Today's question is "What is your church's vision for ministry?" The mission of the church is very simple: It's the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. This mission is the same for every church regardless of size. However, the church's vision will be different for every church because it describes how it will carry out the mission.
I have advocated for years that God has a unique vision for every church because every church is unique. Each church is made up of different people with different spiritual gifts and different passions for doing ministry. When those two factors are combined with a ministry need in the community you will find God's vision for the church.
Notice that I said God's vision. The pastor's vision is immaterial. So is the deacon's or elder's. The only vision that matters is God's vision for your church. This vision is not determined by a majority vote but by discerning the mind of God. There are steps a church can take in the process of discerning that vision, but it must come from God.
Over the years I have asked many small church leaders to tell me their church's vision. None could do it. Some referred to a "Vision Statement" which no one knew without searching for the document where it was written. This tells me that what they were calling a vision was not considered in any of their ministry plans, budgeting or any other decision made by the church. They didn't have a vision; they had a document gathering dust on a shelf.
If you really want to know a church's vision you will find it by looking at their checkbook and calendar. Regardless of what anyone says is their vision for ministry, the real vision is found in those two documents. In a majority of cases, these documents reveal that the primary vision of the church in focused inward. They are about survival, not mission. Little, if any, money is spent on evangelism or ministering to the community outside the walls of the church. Few, if any, ministries in the community are found in their calendar. So...exactly how does such a church expect to fulfill the mission they've been given if their focus is solely on themselves.
The most exciting time in a church's life is when it discerns a fresh vision from God and begins to live into that vision. That is when you see God move and lives change. Again I ask, "What is your church's vision for ministry?"
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Questions small churches must ask - 3
Today is the third installment of a series of posts on questions small churches need to ask and answer if they want to continue to minister in the future. The question for today is "Where will we get our future pastors?" This question is primarily directed to congregation led churches that seek their own pastoral leadership.
For several years smaller churches have struggled to find quality pastors to lead their churches. Numerous studies have found that many seminary graduates refuse to serve in a smaller church. This is true for a variety of reasons for which we do not have space to address in a blog post, but it is not likely to improve any time soon.
In the past many of the smaller churches in the area in which I live depended on seminary students to serve as pastors. In many cases this allowed them to have a pastor for 2-3 years before the student graduated and went on to a larger church. These student pastors are often unwilling to serve in these churches now as the seminary is not supportive of churches outside its denomination.
Other small churches were able to attract a fully-funded pastor by providing a parsonage along with a minimal salary. They are now finding that many pastors prefer a parsonage allowance and would prefer to not live in a parsonage. As these churches have grown smaller they are not able to provide even a minimal salary to support a pastor and his or her family.
Increasingly, these churches are looking for bivocational leadership even though some are very resistant to the idea. I have a friend who is nearing retirement from a small church where he has served as a fully-funded pastor. The church has declined to the point where their next pastor will need to be bivocational. He said they are not happy about it, but it is the only option they have.
I've written numerous books and articles about bivocational ministry and believe it is a biblical model for many churches. However, few people are going to move from California to serve a bivocational church in West Virginia. This means that the majority of bivocational ministers are going to reside geographically near the church. Although I have no data to support this, I imagine most churches that call a bivocational minister will find that person living within 20 miles of the church.
Something I've advocated to churches seeking bivocational leadership is to look within their own congregation for their next pastor. I've seen this done in several instances and it worked out very well. (I've also seen it not work so well.) Some might object that no one in their church has the theological training to serve as a pastor, but this can be overcome. If a person senses a call to serve in this way, he or she can always receive practical and theological training while serving the church. That's what I did, and countless others have done so as well.
Smaller churches need to realize the new normal as we continue into the 21st century is that they are not likely to find a seminary trained pastor the next time they seek new pastoral leadership. They need to begin now praying and talking about what they will do when the time comes to seek a new pastor. It's a question they will face at some time in the future.
For several years smaller churches have struggled to find quality pastors to lead their churches. Numerous studies have found that many seminary graduates refuse to serve in a smaller church. This is true for a variety of reasons for which we do not have space to address in a blog post, but it is not likely to improve any time soon.
