest fulfillment comes when we understand what that task is and begin to walk in it. This is also where we have the greatest opportunity to bless others.

For over 40 years I have served as a minister of churches and with our denomination. Yes, there have been challenges and difficult times, but I can say with complete honesty that I've enjoyed the journey, and still do! There is nothing more rewarding than knowing God's will for your life and living into that will. My prayer for you is that you are living into God's dream for your life as well.

Denominational challenges and decline

I just read an article about the challenges facing the United Methodist Church. Due to changes that have occurred in that denomination in recent years a growing number of churches are seeking to leave the UMC. Some are finding the process fairly simple while others are encountering huge roadblocks placed there by their bishops. Some churches are being forced to give the denomination up to 50% of their property's value in order to leave.

The problems for the denomination does not stop with the number of churches seeking to leave the denomination. They, like most denominations, are also facing declining memberships in many of their churches. Many in their congregations are older. As they pass away or become unable to be active, the finances of the church are impacted and so is that of the denomination. UMC leadership will have to make tough decisions in the next few years about how to best respond to these challenges.

Of course, this is true for most denominations. They are finding they are in a vicious circle of decline. Declining church membership and a growing discontent among some with the policies the denominations have adopted on certain social issues means less money flowing into the denomination  and its judicatories. This results in reduced staffing and fewer resources being provided to the churches which results in less connection with the local church which leads to even further reduced funding. New denominational groups are springing up that seem a better fit for some churches who become willing to abandon their historic relationship with their denomination to be part of what the new groups are doing, and this leads to a greater loss of member churches and their financial support.

Much of this could have been avoided if the denominations had not strayed from clear biblical teaching on these social issues, but unless there is a major reversal in policies, which is highly unlikely to happen, it's too late to dwell on that now. The decline is likely to continue until the denominations are a shell of what they once were if they even exist at all. My concern is for the impact this has for the spread of the Gospel message, the local churches and the missionaries connected to these denominations.

There are issues with which I do not agree with my denomination, and I was a judicatory leader in this denomination for 14 years. But I am able to work through those because my focus is on preaching the Word of God. As a Baptist the denomination has little impact or influence on my ability to minister or the ministry of the church I serve. I am also blessed by serving in a judicatory whose leadership has always been supportive and whose policies I fully endorse. While that might not be the case in other denominations, it is true in the one in which I serve. I also want to be able to continue to support the wonderful work our missionaries are doing around the world.

Only God knows what the future will be for our current denominations or if they even have a future. My suggestion to pastors is to be faithful in preaching the Word of God regardless of what happens with denominations and continue to support the good work of your missionaries. Many of them are caught in the middle of all this without it being their fault. 

So, whose tent is the biggest?

 The story goes that two tent evangelists in the mid-1900s got into a public argument as to who had the biggest tent. It was finally decided that each would measure their tent when it was discovered that both tents were the same size. One had been measuring their tent from the outside while the other had been measuring his from the inside.

After 40+ plus years in ministry I have seen a number of pastors jealous of other pastors and what other churches were doing. This often happens when a church's ministry begins reaching larger numbers of people. Pastors of these churches are often accused of "sheep stealing" or having questionable theology. These pastors and the churches they serve may find they are attacked by other pastors, and the reason for these attacks may be no more than jealousy.

This past week at the national convention of the SBC Rick Warren was given an opportunity to speak to the delegates regarding his church's decision to ordain women to the ministry, a grave sin in the eyes of much of the SBC. I read many of the comments on Twitter from pastors in attendance, many of whom had little good to say about Warren or the church he served for over 40 years. He was accused of being weak on theology, of being egotistical and being the primary reason evangelicalism is under attack today. I found many of the comments to be little more than jealousy of the success he and his church has enjoyed over the years. I really think what was behind many of the complaints was that his tent was bigger than those of his critics.

Ministry is not a competition. Our battle is not to be between churches but between the forces of evil and the work God has called us to do. If a soul is saved, who cares what church or pastor was used by God to reach that individual. Rick Warren was gifted and called by God to serve a much larger church than I could ever pastor, and I praise God for the work that he and the church has done. I spent 20 years pastoring a rural church that never grew beyond about 55 people, and I praise God for the opportunity to serve that church. Since then I've been given the opportunity to serve in a denominational role and as a Transitional Pastor of two churches a little larger than the one I pastored. Not once have I ever been critical of another church because it was larger than the ones I was serving.

I've said for a long time that too many pastors never fully unpack their boxes when they move. Almost as soon as they arrive at their new church they are looking to see what larger churches might be soon opening up. They're looking for the larger tent and, dare I say it, the larger salary package that goes with it. I have to wonder how the Kingdom of God would be if those of us called to ministry would see our current place of ministry as God's calling on our lives. Rather than seeking a larger tent, maybe we should see that we have been called to this place "for such a time as this."

