I had a good conversation last week with some guys who were asking about preaching philosophy. Should we preach topical sermons or expositional sermons (where you preach primarily passage by passage through entire books)?
In short, my answer to them was "yes." (If the topic bores you, now you know and can move on without reading any more).
I think as pastors we have a responsibility to help people grasp Scripture in such a way that they're able to understand and apply it themselves. If all we ever do is sermons that are solely topical: "How to have a better Family" or "How to Win at Work," but never help people understand Scripture in its context, we run the risk of stunting their growth. Not that family life and winning at work aren't good things, but the whole principle of giving a man fish vs. teaching a man how to fish applies here.
If we're not helping people know how to understand and apply Scripture in its original context on Sundays, we're fighting a losing battle. There aren't enough Sundays in the year to hand feed people the application they need to be well-rounded Christians. In some sense, preaching needs to expose people enough to the process of understanding Scripture that they can replicate it on Monday and Tuesday during their own personal times.
The other challenge to be wary of when we limit sermons only to topical sermons is that we run the risk of missing the point... the point of the Scripture is not simply how to have a great life here. A large focus of Scripture is on the reality that this isn't all there is, so our application and vision need to point our eyes to something bigger than just life this week.
On the other hand, there can be a danger in spending 4 years preaching verse by verse through the Gospel of John. Our congregation knows John, but misses a bigger view of Scripture. And that can lead to stunted growth too, when our people know how many times the Greek word pisteuo is used in John, but couldn't tell you what the Bible says about the challenge their family is facing this week. The trees are great, but the forest as a whole is spectacular as well.
I think there has to be a balance somewhere. Topical sermons must be preached in such a way that the congregation understands the teaching of the text rather than just the creativity of the pastor. Expository (passage-by-passage) sermons must be preached in such a way that the timeless depth of Scripture is exposed as alive and powerful our lives today.
Family Friday
I spent a lot of time this week talking about how I protect my relationship with my wife. For those of you who don't know our story, we think it's a pretty good illustration of the "what God has joined together" thing.
Both of us graduated from Oklahoma State University. Both of us went to the same church throughout college. I knew several girls in her sorority house pretty well - I even dated one of them for a while. Both of us took "Family Development" together in the same room, same semester, same time, same professor. We lived about two blocks from each other, frequented the same Stillwater, OK haunts, and have several mutual friends from college. Our dad's even went to Oklahoma State together and have pictures of the two of them together at various college events. And both Kari and I had this idea in our heads that we would go to college, meet our future spouse, get married the weekend after graduation and live happily ever after. But we never met.
Both of us reached our senior year in panicked. We approached graduation without having found our future spouse. And both of us set out for Dallas Theological Seminary with a very real feeling that we would never find the person we would spend the rest of our life with.
The very first day of freshman orientation, being a fairly bright guy, I found the cutest girl in the room and sat down next to her. And the rest is history.
Looking back, if Kari had known me in college, she wouldn't have liked me. If I had known Kari in college, I wouldn't have made time for her. If we had met on one of the countless numbers of times we passed each other on campus or in the halls of our church, things most certainly wouldn't have worked out. Knowing what we know now...
It's easy on this side of things, but it was pretty difficult as we approached graduation and God's provision didn't work on our timetable. And now that Kari and I get to work with young adult singles, from time to time we have to resist the urge to smile when a young single person expresses his or her discouragement with not having found that "special someone," knowing she might have just passed him on the way in...
Both of us graduated from Oklahoma State University. Both of us went to the same church throughout college. I knew several girls in her sorority house pretty well - I even dated one of them for a while. Both of us took "Family Development" together in the same room, same semester, same time, same professor. We lived about two blocks from each other, frequented the same Stillwater, OK haunts, and have several mutual friends from college. Our dad's even went to Oklahoma State together and have pictures of the two of them together at various college events. And both Kari and I had this idea in our heads that we would go to college, meet our future spouse, get married the weekend after graduation and live happily ever after. But we never met.
Both of us reached our senior year in panicked. We approached graduation without having found our future spouse. And both of us set out for Dallas Theological Seminary with a very real feeling that we would never find the person we would spend the rest of our life with.
The very first day of freshman orientation, being a fairly bright guy, I found the cutest girl in the room and sat down next to her. And the rest is history.
Looking back, if Kari had known me in college, she wouldn't have liked me. If I had known Kari in college, I wouldn't have made time for her. If we had met on one of the countless numbers of times we passed each other on campus or in the halls of our church, things most certainly wouldn't have worked out. Knowing what we know now...
It's easy on this side of things, but it was pretty difficult as we approached graduation and God's provision didn't work on our timetable. And now that Kari and I get to work with young adult singles, from time to time we have to resist the urge to smile when a young single person expresses his or her discouragement with not having found that "special someone," knowing she might have just passed him on the way in...
Protecting Purity - Part 4
The last part of protecting purity for this week is more of an all-encompassing challenge. Kari and I tell couples in our premarital counseling that this is one of the secrets to divorce-proofing your marriage. It works for the marriages of pastors, bankers, custodians, administrative assistants, and every other designation you can come up with for yourself. If both of you follow this easy-sounding piece of advice, Kari and I promise you will take a huge step in divorce-proofing your marriage.
Keep the best between you two.
That's it. Sounds easy huh? It's not.
What we mean is: no matter what it is in your life, make sure you reserve the best for your spouse. Your best conversations, the best part of your day, your best information, your best effort, your best everything.
If you get to the point where you inventory your life and realize you're constantly saving the best for someone else - whether that be a friend, parent, boss, sibling, chat room, child, or anything else - you're headed down a dangerous road. No, you probably won't commit sexual sin with those people (though it's possible), but you're establishing a fissure in the relationship with your spouse that leaves you vulnerable when other temptation does come.
Make sure you and your spouse keep the best between you. Protect your purity. The stakes are too high.
Keep the best between you two.
That's it. Sounds easy huh? It's not.
What we mean is: no matter what it is in your life, make sure you reserve the best for your spouse. Your best conversations, the best part of your day, your best information, your best effort, your best everything.
If you get to the point where you inventory your life and realize you're constantly saving the best for someone else - whether that be a friend, parent, boss, sibling, chat room, child, or anything else - you're headed down a dangerous road. No, you probably won't commit sexual sin with those people (though it's possible), but you're establishing a fissure in the relationship with your spouse that leaves you vulnerable when other temptation does come.
Make sure you and your spouse keep the best between you. Protect your purity. The stakes are too high.
Protecting Purity - Part 3
There's a lot of talk among Christians concerning the affects of Pastor Sex Scandals on an unbelieving world. The unbelieving world sees professional representatives of Christianity who can't keep their pants on as one more indication that Christianity isn't as powerful as Christians claim. And you rarely talk to non-Christians who don't mention pastor immorality as one of the top couple of problems with Christianity today. If you can't trust pastors behind closed doors, why should you trust a thing any of them say from the pulpit? It's a big issue with the Church's testimony to an unbelieving world.
But I can't help but think that the epidemic of pastor immorality has an affect on our wives as well. When they see Ted Haggard's wife standing next to him in the pulpit, there has to be a little part of them that is tweaked just a bit. So a lot of the steps I take to protect my purity are also to put such a hedge of protection in place that my wife never has to wonder if she'll be next. As important as it is for the unbelieving world to see an example of purity in the pulpit, it is twice as important for our spouse's to have confidence beyond a shadow of a doubt that their husband is protecting purity.
Yesterday I talked about the Internet. Today, an area that a lot of pastor's fall: either in staff relationships with the opposite sex, or counseling relationships with the opposite sex. Here are a couple of steps I'd encourage you to take to make sure nobody (including your wife) is able to even wonder about your sexual purity.
1. I never counsel women as individuals more than once without my wife present. Maybe it's just me, but I have serious doubts that any pastor is such a great counselor that a woman just has to see him and can't visit with anyone else. If that's you, you're not doing a good enough job of empowering women on your staff and in your church who can speak truth into other women's lives.
2. I work diligently to never be alone with a woman who is not my wife in public or private. The private part is easy to understand. The public part may not be as much. But I'm at a large enough church in a visible enough position that there are people in the community who I don't know, but who know me. And the last thing I would ever want is for someone to see the pastor sitting at Starbucks with a woman who is not my wife. That could spread like wildfire in the rumor mill, and ultimately would get back to my wife. And though my wife trusts me one-hundred percent, those types of rumors can't help but plant a seed of doubt in her mind that she doesn't need.
3. When those things happen by accident, I call my wife and an elder immediately. When I first started working at McKinney, I had a meeting at Starbucks with two of our single girl leaders to plan a singles retreat. I showed up early, and so did one of the others. So, for about 10 minutes it was just the two of us. As soon as she walked in, I excused myself to the restroom and called my wife and one of the elders to let them know what was going on. Yes, I bothered them both at work. I want them to always hear it from me, and to make certain that there is never any doubt in their minds.
4. I'm never at the office alone with another woman - staff or otherwise. Some mornings I arrive to the office before anyone else arrives. Some nights I'm the last one to leave. But any time it appears I'm going to be the only person here, I leave. Yes, sometimes that means I have to leave before I finish my work. Yes, it means sometimes I'm inconvenienced. But I'd rather be inconvenienced by having to finish up some work tomorrow than to be inconvenienced by temptation or accusation today.
Again, the steps you take may seem drastic. They may seem obsessive-compulsive. They may even at times seem un-pastoral. But the reputation of Christianity among unbelievers, and your trust level with your wife is absolutely, completely, totally, one-hundred percent worth a little obsessive compulsion.
But I can't help but think that the epidemic of pastor immorality has an affect on our wives as well. When they see Ted Haggard's wife standing next to him in the pulpit, there has to be a little part of them that is tweaked just a bit. So a lot of the steps I take to protect my purity are also to put such a hedge of protection in place that my wife never has to wonder if she'll be next. As important as it is for the unbelieving world to see an example of purity in the pulpit, it is twice as important for our spouse's to have confidence beyond a shadow of a doubt that their husband is protecting purity.
Yesterday I talked about the Internet. Today, an area that a lot of pastor's fall: either in staff relationships with the opposite sex, or counseling relationships with the opposite sex. Here are a couple of steps I'd encourage you to take to make sure nobody (including your wife) is able to even wonder about your sexual purity.
1. I never counsel women as individuals more than once without my wife present. Maybe it's just me, but I have serious doubts that any pastor is such a great counselor that a woman just has to see him and can't visit with anyone else. If that's you, you're not doing a good enough job of empowering women on your staff and in your church who can speak truth into other women's lives.
2. I work diligently to never be alone with a woman who is not my wife in public or private. The private part is easy to understand. The public part may not be as much. But I'm at a large enough church in a visible enough position that there are people in the community who I don't know, but who know me. And the last thing I would ever want is for someone to see the pastor sitting at Starbucks with a woman who is not my wife. That could spread like wildfire in the rumor mill, and ultimately would get back to my wife. And though my wife trusts me one-hundred percent, those types of rumors can't help but plant a seed of doubt in her mind that she doesn't need.
3. When those things happen by accident, I call my wife and an elder immediately. When I first started working at McKinney, I had a meeting at Starbucks with two of our single girl leaders to plan a singles retreat. I showed up early, and so did one of the others. So, for about 10 minutes it was just the two of us. As soon as she walked in, I excused myself to the restroom and called my wife and one of the elders to let them know what was going on. Yes, I bothered them both at work. I want them to always hear it from me, and to make certain that there is never any doubt in their minds.
4. I'm never at the office alone with another woman - staff or otherwise. Some mornings I arrive to the office before anyone else arrives. Some nights I'm the last one to leave. But any time it appears I'm going to be the only person here, I leave. Yes, sometimes that means I have to leave before I finish my work. Yes, it means sometimes I'm inconvenienced. But I'd rather be inconvenienced by having to finish up some work tomorrow than to be inconvenienced by temptation or accusation today.
Again, the steps you take may seem drastic. They may seem obsessive-compulsive. They may even at times seem un-pastoral. But the reputation of Christianity among unbelievers, and your trust level with your wife is absolutely, completely, totally, one-hundred percent worth a little obsessive compulsion.
Protecting Purity - Bonus Post
Mark Beeson is the lead pastor at Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana. He's recently started blogging, and generally has solid, thought-through insights. Today's blog entry parallels what has been on my heart this week so well I couldn't wait until tomorrow to post it. Here's his advice to young people:
"Luke 8:17 says: "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light."
Don't think you'll have no reactions to your actions.
Don't think others will miss that you are missing.
Don't believe your secrets are a secret.
What you do will be known. Where you go will be reported. What you say will be recorded.
Your choice of friends will serve as the measure of your ability to choose wisely.
So I'll offer the following for my young friends. These thoughts may help you make good choices today so you are positioned for success tomorrow.
1. Don't take your clothes off and take your picture. If your clothes are off take a shower.
2. Don't write an email to your friends with the subject line, "For your eyes only." If you write an email assume it will be seen by everyone everywhere forever.
3. Someone is taking your picture with their cell phone right now. Sit pretty. Stand up straight. Don't slouch. Head up. Chin down. Smile, you're on candid camera.
4. If you want to win American Idol don't think flaunting your past as a male stripper will win you points with Simon. In fact, I suggest you avoid stripping altogether.
5. Someone will surprise you in the future with these words, "Hi. I've heard all about you." Do what's right and you won't have to break into a free sweat while looking around for a quick exit. Your reputation always precedes you. You're under observation.
6. If you plan to be a state governor avoid affairs, cheating, lying and betrayal. Sexual infidelity doesn't instill confidence.
7. People are watching you and your friends. Those on surveillance assume you make decisions based on your values. You'll be associated with your associates. Maxwell was correct. "The people around you determine your level of success." They also effect your electability.
8. It's a small planet. We're not trying to get away from "bad" people. We're trying to bring "up there down here" for all people.
People are watching to see if that is what you are doing. Their trust and confidence will be established by what they observe. Live today so you'll have no regrets tomorrow."
"Luke 8:17 says: "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light."
Don't think you'll have no reactions to your actions.
Don't think others will miss that you are missing.
Don't believe your secrets are a secret.
What you do will be known. Where you go will be reported. What you say will be recorded.
Your choice of friends will serve as the measure of your ability to choose wisely.
So I'll offer the following for my young friends. These thoughts may help you make good choices today so you are positioned for success tomorrow.
1. Don't take your clothes off and take your picture. If your clothes are off take a shower.
2. Don't write an email to your friends with the subject line, "For your eyes only." If you write an email assume it will be seen by everyone everywhere forever.