In the past many of the smaller churches in the area in which I live depended on seminary students to serve as pastors. In many cases this allowed them to have a pastor for 2-3 years before the student graduated and went on to a larger church. These student pastors are often unwilling to serve in these churches now as the seminary is not supportive of churches outside its denomination.
Other small churches were able to attract a fully-funded pastor by providing a parsonage along with a minimal salary. They are now finding that many pastors prefer a parsonage allowance and would prefer to not live in a parsonage. As these churches have grown smaller they are not able to provide even a minimal salary to support a pastor and his or her family.
Increasingly, these churches are looking for bivocational leadership even though some are very resistant to the idea. I have a friend who is nearing retirement from a small church where he has served as a fully-funded pastor. The church has declined to the point where their next pastor will need to be bivocational. He said they are not happy about it, but it is the only option they have.
I've written numerous books and articles about bivocational ministry and believe it is a biblical model for many churches. However, few people are going to move from California to serve a bivocational church in West Virginia. This means that the majority of bivocational ministers are going to reside geographically near the church. Although I have no data to support this, I imagine most churches that call a bivocational minister will find that person living within 20 miles of the church.
Something I've advocated to churches seeking bivocational leadership is to look within their own congregation for their next pastor. I've seen this done in several instances and it worked out very well. (I've also seen it not work so well.) Some might object that no one in their church has the theological training to serve as a pastor, but this can be overcome. If a person senses a call to serve in this way, he or she can always receive practical and theological training while serving the church. That's what I did, and countless others have done so as well.
Smaller churches need to realize the new normal as we continue into the 21st century is that they are not likely to find a seminary trained pastor the next time they seek new pastoral leadership. They need to begin now praying and talking about what they will do when the time comes to seek a new pastor. It's a question they will face at some time in the future.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Questions small churches must ask - 2
Yesterday I began a series of posts on the topic of questions small churches must begin asking and answering if they want to move forward. Today's question is "If your church closed its doors tomorrow would anyone in the community know or care?" This is not an academic exercise as approximately 100 churches in the US close their doors every week. None of them ever thought the day would come when they could no longer function as a church, but that day did come. If it happened for your church, would anyone other than the 30 or so people who attend there be impacted?
The fact is, although they might grieve over the closing of the church for a period of time, even the current members would likely find a new place of worship in a month or so and move on with their lives. But, how would anyone else in the community be impacted?
As a judicatory minister one of my responsibilities was to assist the churches in my area find new pastors. Not long after assuming this role I was invited to one of my smaller, rural churches to meet with their pastor search committee. The person who called gave me directions that were not real helpful, but I wrote everything down and thought I could find the church. A sign on the state highway pointed down a country road indicating the church was to be found there. I followed the directions from that point on and soon became hopelessly lost. It was starting to get dark, and I knew if I couldn't find the church in the daylight I would never find it once it grew dark so I did what men don't do: I stopped and asked directions. I stopped at two houses and neither of them knew where the church was. It was now 15 minutes after our meeting was to begin so I decided to turn around at the first available place and try to find my way back home. When I came to a place where I could turn around it was the church's parking lot.
The fascinating thing about all this is that both houses were less than two miles from this church, but neither of them knew where the church was. If that church closed its doors would either of them be affected? I doubt that they would even know it was closed.
Churches exist for many reasons, but one of the most important is to impact the communities in which they are located. We are to advance the Kingdom of God in those communities, but if the people in those communities do not even know we exist we can safely assume we are not doing our job.
A primary reason churches close is because they have no vision for ministry. They are not in the communities representing Jesus Christ and trying to impact them for the Kingdom. They remain enclosed in their sanctuaries (interesting term!) waiting for people to come to them. This is not how I see Christ doing ministry during His time on earth. If we are not in the community then it is safe to say that no one in the community will be impacted if we decide to close our doors.
Let's ask this question another way. Is there anyone in your community who is not a member of your church whose life would be disrupted if your church was no longer there to provide ministry? If the answer is no, what does this say about how well your church is doing the mission it's been given?
The fact is, although they might grieve over the closing of the church for a period of time, even the current members would likely find a new place of worship in a month or so and move on with their lives. But, how would anyone else in the community be impacted?