Systems determine results

 One of the things I've learned in 40+ years of ministry is that your system is perfectly designed for the results you are getting. This is not only true for churches but for every area of life as well: Family, Career, Physical and Mental Health, Personal Growth, Etc. We create systems in every area of our lives, and those systems then create us.

Many years ago, even before I began to serve as a minister, I was a member of a church that had a lot of parking lot meetings. At the time I didn't understand why that church always seemed to have problems, but it was because their system of dealing with issues was not to address them but to complain about them in the parking lot. That church always struggled with distrust and dissension. Later in my ministry as a judicatory minister I found many churches with the same broken system who could never understand why they always seemed to struggle.

Churches that win numbers of people to Christ and have a lot of baptisms have systems in place that make doing evangelism and outreach easy. Churches that bring in a lot of first-time guests have systems in place that is inviting to those who do not attend church. Churches that are financially secure have systems in place that promote stewardship. Churches that do none of these things have systems in place that make doing them difficult.

Pastor and author Nelson Searcy identifies 8 systems that should be operating at maximum efficiency in a healthy church. These are

• The Worship Planning System
• The Evangelism System
• The Assimilation System
• The Small Groups System
• The Ministry System AKA The Volunteer System
• The Stewardship System
• The Leadership System
• The Strategic System

If any area of a church's life is not working well it's important that the leadership look at their current system in that area. Identify the things that are limiting your effectiveness in that area and replace them with other things that will work. Until a broken system is fixed the church will never be healthy and will struggle to minister in that area of church life.

The church and mental illness

One of the chapters in my ebook "Is Your Church Ready for Ministry in the Coming Decade?" addresses the church's response to mental illness.  According to one study of 500 churches, over 98% of the responding pastors said they knew members in their congregation who suffered from some form of mental illness. Yet, only 12.5% of those same pastors reported that mental health issues were ever discussed in the church. There seems to be a major disconnect here.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 adults sitting in our pews each week and 1 in 5 children are dealing with mental illness. Their needs are being ignored by the majority of our churches. We have no problem offering healing to those with physical, financial or relational issues, but we seem to avoid those with mental health issues. Perhaps we forget that many of our giants in the faith struggled with mental health challenges. Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon and J. B. Phillips among others struggled at times with depression.

As I point out in my book, there are a number of misconceptions Christians have about mental illness which may result in our reluctance to address it. Some believe that mental illness is a sign of a lack of spiritual growth and maturity. They would advise the person suffering from a mental illness to pray more, read their Bibles and trust God. Others think that mental illness is the result of unconfessed sin. Some insist that mental illness is a sign of demonic possession. When we have such misconceptions we tend to offer simplistic solutions, which when they fail, can make the problem worse.

Unfortunately, too many churches continue to teach that a Christian seeking treatment for mental illness is committing a sin. They see if as a lack of faith. In their view, taking medication or seeing a counselor for treatment is showing a lack of faith in God. Teaching such as this can cause even more anxiety in a person who does not need that anxiety.

I've been very open about my battle with depression in the mid-1980s. For a year I took anti-depression medication and saw a counselor weekly until the depression left me. During that time I continued to pastor my church and work a full-time job although there were days when that was a struggle. I also learned a lot about myself and a lot about God. One of the things I learned as I emerged from that depression was that God truly would never leave me nor forsake me. It became more that a Bible verse I believed; I now knew it from personal experience.

What can the church do to provide a positive ministry to those dealing with mental illness? First, I recommend that pastors and others in leadership speak openly about it. I have shared my testimony in many settings, and every time people came to me privately and thanked me for being so open. Second, I recommend that pastors be careful in their use of language. Being careless in how one speaks of those dealing with mental illnesses can be very hurtful even when that it not the intent. Third, it is helpful to understand what can cause various types of mental illnesses. Rather than clinging to misconceptions study the issue for yourself and learn what causes these problems. One reason I included this chapter in the book is so I could offer a brief overview of some of the causes. Finally, be careful about diagnosing and treating those with mental illness. Unless you are a trained counselor it's best to refer those who think may be dealing with a mental illness to trained people. Always be willing to provide pastoral care, but leave the counseling to those trained to do so.

Speaking the truth in love

 A number of years ago I attended the annual meeting of our denomination. In one session there was an opportunity for people to address issues that were important to them before a committee of our leadership to consider. Each person was allowed a brief time to state their concern and their suggestions for how it should be addressed. A lengthy line was formed of people who had signed up to speak. I noticed the more conservative speakers were lined up along one wall while the more liberal ones were lined up along another wall. Each line alternated speakers.

Many of the more conservative speakers appeared angry as they spoke. I even wrote in my notes "Why are we conservatives always so angry?" The other side seldom spoke harshly and simply presented their perspective on the issue. Even though I seldom agreed with them, I appreciated their tone.

Today it seems that neither side wants to calmly address our differences whether they be religious, cultural or political. Many appear to believe that the one who shouts the loudest wins the argument. In too many cases a discussion isn't even possible. In our cancel culture of today opposing voices are simply silenced by disinviting those who hold such views from the discussion. It's no wonder our nation, our government and our churches are in the shape they are in.

