Just got back from South Carolina. The most eligible bachelor in my immediate family (okay, he was the only eligible bachelor left in my immediate family) is now officially "off the market." The wedding went well, and the couple is honeymooning on the beach right now. I love weddings. More on that some other time...
For now, I was just reading in Genesis 11, doing some preparation for a series I'll be teaching this October, and noticed something interesting. You remember the Tower of Babel story, which comes sometime after Noah's ark landed. In Genesis 11:4, the people of the earth say, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
The idea of crafting a vision to unify an organization is as old as Noah's ark.
But you'll also remember that the people of Babel ended up in big trouble for their vision. The key word in the passage is "ourselves." Read the verse again: "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
These people were the direct descendants of Noah. They had his testimony, and would have undoubtedly heard of God's declarations about Noah and his descendants. They had an identity - a vision. The problem was, they wanted their own.
As a part of organizations, especially churches, we need to be abolutely sure that we're not in the business of crafting vision for our organization. We shouldn't be able creating a brand/identity for our organization. As leaders of Christian organizations, we must never be in the business of creating vision, but we must always be in the business of casting the vision which has already been established. Otherwise, we run the risk of creating vision and identity that is in direct contradiction to God's desire for us, which is exactly what the people of Babel did. And, just as in the case of the people of Babel, our vision for ourselves will always be shortsighted.
The rationale behind the decision of those in Babel to create their own vision, city, and name, was to prevent being "scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." They wanted a city and name for themselves so badly that they allowed a felt-need to eclipse their greater purpose. In reality, dispersement over the whole earth was a blessing promised to Noah and his sons by God in 9:1.
Their dream was short-sighted, selfish, and either knowingly or unknowingly left God out. And as a result, God fulfilled his blessing to Noah's descendants by judging them.
I worry sometimes that a lot of our Christian organizations set out to craft vision in response to felt needs without ever stopping to consider how that vision might hinder the vision each Christian organization should presuppose.
These are funny:
My infamous pyromaniac uncle is the founder of the Team Pyromaniac Blog. Most of the time their blogs are way over my head. Sometimes they can border on mean-spirited. Often their thoughts are right on, witty, informative and entertaining.
Regardless of whether or not you would consider yourself "emergent" or "postmodern" in your worship preferences, I think you'll find the following pictures amusing.
I don't know if Phil deserves the credit/blame for coming up with these (my guess is that he does), or someone else, but they're a series of pictures along the lines of the old successories pictures. See if they don't at least make you chuckle.
You can see them here, here, and here.
Meanwhile, Kari and I are off to South Carolina. My baby brother is getting married on Saturday, and it's a good excuse to play some golf...
Regardless of whether or not you would consider yourself "emergent" or "postmodern" in your worship preferences, I think you'll find the following pictures amusing.
I don't know if Phil deserves the credit/blame for coming up with these (my guess is that he does), or someone else, but they're a series of pictures along the lines of the old successories pictures. See if they don't at least make you chuckle.
You can see them here, here, and here.
Meanwhile, Kari and I are off to South Carolina. My baby brother is getting married on Saturday, and it's a good excuse to play some golf...
Melt Me
Had a great lunch today with one of the guys who is involved in the young singles ministry to talk about the small group he's leading. He wants to challenge them more effectively and be more intentional about shaping their lives. It was a great conversation - he's the kind of guy you pray God will send you to lead one of your small groups if you're a pastor.
He made a comment that was pretty profound as we were talking about how difficult it is to build into the lives of people.
"When I think about ministry, I'm reminded of that old hymn "Spirit of the Living God," where we sing the chorus 'melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.' But we don't really believe it. Everyone wants to be molded, filled, and used, but nobody wants to melt."
That's good stuff.
He made a comment that was pretty profound as we were talking about how difficult it is to build into the lives of people.
"When I think about ministry, I'm reminded of that old hymn "Spirit of the Living God," where we sing the chorus 'melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.' But we don't really believe it. Everyone wants to be molded, filled, and used, but nobody wants to melt."
That's good stuff.
