Don't rest on your success

 I recently read a quote from John Maxwell that said "Don't rest on the best - build on the best." That is a powerful thought for every church leader. Several years ago a small church completed a building project that exceeded what many outside that church thought possible. It was a great accomplishment. At the dedication service they were challenged to celebrate their achievement today, but tomorrow they needed to discern a fresh vision from God. It appears they did not as they have remained stuck ever since. Had they built on the momentum they had from completing the building project there is no telling what else they could have accomplished.

Go into many smaller churches in the area in which I live and you might find a wall covered with pictures from the past of large crowds who attended church homecomings or other special events. One has to wonder how that many people could have fit in that small building. Now, there may be no more than two or three dozen people attending the worship service. Those pictures are a reminder of the glory days of the church. They are something to celebrate, but those days are long past. They are no more than a memory to a handful of people. Rather than building on those best days of the church, they remain stuck in the present circumstances of being in a dying church that long ago ceased to have the impact it once had.

My advice for any church that is stuck and uncertain what to do is to begin seeking a vision from God. From that vision, identify some goals that will help you achieve the vision. If your church has not enjoyed much success lately I encourage you to set some small goals at first. Help the congregation get some wins under their belt. Celebrate those wins! I've often said we Baptists don't celebrate enough. Celebrate, but then begin to set a new goal, one that will stretch you just a little bit more. When that goal is reached, celebrate some more. Continue to repeat the cycle. Suddenly, you will find that you are achieving more than you possibly might have thought possible. Let every victory stretch you and your congregation a little more, and every time you achieve something, build upon that.

Will every goal be reached? No. Will you enjoy success every time you set out to do something? No, and that's OK. I would rather fail occasionally trying to accomplish something for God that sit around doing nothing but complain about how great it was in the "good old days." Failure gives us an opportunity to learn. Just as we should build on our successes, we should also build upon our failures.

I firmly believe that unless a church gives up and decides to remain in the rut, that the best days of every church are yet to be lived. The church belongs to God, and it is the instrument He has chosen to use to further His kingdom here on earth. It might look like the church is in trouble today, but I will tell you that the world has yet to see what God is going to do through His church. If you want your church to be greatly used by God, don't rest on your successes but build upon them. If you do, you will be amazed at how God will use your church.

Setting goals for ministry and life

 Several years ago when I served on Region staff our Executive Minister asked each of us to set 3-4 goals for the upcoming year. He would review them with us, and if he agreed to them, those would be what we would focus much of our individual effort on that year. At the end of the year we would review the goals to see what we had accomplished.

This was easy for me because for several years I had been setting goals in all areas in my life: family, finances, ministry, work (I was bivocational.), and self-care. I usually had around 10-12 goals for the year that included both short-term, medium-term and long-term which might stretch out over several years. I also had a daily tracking system to see how I was progressing with the goals.

Every goal must be written down or else it is nothing more than a dream. It has to be a SMART goal: S - Specific, M - Measurable, A - Attainable, R - Realistic, and T - Time-defined. If it doesn't meet each of these qualifications, it's not a good goal. As an example: We will grow our Sunday school program this year is not a good goal. A good goal would be that we will increase our Sunday school attendance by 15 percent by the end of 2024. Now, you have something you can measure and track.

The goal setting program I used was one I learned from attending Zig Ziglar's motivational lectures. He had an additional element to that program which I found very valuable because it helped me take the goal I wanted to achieve to a much deeper level. On my sheet I first listed the goal as a SMART goal and then added the following information.

• My benefits from reaching this goal.
• Major obstacles and mountains to climb to reach this goal.
• Skills or knowledge required to reach this goal.
• Individuals, groups, companies and organizations to work with to reach this goal.
• Plan of action to reach this goal.

By forcing myself to think and write down answers to each of these questions it gave me a solid plan to help me achieve the goal. Studies confirm that persons who have specific goals they are working towards accomplish far more than those who just hope things work out the way they want. When you focus on your goals you become a much more focused individual in every aspect of your life. You might not hit every goal you set (I don't), but you will find you accomplished much more than if you had no goals. I encourage you to think about goals for your life and begin to work towards achieving them. Your church should also be setting specific goals that will make their ministry more effective.

Planning for the new year

The new year brings new opportunities for churches, families and individuals. I've always looked forward to the start of the new year because of the opportunities to learn new things, to have new experiences and to see how God will work in my life and the lives of my family. At the same time, I do not believe in merely sitting back and waiting to see what God will do. I'm convinced we have a part to play in this as well. Each of us needs to have some plan, a vision, for what we want to see happen in the new year.

For a number of years I set several goals I would work on in the coming year. Some of these would be short-term that would be achieved before the year ended. Some would be longer term that would need several years to see fulfilled. These would include goals for my family, my ministry, my finances, my own self-care and any other thing that I felt was important. I used a goal-tracking program to ensure I was making regular progress on each goal. One of the things I learned was that setting these goals allowed me to accomplish much more than if I had just sat back hoping that something good would happen that year.

Every goal was not fully achieved. Once I set a work goal of reaching a certain number of people I would serve in an area of my ministry. I came up about 10 people short of that goal. When our Executive Minister asked why I thought I didn't reach the goal, I explained that I knew that goal would stretch me, but I had still achieved more pursuing that goal than I would have without the goal. Occasionally, I would realize that a particular goal I had set was not for this time in my life, and I would stop working on it. Sometimes, God would lead me in a different direction for a certain goal. It's often been said if you want to make God laugh just tell Him your plans. I've made God laugh a few times, and He has led me in a different direction than I thought I would take.

What goals have you set for 2024? Without goals you run the risk of coming to December 2024 and look back to see that you really didn't accomplish very much, you didn't grow very much, and everything looks much like it did at the end of 2023. No one should be satisfied with that. 