Colossians 4: 5-6 reminds us to "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outsiders, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, and that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Behind every question or statement there is a person. Paul is telling us to know that person so that we might be able to answer his or her question or respond to the statement. We sometimes become so focused on the question or statement that we forget we are dealing with an individual who has a reason for believing what they do.

He further writes that our speech should always be with grace. Sometimes in our desire to win the debate we harm the person. When someone feels attacked or disrespected they will not hear what we are saying. In our minds we may have presented the strongest argument, but that is of no value if we have driven a wedge in our relationship with the other individual. We are cautioned to not place a stumbling block before other people, and this is easily done when we do not respect the dignity of those who hold views different from us.

We are always called upon to stand for truth, especially the truth of God's Word, but we are also called upon to do so with love. Let's speak the truth in love to all people and let the Spirit of God reveal to them its truth. 

Study to show yourself approved

 As most regular readers of this blog know, when I began my pastoral ministry in 1981 I had no education beyond high school. As the bivocational pastor of a small, rural church I frankly did not expect to pursue an education, but over the years I managed to graduate college and earn both a masters and a doctoral degree while continuing to serve in ministry and working full-time jobs. With online classes being offered by many schools today it is far more doable that when I started my educational pursuit. However, not everyone can, or probably should, follow the route I did.

Some churches will not consider calling a pastor without a formal degree while others, especially in smaller, rural churches, may look upon formal education as a hindrance. My life-long work with bivocational churches and pastors has convinced me that the need for such ministers will continue to grow, and many of these individuals will lack a formal seminary education. However, this should not negate God's call on their lives nor should it excuse any unwillingness on their part to learn and preach sound doctrine to their congregations.

Much of my early preaching came from what I had learned from pastors I had sat under from my childhood up. While much of it was sound, in some cases I was passing on the traditions long believed within my tribe that were not necessarily biblical. As a denominational minister for 14 years who visited in different churches almost every Sunday I heard my share of similar sermons. 

Paul challenged Timothy to study to show himself approved. This is sound advice for all of us called into ministry. That does not mean that all must get a formal seminary education, but there are other ways to study the Word before we preach it.

My library has a large collection of commentaries and Bible study help books written by respected Bible scholars and theologians. It also includes several books on apologetics and systematic theology. I have a Bible study software program on my computer that gives me access to far more material. These help me prepare sermons and Bible studies that are doctrinally sound. Another section of my library includes large numbers of books related to pastoral and church ministry and leadership. A third section contains books that focus on the Christian lifestyle. These books have been collected over 40+ years and have helped me develop into the minister I am today. I have never looked at these books as a cost but rather as an investment to help me fulfill the calling God placed on my life.

Some pastors use their lack of formal education as an excuse to let the Holy Spirit lead them in what they will preach each week. I'm not sure I would want to blame God for some of the sermons I've heard! Saturday night specials can be dangerous. The fact is that in the times in which we live we have an abundance of material to help us prepare biblically sound messages that will enrich the lives of our congregations and teach them what the Bible says. It only requires that we spend the time in study and preparation.

Now is the Time

 Many of us live in a wonderful land of Someday Isle. How many times have you said, "Someday I'll....?" You can fill in the blank yourself. We've all been there and done that. Faced with opportunities and choices we often choose to put them off until a more convenient time. We come up with dozens of reasons why this isn't the right time to do .... Ah, but someday I'll get around to doing that.

Then a funny thing happens. One day we realize that time has passed us by and there isn't time to do that thing. When this realization hits something happens inside us. A dream dies, and a little bit of us dies as well.

Who among us has not wished we could go back and relive our lives, or at least part of it. I doubt anyone wants to go back to when we were being potty trained, but there are many times in my life I wish I had made different decisions. I would love to have the opportunity to revisit those times and make a different decision than the one I made at the time.

Even though I've been blessed with opportunities to do many things in my life, there's probably 101 other things I would have liked to have done. Many of the things I did do I wish I had done differently.

Probably my two biggest regrets is that I wish I had become a Christian sooner than I did, and I wish I had gone into the ministry sooner. Out of all the things I've done in my life, apart from my family, nothing has been more rewarding that the ministry to which God called me.

Since we cannot turn back time I want to encourage you to make the best of every minute. Focus on the things that are most important to you and give them the time and commitment they deserve. Live every moment. Live life to the fullest. Determine what God has called you to do and pour yourself into that.

Now is the time to read that book, take that vacation, develop a savings and investment strategy, or further your education. Now is the time to spend more time with your family and create memories that will outlast you. Now is the time to clear away the clutter in your life so you can more easily focus on the things that are truly important. And, now is the time to invite Jesus Christ into your life if you've not already done that. The Bible says that "Today is the day of salvation."

Don't put off the most important things in life until tomorrow because none of us are promised tomorrow. Now is the time to do the things you've always wanted to do.

Why did you go into the ministry?