3. Someone is taking your picture with their cell phone right now. Sit pretty. Stand up straight. Don't slouch. Head up. Chin down. Smile, you're on candid camera.
4. If you want to win American Idol don't think flaunting your past as a male stripper will win you points with Simon. In fact, I suggest you avoid stripping altogether.
5. Someone will surprise you in the future with these words, "Hi. I've heard all about you." Do what's right and you won't have to break into a free sweat while looking around for a quick exit. Your reputation always precedes you. You're under observation.
6. If you plan to be a state governor avoid affairs, cheating, lying and betrayal. Sexual infidelity doesn't instill confidence.
7. People are watching you and your friends. Those on surveillance assume you make decisions based on your values. You'll be associated with your associates. Maxwell was correct. "The people around you determine your level of success." They also effect your electability.
8. It's a small planet. We're not trying to get away from "bad" people. We're trying to bring "up there down here" for all people.
People are watching to see if that is what you are doing. Their trust and confidence will be established by what they observe. Live today so you'll have no regrets tomorrow."
Protecting Purity - Part 2
The Internet pornography industry is a multi-billion (with a "b") dollar business. According to some researchers, there are more pornographic websites online than all other types of website combined. Most everyone will tell you that any average web-surfer is only two clicks away from free hardcore pornography. And for many of my friends, even those in ministry, that temptation is more than they can bear.
But pornography is not the only danger to purity on the Worldwide Web. There are Internet sites to help you cheat on your spouse by signing you up for an answering service that will pretend to be a hotel where you've gone for a business meeting, Internet sites that will arrange an "escort" for your evening on the town, and websites that will allow you to conceal your identity while you carry on romantic chats with the opposite sex.
Again, as believers we have a responsibility to set the moral pace for the rest of the world to follow. And for those of us who are pastors, we have an even greater responsibility to remain above reproach in this area. So here are a couple of ideas for protecting your purity.
1. Have every computer in a public room with a screen that faces the door. No exceptions. I do this in my house, in my office, and even when I work on my laptop in Starbucks. Make sure everyone can always see what you're doing. At the very least, this will help you avoid ever being accused of impropriety. If your office or home computer is setup where nobody can see what you're doing, move it. Today.
2. Give your spouse, or a trusted friend your email and login passwords. The idea isn't that they'll check your email for you; the idea is that they could. Kari has every single email password, as well as my login information for facebook, and message boards I participate in. She could check my deleted emails, my sent items, and anything else she wants if she ever gets the urge. That's a layer of accountability for me, and a layer of comfort for her. We both need that.
3. Never delete your browsing history. If someone wants to look at your browsing history, it should go back as far as the history itself will allow that data to go.
4. In "accidental" situations, bring someone else in the loop. A couple of years ago I was working on a project at church when a pornographic image popped up on my screen by accident. I immediately flipped off my monitor and went to my boss to let him know exactly what I had been working on and exactly what happened. Then he and I together called the IT guy to come remove it from my computer. That way, if the spam site ever showed up on a network check, my boss knew and I knew exactly what had happened without ever having to wonder. It would never be just my word against the person who found stuff on my computer. That's not a good scenario, even if you're being honest.
5. If you need an extra level of accountability, subscribe to some type of monitoring service or filter service. XXXChurch.com has a great download that will email your browsing history to someone else for accountability. Other sites have filters in place that will keep you from visiting sites that they deem questionable. These options are only an extra layer of accountability, not an only layer of accountability. We all know that people who are smart enough to work a computer are generally smart enough to figure out workarounds for almost any software that's available... especially when those people are desperate. So apply this step only in addition to the top four suggestions, not in place of them.
When it comes to being a pastor, I'm not the best at much of anything. But this is an area I am completely serious about, because I've seen some of my buddies' lives, marriages, and ministries crash and burn because they didn't do the easy things early enough, and I'm committed to making sure that doesn't happen to me. There's too much at stake in a world that needs to hear about Jesus for one more Christian to fall prey to this garbage.
But pornography is not the only danger to purity on the Worldwide Web. There are Internet sites to help you cheat on your spouse by signing you up for an answering service that will pretend to be a hotel where you've gone for a business meeting, Internet sites that will arrange an "escort" for your evening on the town, and websites that will allow you to conceal your identity while you carry on romantic chats with the opposite sex.
Again, as believers we have a responsibility to set the moral pace for the rest of the world to follow. And for those of us who are pastors, we have an even greater responsibility to remain above reproach in this area. So here are a couple of ideas for protecting your purity.
1. Have every computer in a public room with a screen that faces the door. No exceptions. I do this in my house, in my office, and even when I work on my laptop in Starbucks. Make sure everyone can always see what you're doing. At the very least, this will help you avoid ever being accused of impropriety. If your office or home computer is setup where nobody can see what you're doing, move it. Today.
2. Give your spouse, or a trusted friend your email and login passwords. The idea isn't that they'll check your email for you; the idea is that they could. Kari has every single email password, as well as my login information for facebook, and message boards I participate in. She could check my deleted emails, my sent items, and anything else she wants if she ever gets the urge. That's a layer of accountability for me, and a layer of comfort for her. We both need that.
3. Never delete your browsing history. If someone wants to look at your browsing history, it should go back as far as the history itself will allow that data to go.
4. In "accidental" situations, bring someone else in the loop. A couple of years ago I was working on a project at church when a pornographic image popped up on my screen by accident. I immediately flipped off my monitor and went to my boss to let him know exactly what I had been working on and exactly what happened. Then he and I together called the IT guy to come remove it from my computer. That way, if the spam site ever showed up on a network check, my boss knew and I knew exactly what had happened without ever having to wonder. It would never be just my word against the person who found stuff on my computer. That's not a good scenario, even if you're being honest.
5. If you need an extra level of accountability, subscribe to some type of monitoring service or filter service. XXXChurch.com has a great download that will email your browsing history to someone else for accountability. Other sites have filters in place that will keep you from visiting sites that they deem questionable. These options are only an extra layer of accountability, not an only layer of accountability. We all know that people who are smart enough to work a computer are generally smart enough to figure out workarounds for almost any software that's available... especially when those people are desperate. So apply this step only in addition to the top four suggestions, not in place of them.
When it comes to being a pastor, I'm not the best at much of anything. But this is an area I am completely serious about, because I've seen some of my buddies' lives, marriages, and ministries crash and burn because they didn't do the easy things early enough, and I'm committed to making sure that doesn't happen to me. There's too much at stake in a world that needs to hear about Jesus for one more Christian to fall prey to this garbage.
Protecting Purity - Part 1
Yesterday's sermon at McKinney was from Acts 19:23-41. If you remember the story, there was a silversmith in Ephesus who got crossways with Paul because new converts to Christ weren't buying his idols to Artemis anymore, and the silversmith was about to go out of business. Artemis, the many-breasted nature/fertility goddess, was a god who was worshipped in part by visiting temple prostitutes.
Prostitution has been in the news a lot over the past week or so after Client 9 was revealed to be the government of New York state. And Christian water coolers have been buzzing with condemnations of both Governor Spitzer and Ashley "Kristen" Dupre's behavior, and rightly so.
But as I looked at Acts 19 yesterday in light of the news, I couldn't help but see a challenge to the Church.
If you believe George Gallup, somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of Americans say they have trusted Christ. What would happen if 40 to 50 percent of Americans decided to follow Scripture in the area of sex? What would happen if they stopped their magazine subscriptions, stopped their Internet subscriptions, stopped visiting prostitutes, and stopped visiting strip clubs? I can't help but believe that the sex-business-silversmiths would be ready to start a riot because the Christians would put them out of business.
So, this week, I want to talk about some steps I'm taking to try to (a) protect myself, and (b) lead out in this area as a pastor. Even for those of us who don't find ourselves particularly tempted by sexual sin at this point in our lives, Paul reminds us to "be careful, so that we don't fall when we think we're standing" (1 Corinthians 10:12).
I hope it's not a downer series of posts - I don't think it will be. But I do think this area of sexual sin is huge in the church, and I think it starts with pastors. We already know of several prominent pastors who have been outed in this area, which makes me think there are hundreds of pastors at smaller churches who are flying under the radar.
It's not just pastors though. If all of us would be as proactive in this area as we are other areas in our life, the sex-business-silversmith business would shrivel up and die. I'd really love to see the church lead out in that during my lifetime.
Whether you're a pastor or not, I really hope you'll consider taking drastic action to keep yourself above reproach in this area. I'm hoping to give you 2 or 3 specific steps to take to protect your purity against even an accusation of impropriety. And feel free to comment - I'd love to hear about other steps you're taking to help put the sex-business-silversmiths out of business.
Prostitution has been in the news a lot over the past week or so after Client 9 was revealed to be the government of New York state. And Christian water coolers have been buzzing with condemnations of both Governor Spitzer and Ashley "Kristen" Dupre's behavior, and rightly so.
But as I looked at Acts 19 yesterday in light of the news, I couldn't help but see a challenge to the Church.
If you believe George Gallup, somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of Americans say they have trusted Christ. What would happen if 40 to 50 percent of Americans decided to follow Scripture in the area of sex? What would happen if they stopped their magazine subscriptions, stopped their Internet subscriptions, stopped visiting prostitutes, and stopped visiting strip clubs? I can't help but believe that the sex-business-silversmiths would be ready to start a riot because the Christians would put them out of business.
So, this week, I want to talk about some steps I'm taking to try to (a) protect myself, and (b) lead out in this area as a pastor. Even for those of us who don't find ourselves particularly tempted by sexual sin at this point in our lives, Paul reminds us to "be careful, so that we don't fall when we think we're standing" (1 Corinthians 10:12).
I hope it's not a downer series of posts - I don't think it will be. But I do think this area of sexual sin is huge in the church, and I think it starts with pastors. We already know of several prominent pastors who have been outed in this area, which makes me think there are hundreds of pastors at smaller churches who are flying under the radar.
It's not just pastors though. If all of us would be as proactive in this area as we are other areas in our life, the sex-business-silversmith business would shrivel up and die. I'd really love to see the church lead out in that during my lifetime.
Whether you're a pastor or not, I really hope you'll consider taking drastic action to keep yourself above reproach in this area. I'm hoping to give you 2 or 3 specific steps to take to protect your purity against even an accusation of impropriety. And feel free to comment - I'd love to hear about other steps you're taking to help put the sex-business-silversmiths out of business.
Family Friday
Any of you who keep up with us any way other than my blog have probably heard our news by this point. For the rest of you: Mashershalalhashbaz Freeland is due August 28th. We're pretty excited about it. My friend Erick (a pastor's son) says that pastors only have kids so they have an endless supply of sermon illustrations. He has a point.
The video below should give you all the proof you need that (1) babies 16 weeks after conception are absolutely human, and (2) that this is most certainly a little boy. Stop the video around 40 seconds if your office policy does not allow you to see videos of you-know-whats at work.
The video below should give you all the proof you need that (1) babies 16 weeks after conception are absolutely human, and (2) that this is most certainly a little boy. Stop the video around 40 seconds if your office policy does not allow you to see videos of you-know-whats at work.
Straw People and Life-Givers
Monday and Tuesday I mentioned straw people - the people in life and ministry that suck everything out of you just like a straw.
What's funny is, when you read the above sentence, someones picture came to your mind. It doesn't take us very long to identify the straw people in our lives.
Straw people take on a lot of different shapes and sizes just like soft-drink straws - different amounts of suckage. But you know who they are. And if you're not careful, they will destroy your life. They'll suck the life out of you, cause you to become bitter, and cause you to slowly change into an arrogant punk who consistently avoids people who need you.
How do you deal with the straw people in your life and ministry?
Number one, I think you have to set good boundaries for them (and for yourself). You have to help them understand when some of their behaviors are inappropriate, because most of them don't realize that on their own.
For example, a couple of months ago one of my favorite straw people got a hold of my cell phone number, and began calling me 4 or 5 times a day, every day. Even better was the fact that he would call from several different phones, and I couldn't ever screen his number. Ultimately I had to have a difficult conversation with him in which I told him my cell phone number was primarily for my wife and family to use, and that he shouldn't call me on it anymore. He's getting better, but sometimes he "forgets," and I have to help him respect the boundaries by reminding him as soon as I hear his voice that "this is not an appropriate way to contact me. You need to call me at the office." Boundary conversations are some of the hardest conversations for me to have - I feel like I'm being a jerk - but if you don't have blunt, clear, loving conversations with straw people, they'll keep sucking until they suck you dry.
Second, you have to counterbalance straw people with life-givers. Just as there are people in your life who suck the life out of you, there need to be people in your life whose presence in your life gives you energy. The funny thing is, for some reason these people are more difficult to immediately identify. But you have to get some time with these people on a regular basis to pour into you what the straw people are sucking out.
If I look at my calendar for the week on Monday, and don't see any appointments with the life-giving people in my world, I schedule one. Because if I don't schedule intentional time with the life-givers, those gaps will be filled with the straw people.
I'm thankful for the several guys in my life who are consistent life-givers - I'm having lunch with one of them today. And it will be one of the more important appointments in my week this week, because I've spent a lot of other time with people who suck.
What's funny is, when you read the above sentence, someones picture came to your mind. It doesn't take us very long to identify the straw people in our lives.
Straw people take on a lot of different shapes and sizes just like soft-drink straws - different amounts of suckage. But you know who they are. And if you're not careful, they will destroy your life. They'll suck the life out of you, cause you to become bitter, and cause you to slowly change into an arrogant punk who consistently avoids people who need you.
How do you deal with the straw people in your life and ministry?
Number one, I think you have to set good boundaries for them (and for yourself). You have to help them understand when some of their behaviors are inappropriate, because most of them don't realize that on their own.
For example, a couple of months ago one of my favorite straw people got a hold of my cell phone number, and began calling me 4 or 5 times a day, every day. Even better was the fact that he would call from several different phones, and I couldn't ever screen his number. Ultimately I had to have a difficult conversation with him in which I told him my cell phone number was primarily for my wife and family to use, and that he shouldn't call me on it anymore. He's getting better, but sometimes he "forgets," and I have to help him respect the boundaries by reminding him as soon as I hear his voice that "this is not an appropriate way to contact me. You need to call me at the office." Boundary conversations are some of the hardest conversations for me to have - I feel like I'm being a jerk - but if you don't have blunt, clear, loving conversations with straw people, they'll keep sucking until they suck you dry.
Second, you have to counterbalance straw people with life-givers. Just as there are people in your life who suck the life out of you, there need to be people in your life whose presence in your life gives you energy. The funny thing is, for some reason these people are more difficult to immediately identify. But you have to get some time with these people on a regular basis to pour into you what the straw people are sucking out.