As a judicatory minister one of my responsibilities was to assist the churches in my area find new pastors. Not long after assuming this role I was invited to one of my smaller, rural churches to meet with their pastor search committee. The person who called gave me directions that were not real helpful, but I wrote everything down and thought I could find the church. A sign on the state highway pointed down a country road indicating the church was to be found there. I followed the directions from that point on and soon became hopelessly lost. It was starting to get dark, and I knew if I couldn't find the church in the daylight I would never find it once it grew dark so I did what men don't do: I stopped and asked directions. I stopped at two houses and neither of them knew where the church was. It was now 15 minutes after our meeting was to begin so I decided to turn around at the first available place and try to find my way back home. When I came to a place where I could turn around it was the church's parking lot.
The fascinating thing about all this is that both houses were less than two miles from this church, but neither of them knew where the church was. If that church closed its doors would either of them be affected? I doubt that they would even know it was closed.
Churches exist for many reasons, but one of the most important is to impact the communities in which they are located. We are to advance the Kingdom of God in those communities, but if the people in those communities do not even know we exist we can safely assume we are not doing our job.
A primary reason churches close is because they have no vision for ministry. They are not in the communities representing Jesus Christ and trying to impact them for the Kingdom. They remain enclosed in their sanctuaries (interesting term!) waiting for people to come to them. This is not how I see Christ doing ministry during His time on earth. If we are not in the community then it is safe to say that no one in the community will be impacted if we decide to close our doors.
Let's ask this question another way. Is there anyone in your community who is not a member of your church whose life would be disrupted if your church was no longer there to provide ministry? If the answer is no, what does this say about how well your church is doing the mission it's been given?
Monday, November 12, 2018
Questions small churches must ask - 1
I want to begin a series of posts on questions smaller churches need to be asking. We all know the challenges facing smaller churches today, and I do not know anyone who thinks things will improve any time soon. Those of us who attend or serve in smaller churches can either continue to drift along ignoring the difficulties we face or we can begin to ask and answer tough questions about who we are and what we are going to be in the future.
The first question I want us to consider is "Why should anyone attend your church?" I've actually upset some small church leaders by asking them this question. The reason I ask it is that I have attended, pastored, and been involved in working with smaller churches for 35 years. During that time I've seen very little change in the ministries, worship, structure, or anything else in most of them. Despite the fact that our world is changing today at a pace never seen in earlier generations many of our churches continue to act as if everything is still like it was in 1950.
If every church sings three hymns, has a couple of prayers, takes up an offering, and has a 30-minute sermon, what difference does it make which church a person attends? What makes your church so special that people will drive past other churches to attend it?
When I ask this question the answer I most often get if that they are a friendly church and if people will just come there they would find that out. For 14 years I served in a judicatory role and attended a different church almost every week. I can tell you from personal experience that many small churches are not friendly. They might be friendly to one another, but some are very cold towards people they don't know. I actually developed a workshop on church hospitality that I conducted for some churches that realized they needed that training. Many other churches need it too!
There has to be something about your church that will appeal to people seeking a church. There has to be something that your church offers that some other churches don't. It might be a particular worship style. Perhaps your church has a very good music ministry or children's ministry. It might be that your church is involved in a community ministry effort that allows unchurched people to connect with your church. Your church might have an excellent teaching ministry or small groups that address real needs people have. If you want people to come to your church you must offer something that will make them want to come.
The good news is that I believe God has a special purpose for every church, and it's not just to survive. He has a unique vision for every church that contains that purpose. The challenge for the church is to discern that vision and then live into it. As you do that you begin to relate to new people and give them a reason to come to your church. Without that reason they will continue to drive past your building every week never giving it a second thought.
The first question I want us to consider is "Why should anyone attend your church?" I've actually upset some small church leaders by asking them this question. The reason I ask it is that I have attended, pastored, and been involved in working with smaller churches for 35 years. During that time I've seen very little change in the ministries, worship, structure, or anything else in most of them. Despite the fact that our world is changing today at a pace never seen in earlier generations many of our churches continue to act as if everything is still like it was in 1950.
If every church sings three hymns, has a couple of prayers, takes up an offering, and has a 30-minute sermon, what difference does it make which church a person attends? What makes your church so special that people will drive past other churches to attend it?