 In the late 1970s my pastor and I were driving to a conference in Kentucky when he asked me a question that has changed my life. He asked if I had ever felt God was calling me into the ministry? I admitted that I had felt that call many times in my life but had never pursued it. For the remainder of our journey we discussed that calling. He later came to our home to talk to me and my wife about the ministry, but it wasn't until he had left our church and another pastor came that I requested the church license me into the ministry. Since then I have served as a church pastor, a denominational minister, and now, in retirement, as a Transitional Pastor. The past 40 years of my life has been spent in the ministry because someone challenged to consider that God might be calling me to ministry.

Back then it was not uncommon to hear pastors issue four challenges in an invitation. One was to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. A second was to recommit one's life to Him. The third was to join the church, and the fourth was to commit oneself to Christian ministry. In many churches you will still hear the first three challenges, but you seldom hear the fourth one. Perhaps this is why we see the current shortage of pastors for our churches.

I have talked with many leaders of various denominations over the years and have never heard one say their denomination had too many people wanting to serve as pastors. In fact, it has been just the opposite. Many churches today, especially smaller and mid-size churches, struggle to find pastors. I worked with many pastor search teams during my time as a denominational minister and told everyone of them that the pool wasn't very big and wasn't very deep. It's not uncommon for a church to spend 18-24 months to find a new pastor, and sometimes it's even longer.

Most persons serving in ministry with whom I've spoken told a story similar to mine. Someone they respected asked them to consider if God might be calling them into the ministry. Quite often their experience was like mine. They had felt such a call on their lives but had never pursued it. Perhaps they weren't certain of the call. Maybe the call frightened them. In some cases they weren't sure how to pursue that calling. Often, they just needed someone they respected to challenge them before they were ready to move forward.

It's important to remember that none of us can call anyone into the ministry. This is God's job. However, we can ask people in whom we see certain pastoral gifts if they have ever felt led to enter the ministry. In fact, I believe this is an important task of every current minister. We need to be passing the baton on to the next generation. I'm convinced that the shortage of pastors we see today isn't because God isn't calling persons to that role; it's that these individuals are not being challenged to consider that they might have such a call on their lives. It is up to those currently in ministry to issue such challenges.

Where does the time go?

 The great Baptist preacher Vance Havner wrote 

A South Carolina friend told me about meeting a typical old Southern gentleman who said, "I used to come over to your town quite often in the old days. It was a day's round trip by horse and buggy. I can do it in an hour now but I don't have time!" That just about sums up the tempo - and the tragedy - of these hurried times. I noticed recently that one of our church hymnals now no longer carries the precious song, "Take Time to be Holy." Who has time to be holy? We've got a program we must put over!"

Wow! Truer words have not been written. At one time people were concerned with computers and all the other "time-saver devices" that people's biggest problem would be boredom, but I haven't found that to be a problem. Neither have most people. In fact, it's just the opposite. It seems the more time we save, the busier we are and the less time we have. 

Holiness does take time. So does relationships. I can remember growing up on the farm and spending many evenings sitting on the front porch with family or visiting neighbors. Few of us even know our neighbors today. I remember one evening coming home from a PTA meeting with Mom (do they even have those anymore?) and seeing Dad sitting on the front porch talking to a neighbor. He had come over close to dark, went back to our lake and caught a feed sack full of bull frogs. He was going to take them home to get a mess of frog legs for future meals after visiting for awhile.

Some talk about the good old days, but I doubt that many really want to go back to dirt roads, outhouses, kerosene lamps or three channels on our TV sets. What they probably mean is that they wish we again had time to build relationships with one another, spend time with our families, have time to actually sit down to think and meditate on truly important things, take long walks down country roads and spend quiet time with God.

The same is true for churches. Some of us spend so much time trying to find ways to make our churches bigger that we fail to make them deeper. Like our relationships, many churches are a mile wide and an inch deep. Too many people's faith lacks substance and depth. Even if they sing "Take Time to be Holy" a look at their lives would find little holiness.

I wonder what would happen if we slowed our lives down a little and focused more on the really important things in life and less on what others think is urgent. What if we spent more time in the Word of God and less in the things of the world? How would our lives be different? What if we spent less of our time on lesser things and began investing our time in more important things? 

The Messiness of Ministry

 A few decades ago ministry was fairly cut-and-dried. Our family moved a few times when I was growing up, and everywhere we moved we attended a Baptist church very similar to the one we left. The Sunday school material was the same, many of them used the same hymnbooks, the order of the service was nearly identical, most of the people dressed alike and thought alike. People knew what to expect from their minister. Other than the architecture of the church most of them were nearly duplicates of the previous churches we attended. That is not the case today!

Many people are not concerned with the name on the church they begin attending when they move. In fact, they may attend more than one church for the various programs and ministries they offer. Look out into many congregations and you're apt to see people from various walks of life and with many different life experiences. Some will hold to some very strong opinions that are markedly different from those traditionally held by members of your congregation. It's likely that some have come from different denominational backgrounds with traditions and polities that are different from yours. All of these things mean that ministry is much messier today than it was in earlier times.