If I look at my calendar for the week on Monday, and don't see any appointments with the life-giving people in my world, I schedule one. Because if I don't schedule intentional time with the life-givers, those gaps will be filled with the straw people.
I'm thankful for the several guys in my life who are consistent life-givers - I'm having lunch with one of them today. And it will be one of the more important appointments in my week this week, because I've spent a lot of other time with people who suck.
Email Time Management
Drew made a really good point in his comment on my Monday post. He asked about what you do when emails and phone calls start to pile up, and your job description calls for a lot more than just responding to email. It's a good question - and the pressure only gets stronger when people figure out you're good at responding to emails and phone calls... they tend to call and write more frequently.
Honestly, there are a ton of things in ministry I'm not very good at. I'm still on the young side, and am developing in several areas, and I've felt the tension all week in my "advice giving" to make sure I don't come across as someone who thinks they're a better pastor than they are. That's certainly not the case with me. I wake up every morning with a fairly developed sense of my weaknesses and inabilities. But, this is something important that I do feel like I'm pretty good at.
For me, it comes down to having a strategy. And because I believe the principle of returning phone calls and emails is so important, I've made sure there is time in my schedule to do it. But that time in my schedule has a beginning and end. That helps me know what pace I need to be working. Yesterday afternoon, I had more than 100 emails I needed to read and respond to, and had blocked some time between 2 and 3 to do it. I've developed a strategy for rolling through those emails that helped me get through all of them easily in an hour.
1. Delete all the messages that have "FW:" in the subject line. As funny as those things are, I just don't have time for them. If you send me a joke or a funny picture, I'm not going to read it. Sorry. I'm willing to live with the seven years of bad luck by not sending them to my friends. It can be my own personal tribulation; I'm okay with that.
2. Respond to the Newest Emails First. This seems counter intuitive, but I do it for a reason. A lot of my emails are parts of conversations in which many people are using the "reply to all" feature. So, I may get 5 emails regarding the same subject. It's a waste of my time to follow the conversation along as it goes - give me the latest information and responses, and I'll follow the rest. I don't need to think through a response someone else has already come up with.
3. Respond to the Easiest Emails First. This also sounds counter intuitive. But there are several emails that can be responded to with a quick reply. If you come to an email that can't be responded to in less than a minute, skip it and come back to it after you've tackled the easier ones. You'll find that the vast majority of your emails can be answered with a quick sentence or two. It takes me about 15 seconds to say "The 28th will be fine for me. Hope things are going well. Thanks for handling this!" So, I answer those emails first.
4. Use your remaining time to tackle the most urgent emails. This takes the bulk of my time. Here I'm chasing down thoughts, people, or information. And I try to work on the most urgent emails first, and make my way through the rest of the list. If I run out of time, and I feel like people are expecting a response, I respond with a quick email telling someone "I got your message and need some time to think about it. I'll get back with you by ______ . Thanks."
In my opinion, the thing about email that sucks the life out of people is the stupid "ding" Outlook is defaulted to doing every time you get a new message. Turn it off. You'll be a lot more efficient when you work email into your schedule rather than allowing it to force you into its schedule. Time is like money. If you don't tell it where to go, it will disappear on its own.
I find when I'm strategic with my time, I have more time than I need. When I don't have a pretty well-defined plan for how I'm going to spend my time, it seems I never have enough.
Honestly, there are a ton of things in ministry I'm not very good at. I'm still on the young side, and am developing in several areas, and I've felt the tension all week in my "advice giving" to make sure I don't come across as someone who thinks they're a better pastor than they are. That's certainly not the case with me. I wake up every morning with a fairly developed sense of my weaknesses and inabilities. But, this is something important that I do feel like I'm pretty good at.
For me, it comes down to having a strategy. And because I believe the principle of returning phone calls and emails is so important, I've made sure there is time in my schedule to do it. But that time in my schedule has a beginning and end. That helps me know what pace I need to be working. Yesterday afternoon, I had more than 100 emails I needed to read and respond to, and had blocked some time between 2 and 3 to do it. I've developed a strategy for rolling through those emails that helped me get through all of them easily in an hour.
1. Delete all the messages that have "FW:" in the subject line. As funny as those things are, I just don't have time for them. If you send me a joke or a funny picture, I'm not going to read it. Sorry. I'm willing to live with the seven years of bad luck by not sending them to my friends. It can be my own personal tribulation; I'm okay with that.
2. Respond to the Newest Emails First. This seems counter intuitive, but I do it for a reason. A lot of my emails are parts of conversations in which many people are using the "reply to all" feature. So, I may get 5 emails regarding the same subject. It's a waste of my time to follow the conversation along as it goes - give me the latest information and responses, and I'll follow the rest. I don't need to think through a response someone else has already come up with.
3. Respond to the Easiest Emails First. This also sounds counter intuitive. But there are several emails that can be responded to with a quick reply. If you come to an email that can't be responded to in less than a minute, skip it and come back to it after you've tackled the easier ones. You'll find that the vast majority of your emails can be answered with a quick sentence or two. It takes me about 15 seconds to say "The 28th will be fine for me. Hope things are going well. Thanks for handling this!" So, I answer those emails first.
4. Use your remaining time to tackle the most urgent emails. This takes the bulk of my time. Here I'm chasing down thoughts, people, or information. And I try to work on the most urgent emails first, and make my way through the rest of the list. If I run out of time, and I feel like people are expecting a response, I respond with a quick email telling someone "I got your message and need some time to think about it. I'll get back with you by ______ . Thanks."
In my opinion, the thing about email that sucks the life out of people is the stupid "ding" Outlook is defaulted to doing every time you get a new message. Turn it off. You'll be a lot more efficient when you work email into your schedule rather than allowing it to force you into its schedule. Time is like money. If you don't tell it where to go, it will disappear on its own.
I find when I'm strategic with my time, I have more time than I need. When I don't have a pretty well-defined plan for how I'm going to spend my time, it seems I never have enough.
Personal Notes
Yesterday I ranted a little about how important it is to stay personally involved with people by corresponding with them and returning their phone calls yourself when at all possible. Gauging from my site hits yesterday, it seems I hit a nerve.
One caveat from yesterday before I move on - vacations and weekends are exempt from my personal 24 hour rule. The trade-off is that Monday mornings are usually spent digging out from under a pile, but it is nice to unplug for a couple of days. I'm not nearly as good at unplugging as I should be, but I'm working on it.
In addition to returning phone calls and emails personally, I've adopted one other habit that I firmly believe may be one of the best kept secrets in leadership (not just ministry... leadership). That secret is the power of a handwritten, personal note.
I learned this from my buddy Rodney Cripps, who is now a pastor at a church in North Carolina. I helped him out with a retreat one time, and two days after we returned I got the most encouraging handwritten note from him thanking me for being a part of the event. He was a busy guy, but that was a habit he kept up, and it made a huge impact on me (that retreat was almost ten years ago, and I still have the note).
Because Rodney's note made such an impact on me, I decided to adopt this thing as a habit for myself. Yeah, it takes me a couple of hours every week, and yes, I suffer from extreme writers' cramp on occasion, but it's worth it.
You want to reinforce vision and values with the people you're working with? Think of it this way: a handwritten personal note from the leader will be read nine or ten times. Do you think they read your memo on vision and values that often? Don't count on it.
For example: one of our values as a ministry is being "externally devoted" - putting our hands and feet where our mouth is. Yesterday and Sunday we had about 20 young singles spending their evenings with one of our local ministry partners. Today, I'll be sending out about 20 hand written notes telling each of those young singles "thanks" for "putting their hands and feet where their mouth is." They'll know I noticed, and I get to reinforce our values in a piece of mail they'll enjoy reading. Why would you not write personal notes to people you want to encourage?
About a year ago, Max Lucado spoke at a conference I attended. What he talked about had a profound impact on me, so I sent him a note telling him so. About a week later, I got a handwritten personal note from Max Lucado telling me "thanks" for my note. If Max Lucado has the time to write me a personal note thanking me for a thank you note, you have the time to hand write a couple of notes each week to the people you serve with.
Just like yesterday's topic, it's all about investment. Is it worth 5 minutes of your day to fire off a few sentences to someone who is serving in ministry (or the company) well? Give it a try and see how much they appreciate you appreciating them. You won't be sorry for the investment.
One caveat from yesterday before I move on - vacations and weekends are exempt from my personal 24 hour rule. The trade-off is that Monday mornings are usually spent digging out from under a pile, but it is nice to unplug for a couple of days. I'm not nearly as good at unplugging as I should be, but I'm working on it.
In addition to returning phone calls and emails personally, I've adopted one other habit that I firmly believe may be one of the best kept secrets in leadership (not just ministry... leadership). That secret is the power of a handwritten, personal note.
I learned this from my buddy Rodney Cripps, who is now a pastor at a church in North Carolina. I helped him out with a retreat one time, and two days after we returned I got the most encouraging handwritten note from him thanking me for being a part of the event. He was a busy guy, but that was a habit he kept up, and it made a huge impact on me (that retreat was almost ten years ago, and I still have the note).
Because Rodney's note made such an impact on me, I decided to adopt this thing as a habit for myself. Yeah, it takes me a couple of hours every week, and yes, I suffer from extreme writers' cramp on occasion, but it's worth it.
You want to reinforce vision and values with the people you're working with? Think of it this way: a handwritten personal note from the leader will be read nine or ten times. Do you think they read your memo on vision and values that often? Don't count on it.
For example: one of our values as a ministry is being "externally devoted" - putting our hands and feet where our mouth is. Yesterday and Sunday we had about 20 young singles spending their evenings with one of our local ministry partners. Today, I'll be sending out about 20 hand written notes telling each of those young singles "thanks" for "putting their hands and feet where their mouth is." They'll know I noticed, and I get to reinforce our values in a piece of mail they'll enjoy reading. Why would you not write personal notes to people you want to encourage?
About a year ago, Max Lucado spoke at a conference I attended. What he talked about had a profound impact on me, so I sent him a note telling him so. About a week later, I got a handwritten personal note from Max Lucado telling me "thanks" for my note. If Max Lucado has the time to write me a personal note thanking me for a thank you note, you have the time to hand write a couple of notes each week to the people you serve with.
Just like yesterday's topic, it's all about investment. Is it worth 5 minutes of your day to fire off a few sentences to someone who is serving in ministry (or the company) well? Give it a try and see how much they appreciate you appreciating them. You won't be sorry for the investment.
Are you that busy?
Here's a little glimpse into one of my personal values that is driven by a personal pet peeve: I almost always return phone calls and emails personally within 24 hours. Yes, I drop one on accident every once in a while, but the chances are good that if you email me or call me today you'll have a response by this time tomorrow.
Sounds easy, right? I'm shocked at how many of my friends in ministry are flat-out pitiful at returning phone calls and messages. I can't even talk to several of my friends any more. They're not dead, or sick, or angry with me (though they may be after this post). They've just told their secretary that they can't be bothered by people. So the admins correspond with me on their pastor's behalf now.
I understand the rationale for the "gatekeeper" philosophy for administrative assistants. Some people will take advantage of your time, call you every day, ask you meaningless questions, and take up your time. But isn't it a part of our pastoral responsibility to either (1) help those people set meaningful boundaries, or (2) pass them along to the person whose ministry is responsible for helping that person grow? If a person is calling you too much, for goodness' sake have the courage to have that conversation with them... don't make your administrative assistant do it!
A year or so ago, I helped another pastor on a fairly significant project. He's an associate pastor at a very large church (like me), and is busy doing a lot of things. Funny thing is, I never once talked to him, or even received a personal email from him. I received calls, emails, and other correspondence from his administrative assistant. That communicated something to me about how I as a person was valued in the eyes of that pastor, and I made it a commitment to never, ever be the same way.
I emailed another associate pastor of a large church about two months ago about discussing the way that church organizes their Sunday morning teaching team. His administrative assistant got back to me yesterday and gave me two slots in the next month that he is available to talk with me on the phone. Are you kidding me?
When you communicate with others only through your administrative assistant, you're making a statement to those people about how much more important your time is than theirs. You're communicating that you're way too busy doing pastor-things to be bothered with their requests. And I just can't figure out how that fits the bill of godly servant leader. Have your administrative assistant take a message if you're busy, but call the person back personally. They took the time to call you, you can take the time to talk to them.
I sure hope this doesn't come across as mean-spirited, but it's something I've really become passionate about. When you get to the point that you're too busy to be bothered by people, you're too busy. Delegate something or quit something, but please don't fall prey to the notion that you are so busy doing churchy stuff that you can't be bothered by people.
Sounds easy, right? I'm shocked at how many of my friends in ministry are flat-out pitiful at returning phone calls and messages. I can't even talk to several of my friends any more. They're not dead, or sick, or angry with me (though they may be after this post). They've just told their secretary that they can't be bothered by people. So the admins correspond with me on their pastor's behalf now.
I understand the rationale for the "gatekeeper" philosophy for administrative assistants. Some people will take advantage of your time, call you every day, ask you meaningless questions, and take up your time. But isn't it a part of our pastoral responsibility to either (1) help those people set meaningful boundaries, or (2) pass them along to the person whose ministry is responsible for helping that person grow? If a person is calling you too much, for goodness' sake have the courage to have that conversation with them... don't make your administrative assistant do it!
A year or so ago, I helped another pastor on a fairly significant project. He's an associate pastor at a very large church (like me), and is busy doing a lot of things. Funny thing is, I never once talked to him, or even received a personal email from him. I received calls, emails, and other correspondence from his administrative assistant. That communicated something to me about how I as a person was valued in the eyes of that pastor, and I made it a commitment to never, ever be the same way.
I emailed another associate pastor of a large church about two months ago about discussing the way that church organizes their Sunday morning teaching team. His administrative assistant got back to me yesterday and gave me two slots in the next month that he is available to talk with me on the phone. Are you kidding me?
When you communicate with others only through your administrative assistant, you're making a statement to those people about how much more important your time is than theirs. You're communicating that you're way too busy doing pastor-things to be bothered with their requests. And I just can't figure out how that fits the bill of godly servant leader. Have your administrative assistant take a message if you're busy, but call the person back personally. They took the time to call you, you can take the time to talk to them.
I sure hope this doesn't come across as mean-spirited, but it's something I've really become passionate about. When you get to the point that you're too busy to be bothered by people, you're too busy. Delegate something or quit something, but please don't fall prey to the notion that you are so busy doing churchy stuff that you can't be bothered by people.