When I ask this question the answer I most often get if that they are a friendly church and if people will just come there they would find that out. For 14 years I served in a judicatory role and attended a different church almost every week. I can tell you from personal experience that many small churches are not friendly. They might be friendly to one another, but some are very cold towards people they don't know. I actually developed a workshop on church hospitality that I conducted for some churches that realized they needed that training. Many other churches need it too!
There has to be something about your church that will appeal to people seeking a church. There has to be something that your church offers that some other churches don't. It might be a particular worship style. Perhaps your church has a very good music ministry or children's ministry. It might be that your church is involved in a community ministry effort that allows unchurched people to connect with your church. Your church might have an excellent teaching ministry or small groups that address real needs people have. If you want people to come to your church you must offer something that will make them want to come.
The good news is that I believe God has a special purpose for every church, and it's not just to survive. He has a unique vision for every church that contains that purpose. The challenge for the church is to discern that vision and then live into it. As you do that you begin to relate to new people and give them a reason to come to your church. Without that reason they will continue to drive past your building every week never giving it a second thought.
Friday, November 9, 2018
What is truth?
Apologist Ravi Zacharias says that we now live in a post-truth culture. The media today has replaced journalists who sought the truth with spin doctors who want their listeners to believe their version of the truth. This is true of both liberal and conservative news organizations. News reports today are more editorials than actual reporting of the news. In the last presidential election we had numerous fake stories appear in social media such as Facebook planted there by organizations trying to influence the election.
Truth also takes a beating on many university campuses today. We are told there is no such thing as absolute truth, which by the way is a self-refuting statement. If there is no absolute truth how can a statement saying there is no absolute truth be true? BTW - If this is true my high school math teachers owe me an apology because I thought my answers were true so why did they mark them wrong?
Even in the church we sometimes struggle to know what's true and what's not. Too many pastors are willing to preach to people who have itching ears telling them what they want to hear instead of what Scripture teaches. Some have watered down the gospel so much in an effort to bring more people into their churches that the gospel is unrecognizable. Still others have substituted man's philosophies and preferences for the clear teaching of Scripture that they have abandoned any pretense of presenting biblical truth to their congregations. Such false teachers will one day be held accountable.
When we stand before our people on Sunday morning we must not be afraid to preach the Word of God boldly and with confidence. Our Bible is not a book about God; it's is God's revelation of Himself to us. Holy men of old wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit giving us a Bible is that infallible in all it teaches. While some modern day pastors want to limit the use of Scripture for more "relevant" sources I will join Billy Graham and countless others reminding my listeners "The Bible says...."
I admit I do not understand everything I read in the Scriptures, but I have absolute faith in its trustworthiness. Some people want to point out all the mistakes and contradictions found in the Bible. The next time someone wants to make that argument ask them to show you one. Most are just repeating what they've heard others say and have no personal knowledge of any error.
In a time when people are tired of fake news and spin doctors pretending to be journalists, at a time when people are fed up with robocalls and scams on their phones, the church must be a place where people can hear the truth proclaimed. That will only happen if the pastor has a high view of Scripture and is committed to preaching what it says rather than giving his or her personal opinions. God's Word is true. Preach it like you believe it.
Truth also takes a beating on many university campuses today. We are told there is no such thing as absolute truth, which by the way is a self-refuting statement. If there is no absolute truth how can a statement saying there is no absolute truth be true? BTW - If this is true my high school math teachers owe me an apology because I thought my answers were true so why did they mark them wrong?
Even in the church we sometimes struggle to know what's true and what's not. Too many pastors are willing to preach to people who have itching ears telling them what they want to hear instead of what Scripture teaches. Some have watered down the gospel so much in an effort to bring more people into their churches that the gospel is unrecognizable. Still others have substituted man's philosophies and preferences for the clear teaching of Scripture that they have abandoned any pretense of presenting biblical truth to their congregations. Such false teachers will one day be held accountable.
When we stand before our people on Sunday morning we must not be afraid to preach the Word of God boldly and with confidence. Our Bible is not a book about God; it's is God's revelation of Himself to us. Holy men of old wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit giving us a Bible is that infallible in all it teaches. While some modern day pastors want to limit the use of Scripture for more "relevant" sources I will join Billy Graham and countless others reminding my listeners "The Bible says...."
