For the first time in 27 years I am not a bivocational minister. We sold our business yesterday, and while there will be transitional items I'll need to address for a few weeks I'm no longer responsible for the management of the company. Quite frankly, I don't think it has hit me yet because I don't feel any different than I did two days ago. I think it will take time to sink in that I can now spend my time on ministry work and not have to divide my time. Of course I will continue to write books and give workshops and seminars, so in a sense I'll still be bivocational, but it will all be ministry related.
This also does not mean that I will now turn my back on bivocational and small church leadership. I continue to have a passion to help those of you serving in those roles. I understand many of the challenges you face, and I want to continue to provide resources that will help you overcome those challenges. I also know from talking to many of you that there are not many people you can talk to who appreciates your ministry. I hope to be able to coach more of you now that I do not have the business to manage.
I wonder how long it will be before this all sets in. All day today I wanted to call in to the business and see how things were going. I did stop in and talk to the new owners for a few minutes to see what questions they had on their first day. I have meetings scheduled out of town for the first three days next week, and that might help me find it easier to pull away from the concerns of managing the business.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Newsletter
Each month I send an e-newsletter to persons interested in bivocational ministry. There is no charge for the newsletter, and I never sell or give e-mail addresses to others. If you would be interested in receiving this helpful resource, please respond to this post. Thanks.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Growing need for bivocational ministers
I wonder how many readers of this blog have been thinking about doing bivocational ministry but have never committed themselves to actually doing so. You may be like me three decades ago. I knew God was calling me into the ministry but could not see how it would be possible. I had a family, a job, and no formal ministry training. Finally, God showed me how I could serve a church as a bivocational minister, and I soon became the pastor of Hebron Baptist Church where I spent the next twenty years.
Currently, I have several churches in my area looking for bivocational leadership. I have 2-3 names that I send each of them. There are far more bivocational churches than there are persons to serve as ministers to these churches. It is my belief that God has called persons to serve these churches, but like I was, they can't see how they could do that.
Most judicatory leaders I speak with tell me they have the same problem. If God has been calling you to go into the ministry, I encourage you to contact your judicatory leaders and see what is required in your denomination. Some require some training which they often provide, but many are willing to use persons who feel called of God and are willing to serve.
Currently, I have several churches in my area looking for bivocational leadership. I have 2-3 names that I send each of them. There are far more bivocational churches than there are persons to serve as ministers to these churches. It is my belief that God has called persons to serve these churches, but like I was, they can't see how they could do that.
Most judicatory leaders I speak with tell me they have the same problem. If God has been calling you to go into the ministry, I encourage you to contact your judicatory leaders and see what is required in your denomination. Some require some training which they often provide, but many are willing to use persons who feel called of God and are willing to serve.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
My response
A few days ago I published a question regarding church membership that was asked of me by one of our readers. I promised that I would provide the answer I gave that pastor.
I believe God meets each of us where we are in our lives. Some people have the ability to understand far more about God than others do, but God is always willing to meet us at our level of comprehension. This pastor stated that this individual had professed faith in Jesus Christ and had been baptized. Due to learning issues this individual may have a limited understanding of faith, but I believe God accepted this person's level of understanding and honored the statement of faith the person made.
Although this individual may also have a limited understanding of church membership, I would be more than willing to receive this person as a member of the church I pastored. If God can meet us at our level of understanding I believe the church can do no less. I would gladly recommend this person to be a member of the church.
Agree or disagree? Let me hear from you.
I believe God meets each of us where we are in our lives. Some people have the ability to understand far more about God than others do, but God is always willing to meet us at our level of comprehension. This pastor stated that this individual had professed faith in Jesus Christ and had been baptized. Due to learning issues this individual may have a limited understanding of faith, but I believe God accepted this person's level of understanding and honored the statement of faith the person made.
Although this individual may also have a limited understanding of church membership, I would be more than willing to receive this person as a member of the church I pastored. If God can meet us at our level of understanding I believe the church can do no less. I would gladly recommend this person to be a member of the church.
Agree or disagree? Let me hear from you.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Church membership
A reader of this blog recently e-mailed me a question that I thought would be important to share with you and to ask how you would respond. I did request the pastor's permission before sharing his question in this space, and he gave me permission to do so.
This pastor has a person in the church who has limited capacity to understand some things due to a disease. This individual has professed faith in Jesus Christ and been baptized. The parents are strong members of this pastor's church. The individual has requested to become a member of the church, but the pastor was concerned that the individual might not be able to understand what church membership means. This church is also in the process of re-writing its church documents to specify more clearly what church membership means. The pastor asked for my thoughts on this issue.
I'll share my response in a later blog, but I'm interested in hearing from our readers. Would you allow this person to become a member of your church even if the individual might have a limited understanding of what church membership means? If the church did accept this person as a member, how would that affect the re-writing of the church documents intended to strengthen the meaning of church membership? If someone may not be able to understand the purpose of church membership, can they understand enough about Jesus Christ to accept Him as Lord and Savior? Would you consider this person's acceptance of faith in Christ as valid? Would you baptize someone with developmental challenges?