It's Harder to Breathe at the Top
For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with being the best at whatever I do. Perhaps it's because I'm a sore loser by nature. Maybe it's because I like the recognition and satisfaction that comes from a job well done. At times there are more noble reasons for pursuing excellence in everything I do. Most of the time, it's a mixed bag of the above reasons. But whatever the motivation, I'm often pretty dedicated to charging to the "top" of whatever mountain we're climbing. And not only do I want to get to the top, I want to be there first.
Ignore all the obvious character flaws the above paragraph puts flashing lights around, and play along with me for a while. Because I'm a dreamer by nature, and want to be the best, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future. I love to dream, plan, strategize, think, and hope about what I'll say during my conversation this afternoon with one of our single adults who is struggling with pornography, my premarital counseling session next week with a really cute couple who is doing things right - I even have a "WIAP" (When I'm a Pastor) file in my filing cabinet that started about 10 years ago - before I even started in ministry.
But if I'm not careful, I can spend my whole life thinking about how great things are going to be "when I get to the top" that I miss the fun in the journey, and glamorize "the top" to the point that the picture in my head is an inaccurate portrayal about what "the top" really looks like.
I watched a movie the other night about some guys who climbed Mt. Everest. They spent years planning their trip, days and weeks preparing and climbing the mountain, and 5 minutes at the summit.
5 minutes at the top...
It's hard to breathe at the top.
It's the same thing in our careers and ministries. We can fawn over what life must be like to be the CEO, or the Manager, or the head honcho. But when you get to the top, it's pretty hard to breathe. You're no longer working in the realm of possibility - you're dealing in the world of actuality which never seems to conform to the world you dreamt about.
When I got my first full-time ministry position almost ten years ago, I had a file full of ideas for how to be a great leader. I knew how to craft a vision, mission, to establish core values, and to establish a group identity. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many management books I read in preparation for that job (and subsequent jobs), to only find out that the majority of them are written by dreamers like me who manage in the world of pretend without real people, real problems, and real issues.
In the current ministry where I serve, there are lots of exciting things happening. It's glamorous sometimes, but most of the time it's just plain hard to breathe. Decisions aren't as easy as the fake decisions you make in your head that have no consequences. At the "top" of a ministry, every decision is like that old game of Pick up Sticks: every thing you move has an effect on everything else. You can't change a program without assessing values, and you can't assess values without assessing culture. You can't look at culture without looking at people, and people are messy and change on you just about the time you're ready to make headway.
Leadership is a lot about making good gut decisions, and those make my stomach hurt.
Make no mistake, I love where I'm at. I can see things slowly beginning to shift as lives are changed and perspectives are transformed. I can see light bulbs coming on, and a bigger picture that not a lot of people get to see. But it's a lot harder to breathe than I thought it would be.
Ignore all the obvious character flaws the above paragraph puts flashing lights around, and play along with me for a while. Because I'm a dreamer by nature, and want to be the best, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future. I love to dream, plan, strategize, think, and hope about what I'll say during my conversation this afternoon with one of our single adults who is struggling with pornography, my premarital counseling session next week with a really cute couple who is doing things right - I even have a "WIAP" (When I'm a Pastor) file in my filing cabinet that started about 10 years ago - before I even started in ministry.
But if I'm not careful, I can spend my whole life thinking about how great things are going to be "when I get to the top" that I miss the fun in the journey, and glamorize "the top" to the point that the picture in my head is an inaccurate portrayal about what "the top" really looks like.
I watched a movie the other night about some guys who climbed Mt. Everest. They spent years planning their trip, days and weeks preparing and climbing the mountain, and 5 minutes at the summit.
5 minutes at the top...
It's hard to breathe at the top.
It's the same thing in our careers and ministries. We can fawn over what life must be like to be the CEO, or the Manager, or the head honcho. But when you get to the top, it's pretty hard to breathe. You're no longer working in the realm of possibility - you're dealing in the world of actuality which never seems to conform to the world you dreamt about.
When I got my first full-time ministry position almost ten years ago, I had a file full of ideas for how to be a great leader. I knew how to craft a vision, mission, to establish core values, and to establish a group identity. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many management books I read in preparation for that job (and subsequent jobs), to only find out that the majority of them are written by dreamers like me who manage in the world of pretend without real people, real problems, and real issues.