I admit I do not understand everything I read in the Scriptures, but I have absolute faith in its trustworthiness. Some people want to point out all the mistakes and contradictions found in the Bible. The next time someone wants to make that argument ask them to show you one. Most are just repeating what they've heard others say and have no personal knowledge of any error.
In a time when people are tired of fake news and spin doctors pretending to be journalists, at a time when people are fed up with robocalls and scams on their phones, the church must be a place where people can hear the truth proclaimed. That will only happen if the pastor has a high view of Scripture and is committed to preaching what it says rather than giving his or her personal opinions. God's Word is true. Preach it like you believe it.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
How you handle power says a lot about your character
Now that Democrats have reclaimed the House it will be interesting to see what they do. For months they have said if that happened they would spend their time trying to impeach the president. That would be a mistake on three fronts. One, no one has identified anything for which he could be impeached. Two, only the Senate has the power to impeach a president, and Republicans have solid control of the Senate. Third, there are important issues that are far more pressing that demand their attention.
Ed Rendell, former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, has urged the House to focus on legislating, not investigating. As he pointed out, they have an opportunity to show real leadership by reaching across the aisle and working to pass significant legislation that enjoy bipartisan support. Rather than being afraid of giving President Trump a "win" they should be working to improve the lives of their fellow Americans. He offers wise counsel to his party.
Various persons on the news from both parties last night identified health care, immigration reform, and repairing the nation's infrastructure as potential areas in which both parties agree need to be addressed. While there are going to be differences in how these issues are resolved, both sides should be willing to look at finding solutions to these important issues. It would be far better than wasting time and money pursuing something that isn't going to happen anyway and might demonstrate that Congress is actually going to assume a leadership role in government.
How one handles power says a lot about a person's character. It's true in the political arena, and it's true in the church. Some pastors go into a church with a CEO mentality that is determined to tear down the current church structure and replace it with one of his or her own choosing. One pastor began his pastorate by replacing everyone in leadership within the first few months. When I questioned the church how he was able to do that I learned that their constitution gave the pastor that power. The first thing I did with them was help them rewrite their constitution!
I have written much in the past about church controllers. These individuals do great harm in the church by ensuring that nothing changes without their approval. They oppose anything that seems to be a threat to their position or power regardless of the positive impact it might have on the church. Their attitudes and actions demonstrate they lack the character to hold positions of authority in a church, and the church will remain stuck until it finds the courage to remove such individuals from their positions. Sometimes churches do not believe they can do that, but I have assisted several in the process. While it's not pleasant, it's necessary for the life of the church and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
A new pastor went into a church and quickly learned who had created a lot of problems for the previous pastor. He invited the man to lunch and explained that he did not want them to be enemies but to be able to work together. They enjoyed a supportive ministry during the pastor's tenure in the church all because the pastor sought a positive relationship with the gentleman.
This should be the way things are in every church and in Washington. Learning to work together can get much accomplished and demonstrates character. Gridlock accomplishes nothing
Ed Rendell, former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, has urged the House to focus on legislating, not investigating. As he pointed out, they have an opportunity to show real leadership by reaching across the aisle and working to pass significant legislation that enjoy bipartisan support. Rather than being afraid of giving President Trump a "win" they should be working to improve the lives of their fellow Americans. He offers wise counsel to his party.
Various persons on the news from both parties last night identified health care, immigration reform, and repairing the nation's infrastructure as potential areas in which both parties agree need to be addressed. While there are going to be differences in how these issues are resolved, both sides should be willing to look at finding solutions to these important issues. It would be far better than wasting time and money pursuing something that isn't going to happen anyway and might demonstrate that Congress is actually going to assume a leadership role in government.
How one handles power says a lot about a person's character. It's true in the political arena, and it's true in the church. Some pastors go into a church with a CEO mentality that is determined to tear down the current church structure and replace it with one of his or her own choosing. One pastor began his pastorate by replacing everyone in leadership within the first few months. When I questioned the church how he was able to do that I learned that their constitution gave the pastor that power. The first thing I did with them was help them rewrite their constitution!
