This past Sunday we baptized three teens during our early worship service. The two young men and one young lady placed their faith in Jesus Christ and have been working with our Youth Minister for the past few weeks preparing for their baptism. Additionally, some younger youth are currently meeting with our Children's Minister preparing for their baptism in a few weeks. These are exciting times in our church!
A few years ago I was coaching a young bivocational pastor. He was serving in his first church. He had no ministerial training, but he had a heart for ministry and a sense of call on his life. During our coaching relationship it was exciting to see him grow in confidence.
In one of our coaching sessions he said that he wanted to talk about baptisms. He would be doing his first baptism as the pastor of his church in a few weeks, and he had some concerns. Their older church building did not have a baptistery so they were going down to a river that flowed through the town. His questions were two-fold. One, he was concerned because the river wasn't very deep so he was going to be fairly far from the bank. He didn't want the ones being baptized to fall wading out to him. His second concern was he was fearful he would drop his Bible in the river, and it was one that had been given to him by someone very special to him.
After we addressed his concerns he expressed how stressed he felt because he wanted this baptism to be special. When I asked why, he said it was the church's first baptism in 50 years!
As I think back on that conversation I am amazed all over again. It doesn't seem possible that a church could go five decades without seeing anyone come to faith in Jesus Christ and following that with baptism. While most don't go 50 years between baptisms, many churches have not baptized anyone in years.
Most denominations report a decrease in baptisms in recent years. Although various reasons are given it certainly isn't because the fields are no longer white unto harvest. Every church in America today sits in the middle of a huge mission field. The problem is that many of those churches are doing nothing to harvest that field.
The Great Commission is the primary task of the church. If we fail to reach people for Christ, it doesn't matter what else we do, we have failed our mission. It's time many churches made evangelistic outreach a priority again. It's time many churches begin once again to proclaim a clear message inviting people to faith in Christ. It's time we begin again praying for the lost in our communities, in our families, and in our churches.
It was exciting to see those young people last week follow the Lord in baptism. But, I want to see our worship services begin every week with a baptism! Just think how exciting that would be!
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Monday, May 21, 2018
Stepping up the game
Last night we said goodbye to our Youth Minister/Associate Pastor. He's leaving for a three month sabbatical and will return as the new Senior Pastor of the church. This sabbatical had been approved and planned several months before being called as pastor, and it was important for him to enjoy it. I've agreed to remain as Transitional Pastor until he returns in late August.
Part of that agreement is that I will be covering some of his responsibilities. That will be big. He's been at this church 26 years so he's been counted on to do a lot of things! An individual in the church will be the lead person working with the youth, and a group of parents will be assisting. Most of my added work will be in the area of pastoral care and administration. Some of this I had already been doing, but this area of responsibility will be greater while he's gone.
When serving as a Region Minister I was often frustrated by the attitudes of some pastoral candidates when they would tell our churches seeking pastors that they did not do certain things. One common complaint I often heard from the search teams was about the number of younger candidates who told them they did not visit people in their homes, in the hospital or anywhere else. While I agree with some of that, I find it appalling to hear ministers say they refuse to do some particular ministerial task.
Let me explain. I do believe that many churches, especially smaller ones, expect the pastor to do too much visiting of the members. I've long advocated that churches need to move to a congregational care model of ministry instead of a pastoral care. However, there are times when the pastor needs to make such visits. To say pointblank that they don't do that ministry tells me they have a very poor concept of pastoral ministry.
I was once part of a conversation where a congregational member asked the pastor to cover for him one Sunday when he would be away. The pastor became obviously upset and told the member he had told the church when he came that he would not do that, and refused. The member reminded him it would only be this one time, but the pastor still refused. Later, the church member told me this was the attitude the pastor took when anyone asked him to do something he did not want to do. The pastor did not remain at the church very long after that episode. BTW - In my opinion what the pastor was being asked to do was not out of line.
It's important for a pastor to have a job description, but at the same time ministry requires a lot of flexibility on the part of the one called. There are aspects of ministry I would rather not do, but it comes with the territory. Long ago I adopted the philosophy most bivocational ministers have: "Whatever it takes."