Set goals and find ways to hold yourself accountable to achieve them. If you have goals for the most important things in your life you will find yourself more in control of what's happening rather than drifting around wondering what's happening.

Developing good habits leads to good results

 As 2020 was drawing to a close I encouraged our church to commit to reading through the Bible in 2021. I explained there were several ways to do that and even provided a tract with a reading schedule, that if followed, would allow them to read completely through the Bible in one year. I also explained that I would not be following the tract but would do as I normally did when reading through the Bible; I would read three chapters each morning. That's all it takes to read through the Bible in one year!

Like anything that is done on a consistent basis, there are mornings I am not inspired to read the Bible. Maybe I get up late and feel rushed. Perhaps I didn't sleep well and lack the motivation to read my three chapters. I may wake up with other things on my mind that I want to address first. No matter, I fix my coffee, go into my study, open my Bible and read my three chapters. Then I'm free to do the other things I need to do.

Developing good habits is essential to enjoying any kind of success in life. People have little to no savings because they have not developed the habit of spending less than they make and saving the rest. Many students struggle in school because they've not developed the habit of studying. Some people struggle with job losses because they have not developed the habit of being lifelong learners. Many Christians struggle spiritually because they have not developed the habit of studying the Scriptures. Some business leaders struggle because they have not mastered the habit of being ethical and honest in their business dealings.

It's important to decide what you want from life and identifying the habits you need to develop that will help you achieve and maintain that. When you do identify those habits and begin to practice them, you will find the next challenge is to remain consistent in doing them. It's so easy to compromise on occasion. You know you should go to the gym, but it's raining and you're tired and you need gas in your car and your gray suit is in the cleaners. I know, the gray suit has nothing to do with your decision, but any excuse is as good as any other. Regardless of the reason, you talk yourself out of going to the gym that day which makes it that much easier to not go to the gym on other days.

When I was pursuing my doctorate I was working full-time in ministry and had a family. Although I only had to be on campus one week for each course, they all required a lot of reading. I quickly realized that I could not read what I needed to study without a plan. I took my calendar and blocked off half-days for reading. Basically, I made an appointment with myself to read. Following that reading schedule became an important habit that allowed me to easily complete the required reading for each course.

Again, when you identify the things you need to do to accomplish the goals you have set, you can determine the habits you need to develop to be successful. Faithfully following those habits will lead to your success.

Goals and systems

 Perhaps one of the most powerful thoughts I've read this month comes from a book by James Clear who writes, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." I've always been a big believer in setting goals, and they have helped me accomplish a lot of good things in my life, but the goals only give a person direction. The goals themselves do not accomplish anything. It's the systems we put in place that enable us to accomplish the goal.

For several years I had a goal of writing a book that year, and that goal was realized several times. However, it wasn't in the setting of the goal that enabled the book to be written; it was accomplished because I set systems in place that helped me write and publish the book. I committed a certain number of hours each day to the writing. I focused on doing the research that needed to happen for the book to have integrity. I was in contact with my publisher to keep me on track. Lots of things had to happen in order to have a system in place that would result in the book to be written and published. The goal gave me direction, but the system resulted in the end product.

This is true in all areas of our lives whether we are talking about our families, our careers, our businesses or our churches. Setting goals are important in every area of life, but without having good systems in place our goals will be nothing more than dreams.

As a denominational minister for 14 years I heard many churches tell me they wanted to grow, but when I looked at their systems it was obvious their systems would not lead them to grow. They would remain at a plateau at best and eventually begin to decline. They had no outreach system in place to reach new people outside their church. They had no discipleship system in place to help them grow their current members. They had no budgeting system that directed funds to outreach and growth. They had no youth ministry system in place that would retain and grow the number of youth in the church. They dreamed of growth, but that growth would not occur under their current systems. As I've told many church leaders, your system is perfectly designed for the results you are getting. If you want different results you have to change your systems.

One of the problems in changing systems is the pushback that comes from those who prefer the current system. I've warned churches that if they change their current systems they might lose some of the people they have, and some of these churches have been honest enough to say they don't want that to happen so they keep their systems. They did not want to lose the relationships they had with these individuals in the hopes of reaching new people. I understand that thinking, especially when there are no promises of reaching new people. Furthermore, even if new people are reached, it will probably happen slowly tempting the church to revert back to their old systems that were more comfortable. If the church decided to revert back, that is their decision to make. They just need to be honest enough to admit that growth really isn't a high priority for them.

Set your goals to give yourself direction, but spend more time creating the systems that will help you achieve that goal. It is the systems you establish that will give you success in all your endeavors.

Stay on track to finish the race

 Near the end of his life Paul wrote Timothy saying, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Tim. 4: 7)" Many of us start off strong, but somewhere along the way we lose focus. Some abandon their dreams while others never have one. They just stumble around wondering why they accomplish so little.

If you are like me you get excited to start a new project. These projects provide us with a lot of energy and excitement. They offer a new adventure, and we are certain that this adventure will enable us to accomplish significant things.  No doubt you are just as excited when you cross the finish line and complete the project you began. There is a sense of accomplishment in that which is hard to find anywhere else. The problem comes during the time between the beginning and the end. If one isn't careful he or she can find themselves starting a lot of new projects and never completing one. There are a number of reasons why this can happen.

The first reason is that we just lose sight of the original goal. We set out to do A, and the next thing we know B and C and D are demanding more and more of our time and attention. While we put out fires we forget the original goal we wanted to achieve. Besides, fire fighting wears a person out and there may be little energy to return to A.

Time management is a challenge for most pastors. I suppose you've heard that the first of the Four Spiritual Laws has been changed to "God loves you, and everybody has a wonderful plan for your life." Unless we are very careful about managing our time we can allow others to manage it for us. They have many wonderful things they want to do with your time, and few of them has anything to do with the goals you have set out to achieve.