Vintage Jesus
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Review
I just finished reading "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscoll. To be honest, I'm not the hugest Mark Driscoll fan - I think he's probably a really good guy, but I just don't jive with his communication style. But several of our young adults are Driscoll lovers, so I wanted to stay up with what he was writing so I could stay conversant with what they're reading.I really liked this book. It has a couple of rough spots - mostly places where there's some gratuitous off-the-wall humor that I think distracts from the point. But it's refreshing to read a guy who is thinking theologically, and communicating contemporarily (yes, I know "contemporarily" is not a word).
Vintage Jesus is a basic handbook on Christology (the study of Christ). It covers apologetics, church history, and a biblical look at who Jesus is, what He came to do, where He is now, and what confidence we have that the whole story of Jesus is truly True.
I come at the end times stuff a little differently than Driscoll. He seems to be an amillinealist (doesn't believe in a rapture, doesn't seem to believe in a literal 1000 year kingdom, etc...) but that stuff doesn't show up until the last chapter.
The best part of this book is that it deals with theological issues in contemporary language. The contemporary language may be a bit over the top for some people, and the fact that Driscoll illustrates a Christological point using "South Park" will likely get some fundamentalist shorts in a wad. But even they will find little to gripe about when it comes to the theological foundation of the book. It's pretty good stuff.
It's not cool to think theologically. It isn't inherently relational, or technological, and it certainly doesn't have the characteristics of postmodern thought. But, I think it's vital that the world of younger pastors begins to write and teach theologically so the baton continues to be handed down.
Sadly, a lot of us have sacrificed theological thinking at the altar of pragmatism, not realizing that they don't need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, theology and pragmatism are necessarily mutually inclusive. One informs the other. If pragmatism is our starting point, it will have a direct affect on our theology, and vice versa. If we don't teach our people (and our future pastors) to begin with the foundation of who God is and what God has done rather than who we are and how we should do what we want to do, what we end up doing will ultimately be foolish. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... we have to begin there.
Welcome Strategy
We're always struggling with new ways to connect people who are guests in our ministry. We've found - big surprise - that people who make a personal connection are most likely to connect with our ministry. Our church could have the best teaching, best music, best programming, best nursery, and best youth program in the world, but people will not stick if they don't make a personal connection. So, we've test-driven several different ways to help people feel welcome, and to connect them to other people.
The most effective is one I didn't come up with, so I can brag about it. I think my predecessor came up with this idea, and I love it.
When a guest visits a young married class, they receive a handwritten note from one of the class members telling them thanks for being our guest. Then, we include a $5 gift card to Starbucks with an invitation in the hand-written note: "We'll be at Starbucks on Bryant Irvin next Saturday at 3:00pm. If you're interested in getting together or if we can answer any questions about our class, we'd love to see you there. Otherwise, enjoy a cup of coffee on the class."
Somewhere around 90 percent of the people who show up at Starbucks stick with the class. Why? Because they made a personal connection. Someone knows their name the second time they come. The class went the extra mile.
Obviously, this whole plan is contingent on having the right people in place to lead it. But it has been unbelievably effective in helping our young married class connect with each other. And all it costs us is $5.41 per couple. We think it's a good investment.
The most effective is one I didn't come up with, so I can brag about it. I think my predecessor came up with this idea, and I love it.
When a guest visits a young married class, they receive a handwritten note from one of the class members telling them thanks for being our guest. Then, we include a $5 gift card to Starbucks with an invitation in the hand-written note: "We'll be at Starbucks on Bryant Irvin next Saturday at 3:00pm. If you're interested in getting together or if we can answer any questions about our class, we'd love to see you there. Otherwise, enjoy a cup of coffee on the class."
Somewhere around 90 percent of the people who show up at Starbucks stick with the class. Why? Because they made a personal connection. Someone knows their name the second time they come. The class went the extra mile.
Obviously, this whole plan is contingent on having the right people in place to lead it. But it has been unbelievably effective in helping our young married class connect with each other. And all it costs us is $5.41 per couple. We think it's a good investment.
I Cannot Come Down
Andy Stanley is one of my favorite contemporary preachers. He has a little different philosophy on preaching than I, but I love to listen to his sermons. He has an ability to communicate a point about as well as anyone else I know. And I am able to remember points from his sermons for years after I hear him preach. There aren't many pastors I can say that about.
This past week, he preached on personal vision, and talked about Nehemiah 6, where Sanballat is wearing Nehemiah out trying to get him to leave construction on the wall and go to the plain of Ono so Sanballat can kill Nehemiah. But Nehemiah stuck to what God had called him to do.
You get the picture of Nehemiah standing at the top of a ladder working on the wall, when one of his messengers comes to say "Hey - Sanballat wants some time with you." But Nehemiah's reply is pretty neat: "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down." Sanballat asked Nehemiah to reconsider several times, and Nehemiah responded the same every time.
Andy's challenge was to discern what God has called you to do, and then reply to everything else, "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down."
So much of my day is spent doing urgent things that really aren't important. And even more of my time is wasted doing things that aren't urgent or important. And sometimes, when great opportunities come along for me to speak somewhere, or be somewhere that would take me away from what I believe God has called me to do, I need to do a better job of remembering that I am doing a great work and cannot come down.
This past week, he preached on personal vision, and talked about Nehemiah 6, where Sanballat is wearing Nehemiah out trying to get him to leave construction on the wall and go to the plain of Ono so Sanballat can kill Nehemiah. But Nehemiah stuck to what God had called him to do.
You get the picture of Nehemiah standing at the top of a ladder working on the wall, when one of his messengers comes to say "Hey - Sanballat wants some time with you." But Nehemiah's reply is pretty neat: "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down." Sanballat asked Nehemiah to reconsider several times, and Nehemiah responded the same every time.
Andy's challenge was to discern what God has called you to do, and then reply to everything else, "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down."
So much of my day is spent doing urgent things that really aren't important. And even more of my time is wasted doing things that aren't urgent or important. And sometimes, when great opportunities come along for me to speak somewhere, or be somewhere that would take me away from what I believe God has called me to do, I need to do a better job of remembering that I am doing a great work and cannot come down.
Didn't Learn This in Seminary...
I'm going to do a series of posts here in the near term about things they never taught me in seminary. But it's on my mind today because I've got a counseling situation this afternoon that I'm really not looking forward to.
Counseling is the bane of my existence, mostly because I'm not a very good counselor. I heard Andy Stanley say one time that he's not a counselor - he's a consultant, and hearing him say that made me want to jump out of my chair and give him a hug because someone finally understood me.
I didn't hug him, but I wanted to.
A consultant goes into a situation, diagnoses the problem, tells people what they need to do to remedy the problem, and leaves them to implement his suggestions. A counselor gets down and dirty to try to work with a person (or couple) as they implement suggestions bit by bit. That frustrates the fool out of me. I'm way too ADD to deal with the same problem over and over when the solution is so clear.
But with that said, some counseling is a necessity in pastoral ministry, so I grit my teeth and try to bear it.
One of the things that makes counseling situations so difficult is the phone call that precedes them.
"Chris, I need to talk to someone about something. Are you free on Thursday?"
"Sure, I'd love to get together. How about Thursday afternoon?"
"Okay. Three o'clock okay?"
"That sounds great."
"Okay. See you then."
Not even a hint of what we're getting ready to talk about. Sometimes I can guess, but sometimes I miss like crazy. There are times when I've prepared myself to deal with relationship issues, only to find out the person wants to talk about how they can get plugged-in to ministry. Other times, I've prepared for a discussion about a ministry leadership challenge to have someone come out of the proverbial "closet."
They don't teach you how to do that in seminary. I guess it's part of what makes ministry exciting. It's definitely what causes James 1:5 to be near and dear to my heart.
Counseling is the bane of my existence, mostly because I'm not a very good counselor. I heard Andy Stanley say one time that he's not a counselor - he's a consultant, and hearing him say that made me want to jump out of my chair and give him a hug because someone finally understood me.
I didn't hug him, but I wanted to.
A consultant goes into a situation, diagnoses the problem, tells people what they need to do to remedy the problem, and leaves them to implement his suggestions. A counselor gets down and dirty to try to work with a person (or couple) as they implement suggestions bit by bit. That frustrates the fool out of me. I'm way too ADD to deal with the same problem over and over when the solution is so clear.
But with that said, some counseling is a necessity in pastoral ministry, so I grit my teeth and try to bear it.
One of the things that makes counseling situations so difficult is the phone call that precedes them.
"Chris, I need to talk to someone about something. Are you free on Thursday?"
"Sure, I'd love to get together. How about Thursday afternoon?"
"Okay. Three o'clock okay?"
"That sounds great."
"Okay. See you then."
Not even a hint of what we're getting ready to talk about. Sometimes I can guess, but sometimes I miss like crazy. There are times when I've prepared myself to deal with relationship issues, only to find out the person wants to talk about how they can get plugged-in to ministry. Other times, I've prepared for a discussion about a ministry leadership challenge to have someone come out of the proverbial "closet."
They don't teach you how to do that in seminary. I guess it's part of what makes ministry exciting. It's definitely what causes James 1:5 to be near and dear to my heart.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
Power of Influence
This weekend I'm preaching in the "Big House." On the spectrum of sermon philosophies, McKinney is toward the expository end rather than the topical end, which I love personally. But we rarely preach all the way through a book at a time - we take sections of each book and teach them in chunks over a few years. It allows us to keep each series fresh, and keeps us from becoming lopsided in our teaching - I'll likely post more on that someday.
But this Sunday, I drew Acts 18:18-28 as my section. At first, I was pretty bummed because it's largely a transitional passage used to describe the conclusion of Paul's 2nd missionary journey and the beginning of his 3rd, and to bring Apollos on the scene. So, it seemed like it was going to be an extraordinarily difficult passage to teach.
But, as it turns out, the transition in Acts (a transitional book) is vital to understanding the point of the book as a whole. And this passage is going to be pretty fun.
The big idea is this: never underestimate the power of your investment in someone else's life. Some of the people who have had the greatest impact on me have been people who took a relatively small amount of time, experience, and information - but poured everything the could into me. Even when it was a small investment to them, it made a profound difference in my life.
Never underestimate the power of the investment you can make on the life of another person. And you can begin that investment today - show up Sunday (or listen online) to find out how.
But this Sunday, I drew Acts 18:18-28 as my section. At first, I was pretty bummed because it's largely a transitional passage used to describe the conclusion of Paul's 2nd missionary journey and the beginning of his 3rd, and to bring Apollos on the scene. So, it seemed like it was going to be an extraordinarily difficult passage to teach.
But, as it turns out, the transition in Acts (a transitional book) is vital to understanding the point of the book as a whole. And this passage is going to be pretty fun.
The big idea is this: never underestimate the power of your investment in someone else's life. Some of the people who have had the greatest impact on me have been people who took a relatively small amount of time, experience, and information - but poured everything the could into me. Even when it was a small investment to them, it made a profound difference in my life.
Never underestimate the power of the investment you can make on the life of another person. And you can begin that investment today - show up Sunday (or listen online) to find out how.
Serenity Now!
Don't know if you're a Seinfeld fan or not, but there's an episode where George's father takes anger management to the extreme. Someone tells him every time he gets angry that he needs to say "serenity now" to himself to calm himself down. By the end of the episode, he's screaming "SERENITY NOW" at the top of his lungs.
I don't have an anger problem, but I certainly have a serenity problem on some days. The way our offices are set up, the pastor's offices are around the outside wall of the office building, and the admins and support ministry staff office in cubicles in the middle. That means there is always a lot of activity going on right outside my door.
Our staff - particularly our admins - have a pretty good time most days, which is a good thing; laughter breeds a great work environment.
But fun times and laughter aren't great when you're coming down the stretch on preparing your sermon or studying a difficult passage.
I've tried listening to music, but music with words distracts me too. And I tried classical music on Accuradio which worked fine and dandy until Haydn's Surprise symphony came on and nearly made me jump through the roof.
But I've found a fix for those of you who are like me; and it will save you hours in your day. This year for Christmas my inlaws bought me a pair of noise cancellation headphones. Then, a couple of weeks ago I stumbled on a site called Iserenity that plays different types of white noise, and started playing them on my noise cancellation headphones at a pretty low level.
Now, the admins outside could have a luau complete with hula dancing and conga lines and I wouldn't know. It's glorious.
Check it out. My favorite two are "Airplane Aria" and "Library Lullaby."
I don't have an anger problem, but I certainly have a serenity problem on some days. The way our offices are set up, the pastor's offices are around the outside wall of the office building, and the admins and support ministry staff office in cubicles in the middle. That means there is always a lot of activity going on right outside my door.
Our staff - particularly our admins - have a pretty good time most days, which is a good thing; laughter breeds a great work environment.
But fun times and laughter aren't great when you're coming down the stretch on preparing your sermon or studying a difficult passage.
I've tried listening to music, but music with words distracts me too. And I tried classical music on Accuradio which worked fine and dandy until Haydn's Surprise symphony came on and nearly made me jump through the roof.
But I've found a fix for those of you who are like me; and it will save you hours in your day. This year for Christmas my inlaws bought me a pair of noise cancellation headphones. Then, a couple of weeks ago I stumbled on a site called Iserenity that plays different types of white noise, and started playing them on my noise cancellation headphones at a pretty low level.
Now, the admins outside could have a luau complete with hula dancing and conga lines and I wouldn't know. It's glorious.
Check it out. My favorite two are "Airplane Aria" and "Library Lullaby."
Logos Training
We had a great end of last week at the software training in Oklahoma City.
Tony always live blogs from conferences, but I figured it probably wasn't as cool to liveblog from a software training as it is to track Ed Young's wardrobe changes. So, I held myself back.
The software we were learning is Logos (which is a part of the Libronix system). Logos is a pretty serious Bible study software that comes at different levels for different levels of study. (And with different price tags for different levels of committment).
We took the training from Morris Proctor Seminars on the recommendation of my cousin-in-law Rob who helped organize the thing (and then bailed on it so he could watch Ed Young's wardrobe changes).
To be honest, I was dreading the training, but was looking forward to the opportunity to get away from the office and connect with one of the young leaders in our singles ministry. But the seminar turned out to be excellent. I told the guy who went with me that if I had known what I know now about Logos, I could have graduated from seminary a semester earlier. And, I'd have a lot more hair.
This seminar put so much power at my fingertips, and completely opened up the usability of this software for me. I know shortcuts and study-helps today that will save me hours.
It was a good weekend.
Plus, we got to eat at Ted's Cafe Escondido on Thursday night. Hear me now and believe me later: no greater mexican food exists on the planet.