Every leader is sometimes asked to step up their game a little bit and do extra to make their organization function better. Pastors are no different. When you need to step up your game a little look at it as an opportunity to grow yourself and your church.
Part of that agreement is that I will be covering some of his responsibilities. That will be big. He's been at this church 26 years so he's been counted on to do a lot of things! An individual in the church will be the lead person working with the youth, and a group of parents will be assisting. Most of my added work will be in the area of pastoral care and administration. Some of this I had already been doing, but this area of responsibility will be greater while he's gone.
When serving as a Region Minister I was often frustrated by the attitudes of some pastoral candidates when they would tell our churches seeking pastors that they did not do certain things. One common complaint I often heard from the search teams was about the number of younger candidates who told them they did not visit people in their homes, in the hospital or anywhere else. While I agree with some of that, I find it appalling to hear ministers say they refuse to do some particular ministerial task.
Let me explain. I do believe that many churches, especially smaller ones, expect the pastor to do too much visiting of the members. I've long advocated that churches need to move to a congregational care model of ministry instead of a pastoral care. However, there are times when the pastor needs to make such visits. To say pointblank that they don't do that ministry tells me they have a very poor concept of pastoral ministry.
I was once part of a conversation where a congregational member asked the pastor to cover for him one Sunday when he would be away. The pastor became obviously upset and told the member he had told the church when he came that he would not do that, and refused. The member reminded him it would only be this one time, but the pastor still refused. Later, the church member told me this was the attitude the pastor took when anyone asked him to do something he did not want to do. The pastor did not remain at the church very long after that episode. BTW - In my opinion what the pastor was being asked to do was not out of line.
It's important for a pastor to have a job description, but at the same time ministry requires a lot of flexibility on the part of the one called. There are aspects of ministry I would rather not do, but it comes with the territory. Long ago I adopted the philosophy most bivocational ministers have: "Whatever it takes."
Every leader is sometimes asked to step up their game a little bit and do extra to make their organization function better. Pastors are no different. When you need to step up your game a little look at it as an opportunity to grow yourself and your church.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
This is not your grandfather's church
A number of years ago General Motors ran a series of ads trying to save their Oldsmobile line of cars. The slogan was "This is not your father's Oldsmobile." Young people were shown driving the car to try to impress upon people the Olds line was no longer a luxury line of cars just for the middle aged and older. The commercials did not work, and within a few years the Oldsmobile line of cars was gone.
I've gone back another generation in this blog title. The church is no longer your grandfather's church although many seem to think it is. Many churches haven't changed a thing since our grandfathers attended there and wonder why they are not attracting younger people.
This thought came to me as I began reading Marshall Goldsmith's book What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. As the title indicates, this is not a book about churches. It is a book about how successful people can become more successful by working to change the things that might be holding them back. Still, the concept is valid for churches.
For a long time many declining churches believed if they just worked harder at the things that helped them grow in the past, that growth would return. These churches did not believe they needed to change anything; they just needed to work harder and get the few younger people who did attend there to become more committed. Unfortunately, that mindset was not effective.
Churches that have remained healthy, and have even grown in recent years, are convinced they just need to continue doing what they've been doing. After all, it's been effective so there surely can't be any reason to change anything. Again, that mindset will prove ineffective in time.
We are being called to reach a generation of people who are nothing like our fathers and certainly not like our grandfathers. Their mindsets are very different. The Builder generation and even the early Boomers (like myself) had a high regard for institutions. Millennials do not share that same regard. We had a fairly high regard for the denominations in which we were raised. Millennials also do not share that mindset. The list of differences could go on and on, and we cannot expect to reach this generation until we understand these differences.
Your church may be doing a lot of things right, but until it engages the new generations it will not reach them. It may just be one small thing that needs to be changed before you can effectively engage the new generations, or it may be that a lot of things have to be changed. But, until you make those changes do not expect to have much impact on Millennials and the generations that follow. Remember, what got you here won't get you there.