A second reason we may struggle to complete our task is that it may require new ways of doing things. We may complain about how people resist change, but the truth is that we in leadership aren't too excited about it either. It may require us learning new things or abandoning some other projects we enjoy doing. I've seldom talked to a church that didn't tell me they wanted to grow, but they didn't want to do anything new that might lead to growth.

We need to accept the fact that everything we are doing today was once a new way of doing things. People in the past began doing  the new thing because what they were doing no longer was effective. What we are doing today will one day cease to be effective, and it's possible that day has already come. Some sacred cows may have to be sacrificed if we are to complete our task.

A third reason we might struggle to complete our tasks is that we run into a dead end and need to regroup. I like to remind people that beating a dead horse won't make it run any faster. Sometimes the goal is a good one, but the way we try to achieve it will not work. There's nothing wrong with backing up and taking a different approach.

Know thyself

 The Greek philosopher Socrates said, "Know thyself." It's good advice, and it's one of the most difficult things we will ever do. It's not easy to look deep within ourselves to really know who we are and what we believe. Most of us can provide an outward show of what we believe people want us to be, but to look within ourselves and see what's really happening down in the depths of our being isn't as easy.

To know ourselves is to look at those values that make us who we are. These values drive our behavior affecting not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us. Too often, persons in leadership positions in business, politics and even in the church have done great harm to many by proclaiming one set of values and living another. Were these people intentionally pretending to be something they were not, or were they so self-unaware that they didn't know who they really were? There's probably some of both in play. Some are frauds who have mastered the art of fooling people. Others have simply not taken the time to really examine what drives them.

What values should we be looking for. John Maxwell, in his book The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential share three key areas: ethical values, relational values and success values. Ethical values are concerned with doing the right thing for the right reason. It's possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason. For instance, one can befriend someone with the long-range plan of taking advantage of them later. Being ethical means that we always strive to do the right things for the right reasons.

Relational values are focused on building trust and respect with other people. This involves doing what you say you are going to do, treating people with respect and dignity, and going the extra mile to serve them well.

Success values ensures that you set goals that are worthy of spending your life pursuing. There's nothing worse than climbing the ladder of success and finding out at the top that it was leaning against the wrong building. How do you measure true success in your life? The answer to that question will tell you much about your values.

To know yourself is the beginning of wisdom and is essential to enjoying true success in life. It's hard work, and it's not something you can do once and then ignore. It's important to re-examine yourself from time to time to make sure you are still on the right track with your values.

A new year, a new start

Let me begin by wishing my readers a Happy New Year. For some of you, you were probably glad to see 2018 end. You think that the new year will have to be better! Overall, our family had a good 2018, but we are praying for an even better 2019 as well.

The new year is always exciting for me because I see in it the opportunities for new beginnings. I start off the year with a fresh, clean calendar on my desk ready to be filled with exciting opportunities. And that is what a new year brings: new opportunities. 365 of them in fact.

I do not make New Year's resolutions. I prefer setting goals, written goals, to help make me more accountable than resolutions. One of my goals this year is to focus more study time on theology. Some might argue that everything a minister studies is theological. That may or may not be true, but we seldom focus our attention on theology itself. It seems I am especially drawn to studying systematic theology. The good news is I have shelves of theology books to read so I don't have to buy new ones unless I run across something I simply must read!

Last year I did not play one round of golf due to my busy schedule. When my schedule eased up a little, I broke a bone in my right foot and still couldn't play. I don't intend to let that happen again this year. Not only do I plan to play golf, but I want to take my wife fishing this year, another thing we didn't do last year due to our schedules. There's not a lot of great places to fish near us, but at least we can drown some worms and relax.

In the past I would set 8-10 goals for the year, and I would work very hard to accomplish each of them. I'm at the stage of my life when I don't need to set that many goals. I want just enough to stay productive and be a good steward of the life God has given me but not so many that every moment is taken up with things I must do.

There is one more thing I still hope to accomplish this year: publish another book. My regular publisher has decided to not publish this one due to a severe cut-back in the number of books they now publish, so I have to find another publisher. I have a proposal ready to go out in today's mail to a new publisher. Pray for me as I think this book will be very helpful to smaller churches and those who lead them.

Preparing for 2018

As we near the end of 2017 and prepare to welcome 2018 it's important to make sure we do certain things. If you are a pastor I hope you have already begun sermon planning for the new year. When I was a bivocational pastor I tried to have my sermons planned out three months in advance. It's much easier to prepare sermons if, on Saturday night, you're not still trying to figure out what you are going to preach the next morning!

New Year's resolutions seldom accomplish much past January 3rd. Setting goals is far more helpful if you are serious about enjoying success in any area of your life. When you have written goals you have direction in your life. Like the old saying goes, if you aim at nothing you'll hit it every time. Productive, successful people have goals they work on every day.

In yesterday's post I mentioned one goal I have every year: to read 50 books that year. This year part of that goal includes re-reading some of the books that have had the greatest impact on my life. I have a bad habit of reading a book and never taking it back out of the shelf unless I'm using it for research for a sermon or a book I'm writing. If a book impacted my life once chances are it will again, so I plan to re-read some of them this year.

One other goal I encourage you to set is to schedule time with your family. If you are in a leadership position, or just busy like most people, it's very easy to try to work in some family time. That seldom happens. Set a goal for how many vacations you are going to take, how long each of them will be, and when you are taking them. Write those in your calendar now so those times are already scheduled.

I also want to encourage you to be intentional about your own spiritual growth in 2018. Persons in ministry often seem to think that their work will automatically cause them to grow spiritually, but that is not always the case. If you want a congregation of people growing in their faith, you also need to be growing in your own faith. Set aside time for regular devotions. Study material that will stretch your faith and increase your knowledge of God.