Tony always live blogs from conferences, but I figured it probably wasn't as cool to liveblog from a software training as it is to track Ed Young's wardrobe changes. So, I held myself back.
The software we were learning is Logos (which is a part of the Libronix system). Logos is a pretty serious Bible study software that comes at different levels for different levels of study. (And with different price tags for different levels of committment).
We took the training from Morris Proctor Seminars on the recommendation of my cousin-in-law Rob who helped organize the thing (and then bailed on it so he could watch Ed Young's wardrobe changes).
To be honest, I was dreading the training, but was looking forward to the opportunity to get away from the office and connect with one of the young leaders in our singles ministry. But the seminar turned out to be excellent. I told the guy who went with me that if I had known what I know now about Logos, I could have graduated from seminary a semester earlier. And, I'd have a lot more hair.
This seminar put so much power at my fingertips, and completely opened up the usability of this software for me. I know shortcuts and study-helps today that will save me hours.
It was a good weekend.
Plus, we got to eat at Ted's Cafe Escondido on Thursday night. Hear me now and believe me later: no greater mexican food exists on the planet.
Reading List
At the end of December, I posted a list of my Top Ten books for 2007. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Seminary recently posted his Top Ten for preachers in 2008. Here's his list (ht: Preach The Word):
1. Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching: In Honor of R. Kent Hughes, edited by Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson
2. Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation, by Graeme Goldsworthy
3. Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, by John MacArthur
4. A City Upon a Hill: How Sermons Changed the Course of American History, by Larry Witham
5. Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution, by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach
6. Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society Through Christian Higher Education, by David S. Dockery
7. After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion, by Robert Wuthnow
8. God’s Ambassadors: A History of the Christian Clergy in America, by E. Brooks Holifield
9. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, edited by D. A. Carson and G. K. Beale
10. Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters, edited by Donald K. McKim
I've read a few of these, and ordered a couple of the others. Two questions for comment: (1)What books should I be reading in 2008? And, (2) What do you think of the books on Dr. Mohler's list?
1. Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching: In Honor of R. Kent Hughes, edited by Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson
2. Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation, by Graeme Goldsworthy
3. Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, by John MacArthur
4. A City Upon a Hill: How Sermons Changed the Course of American History, by Larry Witham
5. Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution, by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach
6. Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society Through Christian Higher Education, by David S. Dockery
7. After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion, by Robert Wuthnow
8. God’s Ambassadors: A History of the Christian Clergy in America, by E. Brooks Holifield
9. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, edited by D. A. Carson and G. K. Beale
10. Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters, edited by Donald K. McKim
I've read a few of these, and ordered a couple of the others. Two questions for comment: (1)What books should I be reading in 2008? And, (2) What do you think of the books on Dr. Mohler's list?
Never going it alone
I'm headed out this evening to Oklahoma City for a Logos/Libronix training seminar with Morris Proctor. I'm not very excited about the training, although I truly love the software and hear these seminars are incredible. (How excited can you get about sitting in a room with a bunch of other geeks talking about software?) I'm excited because one of our young singles leaders is going with me, and I can't wait to spend some time with him. (Kari's going with us to spend some time with her sister - an added bonus, I won't have to sleep by myself).
One of the helpful things my first pastor boss taught me was to never do anything alone. He took it to the extreme, which was cool. He never goes to the bank, coffee shop, or even the bathroom without taking one of his guys with him.
Okay, maybe not the last one.
He called it "rambling," and I learned some of my best pastoral/theological lessons on rambling trips to the bank with JB. Not only is the idea good to protect a pastor in moral areas, it's a great opportunity to develop leaders and sharpen yourself.
I've tried to continue what JB started in my life. I rarely do anything in ministry by myself (with the exception of playing golf). Why miss the opportunity to spend time with guys you are trying to build into, or the blessing of processing things with guys you respect? Honestly I plan to learn more from Erick on this trip than he'll learn from me, and I'm sure looking forward to it.
You just can't ever go wrong spending time investing in relationships.
One of the helpful things my first pastor boss taught me was to never do anything alone. He took it to the extreme, which was cool. He never goes to the bank, coffee shop, or even the bathroom without taking one of his guys with him.
Okay, maybe not the last one.
He called it "rambling," and I learned some of my best pastoral/theological lessons on rambling trips to the bank with JB. Not only is the idea good to protect a pastor in moral areas, it's a great opportunity to develop leaders and sharpen yourself.
I've tried to continue what JB started in my life. I rarely do anything in ministry by myself (with the exception of playing golf). Why miss the opportunity to spend time with guys you are trying to build into, or the blessing of processing things with guys you respect? Honestly I plan to learn more from Erick on this trip than he'll learn from me, and I'm sure looking forward to it.
You just can't ever go wrong spending time investing in relationships.
Surviving Success
God has been good to Kari and I in our ministry. Although we've had some extremely difficult times - in one place inparticular - God has blessed us by allowing to see some significant fruit in a few different situations. But, we haven't had to fail a whole lot in ministry yet. And when we have, we've been surrounded by people who love us and have been able to help us rebound fairly quickly. God has been good to us.
As a result, I've never really worried about failure in ministry. Part of it is probably youthful naivete, and part of it is a belief in a big God. Maybe it's because I've never really sought out ministry opportunities; nearly every ministry opportunity I've had has been the result of something "falling in my lap." So, I've got a pretty real sense that God is involved in ministry with me, and can help me rebound from failure. I don't worry a whole lot about surviving failure.
I do worry a whole lot about surviving success. And I worry the same things for several of my friends in ministry.
In my limited experience, it's a lot easier to survive failure than to survive success. When you're failing, you have to trust in God. You don't have anything else. Nobody is asking you write books, or speak at their conferences. Nobody wants your advice or your help. In fact, people try pretty hard to distance themselves from you because nobody wants to be around a failure.
But when you're seeing success, the temptation is always there to trust yourself - your talent, your resources, your skill, your intellect, and your abilities. When we're successful it's easy to forget that the only reason we're successful to begin with is the grace of God. So, we get proud, possessive, and protective of "our" ministry - afraid deep down that someone is going to recognize that we don't have a clue what the heck we're doing sometimes. And we end up sabatoging the work God is doing because we take it over for ourselves.
Yeah, it's a lot easier to survive failure than success.
As a result, I've never really worried about failure in ministry. Part of it is probably youthful naivete, and part of it is a belief in a big God. Maybe it's because I've never really sought out ministry opportunities; nearly every ministry opportunity I've had has been the result of something "falling in my lap." So, I've got a pretty real sense that God is involved in ministry with me, and can help me rebound from failure. I don't worry a whole lot about surviving failure.
I do worry a whole lot about surviving success. And I worry the same things for several of my friends in ministry.
In my limited experience, it's a lot easier to survive failure than to survive success. When you're failing, you have to trust in God. You don't have anything else. Nobody is asking you write books, or speak at their conferences. Nobody wants your advice or your help. In fact, people try pretty hard to distance themselves from you because nobody wants to be around a failure.
But when you're seeing success, the temptation is always there to trust yourself - your talent, your resources, your skill, your intellect, and your abilities. When we're successful it's easy to forget that the only reason we're successful to begin with is the grace of God. So, we get proud, possessive, and protective of "our" ministry - afraid deep down that someone is going to recognize that we don't have a clue what the heck we're doing sometimes. And we end up sabatoging the work God is doing because we take it over for ourselves.
Yeah, it's a lot easier to survive failure than success.
Finishing Well...
I'm a young (really young) guy, so I don't usually spend much time thinking about "Finishing Well." I read the book "Finishing Well" by Bob Buford, and really enjoyed it. But, I read it thinking I would just file it away for 40 or 50 years until I'm ready to start finishing - I've just finished starting starting!
But last week, I was doing some preliminary study in 2 Peter for a sermon series we're doing this Summer, and realized that 2 Peter is all about finishing well - even if we're young.
I love how the basis for Peter's encouragement throughout the book is the imminent second coming of Jesus. And as Peter is winding down his life, he reminds his readers - whatever their age - to constantly have the mindset of finishing well, because none of us knows how much time we have.
We don't need to wait until we're in our sixties to start thinking about moving from "success to significance." We need to do significant things today. There's a sense of urgency throughout Peter's letter (and throughout the New Testament, for that matter) that I think the Church has lost these days to a certain degree. There's certainly a place for strategic initiatives and long-term planning, but what are you doing today to be finishing well?
Whether we're 27 or 67, we need to be in the business today of finishing well, even if we're just starting.
But last week, I was doing some preliminary study in 2 Peter for a sermon series we're doing this Summer, and realized that 2 Peter is all about finishing well - even if we're young.
I love how the basis for Peter's encouragement throughout the book is the imminent second coming of Jesus. And as Peter is winding down his life, he reminds his readers - whatever their age - to constantly have the mindset of finishing well, because none of us knows how much time we have.
We don't need to wait until we're in our sixties to start thinking about moving from "success to significance." We need to do significant things today. There's a sense of urgency throughout Peter's letter (and throughout the New Testament, for that matter) that I think the Church has lost these days to a certain degree. There's certainly a place for strategic initiatives and long-term planning, but what are you doing today to be finishing well?
Whether we're 27 or 67, we need to be in the business today of finishing well, even if we're just starting.
Avoiding Burnout
I've mentioned my Friday morning Bible study before. That time (on my day off) at 6:30am is the highlight of my week every week. There is almost nothing better than hanging out with guys who are interested in growing, sharpening each other, and sharing lives together. Fridays are one of those things that give me life, and help me avoid burnout.
A few people have tried to talk to me about moving that Bible study off my day off, or moving my day off so I'm not "working" on my day off. But honestly, the fact that my Friday morning group is on my day off is part of what I enjoy most about it. See, I would meet with those guys even if it wasn't a part of my job. So, I don't see it as a part of my job - I see it as a part of my ministry.
I'm pretty firmly convinced that every pastor needs to have one or two "ministry" things they do on a regular basis that they would still do if they didn't get paid by a church. We all need some guys that we meet with, or some projects that we're working on, or some things that we're studying that are completely independent of our paycheck. We have to have those things so we don't dry up.
For me, hanging out with that group of guys on my day of continually reinforces the fact in my mind, and in the minds of anyone who is observant, that my ministry is not always a function of my job - it's a function of my heart.
A few people have tried to talk to me about moving that Bible study off my day off, or moving my day off so I'm not "working" on my day off. But honestly, the fact that my Friday morning group is on my day off is part of what I enjoy most about it. See, I would meet with those guys even if it wasn't a part of my job. So, I don't see it as a part of my job - I see it as a part of my ministry.
I'm pretty firmly convinced that every pastor needs to have one or two "ministry" things they do on a regular basis that they would still do if they didn't get paid by a church. We all need some guys that we meet with, or some projects that we're working on, or some things that we're studying that are completely independent of our paycheck. We have to have those things so we don't dry up.
For me, hanging out with that group of guys on my day of continually reinforces the fact in my mind, and in the minds of anyone who is observant, that my ministry is not always a function of my job - it's a function of my heart.
Touchable
You hear it said from time to time that leadership is a lonely spot. That's true - especially as a pastor. Right or wrong, people view pastors differently from everyone else. They think we're closer to God than them, struggle with less sin than them, and are only interested in "churchy" things.
I truly think loneliness is one of the major reasons so many people drop out (or sin out) of ministry. Deep down inside all of us, we have a desire to know and be known. And we see ministry as an inhibitor of that, so we feel forced to make a choice: would I rather be employed by a church, or be loved by others?
Obviously, it's a false dilemma, but it's one a lot of my pastor friends face. They're constantly living in fear of being "found out." And it's not that they're living in high-handed rebellion against God. Those people generally want to be found out.
My friends are the ones who are afraid they'll lose their jobs if people find out they don't always love waking up at 6 in the morning for Bible study, or that their face doesn't always glow after their morning quiet times. They're the people who are afraid that people will lose respect for them if they realize their pastor's wife doesn't always like him, or that his kids don't always look like they just rolled out of a J. Crew catalog. My friends worry that they're not a good pastor if they don't put on the mask that says everything is okay.
I realized some time ago that I'm not a better Pastor when I wear my "everything's okay" mask; I'm a better Pharisee. And the challenge with the Pharisees, according to Matthew 23:13 is that they were actually keeping people away from Jesus by pretending to have it all together. If we pretend like we've got it all together when we don't, people think a relationship with God is only for perfect people.
I'm not saying the pastor has a license to commit sin, but that he does have a license to be human. I work really hard to stay touchable with the people I get to serve - not to show off my sin, but to show off my Savior. I think it's important for them to know that I'm not perfect, but that I'm trying as hard as I can through the power God gives me to be Christlike. It's not any easier for me than it is for them just because I get paid to do what I do. And although I try to make sure as a leader in the church my life is above reproach, I realize when it isn't, the worst possible thing I can do is hide it.
I truly think loneliness is one of the major reasons so many people drop out (or sin out) of ministry. Deep down inside all of us, we have a desire to know and be known. And we see ministry as an inhibitor of that, so we feel forced to make a choice: would I rather be employed by a church, or be loved by others?
Obviously, it's a false dilemma, but it's one a lot of my pastor friends face. They're constantly living in fear of being "found out." And it's not that they're living in high-handed rebellion against God. Those people generally want to be found out.
My friends are the ones who are afraid they'll lose their jobs if people find out they don't always love waking up at 6 in the morning for Bible study, or that their face doesn't always glow after their morning quiet times. They're the people who are afraid that people will lose respect for them if they realize their pastor's wife doesn't always like him, or that his kids don't always look like they just rolled out of a J. Crew catalog. My friends worry that they're not a good pastor if they don't put on the mask that says everything is okay.
I realized some time ago that I'm not a better Pastor when I wear my "everything's okay" mask; I'm a better Pharisee. And the challenge with the Pharisees, according to Matthew 23:13 is that they were actually keeping people away from Jesus by pretending to have it all together. If we pretend like we've got it all together when we don't, people think a relationship with God is only for perfect people.
I'm not saying the pastor has a license to commit sin, but that he does have a license to be human. I work really hard to stay touchable with the people I get to serve - not to show off my sin, but to show off my Savior. I think it's important for them to know that I'm not perfect, but that I'm trying as hard as I can through the power God gives me to be Christlike. It's not any easier for me than it is for them just because I get paid to do what I do. And although I try to make sure as a leader in the church my life is above reproach, I realize when it isn't, the worst possible thing I can do is hide it.
Because she said I wouldn't...