I've gone back another generation in this blog title. The church is no longer your grandfather's church although many seem to think it is. Many churches haven't changed a thing since our grandfathers attended there and wonder why they are not attracting younger people.
This thought came to me as I began reading Marshall Goldsmith's book What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. As the title indicates, this is not a book about churches. It is a book about how successful people can become more successful by working to change the things that might be holding them back. Still, the concept is valid for churches.
For a long time many declining churches believed if they just worked harder at the things that helped them grow in the past, that growth would return. These churches did not believe they needed to change anything; they just needed to work harder and get the few younger people who did attend there to become more committed. Unfortunately, that mindset was not effective.
Churches that have remained healthy, and have even grown in recent years, are convinced they just need to continue doing what they've been doing. After all, it's been effective so there surely can't be any reason to change anything. Again, that mindset will prove ineffective in time.
We are being called to reach a generation of people who are nothing like our fathers and certainly not like our grandfathers. Their mindsets are very different. The Builder generation and even the early Boomers (like myself) had a high regard for institutions. Millennials do not share that same regard. We had a fairly high regard for the denominations in which we were raised. Millennials also do not share that mindset. The list of differences could go on and on, and we cannot expect to reach this generation until we understand these differences.
Your church may be doing a lot of things right, but until it engages the new generations it will not reach them. It may just be one small thing that needs to be changed before you can effectively engage the new generations, or it may be that a lot of things have to be changed. But, until you make those changes do not expect to have much impact on Millennials and the generations that follow. Remember, what got you here won't get you there.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Important tasks for the church between pastors
For the past 18 or so months I've served as the Transitional Pastor of Madison First Baptist Church. The church has called a pastor who is leaving for a three month sabbatical that was already planned, and I've been asked to remain until he begins. I was more than happy to do so.
This has been a wonderful time of ministry. This is a very active church with numerous ministries, a passion for missions, and some great leadership. During my time here we've discerned a fresh vision for ministry with which the new pastor is in agreement. I believe this vision will lead the church forward for several years to come. We have spent time in the past few months looking at how to live into that vision with positive results.
I asked for the title of Transitional Pastor rather than Interim Pastor because I wanted to highlight the fact that we were in transition and not just standing around waiting for a new pastor. To me, transition implies movement, and I wanted to keep the church moving forward. The church has done that very well.
However, during this transitional time for the church there are five primary tasks that need to be done to help prepare the church for their new pastor.
*These five steps come from a booklet written by Kenneth Blazier titled Tackling the Tasks: Planning Interim Ministry in a Church. It was published by the Ministers-at-Large Program of the American Baptist Churches USA.
This has been a wonderful time of ministry. This is a very active church with numerous ministries, a passion for missions, and some great leadership. During my time here we've discerned a fresh vision for ministry with which the new pastor is in agreement. I believe this vision will lead the church forward for several years to come. We have spent time in the past few months looking at how to live into that vision with positive results.
I asked for the title of Transitional Pastor rather than Interim Pastor because I wanted to highlight the fact that we were in transition and not just standing around waiting for a new pastor. To me, transition implies movement, and I wanted to keep the church moving forward. The church has done that very well.
However, during this transitional time for the church there are five primary tasks that need to be done to help prepare the church for their new pastor.
- The church needs to come to terms with its history. This is especially important if there are unresolved issues in its history. No church should call a new pastor if it has such issues that have not been resolved. That would be very unfair to the new pastor. On the positive side, this task can also help a church better understand its strengths.
- The church needs to discover who it is today. Many churches still think of themselves as they were 20-30 years ago. This is a great time for a church to look inward to understand its current personality, its strengths and weaknesses, its passions, and its hope for the future.
- The church needs to allow for leadership changes to occur. Some current leaders, especially if they were close to the former pastor, may feel the need to step back. New leaders might decide to step into new roles. This is normally a healthy thing unless conflicts begin to develop. When a pastor leaves there might be a leadership vacuum that people with ulterior motives might be tempted to fill.