Some other practical things you should do includes checking your driver's license for the expiration date. In November of this year I began wondering when my license expired. It expired in August. The next day I made a quick trip to the license branch to get that little problem corrected.

The start of the new year is also a good time to clean up old records. Even though many of our records are now on computer, chances are you have some paper ones as well. Pitch the ones you do not need to keep and file the others. If you'll do that early in the new year it will make filing your taxes much easier later.

How will you grow in 2018?

We've all heard the warning: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Unfortunately, many of us still refuse to create plans to accomplish things that will impact our lives the most. For instance, few people create a plan that will help them grow personally or spiritually. We seem to think that personal and spiritual growth happens automatically. It doesn't.

In yesterday's post I mentioned the impact that Zig Ziglar had on my life. One of the things he did was to encourage me to set personal growth goals and then work on those goals throughout the year. I found that when I did that I became much more focused on how I spent my time and the activities I said yes to. I tracked my time every day to make sure I had spent some time that day working on my goals. Doing this enabled me to write books, develop seminars, and do many things I probably would not have accomplished if I had just drifted along hoping to accomplish something along the way.

A person committed to personal growth begins by identifying the areas in which he or she wants to grow. A Facebook friend asked the other day if a 60 year old man should be thinking about going back to school. I replied that I earned my Doctor of Ministry degree at 62 so if he felt this was something he wanted to do he should go for it.

Financially, I doubt I will get back the money I spent in earning that degree, but I didn't do it for the money. I did it to grow personally. BTW - I don't consider that I spent money. I invested money. I invested in myself. Another recession can come and take your retirement money away, but when you invest in yourself it's going to be there regardless of what the economy does.

Spiritual growth is just like personal growth. Only you can decide how much you want to grow spiritually, and only you can decide the best the way to accomplish that. You may want to map out a personal reading and study plan for the new year. You may want to check out upcoming conferences in your area and make plans to attend. You may want to be a part of some short term mission trips.

It doesn't really matter what you do. What's important is that you do something, and that you do it now. Today is not too early to begin planning for your personal and spiritual growth. Today is not too early to begin identifying the means by which that growth will occur.

If you fail to intentionally plan to grow chances are you won't. When the end of 2018 rolls around you will be exactly like you are today except a year older. Don't be that person. Determine the areas in which you want to grow, identify the means by which that growth can occur, and take definite steps today to make that happen.

zig ziglar

My daughter called yesterday saying she had gone online to buy something from Zig Ziglar's company when a screen popped up on her computer stating that it would have been Ziglar's 91st birthday, and to celebrate they had all his merchandise 50% off. She called knowing I am a big fan of Zig Ziglar.

Several years ago Ziglar was one of several motivational speakers touring the country and speaking at various cities. Nearly every year I would get tickets for myself and our daughter to attend. His presentation was usually the longest and the best of any of the speakers. I heard him so many times I knew most of his stories before he would tell them.

During that time I purchased a number of items including a three-volume cassette series on success and goal setting. For four years I purchased his planner and used it to not only track my goals but to track my time. I literally recorded everything I did during those four years in 15 minute segments in that planner. It changed my life, and I became much more focused and goal oriented. Don't tell me you don't have time to do the things you claim are most important until you have tracked how you actually spend your time. Chances are, you have plenty of time to do those things that are truly important.

Ziglar was not always the success he was when I first began to hear him speak. In fact, he was very honest about how many different endeavors he was involved in before finally realizing success in sales and motivational speaking. I'm sure much of his wisdom was gained during those difficult years.

What endeared me to him was the way he shared his presentations. He was full of energy as he told story after story to drive home his points. He could relate to anyone and seemed genuinely interested in everyone he met. I bought the higher priced tickets that offered a number of perks at these events which included having a pre-conference breakfast with Zig Ziglar. He would be standing at the door of the dining hall to shake hands with everyone who entered. He didn't have to do that, but he was determined to make everyone feel welcomed.

Another thing I appreciated was his faith in God. He was very open about his faith and how it impacted his life. One of his most powerful books was Confessions of a Grieving Christian in which he told how he dealt with the loss of his oldest daughter after a lengthy illness. Of course, he credited the Lord with his ability to get through that painful period.

Few people have impacted my life more than Zig Ziglar. His books are well worth reading, and I have recommended his goal setting program to hundreds of people.

Your church five years from now

This past Saturday I led the church in which I am serving as Transitional Pastor through an exercise to help discern God's vision for the church. This is an important step for any church to take when seeking new pastoral leadership, and it's one every church should do every 5-6 years anyway. Knowing God's vision for a church is key to that church enjoying maximum ministry effectiveness. Pursuing God's vision is always going to be more effective than merely drifting along hoping something good happens.

An important part of the process I use has each participant spend about 30 minutes answering a series of questions I give them. This is done three times during the course of the day. Sometimes they are given Scriptures to read and reflect on prior to answering the questions. After the 30 minutes they come back to their small groups and discuss among themselves what they have heard God say to them in the process. Then they report to the larger group.

It's always rewarding to me to hear them go around their tables talking about the future of their church. Every time I lead a church through this process I wonder how long it has been since they have had such discussions. I get excited as I listen to them talk about their dreams and hopes for their church over the next five years because this is not a conversation that happens to many churches.

As the day comes to a close we begin to talk about we have sensed God is leading the church to become and do in the next five years. Sometimes, that is very clear to the participants and a vision statement can be formed. Other times, it's still not clear, but the church now has something to work on. At the least, they have had important conversations that may not have occurred in the church in many years.

I'm glad to announce that in the recent event the participants were able to develop a vision statement. We actually went beyond our time limit as we worked on the wording, but no one seemed to care. It was exciting to watch as they continually sought out the best way to word their vision statement so it would be clear.