One reason I was interested in posting this question is because we seldom consider such issues in our bivocational churches. I am very familiar with hundreds of bivocational churches in many parts of the country, and I don't know of any, until now, who have had to consider these types of questions. I believe the best time to consider our responses to these issues is before we are confronted with them, so this can be a time of real learning for many of us. I hope to hear from everyone of our readers on this issue.
This pastor has a person in the church who has limited capacity to understand some things due to a disease. This individual has professed faith in Jesus Christ and been baptized. The parents are strong members of this pastor's church. The individual has requested to become a member of the church, but the pastor was concerned that the individual might not be able to understand what church membership means. This church is also in the process of re-writing its church documents to specify more clearly what church membership means. The pastor asked for my thoughts on this issue.
I'll share my response in a later blog, but I'm interested in hearing from our readers. Would you allow this person to become a member of your church even if the individual might have a limited understanding of what church membership means? If the church did accept this person as a member, how would that affect the re-writing of the church documents intended to strengthen the meaning of church membership? If someone may not be able to understand the purpose of church membership, can they understand enough about Jesus Christ to accept Him as Lord and Savior? Would you consider this person's acceptance of faith in Christ as valid? Would you baptize someone with developmental challenges?
One reason I was interested in posting this question is because we seldom consider such issues in our bivocational churches. I am very familiar with hundreds of bivocational churches in many parts of the country, and I don't know of any, until now, who have had to consider these types of questions. I believe the best time to consider our responses to these issues is before we are confronted with them, so this can be a time of real learning for many of us. I hope to hear from everyone of our readers on this issue.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Healthy Small Church II
Yesterday I had the privilege of leading another workshop on the Healthy Small Church in Palisade, CO. We had another great meeting with several small church leaders attending. Once again, there were a number of good questions and a lot of sharing between the participants.
My wife and I left western Colorado this morning to drive to Cheyenne, WY for the third workshop which will be held tomorrow. During the night a major winter storm hit the mountains creating some really tough driving conditions, but we made it through just fine. We're hoping things settle down before we start home Saturday morning.
One of the things that excites me about this workshop, and the others I have scheduled for this year, is the growing number of judicatories that are seeing the importance of investing in the well-being of their smaller churches. For many years, denominations and judicatories largely ignored their smaller churches, but some are now beginning to see that their smaller churches have much to offer the Kingdom of God, and they are looking for new ways to assist those churches. I believe this workshop is one way to do that. If you are a judicatory leader feel free to contact me for information about bringing this workshop to your small church leaders. If you are a small church leader and believe a workshop on how to help your church become healthier encourage your judicatory leaders to contact me.
My wife and I left western Colorado this morning to drive to Cheyenne, WY for the third workshop which will be held tomorrow. During the night a major winter storm hit the mountains creating some really tough driving conditions, but we made it through just fine. We're hoping things settle down before we start home Saturday morning.
One of the things that excites me about this workshop, and the others I have scheduled for this year, is the growing number of judicatories that are seeing the importance of investing in the well-being of their smaller churches. For many years, denominations and judicatories largely ignored their smaller churches, but some are now beginning to see that their smaller churches have much to offer the Kingdom of God, and they are looking for new ways to assist those churches. I believe this workshop is one way to do that. If you are a judicatory leader feel free to contact me for information about bringing this workshop to your small church leaders. If you are a small church leader and believe a workshop on how to help your church become healthier encourage your judicatory leaders to contact me.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Healthy Small Church Workshop
This week I am with the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains leading workshops on the Healthy Small Church. On Monday we were with 20 small church leaders in Colorado Springs, CO for a great day. It is always exciting to see pastors and leaders of smaller churches coming together to learn new ways of leading their churches.
Today my wife and I drove through the mountains to Grand Junction, CO. We took a more scenic route than my GPS recommended which gave us the opportunity to see part of the country we would not have seen otherwise. For a couple of people who grew up on farms in southern Indiana the mountains were amazing. We saw big horned sheep, hundreds of deer, and two dog sled teams riding through the snow.
Tomorrow we will have our second workshop at a church in Palisade, CO. I understand about 15 people are registered, and I am looking forward to spending the day with them.
Today my wife and I drove through the mountains to Grand Junction, CO. We took a more scenic route than my GPS recommended which gave us the opportunity to see part of the country we would not have seen otherwise. For a couple of people who grew up on farms in southern Indiana the mountains were amazing. We saw big horned sheep, hundreds of deer, and two dog sled teams riding through the snow.
Tomorrow we will have our second workshop at a church in Palisade, CO. I understand about 15 people are registered, and I am looking forward to spending the day with them.
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