In the current ministry where I serve, there are lots of exciting things happening. It's glamorous sometimes, but most of the time it's just plain hard to breathe. Decisions aren't as easy as the fake decisions you make in your head that have no consequences. At the "top" of a ministry, every decision is like that old game of Pick up Sticks: every thing you move has an effect on everything else. You can't change a program without assessing values, and you can't assess values without assessing culture. You can't look at culture without looking at people, and people are messy and change on you just about the time you're ready to make headway.
Leadership is a lot about making good gut decisions, and those make my stomach hurt.
Make no mistake, I love where I'm at. I can see things slowly beginning to shift as lives are changed and perspectives are transformed. I can see light bulbs coming on, and a bigger picture that not a lot of people get to see. But it's a lot harder to breathe than I thought it would be.
Patriotic Worship?
I feel the need to start this post with a little disclaimer: I'm one of the most patriotic people you could ever hope to meet. I'm proud to be an American citizen, thankful for the freedom I enjoy, and participate in our democracy every chance I get.
But as an American pastor, every year on Memorial Day and Independence Day I find myself asking a question that I'm hoping you can help me with: Is it appropriate to sing patriotic songs in a church worship service?
Thousands of churches (including mine) added "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" to the music portion of their service this week. Several said the Pledge of Allegiance, and took the offering to the Star Spangled Banner.
And I have to admit, it kind of makes me wince a little.
I understand some of the reasoning. Church is often the only venue outside of fireworks displays that we hear many of those songs anymore. Also, we want to honor those who have gone before us to preserve the freedoms we presently enjoy, one of which we exercise every time we go to church. But I wonder if our message as the Church is not at best confused by a worship team who sings a stanza of "America the Beautiful," changes keys, and begins a hymn or praise chorus?
To me, it's one thing to honor those who have used the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given them to serve in the armed forces during our Memorial Day and Independence Day services much as we would honor a missionary who used his or her gifts, talents, and abilities. It's another thing to pledge allegiance to the American flag, or sing songs about our country during a worship service.
If the Church exists as the Body of Christ, as people who are aliens in this world, with the responsibility to point people to a kingdom that is not of this world, do we not run the risk of confusing that message when we glorify our country in a service designed to glorify Christ?
And what about the people in our churches who are not from the United States of America? What about the exchange student, or temporary worker who is in the States for a contract position and shows up to our church? Doesn't that send them a conflicting message about what the Church is about?
I'd love to hear your comments. Does your church include patriotic music in its services? Do you have an American flag on the stage? As you have thought through the issue, whether or not you're in full-time ministry, what conclusions have you reached?
But as an American pastor, every year on Memorial Day and Independence Day I find myself asking a question that I'm hoping you can help me with: Is it appropriate to sing patriotic songs in a church worship service?
Thousands of churches (including mine) added "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" to the music portion of their service this week. Several said the Pledge of Allegiance, and took the offering to the Star Spangled Banner.
And I have to admit, it kind of makes me wince a little.
I understand some of the reasoning. Church is often the only venue outside of fireworks displays that we hear many of those songs anymore. Also, we want to honor those who have gone before us to preserve the freedoms we presently enjoy, one of which we exercise every time we go to church. But I wonder if our message as the Church is not at best confused by a worship team who sings a stanza of "America the Beautiful," changes keys, and begins a hymn or praise chorus?
To me, it's one thing to honor those who have used the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given them to serve in the armed forces during our Memorial Day and Independence Day services much as we would honor a missionary who used his or her gifts, talents, and abilities. It's another thing to pledge allegiance to the American flag, or sing songs about our country during a worship service.
If the Church exists as the Body of Christ, as people who are aliens in this world, with the responsibility to point people to a kingdom that is not of this world, do we not run the risk of confusing that message when we glorify our country in a service designed to glorify Christ?
And what about the people in our churches who are not from the United States of America? What about the exchange student, or temporary worker who is in the States for a contract position and shows up to our church? Doesn't that send them a conflicting message about what the Church is about?
I'd love to hear your comments. Does your church include patriotic music in its services? Do you have an American flag on the stage? As you have thought through the issue, whether or not you're in full-time ministry, what conclusions have you reached?