Now, when the pastor search team begins interviewing candidates they can be very clear to that individual what the church's vision is for future ministry. They can look for the person who will best be able to lead them in pursuit of that vision. That will be a big benefit to the church as it calls a new pastor.

Now we begin more work as church leadership begins to determine the best ways to achieve this vision. With a clear God-given vision we can now begin to do strategic planning to help us develop goals that will enable us to achieve that vision. This will help the church better focus its resources and efforts. If the church can maintain this focus I believe it has exciting days ahead of it.

Your church doesn't have to go through a formal visioning process although it would be a good thing if it did. Any church can gather to talk about what they would like to see be and do in the next five years. Who are the people your church is most likely to serve five years from now? What ministries would you like to see in your church five years from now? Who are the people groups your church might need to target? What has to change to allow these things to happen? Answering these questions, and more, would greatly benefit any church serious about its ministry and its impact on its community. How long has it been since your congregation has had this kind of conversation? Do you think it might be time?

What gets measured and applauded is done again

Every organization has a culture, including churches. In healthy cultures people understand their roles, assume responsibility for fulfilling those roles, and are held accountable. These things do not happen in unhealthy cultures which is one of the reasons why they are unhealthy.

We've all been told that what we measure gets done, and this is true. An important aspect of setting goals is that the goals must be measurable. Otherwise, we won't know if we've accomplished the goal or not. It's also important to not wait until the end of the year to do the measuring. Regular times should be set aside to measure how much progress is being made on an individual goal. Failing to do that means that we reach the end of the year, find out we can't accomplish our goal, and there's no time to do anything about it.

While measurement is essential to achieving our roles, so is recognition. Too many leaders spend time looking for things that are wrong in their organizations. They want to fix problems to make their organization more effective. That's needed, but we must also spend time looking for the things people are doing right and recognizing that.

I've never met a person who did not like to be recognized for his or her accomplishments. Even the most humble of people want to know they are contributing to the success of the organization. While we should criticize in private, we need to recognize good things publicly.

Such recognition should be done in a timely manner as well. I know an individual who received an "Employee of the Month" award from her company. Unfortunately, she received the award five months after the date listed on the award. It might have meant a lot more to her if she had received it when she earned it.

Such public recognition is perhaps even more important in a church setting than in a business because we are working primarily with volunteers. They are giving their time to something which they believe is important, and they want to know their effort makes a difference.

When we measure what people are doing we are holding them accountable. We are also telling them that what they are doing matters. If it didn't matter we wouldn't measure it. Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar used to challenged his audiences to become "Good Finders," people who went around looking for the positive and good in what people were doing. This is what we need to be doing in our churches and in all organizations. When we applaud people for the good things they are doing, they are likely to repeat that behavior, and that will make every organization stronger.

The power of goals

This is the time of year I normally begin to work on setting goals for the upcoming year. Several years ago I heard Zig Ziglar talk about the power of goals. He stated that the vast majority of people never set goals and tend to fare much worse in many categories in life than those who do. I don't remember now the figures he would share, but there was a substantial benefit enjoyed by those who set and achieved their goals. He offered a goal-setting program which I purchased and began to use. After just a couple of years I was convinced that setting goals did improve my life, and I have been a big believer in goal setting ever since.

Many people, perhaps a majority, drift through life hoping that something good will somehow happen to them. Some play the lottery and hope to win big one day. Maybe they jump from job to job, or marriage to marriage, hoping to find just the right match that will bring them great success and joy. Others have given up on life and simply live lives of quiet desperation. They go through the motions of living, but their lives are really empty shells of what they could be.

Those of us who set goals and work to achieve them experience life on a different level. While we also hope for good things to happen to us we also know that hope is not a strategy. We're not going to sit around and wait for something good to happen; we're going to make it happen. We going to identify the things we want to accomplish and determine the things we need to do to help make that happen.

I still use the same goal-setting system I purchased from Ziglar years ago. In this system you not only write down your goal but you go into detail about what it will take to achieve it. This requires some thinking, but it makes for a much more effective goal. On a sheet of paper I write down the goal and then answer a number of questions surrounding the goal.

1. What are the benefits of reaching this goal?
2. What are the major obstacles I can expect to face while trying to reach the goal?
3. What skills or knowledge do I need to reach the goal?
4. Who are the individuals or groups I need to work with?
5. What is my plan of action? These are the steps I need to take to enable me to achieve the goal.

When I have my goal written down and I've been able to answer these questions I am ready to begin working towards achieving the goal.

I try to have one or two goals for many areas of my life including my family, my ministry, my auction business, my health, my finances, and anything I feel the Lord is especially wanting me to focus on in the upcoming year. I want to have short-, mid-, and long-term goals for some of these areas. I also want to have several action steps laid out in advance so I can track my journey towards achieving the goal.

There are few things more rewarding that to live life on purpose and with clear goals to guide your actions and thoughts. To complete an action step that takes me one step closer to achieving a goal is a very satisfying feeling. An even more rewarding feeling is realizing that the goal has been achieved. This is far more satisfying that drifting through life with no sense of purpose and little sense of achievement.

Begin today thinking about some worthy goals for your own life. Think through those goals so you can answer the questions listed above and then begin to write them out. If you do so I can almost guarantee you will find you've achieved far more this next year than you normally do and you'll find life much more rewarding.

What will 2015 be like for you and your church?

It's always dangerous to predict the future, and no one can really say with any certainty what a coming year will bring.  The one thing we can say with certainty is that it will bring change.  It is highly unlikely that you will be the same person at the end of 2015 that you were when the year began.  It is also likely that your church will be different.

Now, you may argue that your church hasn't changed in 30 years and isn't likely to change in 2015 either, but that's not entirely true.  Especially if you are in a smaller church.  In most cases, those churches have grown older, grayer, and and attendance has probably declined for many of those 30 years.  That's change.  It may not be the kind of change we want, but it is change, and if your church doesn't change some other things the decline will probably continue.