I have written much in the past about church controllers. These individuals do great harm in the church by ensuring that nothing changes without their approval. They oppose anything that seems to be a threat to their position or power regardless of the positive impact it might have on the church. Their attitudes and actions demonstrate they lack the character to hold positions of authority in a church, and the church will remain stuck until it finds the courage to remove such individuals from their positions. Sometimes churches do not believe they can do that, but I have assisted several in the process. While it's not pleasant, it's necessary for the life of the church and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
A new pastor went into a church and quickly learned who had created a lot of problems for the previous pastor. He invited the man to lunch and explained that he did not want them to be enemies but to be able to work together. They enjoyed a supportive ministry during the pastor's tenure in the church all because the pastor sought a positive relationship with the gentleman.
This should be the way things are in every church and in Washington. Learning to work together can get much accomplished and demonstrates character. Gridlock accomplishes nothing
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Remember this after an election
Another election is behind us, and the next one won't begin until about tomorrow! Some of the people I voted for were elected and some were not. As I write this post tonight some of the races are still too close to call but it appears the predictions were right...the Democrats will take control of the House and the Republicans will maintain control of the Senate. This means we will continue seeing nothing done by Congress except the constant political bickering and obstruction which has kept the approval ratings for Congress at numbers that should embarrass every person who serves there. Still, those numbers and the lack of leadership found in today's government does not prevent incumbents from being re-elected to office. I suppose the old adage is right: People get the government they deserve.
There are two things I like to remind myself after an election. The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority over us. If you feel you cannot pray for someone you did not vote for or support, remember that Paul wrote those words when Nero was the ruler over the Roman empire. Christians need to make it a habit to regularly pray for our government leaders.
The second thing I like to remind myself is that my hope is not found in our political system. My hope is in Christ. Our salvation will not come from the White House, the State House or the Court House. I believe we are to involve ourselves in the political process by supporting and voting for those persons who best represent our values, and we are to pray for all those in political office, but our hope is in Christ. He will have the ultimate word, and one day He will come back to reign forever.
America needs revival. We need God to pour out His Spirit upon this nation as He has done in its early history. That revival must begin in God's house, the church. 2 Chronicles 7: 14 remains as true today as it was when it was first written. The church has played around too long offering shallow programs and anemic preaching which cannot lead to personal transformation. We have been content to entertain people in the hopes we could grow our churches. We should be more concerned about teaching God's Word which would grow people's souls. Until we have more people coming to our prayer meetings than we have attending our pitch-in dinners revival will never happen.
Pray for our elected officials, but don't stop there. Pray that God will forgive the church for its failure to proclaim the Word of God without compromise. As you pray admit the pride that has filled so many churches that led them to believe they could do their work without the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us confess our sins and seek the face of God and ask Him to heal our land.
There are two things I like to remind myself after an election. The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority over us. If you feel you cannot pray for someone you did not vote for or support, remember that Paul wrote those words when Nero was the ruler over the Roman empire. Christians need to make it a habit to regularly pray for our government leaders.
The second thing I like to remind myself is that my hope is not found in our political system. My hope is in Christ. Our salvation will not come from the White House, the State House or the Court House. I believe we are to involve ourselves in the political process by supporting and voting for those persons who best represent our values, and we are to pray for all those in political office, but our hope is in Christ. He will have the ultimate word, and one day He will come back to reign forever.
America needs revival. We need God to pour out His Spirit upon this nation as He has done in its early history. That revival must begin in God's house, the church. 2 Chronicles 7: 14 remains as true today as it was when it was first written. The church has played around too long offering shallow programs and anemic preaching which cannot lead to personal transformation. We have been content to entertain people in the hopes we could grow our churches. We should be more concerned about teaching God's Word which would grow people's souls. Until we have more people coming to our prayer meetings than we have attending our pitch-in dinners revival will never happen.
Pray for our elected officials, but don't stop there. Pray that God will forgive the church for its failure to proclaim the Word of God without compromise. As you pray admit the pride that has filled so many churches that led them to believe they could do their work without the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us confess our sins and seek the face of God and ask Him to heal our land.
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