Kara and her husband Cory have been good friends since my single college days. They were always such great encouragers, and a fine example to a young single guy of a godly married couple - even though they're not much older than me. Well, it seems Kara fell prey to one of those blogspam deals that comes around every once in a while - you know, the ones where you're supposed to bare your soul and then tag ten other people to do the same.
I hate those things, but I love Kara and Cory, so I'll oblige her just this once. (And only because she challenged me by saying I'd never do it). So enjoy it...
Here's what you have to do...1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)2. Open the book to page 123.3. Find the fifth sentence.4. Post the next three sentences.5. Link back to the person who tagged you.6. Tag five people.
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)
I'm just finishing a book called "I became a Christian and all I Got was this Lousy T-Shirt." To be honest, it's not very good. The guy has some really good ideas - even some genuinely great ideas... but spends so much of his time trying to be funny that you lose all the good ideas. (The joke about "taking on... handicapped kids" was so far over the top I can't believe the book ever made it through an editor... it's on page 91, I'm not making this up). But, it's the closest and those are the rules of Kara's little Spam game, so I'll play along.
2. Open the book to page 123.
Mkay...
3. Find the fifth sentence.
"Will we speed through life at 150 miles per hour with a disintegrating soul?"
4. Post the next three sentences.
Or we will [sic] walk with Jesus at 3 miles an hour with a soul that is continually restored? If we want to keep pace with God, we must change our speed. Koyaanisqatsi or vyinafeshing?
5. Link back to the person who tagged you.
6. Tag five people.
Hmm. I hate to do this to you guys, but Kara made me.
Let's hear from Drew, Lisa, Heath, Corey, and Graham.
I hate those things, but I love Kara and Cory, so I'll oblige her just this once. (And only because she challenged me by saying I'd never do it). So enjoy it...
Here's what you have to do...1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)2. Open the book to page 123.3. Find the fifth sentence.4. Post the next three sentences.5. Link back to the person who tagged you.6. Tag five people.
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)
I'm just finishing a book called "I became a Christian and all I Got was this Lousy T-Shirt." To be honest, it's not very good. The guy has some really good ideas - even some genuinely great ideas... but spends so much of his time trying to be funny that you lose all the good ideas. (The joke about "taking on... handicapped kids" was so far over the top I can't believe the book ever made it through an editor... it's on page 91, I'm not making this up). But, it's the closest and those are the rules of Kara's little Spam game, so I'll play along.
2. Open the book to page 123.
Mkay...
3. Find the fifth sentence.
"Will we speed through life at 150 miles per hour with a disintegrating soul?"
4. Post the next three sentences.
Or we will [sic] walk with Jesus at 3 miles an hour with a soul that is continually restored? If we want to keep pace with God, we must change our speed. Koyaanisqatsi or vyinafeshing?
5. Link back to the person who tagged you.
6. Tag five people.
Hmm. I hate to do this to you guys, but Kara made me.
Let's hear from Drew, Lisa, Heath, Corey, and Graham.
Creativity Thieves
One of the people I'm privileged to worship with every Sunday is Tom Wilson. Tom is the president and CEO of Leadership Network, a ministry that is doing some really neat things with issue-specific church collaboration. If you haven't ever heard of them, listen more closely - they've got their fingers in a ton of things throughout the country.
Tom says smart things all the time, but I heard a quote from him about creativity this morning that is especially brilliant. He said "The definition of creativity is: forgetting where you stole something."
For a lot of years, I worried about the fact that all "my" creative ideas were stolen from other people. Sermon series, theological ideas, philosophies, and even practical thoughts about administration and execution of ministry initiatives are almost never mine. And almost every time I do have an original thought, someone approaches me after the service and recommends a book I've read in which someone else says that same exact thing.
I don't feel bad about stealing ideas anymore. Now, I only feel bad when I steal ideas and don't do the work to make them even better.
The idea of fellowship from Acts 2:44 can apply to church ministry too - "All the believers were together and had everything in common." I get queezy every time I notice that a church has trademarked an idea. Chances are, they stole it from someone else.
Tom's quote is good. The only question is, who did he steal it from?
Tom says smart things all the time, but I heard a quote from him about creativity this morning that is especially brilliant. He said "The definition of creativity is: forgetting where you stole something."
For a lot of years, I worried about the fact that all "my" creative ideas were stolen from other people. Sermon series, theological ideas, philosophies, and even practical thoughts about administration and execution of ministry initiatives are almost never mine. And almost every time I do have an original thought, someone approaches me after the service and recommends a book I've read in which someone else says that same exact thing.
I don't feel bad about stealing ideas anymore. Now, I only feel bad when I steal ideas and don't do the work to make them even better.
The idea of fellowship from Acts 2:44 can apply to church ministry too - "All the believers were together and had everything in common." I get queezy every time I notice that a church has trademarked an idea. Chances are, they stole it from someone else.
Tom's quote is good. The only question is, who did he steal it from?
Elements
Elements is a study we designed when I was at Chase Oaks Church to help give brand new believers a birds-eye view of the Bible. I brought it with me to McKinney, and started a new group last night.
Elements isn't ever a study that is a huge draw - there's some humility in signing up for a class designed to give you a 30,000 foot view of Christianity, so we're usually only good for about 10 people each time. But when you get the right 10 people, things get fun in a hurry.
Last night, we started a new Elements group at McKinney, and I think we've got 9 of "the right" people... to the point I couldn't sleep last night.
I honestly think I could be satisfied if the only thing I ever did was cycle people through this study. There's nothing like seeing people's eyes light up when they "get it" and understand how the Bible fits together for the first time.
Some of you yay-hoos have been on me to write a book. I've always said I don't have enough to say to write a book, but if I ever do - Elements might be the one. I really haven't found anything out there that I think does a great job of helping people understand the story of the Bible without getting them lost in the weeds. Then again... if I put Elements in book form, I wouldn't get to see the look in people's eyes, and I'd miss that.
Elements isn't ever a study that is a huge draw - there's some humility in signing up for a class designed to give you a 30,000 foot view of Christianity, so we're usually only good for about 10 people each time. But when you get the right 10 people, things get fun in a hurry.
Last night, we started a new Elements group at McKinney, and I think we've got 9 of "the right" people... to the point I couldn't sleep last night.
I honestly think I could be satisfied if the only thing I ever did was cycle people through this study. There's nothing like seeing people's eyes light up when they "get it" and understand how the Bible fits together for the first time.
Some of you yay-hoos have been on me to write a book. I've always said I don't have enough to say to write a book, but if I ever do - Elements might be the one. I really haven't found anything out there that I think does a great job of helping people understand the story of the Bible without getting them lost in the weeds. Then again... if I put Elements in book form, I wouldn't get to see the look in people's eyes, and I'd miss that.
Vote 2008
I'm glad nothing was decided yesterday on "super fat Tuesday" as far as the elections are concerned, because I've been mulling something over in my mind and am interested in some feedback.
First of all, this is probably one of only two posts you'll find in all my archives that have anything to do with politics. Although I'm very politically involved, the purpose of this blog isn't to discuss politics. And, since I mention my church and position here a lot, I want to be careful to never give the idea that being a Christian/pastor or even a member at McKinney implies any kind of political leaning at all. We've got people on staff who run the political gamut, and I'm sure that's representative of our local church as a whole. We're okay with that.
With that said, according to surveys, the vast majority of evangelicals - especially in the South - lean towards the right. The "religious right," as it is called, is given credit for being a kingmaker for Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II. There is a large group of voting conservative Christians who vote Republican... few people would deny that.
So here's what will be interesting to me: The decision in 2008 could very well come down to a decision where that conservative evangelical right has to choose between a person with whom they vehemently disagree politically, and a person with whom they vehemently disagree spiritually.
If Mitt Romney wins the race and ends up the President of the United States, Mormon missionaries stateside and all over the world will have instant credibility. That will provide an instant obstacle for evangelical Christian missionaries stateside and overseas.
If Hillary or Obama wins the race and ends up the President of the United States, they will likely have the opportunity to nominate judges to the Supreme Court that have values many evangelical Christians do not support, as well as to represent a political agenda with which many Christians do not agree.
It seems like an interesting worldview test for conservative evangelical Christians. Are temporal ideologies and political issues more important in this time and place than theological differences? Or, is the collective "religious right" willing to fall on their ideological swords in order to prevent electing a president who will add instant credibility to a counterfeit Christian faith?
It will be interesting - if the opportunity presents itself - to see how those people react in the voting booth. What do you think?
First of all, this is probably one of only two posts you'll find in all my archives that have anything to do with politics. Although I'm very politically involved, the purpose of this blog isn't to discuss politics. And, since I mention my church and position here a lot, I want to be careful to never give the idea that being a Christian/pastor or even a member at McKinney implies any kind of political leaning at all. We've got people on staff who run the political gamut, and I'm sure that's representative of our local church as a whole. We're okay with that.
With that said, according to surveys, the vast majority of evangelicals - especially in the South - lean towards the right. The "religious right," as it is called, is given credit for being a kingmaker for Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II. There is a large group of voting conservative Christians who vote Republican... few people would deny that.
So here's what will be interesting to me: The decision in 2008 could very well come down to a decision where that conservative evangelical right has to choose between a person with whom they vehemently disagree politically, and a person with whom they vehemently disagree spiritually.
If Mitt Romney wins the race and ends up the President of the United States, Mormon missionaries stateside and all over the world will have instant credibility. That will provide an instant obstacle for evangelical Christian missionaries stateside and overseas.
If Hillary or Obama wins the race and ends up the President of the United States, they will likely have the opportunity to nominate judges to the Supreme Court that have values many evangelical Christians do not support, as well as to represent a political agenda with which many Christians do not agree.
It seems like an interesting worldview test for conservative evangelical Christians. Are temporal ideologies and political issues more important in this time and place than theological differences? Or, is the collective "religious right" willing to fall on their ideological swords in order to prevent electing a president who will add instant credibility to a counterfeit Christian faith?
It will be interesting - if the opportunity presents itself - to see how those people react in the voting booth. What do you think?
Passing the baton
One of the most meaningful gifts I've ever recieved, I received from two of my former bosses. I showed up to Fellowship Bible Church North (ahem... Chase Oaks Church) as a burned out, disillusioned pastor who had been beaten up and spit out by a former boss. I took a "residency" position there, where I was rejuvenated and equipped, and where I rethought and sharpened my ministry philosophy.At the end of my time at Chase Oaks, my two bosses Drew and Glen took Kari and I to dinner where they presented us with a baton... you know, the type runners use in a relay race.
The imagery comes from a book some of the pastors at Chase Oaks authored several years ago called "The Leadership Baton." The idea is pretty simple - as leaders we need to constantly be in the process of passing the baton to people who will come after us.
Today I've got a runners baton sitting on my desk, but it's not the one Drew and Glen gave me. When they gave me mine, they told me it wasn't for me - it was for the person who would come after me. So, when I showed up at McKinney, I started looking for someone who could take it, and passed it off as soon as I was able. And, I gave all of our ministry team leaders batons to start looking to pass off to someone else.
This weekend as we announced plans to plant a new Young Married group, each of those batons completed their first leg. The leaders of that class each signed their batons and dated them, put a note of encouragement inside them, and then passed them off to a new leadership team. This week, I'm giving the established leadership team brand new batons. They're not done running, just looking for new people to pour in to.
Building a healthy culture where leaders develop leaders is imperative to our ministry. If you play by the numbers, our ministry has twice as many developed, empowered, and commissioned leaders today. And if each of those leaders are looking for people to build into, the ministry will be in a much better place.
Really Great Day
Yesterday was a great day.
We announced plans for one of our young adult groups to plant a new group. God has raised up a group of rock solid leadership for the new class, and the class that is planting the new group is excited to see how God is expanding their influence. When you use the language of a "plant" rather than language of "division" or "splitting," I think it helps communicate the idea of expansion rather than subtraction.
We're going to take a core couple or two from the original young married class, as well as a mentor couple, and then use our six-week 2to1 premarital preparation class to feed into the new young married class. Yesterday, I got word that our 2to1 premarital group is going to be busting out of the room we had planned to use. Nothing like having to search for a bigger space!
In the young singles ministry yesterday, we got a glimpse of how God is still working today. One of the guys in our ministry taught Acts 4-8 in our Summit project. This is a guy who, just a couple of years ago, wasn't able to get out of his car to come inside because of such severe social anxiety. Yesterday he did a rock solid job teaching the class. There is nothing more fun than getting to watch God change lives over time.
Then, last night we spent the evening with the Union (young married ministry) watching the Giants beat the giants. Somehow I don't think the Patriots had seen several of the Giants' plays on surveilance video before this game!
We announced plans for one of our young adult groups to plant a new group. God has raised up a group of rock solid leadership for the new class, and the class that is planting the new group is excited to see how God is expanding their influence. When you use the language of a "plant" rather than language of "division" or "splitting," I think it helps communicate the idea of expansion rather than subtraction.
We're going to take a core couple or two from the original young married class, as well as a mentor couple, and then use our six-week 2to1 premarital preparation class to feed into the new young married class. Yesterday, I got word that our 2to1 premarital group is going to be busting out of the room we had planned to use. Nothing like having to search for a bigger space!
In the young singles ministry yesterday, we got a glimpse of how God is still working today. One of the guys in our ministry taught Acts 4-8 in our Summit project. This is a guy who, just a couple of years ago, wasn't able to get out of his car to come inside because of such severe social anxiety. Yesterday he did a rock solid job teaching the class. There is nothing more fun than getting to watch God change lives over time.
Then, last night we spent the evening with the Union (young married ministry) watching the Giants beat the giants. Somehow I don't think the Patriots had seen several of the Giants' plays on surveilance video before this game!
iPretentious
I love my iPhone, and my iPod, and would have a MacBook if the IT guy in our offices would configure the network to where I could access email with it, by my cousin's recent post about a visit to the Apple Store is spot on.
Help Me or Help You? Staff Development
Not much time to blog today - I'm at one of the church members' ranch houses in central Texas with our Sr. Pastor and the teaching team from another church in the area. We're studying through the book of Malachi for a Summer series that both churches will be doing.
Most of the time out here I've been terrified the theme song from Sesame Street's "Which one of these is not like the other one" is about to start playing. These guys are a fountain of knowledge and wisdom, and I feel like I'm drinking from a fire hose.
But the fact that I'm even here is a direct result of the fact that our senior pastor buys in to the philosophy I've been talking about all week. He's constantly allowing me to be exposed to significant conversations he's a part of in view of helping me be best equipped to have significant ministry.