Transforming Church - Review
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Review
I just finished "Transforming Church - Bringing Out the Good to Get Great," by Kevin Ford.
It was recommended by our senior pastor, particularly for its discussion of effective staff relationships. I expected it would be like most of the other hundred or so "make your church great" books I've read over the past several years, but was pleasantly surprised.
Although I'm not sure the book answers all the questions it asks, it's definitely worth reading. Here are some of the things the book said that I thought were noteworthy:
- It's time to help our churches move from consuming churches to connecting and engaging churches.
- Church staffs must function as teams, not families. A team functions with a goal in mind, and is able to rearrange or reassign team members in order to achieve that goal. The family is comfortable with its black sheep, and is often unwilling to confront issues that prevent health because of the relationship with an individual.
- Community/collaboration is inextricably bound to creativity. It is impossible to be truly creative apart from community. It is also impossible to have true community without creativity.
- Churches have become a "dispenser of religious goods and services where people come to get" instead of a "missions station where people are launched to give."
- We should spend more time caring about church health than church success.
- We should be encouraging the people in our church that their "everyday life is an extension of our church's mission."
- True leadership means releasing power for the sake of empowering others.
- Churches fail when they offer an adventure instead of a quest. The adventure seeks treasure rather than transformation. A quest offers a changed life.
- The job of a leader is not to protect people from pain.
- Good leaders regulate stress and energy making sure there is always an element of anxiety and stress in the organization they lead. With too much stress and anxiety, the organization is rendered helpless. With too little stress and anxiety, the organization becomes complacent.
Overall, it was a good book and an easy read. If you're looking for a book on church health that is different from the others you've read, this one is one you should check out.
Follow the Leader
It's almost always during a crisis that you see what kind of leader a person is. Lincoln put his stamp on leadership history during the height of the civil war. Churchill became a leadership icon in the throws of World War II. Rudy Giuliani showed some masterful leadership in the days after September 11th. There is something about a crisis that reveals a leader's true mettle.This week is Camp Sonshine (Baptists read "VBS") at McKinney Memorial Bible Church. This year the children's ministry leadership decided to hold Camp Sonshine at the Lockheed-Martin recreational facility, which is a pretty sweet complex near the Lockheed-Martin facilities in North Fort Worth. The grounds are complete with basketball courts, several pools, and ammenities that beat the heck out of the piecemeal playground and blacktop pavement we had at VBS growing up.
The only thing missing at the Lockheed-Martin recreational facility is cover from rain.
So yesterday morning, when we woke up at 6:30 to rain coming down at a rate of about 2 inches per hour, I figured it was going to be a crazy day. The kids were scheduled to show up to Camp Sonshine at 8:30, and at 7:30 word came that camp would be moved to the church building. Even if the rain stopped, we were looking at 3 or 4 hundred muddy kiddos.
I drove to the church expecting chaos, but instead I found a very organized group of about one-hundred volunteers working quickly, efficiently, but in an orderly manner to move Camp Sonshine - and hundreds of kids - to a brand new location. This meant hiring some entertainment at the last minute, organizing new games, logistics, and activities for the day, and figuring out a way to get the word to parents and volunteers in a matter of less than an hour.
At the center of the chaos was the Children's Director, Nita Menshew, who has been on the job at McKinney for almost two years.
As I walked into the foyer, expecting chaos, I saw Nita standing in the middle of the room, answering her phone, solving problems, and pointing volunteers in the right direction without skipping a beat. She wasn't panicked. She was smiling, laughing, and calmly making decisions in a split-second that would have normally received a week or two worth of attention.
The volunteers followed their leader, and the entire day went without a hitch. So much so that when my alarm went off this morning at 6:45, and I heard the rain pounding my window, I leaped out of bed - not because I felt like they would need me at the church, but because I wanted to be there to watch a leader at her best.
Great job Nita and leadership team.
Rewards
Seth Godin has another great post today about a genius fast-food promotion:
Freaknomics points us to the greatest fast food promotion in memory. Beat the cashier in a game of rock paper scissors and save a buck.