The reason it is so difficult to predict the future is because there is no way to know what will occur that we cannot control.  Illnesses, deaths, accidents, are things that happen without our input or ability to control.  Other people make decisions that can have a major impact on us, and we cannot often impact those decisions.  Banks lend money to people who cannot repay their loans, the market collapses, and the economy goes into a tailspin.  People planning to retire find their retirement accounts gone forcing them to keep working.  They did everything right, but because of the actions of others their lives are forever impacted.  In short, life happens making it impossible to predict exactly what our lives will be like at the end of the coming year.

At the same time, it's important to know that much of what will happen in our lives in 2015 is within our control.  We can set goals for our lives and work to achieve those goals.  We can learn new skills and further our education.  We can choose to deepen our walk with God through the regular practices of spiritual disciplines.  We can make new friends.  We can choose to reduce our debt or get out of debt entirely.  We can choose to take better care of our bodies by eating healthier, getting more sleep, and getting regular exercise.  We can choose to read at least one book a month.  (According to studies this one thing will put you far ahead of the average American and have a significant impact on your life.)

Change is inevitable.  Whether you do anything or not, you will change in the coming year.  The good news is that much of the change you will experience is up to you.  Decide now the kind of person you want to be and what it will take to help you achieve that.  Now is also the time to begin discerning what God wants your church to be and begin working towards that.  Be proactive and you will find that much of the change you will experience will be positive and productive.

Coaching opportunities available

What would you like to accomplish in 2015?  In your personal life?  In your family?  In your ministry?  In your work?  Would you like to enjoy more balance in your life?  Would you enjoy being able to spend more time with your family?  Would you like to see your church get unstuck from ruts that may be decades old?  The reality is that if you merely hope that things will improve in 2015, they probably won't.  If you keep doing the same things you've been doing you will get the same results.  Nothing will change.  Two things need to happen if you want to see your life and ministry improve.

The first is that you need a goals program.  This season from mid-November through December is when I typically identify the goals I want to pursue in the coming year.  I began doing this several years ago, and it has had a very positive impact on my life.  I began using a program offered by Zig Ziglar that is probably still available through his organization.  I continue to use a modified version of that same program.

I begin by identifying some goals for the different areas of my life that I want to pursue in the coming year.  These areas will include my family life, my ministry, my career (if you are bivocational that will often be different than your ministry), my relationship with God, and my own self-care.  Writing these goals on paper turn them from being a dream to an actual goal.  This helps me be very intentional about pursuing these things and keeps me from merely drifting from one activity to another.  Once I've listed my goals (no more than one or two in each area) I then write down what I will gain from reaching the goal, I list the things I can identify that will hinder my reaching the goal, I identify the people and groups that can help me achieve the goal, I list some new skills or knowledge I might need, and then I begin recording the action steps I will take that will lead me to achieve the goal.  These action steps become mini-goals that reduce the big goal down into bite-size chunks.  I do not believe anyone can reach their fullest potential without setting challenging goals each year that will help them grow.

The second thing that is often helpful is to have a coach who believes in you and your goals.  The coach helps us stay focused and holds us accountable.  Many people will make a New Year's resolution to lose weight and will join a gym and begin an exercise program and diet.  All of this will last about three weeks.  One of the biggest reasons they will fail in their effort is that there is no one to hold them accountable.  The ones who succeed will often have invested in a trainer to work with them, show them the right exercises that will be most beneficial to them, and will often help them with their diet.

The business world has known for several years that a coach can help a person or organization get unstuck.  A good coach can help the one they are coaching to elevate their sights and begin to see past where they are to what they can become.  Many major corporations provide outside coaches to their top executives because they know that they get a good return on their investment.

Some in the church world are now seeing the same value in coaching.  At a time when 80 percent of our churches are plateaued or declining and ministry frustrations are driving many out of the ministry, some are turning to coaches to help their churches move forward and to regain control of their personal lives.  They are finding that this investment in themselves makes sense and provides a great return on both their time and money.  But coaching is not just for when things are not going well.  Some of the best returns is when things are going well, but the leaders want to take their church and themselves to an even higher level of ministry effectiveness.

For the past few years I have coached a number of ministers, both bivocational and fully-funded.  Due to my judicatory responsibilities I can only work with a few people at a time, but as we approach a new year I do have a few slots open.  My doctoral thesis was on "Coaching Bivocational Ministers for Greater Success."  I have found that coaching is an excellent tool to assist bivocational and fully-funded ministers move forward with their lives and ministries.  If you wonder if coaching could benefit you, please contact me so we can discuss it.

My latest book is a look at my doctoral project and the information that came out of it.  Included in the book are ten case studies of ministers I have coached and the results of those coaching relationships.  You may want to pick up a copy of the book to learn more about how coaching can benefit you.

Job descriptions for bivocational ministers

Occasionally, I will be asked about job descriptions for bivocational ministers.  It is assumed that because I have done so much work with bivocational ministers that I probably have a huge file of job descriptions.  The fact is that I don't have any.

I'm not a big fan of job descriptions for bivocational ministers.  I recognize that they are often important, especially in a low-trust church, but I'm not sure how helpful they are in the long run.  I've seen denominational manuals that spell out how a job description should be set up with the number of hours that the minister will work each week, but I've always wondered how practical that was.

The pastor is watching TV on a Saturday night when the phone rings.  A lady explains that her husband has been taken to the hospital with a heart attack.  Is any bivocational minister going to say, "I'm sorry, but I completed my 20 hours yesterday.  I'll check on him Monday morning."?  No bivocational minister I have ever known would say that.