- The church needs to reconnect with its denomination if it belongs to one. Denominational leaders are often the first persons called when the current pastor leaves. These individuals can assist the church in finding a qualified Transitional Pastor and help the search team when they begin looking for candidates for the position.
- The church needs to discern a fresh vision for ministry and be prepared to work with its new pastor to see that vision fulfilled. If a church is not ready to work with a new pastor it should not call one.
*These five steps come from a booklet written by Kenneth Blazier titled Tackling the Tasks: Planning Interim Ministry in a Church. It was published by the Ministers-at-Large Program of the American Baptist Churches USA.
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Ordinary people
I haven't posted anything for a few days. The past week or so has been extremely busy. Last Monday I set up for an auction I had Tuesday night. I've been working on a couple of other potential estate auctions this week plus the various events at the church. I've also been trying to finish a fascinating book titled Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland.
The author of the book, Christopher Browning, taught history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is a fascinating book that tells the chilling story of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a group of ordinary men, who became responsible for mass shootings of Jewish people and the round up of many others for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland. These men were considered too old to serve in the German army and were drafted into the Order Police.
The first mass killing occurred in Józefów, a village that included 1,800 Jews. Out of 500 men, only 10 initially refused to participate in the killing. A few others began shooting the innocent victims but soon found it so repulsive that they quit and wandered off into the nearby forest. However, this unit of ordinary men eventually became efficient and calloused executioners.
This disturbing book points out how group pressure can lead persons to do things they would never do as individuals. Although the author shares other possible reasons why these men could commit such terrible crimes against other humans, his final opinion is that they did what they did largely because of the pressure of the group to which they belonged.
I want to point out two observations I gleaned from the book, other bad and the other good. The bad observation is that any of us are capable of commiting more evil than we might imagine. The Scriptures are clear that a sin nature dwells within every individual, and none of us truly knows what we are capable of until put to the test. That is one reason each of us needs Jesus Christ in our lives to help us overcome this evil.
The second observation is much more positive. If ordinary men can commit such horrible atrocities, ordinary men and women can also accomplish wonderful things. Ordinary men and women, filled with the Spirit of God, can transform the lives of entire communities of people by introducing those people to Jesus Christ. Ordinary men and women can bring healing to broken families and hope to those who have lost hope. Ordinary men and women can love the hurting. Just as none of us knows the level of evil we are capable of, none of us knows the level of good we can do if we are committed to living out our Christian faith.
God doesn't depend on super-saints to accomplish His work here in earth. He depends on ordinary men and women, like you and me, for that.
The author of the book, Christopher Browning, taught history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is a fascinating book that tells the chilling story of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a group of ordinary men, who became responsible for mass shootings of Jewish people and the round up of many others for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland. These men were considered too old to serve in the German army and were drafted into the Order Police.
The first mass killing occurred in Józefów, a village that included 1,800 Jews. Out of 500 men, only 10 initially refused to participate in the killing. A few others began shooting the innocent victims but soon found it so repulsive that they quit and wandered off into the nearby forest. However, this unit of ordinary men eventually became efficient and calloused executioners.
This disturbing book points out how group pressure can lead persons to do things they would never do as individuals. Although the author shares other possible reasons why these men could commit such terrible crimes against other humans, his final opinion is that they did what they did largely because of the pressure of the group to which they belonged.
I want to point out two observations I gleaned from the book, other bad and the other good. The bad observation is that any of us are capable of commiting more evil than we might imagine. The Scriptures are clear that a sin nature dwells within every individual, and none of us truly knows what we are capable of until put to the test. That is one reason each of us needs Jesus Christ in our lives to help us overcome this evil.
The second observation is much more positive. If ordinary men can commit such horrible atrocities, ordinary men and women can also accomplish wonderful things. Ordinary men and women, filled with the Spirit of God, can transform the lives of entire communities of people by introducing those people to Jesus Christ. Ordinary men and women can bring healing to broken families and hope to those who have lost hope. Ordinary men and women can love the hurting. Just as none of us knows the level of evil we are capable of, none of us knows the level of good we can do if we are committed to living out our Christian faith.