What I absolutely love about this idea, other than its obvious remarkability, is the way it humanizes the previously automatonized front line worker. Instead of making them invisible, it makes them part of the deal. "Tell your Starbucks barrista a really funny joke, get a free biscotti (knock knock jokes not valid in some states.)"
Why not do this with your accounts payable people? Or give the customer service people the ability to give a prize to the nicest person who calls in each day? What's the worst that could happen--they might use a little judgment, might enjoy the day a bit more, might even start to care.
If you let them.
I love the idea for several of the same reasons. I guess I've always had a soft spot for the guy in the check-out line because I've been there/done that.
One of my biggest pet peeves is the people who go through the checkout line yacking on their cell phone without so much as a "hello" to the guy behind the counter. They're people too - not robots. I love the idea of reintroducing them to the customer, and rewarding the kind of behavior that treats the checkout guy as an individual who is involved in the process rather than a machine who cranks out change.
We don't have a California Tortilla in Fort Worth or I'd be there Wednesday to support the idea... despite the fact that I stink at Paper Rock Scissors.
Freaknomics points us to the greatest fast food promotion in memory. Beat the cashier in a game of rock paper scissors and save a buck.
What I absolutely love about this idea, other than its obvious remarkability, is the way it humanizes the previously automatonized front line worker. Instead of making them invisible, it makes them part of the deal. "Tell your Starbucks barrista a really funny joke, get a free biscotti (knock knock jokes not valid in some states.)"
Why not do this with your accounts payable people? Or give the customer service people the ability to give a prize to the nicest person who calls in each day? What's the worst that could happen--they might use a little judgment, might enjoy the day a bit more, might even start to care.
If you let them.
I love the idea for several of the same reasons. I guess I've always had a soft spot for the guy in the check-out line because I've been there/done that.
One of my biggest pet peeves is the people who go through the checkout line yacking on their cell phone without so much as a "hello" to the guy behind the counter. They're people too - not robots. I love the idea of reintroducing them to the customer, and rewarding the kind of behavior that treats the checkout guy as an individual who is involved in the process rather than a machine who cranks out change.
We don't have a California Tortilla in Fort Worth or I'd be there Wednesday to support the idea... despite the fact that I stink at Paper Rock Scissors.
Culture Shock
As most of you know, Fort Worth and Dallas are only about 20 miles apart in proximity. But I told someone the other day, sometimes I feel like someone airlifted me into a foreign culture and dropped me off. It's a different world over here.I snapped this picture at a barbeque restaurant some of the guys took me to the other day in Fort Worth. This sign reflects the sentiment of most of the people in Fort Worth.
I've recently discovered that I no longer live in "Dallas/Fort Worth." That name is an insult to people in Fort Worth. Fort Worthers don't care to be identified in the same sentence as Dallas. When they find out you moved over from Dallas, they're quick to point out a more laid-back atmosphere, the lack of traffic, better food, and lower property taxes. In fact, on more than one occasion when I've mentioned I just moved over from Dallas, the response has been "What took you so long?"
It is a little more laid back over here. There isn't traffic like in Dallas. So far, the food does seem to be better. But those are not the only difference between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Fort Worth thrives on industries like Lockheed-Martin, Alcon, and the railroad industry. Dallas thrives on smaller, more entrepeneur-type industries. As a result, the people in Dallas have a much more independently creative type mindset while people in Fort Worth think like engineers. That's reflected in our church big-time. The worship services are more structured, rigid (in a good way), and to-the-point than most of the worship services I've been a part of in Dallas.
It's interesting that both the church I served at in Dallas and the church where I'm currently serving in Fort Worth are functioning at an extremely high level, but neither would work in the other culture. Fellowship Bible Church North would not function well as it is in South Fort Worth. McKinney Church would not function well in a Dallas atmosphere - even though they're only twenty miles apart. And I think that's a good thing. Both churches have such a laser focus on the culture they're attempting to reach that if they were ripped out of that culture, much of their effectiveness would be lost.
Coachability
Great post from Seth Godin today about coachability:
A friend is wrestling with his ability to be coached. For the coachable, "Turn right at the light" is seen as a helpful suggestion for someone lost in a strange town... the advice goes in, is considered and then acted upon. For someone wrestling with coaching, though, it's like surgery. It's painful, it has side effects and it might lead to a bad reaction.