For years many bivocational ministers have lived by the motto: Whatever it takes.  We are going to do whatever it takes to serve the church God has called us to.  As pastor I would sometimes remind my church that there were weeks I didn't do 10 hours of church work, but there were other weeks I did 40+ hours of ministry for the church.  Different weeks had different needs.  I always felt they balanced each other out and didn't feel guilty about the slow weeks or worry about the busier ones.

Far better than a job description is to have the church agree on certain goals they want to reach in the upcoming year.  The pastor and leaders then agree on what the pastor needs to do to help the church achieve those goals.  That, along with standard items such as preaching, etc, becomes the pastor's job description for that year.  Everyone is then clear on what the pastor's primary focus is for the year.  At the end of the year an objective evaluation can be done for both the pastor and the church based upon these agreed-upon goals.

I know some are concerned that without a job description that some churches will take advantage of the pastor, and this does happen.  Again, in a low-trust church a job description is almost a necessity, but in my opinion it really stifles ministry.  Having a job description is also no guarantee that the church won't take advantage of the pastor anyway.  I know more pastors who got into trouble because they broke the unwritten job descriptions that some people in the church held for the pastor than got into trouble for breaking the official job description.

It is critical that bivocational ministers maintain balance in their lives, and it is critical that churches understand that they cannot pay for bivocational ministry and expect fully-funded ministry.  To accomplish that, it is far better for the minister and the congregational leaders to have regular discussions about expectations and set the goals as mentioned above than it is to depend on a written job description.

What books do you need to read in 2014?

As we entered the new year a host of blog writers shared their top reads of 2013.  Regular readers of this blog know that I was among those who shared such a list.  I enjoy reading those lists because they often expose me to books I did not know was written.  After reading one such list I bought three of the books on the list for my Kindle.

My hope is you are a reader, and that you have a list of books you're planning to read this year.  The reason I hope that is because few things will shape you and your ministry more than the books you read.  As I've written before, leaders are readers, and if you read this blog you are likely a leader.

While I will select some books to read on a whim, much of my reading is intentional.  Many of the books I choose are books that speak to specific topics I might be interested in.  When I was a pastor I spent each summer preaching through a book of the Bible, so at the start of the year I would buy various commentaries and other study helps that focused on the biblical book I had chosen to preach through that year and begin to read them.  One year I decided to focus my devotional reading on books written by apologists so I purchased several books of that genre.  Because so much of my interest is in the areas of bivocational ministry and leadership I look for books on those topics to read.  This year I plan to re-read a number of books in my library I found to be great reads because I know I can learn even more from those books by re-reading them.

I would recommend you develop an intentional reading plan if you do not already have one.  What goals have you set for your church, your personal life, and your family?  Do you need to read some books to acquire the knowledge you'll need to achieve that goal?  Is there a hobby you're interested in pursuing but aren't sure what all it might entail?  A good book or two could be a great help.  Are there some theological issues you struggle with?  Reading can help you find the answers to those challenges.  Maybe you need to develop some new knowledge or skills to advance in your job.  Instead of wishing you had that knowledge or those skills begin to study to acquire them and go after that promotion.

Let me share what I've read so far this year and why.

The Heart of Leadership: Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow by Mark Miller is an excellent book on developing as a leader.  He points out in his easy-to-read book that the most important leadership tool we have is our heart.  When we have the heart of a leader we will find that people want to follow us.  As I stated above, one of my primary focuses is on leadership so I try to read several books on that subject each year.  The next such book I plan to read is Hacking Leadership: The 11 Gaps Every Business Needs to Close and the Secrets to Closing Them Quickly by Mike Myatt.  I will begin this book this week.

Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions is written by Gregory Koukl.  This is one of the books that I discovered from one of the "favorite reads" post by another blogger.  Koukl is an apologist who provides his readers with clear and effective ways to address the questions and concerns people have about Christianity.  I believe this book will help me be a more effective evangelist.

A few weeks ago I purchased a box of books at an auction, and in the box found a copy of Payne Hollow: Life on the Fringe of Society by Harlan Hubbard.  Harlan and his wife Anna started out as shantyboaters on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers before finding a spot on the river known as Payne Hollow.  This spot was just a few miles down river from where I live.  In the early 1950s they built a house there and lived a simple life largely self-sufficient from the conveniences of the modern world.  I seem to remember seeing them once or twice when they came into town to purchase the few things they could not provide for themselves.  Hubbard was a very well-known artist in this area, and his paintings today sells very well.  They often hosted college students, professors, and others who wanted to know more about their lives, and I have spoken with some who had visited them in their home.  I've wanted to read about his life for some time, and when I found the book in that box I knew now was the time.  It was such a fascinating read of a man and woman who determined to live a simple life that I completed the book in two days.

For my devotional reading right now I am re-reading The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott.  I first read this book in the late 1980s or early 1990s and felt led to re-read it now.  It has not disappointed.  After one has been a Christian for some time and hears (and preaches) so many sermons related to the cross of Jesus Christ it becomes easy to lose some of the awe and appreciation for all that it means.  Much of my devotional reading this year will be theological books that have some real substance to them, and this has been a great start to that reading.

As you can see, I have reasons for selecting most of the books I read, and I encourage you to also become intentional about your reading.  Your reading will shape you in so many ways so read well this year.

Setting your goals for 2014

Those who know me are aware that I love setting goals.  With the proper focus on the right goals one can achieve far more than most believe is possible.  Without goals one is doomed to drift from one thing to the next hopeful that in the process something good will happen.  In his book Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible Brian Tracy recommends that we do three things:  write down our goals; make plans to achieve those goals; and work on those goals every day.  This is a great strategy and one I try to follow.  The first two recommendations I have done for years.  Working on the goals every day is sometimes a challenge, but I have found that the more days I spend focused on the goals the more likely they are to be fulfilled.  That doesn't mean that the entire day is spent only on one or two goals, but it does mean that every day something is specifically done that will help make that goal a reality.