God doesn't depend on super-saints to accomplish His work here in earth. He depends on ordinary men and women, like you and me, for that.
Monday, April 23, 2018
The healthy small church
I've been privileged to have published eight books. None has brought me greater pleasure than The Healthy Small Church: Diagnosis and Treatment for the Big Issues. It has been my best selling book and is the basis for the seminar I am most often asked to lead. The reason this book brings me so much pleasure is because many people are not sure a smaller church can be healthy. There is so much emphasis placed on the larger church that some view a small church as something that is unhealthy and destined to close.
Regardless of size, a church can be healthy or unhealthy. There are unhealthy large churches, and there are healthy smaller churches. Size has nothing to do with the health of a church.
In the book I explore 13 different aspects of church life that will determine if the church is healthy or unhealthy. In the final chapter I share two or three questions for each of these topics for church leaders to ask to determine how healthy their church is. I encourage church leaders to look at those questions once a year as an annual check-up of their church. Just like we humans, something might show up in an annual exam that wasn't there in the previous exam. Catching a problem early can help prevent it from becoming worse. The same is true of churches.
Asking these questions might cause the leadership to determine that their church isn't healthy. Of course, they may have known that even before studying the questions. The good news is that any church can become healthy if it is willing to take the necessary steps. A healthy church can become even healthier by focusing on some areas of its life that could stand improvement.
Judicatory leaders have ordered copies of this book for all the pastors in their districts. Congregations have ordered copies for each family and worked through each chapter as a church. Church boards have ordered copies for each member of the board and studied it together. I've been blessed by letters, emails, and personal conversations I've had with some churches that have done this who reported how much it helped their church.
This book has led to me being invited to lead a seminar based on the book for numerous denominational groups around the US and Canada. It has been a privilege to share this information with these church leaders and to encourage them. I learned a long time ago that most small church ministers and leaders could stand a little encouragement from time to time.
I am about to wrap up a stint as the Transitional Pastor for the church I am now serving and am available to speak at your pastor gatherings. Besides this subject, I have led seminars based on some of the other books I've written, but this one has been the most requested.
Let me close with a word of encouragement. If you are serving in a smaller church that is not especially healthy, please don't give up. Perhaps you've been called to that church to help lead it to health. No church has to remain unhealthy. It is God's will that every church be healthy and thriving, and with His help your church can become such a church. If I can help you in that, please feel free to contact me.
Regardless of size, a church can be healthy or unhealthy. There are unhealthy large churches, and there are healthy smaller churches. Size has nothing to do with the health of a church.
In the book I explore 13 different aspects of church life that will determine if the church is healthy or unhealthy. In the final chapter I share two or three questions for each of these topics for church leaders to ask to determine how healthy their church is. I encourage church leaders to look at those questions once a year as an annual check-up of their church. Just like we humans, something might show up in an annual exam that wasn't there in the previous exam. Catching a problem early can help prevent it from becoming worse. The same is true of churches.
Asking these questions might cause the leadership to determine that their church isn't healthy. Of course, they may have known that even before studying the questions. The good news is that any church can become healthy if it is willing to take the necessary steps. A healthy church can become even healthier by focusing on some areas of its life that could stand improvement.
Judicatory leaders have ordered copies of this book for all the pastors in their districts. Congregations have ordered copies for each family and worked through each chapter as a church. Church boards have ordered copies for each member of the board and studied it together. I've been blessed by letters, emails, and personal conversations I've had with some churches that have done this who reported how much it helped their church.
This book has led to me being invited to lead a seminar based on the book for numerous denominational groups around the US and Canada. It has been a privilege to share this information with these church leaders and to encourage them. I learned a long time ago that most small church ministers and leaders could stand a little encouragement from time to time.
I am about to wrap up a stint as the Transitional Pastor for the church I am now serving and am available to speak at your pastor gatherings. Besides this subject, I have led seminars based on some of the other books I've written, but this one has been the most requested.