Most of the time out here I've been terrified the theme song from Sesame Street's "Which one of these is not like the other one" is about to start playing. These guys are a fountain of knowledge and wisdom, and I feel like I'm drinking from a fire hose.
But the fact that I'm even here is a direct result of the fact that our senior pastor buys in to the philosophy I've been talking about all week. He's constantly allowing me to be exposed to significant conversations he's a part of in view of helping me be best equipped to have significant ministry.
Help you or help me? Open-handed
Monday I talked about our commitment as a staff to help others have significant ministry, rather than seeing them helping to make our ministries significant. The first way that fleshes out is that we resist the urge to be staff heavy. Yesterday, I talked about how that mentality forces us to be simple - not program driven.
A third way our ministry philosophy impacts ministry here is that it allows us the freedom to be open-handed with our people.
I'm amazed at how many of my pastor friends see the church down the street as the competition. We don't see the church down the street as our competition - we see them as partners who are uniquely-equipped places for some people to have great ministry. And our belief that we exist to help others have great ministry allows us at times to free people to serve elsewhere if that's where they're a better fit.
We've got several key leaders who are extremely gifted in leading small groups, but who lead small groups as a part of Bible Study Fellowship. Sometimes, it's extremely tempting to ask those people out of BSF to lead our small groups. But we have to resist that urge. Our ministry isn't about building our ministry - it's about equipping and empowering people to serve in the work God is doing in the world... and we have to be comfortable with the fact that God is working in places outside our church's four walls.
About six months ago there was a girl involved in our singles ministry who was a teacher and cheerleading coach in a suburb of Fort Worth nearly an hour away from our church building. She had a tremendous ministry with a bunch of cheerleaders there, but traveled two or three times a week here to be involved in our stuff during the week. She was a high caliber leader, who could have been in leadership with any number of our stuff, but we ended up encouraging her to get plugged into a great church where all her cheerleaders attended. Today, her ministry is even stronger.
How can we let good people go to other churches when we need leaders here? Because we firmly believe God will always send us more leaders if we're faithful with the ones He sends us. Again... it isn't about forcing people to be a part of our thing. We don't have a corner on the "God market" in Fort Worth. And we're comfortable holding the people God gives us with an open hand.
A third way our ministry philosophy impacts ministry here is that it allows us the freedom to be open-handed with our people.
I'm amazed at how many of my pastor friends see the church down the street as the competition. We don't see the church down the street as our competition - we see them as partners who are uniquely-equipped places for some people to have great ministry. And our belief that we exist to help others have great ministry allows us at times to free people to serve elsewhere if that's where they're a better fit.
We've got several key leaders who are extremely gifted in leading small groups, but who lead small groups as a part of Bible Study Fellowship. Sometimes, it's extremely tempting to ask those people out of BSF to lead our small groups. But we have to resist that urge. Our ministry isn't about building our ministry - it's about equipping and empowering people to serve in the work God is doing in the world... and we have to be comfortable with the fact that God is working in places outside our church's four walls.
About six months ago there was a girl involved in our singles ministry who was a teacher and cheerleading coach in a suburb of Fort Worth nearly an hour away from our church building. She had a tremendous ministry with a bunch of cheerleaders there, but traveled two or three times a week here to be involved in our stuff during the week. She was a high caliber leader, who could have been in leadership with any number of our stuff, but we ended up encouraging her to get plugged into a great church where all her cheerleaders attended. Today, her ministry is even stronger.
How can we let good people go to other churches when we need leaders here? Because we firmly believe God will always send us more leaders if we're faithful with the ones He sends us. Again... it isn't about forcing people to be a part of our thing. We don't have a corner on the "God market" in Fort Worth. And we're comfortable holding the people God gives us with an open hand.
Help you or help me? Simplicity
Yesterday I talked about our commitment as a staff to help others have significant ministry, rather than seeing them helping to make our ministries significant. The first way that fleshes out is that we resist the urge to be staff heavy.
Another byproduct of this philosophy is that the church program structure is necessarily simple. Scott Hodge had a good blog on simplicity not long ago. People are often surprised when they come to McKinney and realize what we don't have. They're shocked when we don't offer classes or groups every night of the week. After all, we're a big church.
But our desire to help others have significant ministry necessarily means we can't ask people to show up to the church every night of the week. We don't have Sunday night church. We do have mid-week Bible Studies, but only one night a week. We don't exist to get everyone out there in here... we exist to get everyone in here out there.
We can't be program driven because of the staffing situation we've chosen - we don't have the man power to run something at the church every night of the week. And that's by design. We've made a conscious decision to shut off the lights at the church building most nights of the week, and send them into the world instead. (Okay... that was cheezy... sorry).
This committment forces us to evaluate what is working and what is not, and spend our time there. We can't do everything, so we have to figure out what is most important. And we always try to err on the side of "programs" that are transferrable to someone's neighborhood. If I can take a Bible study, teach it to ten or twenty of our people, with the idea that they are able to turn aroudn and teach it to five or ten of their coworkers, or neighbors, or family members, I'm going to do it every time. And I'm going to favor that kind of "program" above a flashy mid-week thing that gets everyone here. Those things are great, but their influence is limited in the big picture.
We exist to help others have significant ministry. That means our ministry structure here needs to be simple, so we don't complicate and compromise our peoples' ministry there.
Another byproduct of this philosophy is that the church program structure is necessarily simple. Scott Hodge had a good blog on simplicity not long ago. People are often surprised when they come to McKinney and realize what we don't have. They're shocked when we don't offer classes or groups every night of the week. After all, we're a big church.
But our desire to help others have significant ministry necessarily means we can't ask people to show up to the church every night of the week. We don't have Sunday night church. We do have mid-week Bible Studies, but only one night a week. We don't exist to get everyone out there in here... we exist to get everyone in here out there.
We can't be program driven because of the staffing situation we've chosen - we don't have the man power to run something at the church every night of the week. And that's by design. We've made a conscious decision to shut off the lights at the church building most nights of the week, and send them into the world instead. (Okay... that was cheezy... sorry).
This committment forces us to evaluate what is working and what is not, and spend our time there. We can't do everything, so we have to figure out what is most important. And we always try to err on the side of "programs" that are transferrable to someone's neighborhood. If I can take a Bible study, teach it to ten or twenty of our people, with the idea that they are able to turn aroudn and teach it to five or ten of their coworkers, or neighbors, or family members, I'm going to do it every time. And I'm going to favor that kind of "program" above a flashy mid-week thing that gets everyone here. Those things are great, but their influence is limited in the big picture.
We exist to help others have significant ministry. That means our ministry structure here needs to be simple, so we don't complicate and compromise our peoples' ministry there.
Help you or help me? Staffing Decisions
I briefly mentioned something in my post last Thursday that I wanted to expand on because in my mind it's a pretty big philosophy decision McKinney Church has made in the past. We work really hard here to make sure that the church reflects our commitment as a staff to help others have significant ministry, rather than seeing them helping to make our ministries significant.
It may seem like a semantic difference, but it's not semantic at all. The philosophy's roots extend to every area of what we do. This week, I want to highlight some of the decisions this philosophy has led us to make:
It may seem like a semantic difference, but it's not semantic at all. The philosophy's roots extend to every area of what we do. This week, I want to highlight some of the decisions this philosophy has led us to make:
The first is that we resist the urge to be "staff heavy." Most churches of 3-4000 people like McKinney have full-time staffs of 40 or 50 people. McKinney has 11 full-time ministry directors, 3 full-time communications specialists, a business manager, accountant, and 4 full-time admins. We have a few part-time staffers, mainly in the children's ministry, but that's it. The more people we have on staff, the more our congregation expects the staff to do the ministry, and we're not about that. We're here to equip others to do the ministry, not to do the ministry. Our staffing decisions reflect that.
Don't we end up with burned out leaders? Honestly? Only the ones who aren't committed to the philosophy. The philosophy of equipping others to have great ministry rather than the staff equipping others to help us have great ministry gives us the freedom to not burn out if we're truly doing my job. Guys who don't get it, and end up trying to build programs and execute ministry initiatives by themselves inevitably burn out - but not because of the philosophy... in spite of it. I've got a team of 4000 gifted people who can help lead/lead any ministry initiative I believe God has laid on my heart - it's my responsibility to train, empower, and commission them to do it.
Instead of 40 or 50 guys/girls doing the ministry for a church of 4000 people, we've got about 20 or 25 people equipping 4000 people to do ministry. If we're successful in equipping those people, I like those odds when it comes to maximum impact.
Snow Day!
I live in Fort Worth, TX.
Two days ago the weatherman mentioned the dreaded "I" word: ice. I think he probably said it in jest, maybe even just to throw a little variety into his weathercast (60 degrees and sunny probably got a little monotonous for him).
He mentions that under the right circumstances there could be a slight possibility of a scenario in which a drop or two of precipitation might freeze, and the city shuts down. It's raining here today, but when I got up to go to Bible study this morning at 5:30, the temperature was a cool 35 degrees. It's somewhere around 45 right now.
It's a tough life living in Fort Worth... I'd blog more, but I'm afraid they're going to start rationing electricity or bandwidth - you never know.
Two days ago the weatherman mentioned the dreaded "I" word: ice. I think he probably said it in jest, maybe even just to throw a little variety into his weathercast (60 degrees and sunny probably got a little monotonous for him).
He mentions that under the right circumstances there could be a slight possibility of a scenario in which a drop or two of precipitation might freeze, and the city shuts down. It's raining here today, but when I got up to go to Bible study this morning at 5:30, the temperature was a cool 35 degrees. It's somewhere around 45 right now.
It's a tough life living in Fort Worth... I'd blog more, but I'm afraid they're going to start rationing electricity or bandwidth - you never know.
Partnering with Parachurch
One of the things McKinney Church does really well is its partnerships with parachurch organizations in the community. We support several ministries in the community who are serving people we aren't equipped to serve as well - the homeless, battered women, women in crisis pregnancies, and others. Our only stipulations when we partner with them is they (1) do what they tell us they're going to do, and (2) are committed to sharing the Gospel with those they serve.
We don't require them to send people to our church, attend our church, serve in our church, or lead in our church. We want them to have great ministry where they're at, even if they go to the church down the street.
The philosophy stems from a bigger view of ministry than the local church. Our local church isn't the hope of the world - Jesus is. And if I can be partnered with someone who is sharing the hope of the world with the world, I want to do that - whether or not it adds numbers to my local church.
It's a weird philosophy for a lot of my friends in ministry, but I think it's one of the most important things we do at McKinney. We exist to help people have great ministry... people don't exist to help our ministry be great. There's a big difference.
We don't require them to send people to our church, attend our church, serve in our church, or lead in our church. We want them to have great ministry where they're at, even if they go to the church down the street.
The philosophy stems from a bigger view of ministry than the local church. Our local church isn't the hope of the world - Jesus is. And if I can be partnered with someone who is sharing the hope of the world with the world, I want to do that - whether or not it adds numbers to my local church.
It's a weird philosophy for a lot of my friends in ministry, but I think it's one of the most important things we do at McKinney. We exist to help people have great ministry... people don't exist to help our ministry be great. There's a big difference.
Tension
Friday mornings are the highlight of my week. Each Friday I meet before the rooster crows with about 6 key men in the Young Adults ministry at McKinney. We read something throughout the week that pertains to life, ministry, or leadership, and then come together to discuss it.
Right now, we're slogging through a book that highlights prominent discussions in evangelical theology from both sides (everything from Calvinism/Arminianism, to the role of women in ministry). We've had some great conversations, and I think it has been a real boost in helping all of us think and lead more theologically.
One of the things I've noticed though, through this study and others I've done in the past, is that we have an innate desire... almost need to resolve all the tension in Scripture. We are drawn towards elaborate formulas, systems, and positions that purport to logically explain the way God works, and often find ourselves in a ditch.
We need to pursue all the knowledge we can about how God works, when God works, and for whom God works, but need to release ourselves of the need to relieve tension that God seems to have intended.
God could have solved the Sovreignty/human freedom debate with one or two verses. He could have solved the age of the earth debate with a quick paragraph about those pesky dinosaurs. But He chose not to. And I think we're probably headed for error if we ever get to a point in any of those areas where we think we've resolved all the tension on a particular issue.
Just a thought, but if godly, well-educated men have dedicated their life to understanding a particular issue and haven't reached an agreement, the issue might not be with their godliness... the issue might be instead with the fact that we're serving a God who transcends more systems than we think.
Right now, we're slogging through a book that highlights prominent discussions in evangelical theology from both sides (everything from Calvinism/Arminianism, to the role of women in ministry). We've had some great conversations, and I think it has been a real boost in helping all of us think and lead more theologically.
One of the things I've noticed though, through this study and others I've done in the past, is that we have an innate desire... almost need to resolve all the tension in Scripture. We are drawn towards elaborate formulas, systems, and positions that purport to logically explain the way God works, and often find ourselves in a ditch.
We need to pursue all the knowledge we can about how God works, when God works, and for whom God works, but need to release ourselves of the need to relieve tension that God seems to have intended.
God could have solved the Sovreignty/human freedom debate with one or two verses. He could have solved the age of the earth debate with a quick paragraph about those pesky dinosaurs. But He chose not to. And I think we're probably headed for error if we ever get to a point in any of those areas where we think we've resolved all the tension on a particular issue.
Just a thought, but if godly, well-educated men have dedicated their life to understanding a particular issue and haven't reached an agreement, the issue might not be with their godliness... the issue might be instead with the fact that we're serving a God who transcends more systems than we think.
Creative. Not.
Funny moment on my way into work this morning.If you read a lot, you'll remember a post when I started at McKinney Church about the vast differences between Fort Worth and Dallas, even though they're only about 20 miles apart. To narrow it down, Fort Worth is full of engineers, so everything works by a process. People here are less concerned about creativity than they are being right. To pursue excellence in a Fort Worthian's mind is to pursue correctness.
Dallas, specifically North Dallas where I moved here from is all about creativity. You walk into Starbucks and see guys running their multi-million dollar dot com business everywhere you go. There, the end is in creativity - if you want to pursue excellence, your instincts are going to be bent towards developing something "neat" that nobody has ever done before.
This morning, as I was driving in I heard a traffic report from Dallas. They were talking about the accidents on the tollway - a road that runs parallel to two major roadways, but costs several dollars each way. I swear it has more accidents and traffic backups than the reagular interstates, but those North Dallas people continue to drive on it. Those super-creative people, who find a new way around anything, regularly pay lots of money to sit in traffic.