A Baptist pastor called me a few years ago asking my opinion on an issue that existed in his church. A couple from a non-Baptist background had been attending services there and had become quite involved in the life of the church. They wanted to become members of the church, but the church required baptism by immersion to become a member. Both had been sprinkled according to their former church's teaching, and because their conversion and baptism had been so meaningful to them, they did not want to be re-baptized. Because the church limited the number of things non-members could do, they were unable to use many of their gifts in the church. The pastor was sure the church would lose this couple soon if the problem wasn't resolved.

In a book I recently read a pastor wrote about a trans person who began attending the church. He wanted to know this person better and so he invited the individual home for dinner. The person replied he would be bringing his wife. At dinner they discussed how they had been married for years and had raised their children when he began to suffer from gender dysphoria. It was decided that he would make the transition to female, but because they were Christians who did not believe in divorce and very much in love with one another they had remained married.

When I was still serving in regional ministry a church began seeking a new pastor. When I met with the search team they said the church needed a pastor who could develop a strong youth group in the church. A few months later they called an individual to serve as their pastor. Several months later I was eating lunch in the community when a member of that former search team approached my table. I asked how the pastor was doing, and specifically if he was able to build a youth group in that church. She said he had been very successful in growing a youth group, but now the older members complained that he spent all his time with the youth, and because he was ignoring them they had quit supporting the church financially.

These are just three examples of how challenging ministry has become in the 21st century. Entire books could be written with stories like these. Unfortunately, this not apt to change soon, if ever. We are called to meet people where they are, and this is where many of them are today. Ministry is messy today because people's lives are messy. Those of us in ministry need to pray for wisdom and courage as we continue to serve. We also need to encourage people that no one's life is too messy for God to change. Perhaps it is in the messiness of our time that we will find the greatest receptivity to God's message of grace.

Interesting fact about incoming seminary students

 For a number of years the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), the national accrediting agency for seminaries, has conducted a survey of incoming seminary students. An interesting finding is that about 30% of those students intentionally plan on being bivocational ministers when they graduate. That is a significant number, and it shows the growth of bivocational ministry and the likelihood that it will continue to grow. I'm not aware of studies done prior to when the ATS began their study, but I would guess that back then that number would not have been so high.

Students give a variety of reasons why they plan to pursue bivocational ministry. Some want to be involved in in a career outside the church to give them more opportunities to minister to those who do not attend church. Others believe it will provide a more balanced home-work life. No doubt finances play a part for some of these students, especially those who are incurring a huge student debt load. Students who came out of small church backgrounds may wish to continue to serve in such places and realize these churches are becoming dependent upon bivocational ministers. I'm sure there are many other reasons students have for planning a bivocational ministry career.

This should give pause to those middle-size churches seeking pastoral leadership. Many of these churches are used to having a fully-funded pastor, but they may find it increasingly difficult to find such pastors today. If 30% of seminary students are planning to intentionally pursue bivocational ministry that takes a significant chunk out of the future prospective pool. Other students plan to be Ministers of Education, Ministers of Worship, Youth Ministers, Chaplains, Missionaries, work in Christian non-profit careers, new church planting, professors, counselors, social workers and workers in parachurch ministries. This further reduces the number of persons available to serve as church pastors. Add into the equation the large number of older ministers and those near retirement and the pool becomes even smaller. Many denominations struggle to provide suitable candidates for their mid-size churches seeking pastors, and this is unlikely to improve.

Many smaller mid-size churches will be forced to seek bivocational leadership when they begin to search for a new pastor. Likely, there will be great resistance at first from members of the congregation who are used to having a fully-funded pastor available whenever they wanted him or her, but the reality is that these pastors are unlikely to be available for these churches. The good news is that studies find that bivocational pastors provide quality leadership to their churches at about the same rate as their fully-funded counterparts. In fact, these churches may find they will greatly benefit from having a bivocational pastor.

However, this transition will not come without challenges. Bivocational churches cannot function as fully-funded churches. These churches will have to learn a new way of doing ministry that does not depend on the pastor every moment of the day. Congregational care must replace much of the pastoral care the congregation has grown to expect. Some administrative tasks will have to be assumed by the congregation that they formerly left to the pastor to do. There will be a learning curve for the church, but the transition is possible if the congregation is willing to work through it.

We need to remember that bivocational ministry was the norm for much of our nation's history especially in the Baptist and Methodist traditions. It wasn't until the 1950s that seminary-trained, fully-funded pastors became to be considered the normal expectation for churches. What we are seeing today is a return to the bivocational, tentmaker model that served our churches so well for many years.

Ministry life after retirement

 What do ministers do after they retire? A better question might be should ministers ever retire? Let's address the second question first.