Let me close with a word of encouragement. If you are serving in a smaller church that is not especially healthy, please don't give up. Perhaps you've been called to that church to help lead it to health. No church has to remain unhealthy. It is God's will that every church be healthy and thriving, and with His help your church can become such a church. If I can help you in that, please feel free to contact me.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Higher education and its assault on Christians
I was saddened to read the infamous tweets by a Fresno University professor who expressed her pleasure at the passing of Barbara Bush. I was saddened but not shocked because this is the type of society we have become. The same people who demand an end to bullying have no problems bullying and saying hateful things about conservatives or others with whom they disagree. When this professor began receiving replies attacking her views she gleefully reminded people she was a tenured professor making $100K a year and could not be fired for expressing her views. Of course, the university issued a statement expressing "concern" but stated that as a private citizen she had a right to her opinions even if they did not reflect that of the university.
I don't know what recourse a university has with a tenured professor even if they did want to take action. However, I do know what recourse the public has. We can stop sending our young people to such places where they will be indoctrinated with the beliefs this professor and others like her share.
Many universities today are hostile towards Christians. They demand great tolerance towards all other religions and beliefs, but turn away when Christian beliefs and values come under attack. Christian organizations have been banned from some universities.
A number of universities now require incoming students to undergo "diversity training." Such training is intended to create an atmosphere of tolerance and respect on campus. However, we continue to read about attacks on Christian groups that occur on campuses, and no one does a thing about them. I've watched more than one video of students tearing up displays and using sound systems to drown out Christian gatherings. On many campuses riots break out if a conservative speaker is invited to speak, especially if that individual is a Christian. It appears they don't cover that in "diversity training."
I cannot understand why any Christian would send their children to such indoctrination camps that are determined to rid Christian young people of their values and the beliefs they've been taught at home. To give these schools tens of thousands of dollars to do that is even more incredible. Any school that permits bias against Christians should be banned by every Christian family in America.
I did my undergrad work at a secular school in the mid-1980s, and it was challenging then for a person who held to conservative Christian values. I was in my 40s at the time so I didn't have the problems some of my younger classmates had. I knew what I believed and wasn't intimidated by the professors nor was I afraid to challenge them. Many of the younger Christians in the classes weren't so sure of their beliefs and were easily intimidated. It is far worse today than it was then.
There are many excellent schools that will provide your children with an education and do it while instilling the morals and values Christian families hold dear. Like many areas of our society, we are beginning to see a growing divide between secular education and Christian higher education. It's time Christian families chose Christian universities for their children's education.
I don't know what recourse a university has with a tenured professor even if they did want to take action. However, I do know what recourse the public has. We can stop sending our young people to such places where they will be indoctrinated with the beliefs this professor and others like her share.
Many universities today are hostile towards Christians. They demand great tolerance towards all other religions and beliefs, but turn away when Christian beliefs and values come under attack. Christian organizations have been banned from some universities.
A number of universities now require incoming students to undergo "diversity training." Such training is intended to create an atmosphere of tolerance and respect on campus. However, we continue to read about attacks on Christian groups that occur on campuses, and no one does a thing about them. I've watched more than one video of students tearing up displays and using sound systems to drown out Christian gatherings. On many campuses riots break out if a conservative speaker is invited to speak, especially if that individual is a Christian. It appears they don't cover that in "diversity training."
I cannot understand why any Christian would send their children to such indoctrination camps that are determined to rid Christian young people of their values and the beliefs they've been taught at home. To give these schools tens of thousands of dollars to do that is even more incredible. Any school that permits bias against Christians should be banned by every Christian family in America.
I did my undergrad work at a secular school in the mid-1980s, and it was challenging then for a person who held to conservative Christian values. I was in my 40s at the time so I didn't have the problems some of my younger classmates had. I knew what I believed and wasn't intimidated by the professors nor was I afraid to challenge them. Many of the younger Christians in the classes weren't so sure of their beliefs and were easily intimidated. It is far worse today than it was then.
There are many excellent schools that will provide your children with an education and do it while instilling the morals and values Christian families hold dear. Like many areas of our society, we are beginning to see a growing divide between secular education and Christian higher education. It's time Christian families chose Christian universities for their children's education.
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