There's a point to my story - when it comes to strategy, there are multiple points on the spectrum between Fort Worth and Dallas. But it's likely that no matter where you fall on that spectrum, you've got a blind spot. You can't categorize people too closely, because you never know when they'll surprise you, either positively or negatively.
Eyes for the Person Standing Alone
One of the things we've really been working on as a young adult ministry is "developing eyes for the person standing alone." We have a big enough ministry that it's difficult to tell who is a guest and who is not. As a result, for a long time we've had several people slip through the cracks because nobody feels comfortable introducing themselves but me. It can feel as though the ministry is unfriendly, cold, and unwelcoming, when in reality that's not the case. People are just worried about introducing themselves to someone who has been a part of the ministry for years.
I've been trying to cast vision pretty hard for people to develop eyes for the person standing alone when we're together, and to engage those people in conversation.
This past Thursday, I think we had a breakthrough. We launched our quarterly four-week worship opportunity for Singles and had an above-average turnout. Throughout the entire night, I looked hard for people standing alone - and couldn't find them. But, we had almost twenty guests/infrequent attenders. Our leaders spotted those people, engaged them in conversation, and began developing relationships with them.
As a result, I got three emails this week from those guests about what a friendly, unthreatening, welcoming group we have.
I've been trying to cast vision pretty hard for people to develop eyes for the person standing alone when we're together, and to engage those people in conversation.
This past Thursday, I think we had a breakthrough. We launched our quarterly four-week worship opportunity for Singles and had an above-average turnout. Throughout the entire night, I looked hard for people standing alone - and couldn't find them. But, we had almost twenty guests/infrequent attenders. Our leaders spotted those people, engaged them in conversation, and began developing relationships with them.
As a result, I got three emails this week from those guests about what a friendly, unthreatening, welcoming group we have.
Cardiomalopthaly
I mentioned earlier that we're trying something new with our young adults this year. We're reading and teaching through the entire New Testament during 2008. I hope it will help us accomplish something significant as far as each young adult's personal growth is concerned, but am also trying to use it as a tool to help in leadership development.
Every other Sunday, a group of us meets immediately following the church service to discuss the fruits of our study. We stay two weeks ahead of the other young adults, and discuss how we can teach each passage well. We talk about whether or not a theme emerges in the section of Scripture we're studying, and how we can best teach that theme. Through those discussions, we're building Bible Study tools and teaching tools, while helping each teacher study for his lesson. It's unbelievably exciting to see these guys' work, and to process lessons as a team.
Last week, as a result of that meeting, we talked about the dangers of "Cardiomalopthaly" from Mark 5-9. We made up the word from medical lingo, which literally means "a heart causing blindness."
As we looked through the passage, we saw that cardiomalopthaly was something the disciples struggled with a lot. Read the 4 chapters and count how many times they're worried about bread. In chapter 6 Jesus feeds 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread. In chapter 7, Jesus heals a woman who talks a lot about people missing Jesus, but uses "bread" as a picture. By chapter 8 the disciples are worried about where they'll be able to find bread again. In 8:6-10, Jesus feeds 4000 people. But by verse 14, the disciples are worried about where they're going to find bread again.
Finally, in verses 17-18, Jesus calls them on the lunacy of the whole deal, and asks them: "Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see?" They had cardiomalopthaly - a hard heart that caused their eyes to miss what God was doing in front of them. And we struggle with it too.
Good stuff out of our teaching team. I think this is going to be a great year.
Every other Sunday, a group of us meets immediately following the church service to discuss the fruits of our study. We stay two weeks ahead of the other young adults, and discuss how we can teach each passage well. We talk about whether or not a theme emerges in the section of Scripture we're studying, and how we can best teach that theme. Through those discussions, we're building Bible Study tools and teaching tools, while helping each teacher study for his lesson. It's unbelievably exciting to see these guys' work, and to process lessons as a team.
Last week, as a result of that meeting, we talked about the dangers of "Cardiomalopthaly" from Mark 5-9. We made up the word from medical lingo, which literally means "a heart causing blindness."
As we looked through the passage, we saw that cardiomalopthaly was something the disciples struggled with a lot. Read the 4 chapters and count how many times they're worried about bread. In chapter 6 Jesus feeds 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread. In chapter 7, Jesus heals a woman who talks a lot about people missing Jesus, but uses "bread" as a picture. By chapter 8 the disciples are worried about where they'll be able to find bread again. In 8:6-10, Jesus feeds 4000 people. But by verse 14, the disciples are worried about where they're going to find bread again.
Finally, in verses 17-18, Jesus calls them on the lunacy of the whole deal, and asks them: "Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see?" They had cardiomalopthaly - a hard heart that caused their eyes to miss what God was doing in front of them. And we struggle with it too.
Good stuff out of our teaching team. I think this is going to be a great year.
Pop Goes the Church
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Review
I don't have any idea why Tim Stevens asked me to read the first manuscript of his new book "Pop Goes the Church." My hunch is that it has something to do with the fact that we share the same uber-cool haircut.
But I just finished my first read of the manuscript, and I think the book is going to be worth reading. It's part "Dear Church," part "Simply Strategic Stuff," part "Made to Stick," and almost completely thought provoking.
I'd love to give you a couple of my favorite quotes, but I can't. I'd love to tell you exactly what the book is about, but I'm not supposed to. I'd even like to tell you whether or not I love it or hate it, but I've been sufficiently threatened to not let the cat out of the bag. So, I won't.
So, consider this my "nah nah nah nah naaah" post. I've read the book, and you haven't. But you will when it comes out. And you should. Like it or not.
But I just finished my first read of the manuscript, and I think the book is going to be worth reading. It's part "Dear Church," part "Simply Strategic Stuff," part "Made to Stick," and almost completely thought provoking.
I'd love to give you a couple of my favorite quotes, but I can't. I'd love to tell you exactly what the book is about, but I'm not supposed to. I'd even like to tell you whether or not I love it or hate it, but I've been sufficiently threatened to not let the cat out of the bag. So, I won't.
So, consider this my "nah nah nah nah naaah" post. I've read the book, and you haven't. But you will when it comes out. And you should. Like it or not.
Funerals are Mandatory...
I spent yesterday traveling to and from a funeral on the other side of the metroplex. The funeral was for the step-mother of a member of our team who finished well, but lost a battle with cancer last week.
I'm not the most insightful leader, or the person who finds myself with the need (or ability) to regularly bestow leadership lessons to people who read my blog (I leave that to other, better leaders). But one of the leadership lessons I've learned in my career that I think is often neglected is this: when it comes to the people you serve alongside, funerals are mandatory.
Funerals aren't fun. They're not easy. Nobody enjoys them (except perhaps the funeral director who is cashing the check). They often come at the wrong time, in the wrong place. We're launching a major initiative for singles on Thursday, and there are a lot of loose ends that still need to be tied up for that. I needed to be in the office yesterday. But I learned a long time ago, if you have a chance to serve someone by attending a loved one's funeral, you need to do everything within your ability to be there.
You show your team that you're behind them, even in their darkest moments, and they'll follow you into battle.
I'm not the most insightful leader, or the person who finds myself with the need (or ability) to regularly bestow leadership lessons to people who read my blog (I leave that to other, better leaders). But one of the leadership lessons I've learned in my career that I think is often neglected is this: when it comes to the people you serve alongside, funerals are mandatory.
Funerals aren't fun. They're not easy. Nobody enjoys them (except perhaps the funeral director who is cashing the check). They often come at the wrong time, in the wrong place. We're launching a major initiative for singles on Thursday, and there are a lot of loose ends that still need to be tied up for that. I needed to be in the office yesterday. But I learned a long time ago, if you have a chance to serve someone by attending a loved one's funeral, you need to do everything within your ability to be there.
You show your team that you're behind them, even in their darkest moments, and they'll follow you into battle.
Is Worship an Experience?
I'm reading a book right now by two guys I really respect in ministry (Simply Strategic Growth, by Tony Morgan and Tim Stevens). The book is incredibly helpful in thinking strategicaly through different aspects of church ministry and church administration. It has 99 short chapters on how to think through everything from communicating vision to dealing with the out-of-tune soloist. I've really enjoyed reading it - if you're at all involved with administration or leadership within a church, you should buy it. But they keep using a certain phrase that I'm not altogether comfortable with even though I've caught myself using it before.
The book talks several times about inviting people into a "worship experience."
To me, that language speaks of worship as something that happens to you, rather than something in which you are an active participant. I'm not denying that worship involves experience, but I'm not sure the thing we want to be inviting people in to is primarily about our experience. We should be inviting others to participate in such a way that God experiences our worship, and that outsiders observe that.
I'm familiar with the church these two guys served at the time they wrote the book, and don't think their church reflects their wording. Although there are churches out there where worship is a spectator sport, I don't think their church is one of them. But I think the language is important enough to point out. What we're inviting people to on Sunday, I hope, is not a worship experience as much as a worship opportunity.
The book talks several times about inviting people into a "worship experience."
To me, that language speaks of worship as something that happens to you, rather than something in which you are an active participant. I'm not denying that worship involves experience, but I'm not sure the thing we want to be inviting people in to is primarily about our experience. We should be inviting others to participate in such a way that God experiences our worship, and that outsiders observe that.
I'm familiar with the church these two guys served at the time they wrote the book, and don't think their church reflects their wording. Although there are churches out there where worship is a spectator sport, I don't think their church is one of them. But I think the language is important enough to point out. What we're inviting people to on Sunday, I hope, is not a worship experience as much as a worship opportunity.
Resolution - Summit
Hope you have a great New Year. I don't know if you're a resolution person, but New Years Resolutions are some of my favorite things. I'm a goal setter by nature, so I love the opportunity to see a clean slate and to set some goals for a brand new year.
This year, I'm really excited about one of the "resolutions" we're making with the Young Adults here at McKinney. I'm sure the plan will morph a bit over the year because it's a brand new idea, so I'll blog about it now while we're only 1 day into it so I can follow-up later.
We've invited every one of our Young Adults (married and single) to read through the New Testament in 2008. Coincidentally, if you read one chapter a day, for five days a week, you read through the entire New Testament in almost exactly one year. I got the Bible reading idea from Watermark Church who do a Bible Reading Plan called "Join the Journey," in which they include devotionals written by members of their church on each passage of Scripture. When I was at Fellowship (ahem... Chase Oaks Church), we adopted portions of the Journey, and created Summit. Summit turned out to be one of the most rewarding projects I've ever been a part of in ministry, so when I made the move to McKinney I decided to take parts of it with me.
This year at McKinney, instead of the devotionals (which were extremely difficult to manage, edit, and publish), all of the teaching in our Young Adult groups on Sunday will coincide with the passages the group read the previous week. So, we'll be reading and teaching through the entire New Testament in 2008.
In order to accomplish that, I found 10-12 guys who I'm really wanting to develop in the area of teaching, and invited them to be a part of a "teaching team" that will stay 3 weeks ahead of everyone else in the reading, and then spend 2 hours every other week thinking through how to best teach each portion of the reading each week.
For example, our first meeting was a couple of weeks ago, and we studied through Mark 1-4 and Mark 5-9 together. We talked about how each passage breaks down (outlines), discussed the "big idea" of each passage, talked about the "tension" between what the passage calls us to do and our normal tendency, and talked about the application of the passage. Then we spent some time about how to pull off a lesson from each passage (do we want to do a survey of all 5 chapters, or is there a specific episode or verse that gets at the main idea?).
After this Sunday's lesson, I'll share with you what the teaching team came up with and how it was executed.
Each of those 10-12 guys on the teaching team will have several opportunities to teach throughout the year, so in essence, our time together is helping each of these men prepare their lessons. I also hope it will sharpen each of us as teachers and students of the Scripture. A byproduct should be teachers in our classes who are more prepared and more biblical in their teaching (if we're studying 3 weeks in advance, they're not scrambling to put together a lesson the Saturday night before they teach).
I know several churches have a team approach to studying for sermons, but haven't heard of any that do this kind of thing on a smaller level. So, it's sort of an experiment for us. But, my hope is that the end result will be a ministry of men and women who are familiar with the New Testament, and some quality leaders/teachers who can handle the Scriptures well. I'll keep you posted.
This year, I'm really excited about one of the "resolutions" we're making with the Young Adults here at McKinney. I'm sure the plan will morph a bit over the year because it's a brand new idea, so I'll blog about it now while we're only 1 day into it so I can follow-up later.
We've invited every one of our Young Adults (married and single) to read through the New Testament in 2008. Coincidentally, if you read one chapter a day, for five days a week, you read through the entire New Testament in almost exactly one year. I got the Bible reading idea from Watermark Church who do a Bible Reading Plan called "Join the Journey," in which they include devotionals written by members of their church on each passage of Scripture. When I was at Fellowship (ahem... Chase Oaks Church), we adopted portions of the Journey, and created Summit. Summit turned out to be one of the most rewarding projects I've ever been a part of in ministry, so when I made the move to McKinney I decided to take parts of it with me.
This year at McKinney, instead of the devotionals (which were extremely difficult to manage, edit, and publish), all of the teaching in our Young Adult groups on Sunday will coincide with the passages the group read the previous week. So, we'll be reading and teaching through the entire New Testament in 2008.
In order to accomplish that, I found 10-12 guys who I'm really wanting to develop in the area of teaching, and invited them to be a part of a "teaching team" that will stay 3 weeks ahead of everyone else in the reading, and then spend 2 hours every other week thinking through how to best teach each portion of the reading each week.
For example, our first meeting was a couple of weeks ago, and we studied through Mark 1-4 and Mark 5-9 together. We talked about how each passage breaks down (outlines), discussed the "big idea" of each passage, talked about the "tension" between what the passage calls us to do and our normal tendency, and talked about the application of the passage. Then we spent some time about how to pull off a lesson from each passage (do we want to do a survey of all 5 chapters, or is there a specific episode or verse that gets at the main idea?).
After this Sunday's lesson, I'll share with you what the teaching team came up with and how it was executed.
Each of those 10-12 guys on the teaching team will have several opportunities to teach throughout the year, so in essence, our time together is helping each of these men prepare their lessons. I also hope it will sharpen each of us as teachers and students of the Scripture. A byproduct should be teachers in our classes who are more prepared and more biblical in their teaching (if we're studying 3 weeks in advance, they're not scrambling to put together a lesson the Saturday night before they teach).
I know several churches have a team approach to studying for sermons, but haven't heard of any that do this kind of thing on a smaller level. So, it's sort of an experiment for us. But, my hope is that the end result will be a ministry of men and women who are familiar with the New Testament, and some quality leaders/teachers who can handle the Scriptures well. I'll keep you posted.
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