At some point in a minister's life he or she is going to find that their days of serving a church as pastor are over. This may be due to health reasons when one becomes physically incapable of handling pastoral duties. I once knew a pastor who suffered a significant stroke affecting his speech, his movements and his energy. Although he wanted to remain in pastoral ministry he simply could not function well enough to serve a church.

Other pastors may be in good health but find that most churches are not interested in calling a 75-year-old as their next pastor. I served 14 years in a judicatory ministry and worked with dozens of churches seeking new pastoral leadership, and I never saw one seriously consider older candidates. While I understand the desire to call a 45-year-old pastor with 30 years of pastoral ministry to be a church's next pastor, I also know that many churches, especially smaller ones, are overlooking a lot of experience and wisdom when they ignore the older candidates. The argument usually given is that the older candidate might not be with the church for very long, but this overlooks the fact that the average pastor in our denomination changes churches about every 3-4 years. Realistically, the younger pastor probably won't be at the church for a long time either. While one might not want to retire, retirement might be forced upon him or her due to a lack of interest from churches due to one's age.

This brings us back to the first question. What does a minister do when they do retire? Many make themselves available to serve as supply pastors filling in when pastors are absent from their churches. Others are willing to serve as interim pastors or transitional pastors for churches when they are seeking new pastors. Since my retirement I have served as a transitional pastor for two wonderful churches, and I am still at the second one.

Serving in this capacity gives the minister the opportunity to use his or her experience during a challenging time in the church. Seeking new pastoral leadership is a stressful time for congregations, and the transitional pastor can help them work through some of that stress.

Another way retired ministers can continue to serve is to find ways to minister outside the church. Before I retired I received a license to be an auctioneer. I view this as a way to expand my ministry to persons who may not be involved in churches. People often call me when they are downsizing and find out that family members are not interested in their possessions. They are worried that they cannot take everything to their new home and uncertain what to do. When I assure them that I can sell their items for them at auction they often express great relief.

I also get to minister to persons who need to close out an estate after a loved one passes away. Some of them may live several states away and wonder how they can dispose of everything. When I agreed to sell one estate the daughter's shoulders dropped as she breathed a sigh of relief. She said it was like the weight of the world was off her shoulders.

More than once I've been called to someone's house to talk about doing an auction and had prayer with them before leaving. One individual I had never met before that day began to share some of the struggles she had lived through in the past few weeks. She was obviously hurting. I explained that was also a minister and asked if I could pray for her. I've never been refused in such times. After praying for her I asked if she had a church, and when she replied she did not I was able to recommend two in her community that I knew would minister to her.

Use the gifts and wisdom God has given you to find ways to continue to minister even after retirement. You may find such ministry quite rewarding.

Great Roundtable Event

 This past weekend I had the privilege of leading a Roundtable discussion with a group of pastors from the South Central Ohio Nazarene District. Nearly 30 people were in attendance as we looked at two of the issues facing the church as we continue into the 21st century.

The issues we addressed were from my latest book Is Your Church Ready for Ministry in the Coming Decade? During the morning session we discussed how the church can best minister to persons struggling financially. Every church wants to help those seeking assistance, but we must make sure we are actually helping the individual and not creating dependency and other problems for them. After lunch our topic was "The Church and Gender Dysphoria." This is a growing problem in today's culture and likely will continue to be for some time. Many pastors are not familiar with the issue and how to best address it. 

Following the second presentation there were several questions about the topic, and then the questions began to become more general regarding church ministry in the smaller church. It was a great time with some wonderful leaders in the area churches, and I appreciate them inviting me to be with them again.

I think many of us in pastoral ministry would prefer to avoid the issues discussed in the book. They are often messy and create confusion, pain and even misunderstandings within congregations. But if we are to minister to our current age we must be willing to address the issues that people today are dealing with. We cannot hide out in our theological ivory towers and pretend that difficult things do not exist. Christ didn't and neither can we.

The book is available through amazon.com for Kindle devices for $6.95. I would recommend this book for any church leader who wants to be better prepared for doing ministry in today's world.

I want to again thank the South Central Ohio Nazarene District for allowing me to spend the day with them. I especially want to thank their District Superintendent, Trevor Johnston, for inviting back for a second time to be with his pastors. Trevor and his staff and pastors are doing great things for the Kingdom of God in their district, and it's always a pleasure to work with such individuals.

What challenges will your church face in the next 10 years?

 

Is Your Church Ready for Ministry in the Coming Decade? is the title of my latest book. In it I explore some of the challenges the church will face in the next few years. Some of these are not new, but they are issues the church has often ignored or not understood. Others are newer and reflect the culture changes we see happening around us. Just because your church has not faced these challenges yet does not mean that it won't in the future, and it's entirely possible that some of these challenges are before you today in your congregation, and you are not aware of them. This Kindle book can be ordered through Amazon and only costs $6.95.

I've now been involved in pastoral and denominational ministry for 41 years. Currently, I serve as a Transitional Pastor for a church seeking pastoral leadership. I continue to be amazed at the changes that have occurred in ministry over the past four decades. Many of the challenges I discuss in the book were not issues when I began my pastoral ministry. At least, they did not present themselves as they do today.