I have found that the week between Christmas and New Year's is a great time for me to focus on goal setting for the coming year.  Most of the churches I serve take a break during that week so there's usually little demand for my time which allows me to spend some time thinking about what I need to address in the coming year.  During my years as a pastor I usually found this same week to be a great time for goal setting.  If you haven't already set your 2014 goals you may want to take that week to work on those goals.

Your goals should include every aspect of your life.  You should have goals for your family life, your career, your ministry, your own self-care, and your relationship with God.  By writing down goals in each of these five areas you will find it easier to keep your life in the proper balance.  Without written goals in each area it will be easy to ignore the areas that are without goals.  Don't overdo it!  A couple of goals in each area is plenty.  That means you need not have more than 10 goals that you will pursue in the coming year.  People who set more goals than that often end up not achieving many of their goals leaving them frustrated.

Each goal should be SMART.  S - Specific, M - Measurable, A - Attainable, R - Realistic, and T - time defined.  When you write out your goal make sure it includes each of the elements.  You want goals that will stretch you but are attainable.  If they are not specific, measurable, and time-defined you won't be able to know whether or not you've reached them.  Take the time to ensure that each of your goals are SMART goals, and at the end of the year it will be easy to determine whether or not you've achieved them.

One of the exciting things I've learned over the years is that one need only spend a small amount of time each day specifically addressing the goals in order to achieve them.  Allyson Lewis explains in her book The Seven Minute Difference: Small Steps to Big Changes that taking small steps each day will enable one to make a big difference in his or her life.  What might happen if you read only 10 pages of a book a day, or got up 15 minutes earlier to do your devotions, or make just one more call to a recent guest at your church?  It is in those small daily habits that the seeds are sown that lead to success.

Do you want to see your church grow in 2014?  Set a SMART goal and develop an action plan to make that happen.  Do you want your family to enjoy a special experience next year?  Set your goal and make it happen.  Do you want to grow in some area of your personal or professional life?  With a SMART goal and an action plan it can happen.  Are you ready to get control of your finances?  You can do it.  Now is the time to set your 2014 goals.

Mistakes churches make when making their budget

This is the time of year many churches are setting their budgets for the upcoming year.  Many of these churches make some common mistakes that affect their ministries.  My experience has been that these mistakes occur in all size churches but are most prevalent in smaller and mid-size churches.  It may be too late to redo your 2014 budget, but it is not too early for church leadership to begin to discuss how to improve the process for next year and avoid these mistakes.
The first mistake these churches make is to simply go through their budget line items, add a little to each one to cover anticipated increases, and present the budget to the church for approval.  This is a time to discuss how effective these items have been and if any of them need to be eliminated or changed.  The finance committee does not usually have the authority to make such changes, but they can discuss with church leaders their concerns and recommendations.  In a perfect budgeting system, the leaders of the various ministries would present their budget requests to the finance committee after having already examined the programs and ministries for possible changes.  However, I know how it really works in smaller churches, and any such recommendations are more likely to come from the finance committee in most churches.  Regardless of where this occurs, prior to setting a budget for the upcoming year is the perfect time to evaluate every thing that is happening in the church.  Possible changes can be identified and the budget set to reflect those changes.

A second mistake many churches make is closely tied to the first one.  They set a budget without the church having any sense of vision for ministry.  What does God want to do in and through your church in the coming year?  Until you can answer that how can you set any kind of realistic budget?  The majority of smaller churches I know operate year in and year out without any vision for ministry.  They open their doors each Sunday hoping something good will happen and close them following their services wondering why it didn't.  They have no vision, no goals that would help them achieve that vision, and no purpose beyond coming together each week.  They are merely drifting from week to week, and their budget reflects that drift.  A budget should reflect the ministry plan for a church, and it does.  What it reflects for many churches is that they have no plan for ministry.  Before your church develops another budget it should have a clear sense of God's vision for the church and a plan for how you will achieve that vision.  Many churches will find it helpful to invite a denominational leader, a consultant, or a coach to come and help them discern that vision.

The third mistake often made is that a budget is made without any idea of what the anticipated income will be.  Many churches assume their income will be rather flat and will often base it on what was given during the past year.  That is one way to almost guarantee your income will be the same as last year.  If people are not being challenged to give more why should they?  Without any kind of stewardship training people will often just do what they've been doing.  Depending on whom you read, the average giving of Christians in the US is reported to be around 2 percent of their income.  That is a far cry from a tithe.  Most Christians in the US can do better than they are doing when it comes to their giving, but if they are not challenged to give more and are not taught sound stewardship principles they are unlikely to do so.  I recently served as an outside speaker for a church that did a very intentional stewardship campaign, and slightly over half of the pledge cards that were turned in indicated they were increasing their giving for 2014 over 2013.  That is a good start, and I expect if that church continues to use this campaign over the next few years they will see a significant increase in their income.  To set a budget using last year's giving levels is too safe and demonstrates a lack of faith on the part of the church and a very low bar of expectations for the congregation.

A fourth mistake often found is that most budgets are focused on the inner workings of the church.  For smaller churches an extremely high percentage of their income is often spent on salaries, building upkeep, and the things that the current congregation needs.  In a way, this is all tied into the previous mistakes.  Without a vision, there is no real plan for ministry to those outside the congregation.  Nothing is being done to increase the giving levels of the members.  Whatever money comes in is spent on keeping the doors open and the congregation satisfied, and little is left for outreach and ministry to the unchurched in the community.  These churches may claim they want to grow, but their budget says otherwise because without the ability to do ministry outside the church little growth is likely.  This mistake will continue to hamper the growth of the church until the first three mistakes are addressed, but now is the time to begin correcting them for a better budget and more ministry in 2015.