How can a church minister to a family dealing with chronic poverty issues? Is there a way to help them without making them dependent upon others? How well does the church understand gender dysphoria, and how will you minister to the person and/or the family struggling with this situation? What can the church say to the ongoing racial divisions that exist in this country and within the church as well? Are there people in your congregation dealing with mental illnesses? Are you sure? What about their family members? The same question can be asked about persons suffering from addictions, and these addictions do not have to be to controlled substances. Perhaps they are dealing with addictions to social media or technology. Suicide is a growing problem in many communities. Is your church ready to minister to persons seeking to end their lives or the family members of those who already have?

These are just some of the issues I address in the book. These are the types of challenges that make ministry today so difficult, but they are the challenges people today are facing. If we are to be true to our calling we cannot ignore them.

If this book sounds like it might be helpful to your ministry, I invite you to check it out at Amazon.com. There is a sample preview available to help you decide if it might be a wise investment in your ministry.

From whence comes our help?

 Evil stalks the land. Ungodly rulers govern nations. Injustice prevails. Violence is felt all around us. Wars and rumors of wars make the national news. Hatred and greed fill the hearts of men and women. Every form of immorality is promoted as normal and praised. Evil is called good and good is called evil. Churches are burned to the ground, Christians are slaughtered and persecuted, and their cries are ignored. The teachings of Scripture are mocked and ignored. Churches abandon the clear teaching of the Scriptures and proclaim the messages desired by those with itching ears. Is there any hope for mankind, and if so where does this hope to be found?

Ps. 121:1 tells us, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." Our hope comes from God. The message of hope the world desperately needs can only come from the church as we proclaim the clear message of salvation that is found in the Word of God. The answers to the world's problems will not come from the White House, the State House or the Courthouse; those answers can only come from God's house.

When Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end of times in Matthew 24 He made it clear that in the midst of the chaos of those times the gospel of the kingdom was to be preached. This is what we are called to do. Without apology or fear, we who are called to preach the gospel must do so boldly and without compromise. This is the time the church must rise up and be the church God called it to be offering hope, forgiveness and salvation to a lost and dying world.

We have allowed our culture to silence the prophetic voice of the church, and we see the ruin of that all around us. As the voice of the church has been silenced we have seen the pain of people increased. Like sheep without a shepherd, they wander aimlessly looking for answers to life's problems, and finding none they draw back within themselves, self-medicating their pain with whatever brings them momentary pleasure.

We cannot afford to be silent any longer. People for whom Jesus Christ gave His life are hurting. They are burdened down with life, and they need the hope that only the gospel can provide. We need to proclaim that hope, not only within our buildings but in every area of society. The marketplace needs to hear it as well as the Sunday school classroom. The halls of government need to hear it as well as those sitting in our sanctuaries. The school board meetings need to hear it as much as those in our small groups.

Not only do we need to proclaim the truths found in God's Word, we need to be in prayer for the future of our nation and the world around us. 2 Chronicles 7: 14 is still in our Bibles. It has been said that the army of God marches best when it is on its knees. We need to pray for revival, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon this nation that will convict men and women of their sins and lead to repentance. We need that same revival in our churches.

I want to challenge the readers of this post to pray and ask God how He would have your respond the to the events we see unfolding all around us. Seek His guidance and courageously begin to live into that direction.

Turning walls into bridges

 During my doctoral studies I was blessed to have Dr. Elmer Towns teach two of my classes. The first class I took under Dr. Towns was on prayer. The second was on doing church in the 21st century. Both classes deeply impacted my life and ministry.

In the second class Dr. Towns was discussing the walls every church builds. These walls intentionally or unintentionally keep people out of our churches. He emphasized that every church had such walls, and then stood up, went around the room and asked each student how high the walls were around their church. He made each of us answer giving him a number between one and ten. Some admitted the walls surrounding their churches were rather high. Once every student answered he told us to tear down those walls and use them to build bridges into the communities God had given us. I'll never forget that discussion.

What are some of the potential walls that can be built up in a church? One wall I often encountered was the lack of hospitality in the church. Serving 14 years in regional ministry I had the opportunity to be in a different church nearly every week. Some of those churches were very welcoming to their guests; others made it very obvious they didn't care if we were there or not. "The friendliest church" in town often proved to be friendly only to the insiders. Studies reveal that guests usually decide whether to return or not within a few minutes after arriving at a church, even before the service begins. That decision is made on how well the church is prepared to receive guests and how they are treated once they are there.

Another wall in some churches is the worship service itself. I'm not making a comment about traditional versus contemporary services because I've been in churches were both were very well done. Regardless of the style of worship, some churches are simply boring. The music is uninspired; the messages lack sound biblical content, and everyone present seems they wished they were somewhere else. Such services are unlikely to bring hope and transformation to anyone.

A significant wall I've written elsewhere about is the controllers who exist in most churches. These people see themselves as guardians of the faith, but the only thing they are guarding is their positions and power in the church. They often drive away people faster than the church can bring them in. Working with conflicted churches in the past has provided me with numerous horror stories of controllers allowed to build huge bridges that keep people away from the church. To tear down the walls they build the church must first remove these people from their positions of authority.

The final wall I'll mention in this post is the wall of negativity. Some churches are better known for what they are against than what they are for. Their pastors address their weekly rant on whatever made the news the preceding week. I have visited churches where the pastor raged against the congregation, and was later told that was a normal Sunday in that church. I admit there was a time in my early ministry when I realized I had become fairly negative in my preaching. I realized I could say everything I wanted to say in a positive way or a negative way and committed that from that time forward I would become more positive in my preaching. People get beat up by life all week; they don't need to come to church for another round.

Once these walls have existed for some time we don't notice them any longer, but those outside our churches do. And our churches become known for them. Tearing down walls is costly and time-consuming, but it is the right thing to do. What walls exist in your church? Identify then, tear them down and begin to build bridges into your communities to reach people for Jesus Christ.

The pastor's study

One of the serious problems in too many churches is the lack of biblical knowledge that exists within the congregation. In a recently shared message in the church I currently serve I gave some illustrations of how serious this problem is. I recently read that 82 percent of Americans today believe that "God helps those who help themselves" is in the Bible. 12 percent believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife, and 50% of graduating seniors thought Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

We are a nation of biblical illiterates, and this applies to many in our congregations. Studies consistently find that the lack of biblical knowledge among Christians is appalling. We don't live according to biblical teaching because we don't know what the Bible teaches about important issues that impact our lives. Part of this is due to people not studying the Scriptures. Too many might take their Bibles to church, but after the service ends they toss it in the back seat so they'll know where it is next Sunday. They never open it between Sundays. However, I place much of the blame on those of us who stand behind the pulpits.

In too many churches the Scriptures have been watered down in hopes to attract more people. Pastors avoid the difficult texts so they don't offend people. They avoid controversial sections of the Bible to be politically correct and appear "woke." Some simply do not take the time to dig deep into the Scriptures to prepare for a sermon each week.  This is most often found in those churches that have changed the Pastor's Study into the Pastor's Office.

Words have meaning. An office is the place where administration occurs, plans are made, issues are addressed. Each of these are necessary in a church, and the pastor needs to be available to help with each of these. However, the study is where the real work of a church pastor should occur. It is in the study where the pastor prepares his or her message for the coming week. It is here where the deep study of Scripture occurs that is necessary for a message to contain a life-transforming message. It is in the study where the pastor prays and seeks God's guidance both for the message and for the administration that is needed in a church. It is in the study where the pastor must be able to escape the demands for his or her attention in order to focus on studying the Scriptures.

The study should be a place where the pastor has access to the commentaries and other Bible study aids either on the bookshelves or in the computer. It is in the study where he or she will wrestle with the Scriptures to attempt to understand what God is saying and wants to say to this congregation. When the pastor leaves the study he or she should do so with a word from God for the congregation.

Pastors, we don't need mancaves and we don't need offices. We need to return to the study if we want to give our members the meat of God's word. Don't complain about the lack of biblical knowledge of your congregation if you are not doing the hard work of preparing biblically sound messages each week. If we will focus on doing that I'm convinced we will see growth in our churches and in the people who make up our congregations.

Our words are powerful

In a lecture a Rabbi asked his audience if they could go 24 hours without saying anything unkind to or about someone. Some admitted they could not. He explained that if he had asked if they could go 24 without drinking alcohol and they could not they would have to admit they were an alcoholic. If they cannot go that long without speaking unkindly about others then they need to admit they cannot control their tongue.

The same is true when we are speaking to ourselves. In fact, some say that the most impactful conversations we have each day are the ones we have with ourselves. When we speak negatively to ourselves about ourselves we begin to believe that those things are true. If you frequently tell yourself that you are a failure, or that you are stupid, or that you can't do anything right or that you don't deserve to be loved, you are going to believe those things about yourselves, and it will be very difficult to rise above those beliefs.

Sometimes we say those things to ourselves because others have spoken them into us. People who were raised in a family that kept saying negative and hurtful things to them grow up often believing such things. They continue replaying that audio loop they were raised with and return to that every time things don't work out the way they had hoped. In time, they may even quit trying to rise above those negative beliefs they have about themselves.

If you are someone who struggles with negative self-talk I encourage you to begin today speaking positive things into your spirit. An excellent place to begin is with Scripture. The Bible tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. We read in Scripture that we are a people chosen by God. There are hundreds of positive affirmations in Scripture that apply to each one of us. Search out those affirmations, and as you read them substitute your name in the Scripture. For instance, "Nothing can separate Dennis from the love of God." Begin each day speaking these biblically positive comments to yourself. Write them on index cards to review during the day, especially when things may not be going well.

If you will do this it can turn your life around and fill you with renewed hope and confidence.