Coaching happens all the time. Most often, it's not from a boss or a professional coach. In fact, the best insights and advice usually come from informal or unexpected sources.
In fluid marketing and organization environments, where the world changes rapidly, coachability is a key factor in evolving and succeeding. Not because all advice is good advice. In fact, most advice is lousy advice. No, the reason coachability is so crucial is that without it, you don't have the emotional maturity to consider whether the advice is good or not. You reject the process out of hand, and end up stuck.
Symptoms of uncoachability:
Years ago, at the great Bolshoi Ballet, auditions for the troupe were conducted among 8 year old girls. That's because it took ten years to become great. How did the auditions work? The teachers weren't looking for the best dancers. They were looking for the dancers who took coaching the best. The rest would come with time.
The great Howard Hendricks from Dallas Seminary always calls this trait "teachability." I would argue that without this trait, our lives and ministries are destined for obscurity. I don't know where Seth is spiritually, but the main focus of his blog is secular marketing. I don't know why, but it never ceases to amaze me that good wisdom in one's spiritual life and ministry always translates to good wisdom and practices in the "secular" world.
It's a topic for a future blogpost, but I think the major reason is that from God's perspective there doesn't seem to be a dichotomy between secular and spiritual in the same sense that we draw the lines.
A friend is wrestling with his ability to be coached. For the coachable, "Turn right at the light" is seen as a helpful suggestion for someone lost in a strange town... the advice goes in, is considered and then acted upon. For someone wrestling with coaching, though, it's like surgery. It's painful, it has side effects and it might lead to a bad reaction.
Coaching happens all the time. Most often, it's not from a boss or a professional coach. In fact, the best insights and advice usually come from informal or unexpected sources.
In fluid marketing and organization environments, where the world changes rapidly, coachability is a key factor in evolving and succeeding. Not because all advice is good advice. In fact, most advice is lousy advice. No, the reason coachability is so crucial is that without it, you don't have the emotional maturity to consider whether the advice is good or not. You reject the process out of hand, and end up stuck.
Symptoms of uncoachability:
- Challenging the credentials of the coach
- Announcing that you're being unfairly singled out
- Pointing out, angrily, that the last few times, the coach was wrong
- Identifying others who have succeeded without ever being coached
- Resisting a path merely because it was one identified by a coach
Years ago, at the great Bolshoi Ballet, auditions for the troupe were conducted among 8 year old girls. That's because it took ten years to become great. How did the auditions work? The teachers weren't looking for the best dancers. They were looking for the dancers who took coaching the best. The rest would come with time.
The great Howard Hendricks from Dallas Seminary always calls this trait "teachability." I would argue that without this trait, our lives and ministries are destined for obscurity. I don't know where Seth is spiritually, but the main focus of his blog is secular marketing. I don't know why, but it never ceases to amaze me that good wisdom in one's spiritual life and ministry always translates to good wisdom and practices in the "secular" world.
It's a topic for a future blogpost, but I think the major reason is that from God's perspective there doesn't seem to be a dichotomy between secular and spiritual in the same sense that we draw the lines.
Why do you do what you do?
I've compared this week - the first on the ground at the new church - to being airlifted into a foreign culture where you know almost nothing. You have to learn a new language, new traditions, new customs, even a new clothing style. It isn't easy to figure out why people do what they do, they just do them; even in ultra-contemporary type churches who try their hardest to spurn tradition and customs... they have an identifiable culture too.
Slowly but surely, I'm learning the culture at McKinney, and beginning to observe some of the things that make things tick around here. I'll try to identify a few of them over the next couple of weeks and talk about them because they're interesting, to me at least.
Today I had a conversation with the executive pastor, and he mentioned a little about the philosophy of ministry that pastors work by at McKinney. I'd heard it before, but he put it especially succinctly today.
"You see it two ways: Some pastors believe people exist to help them have an extraordinary ministry. Other pastors believe they exist to help people have an extraordinary ministry. We want to be the latter."
That's good stuff that most pastors would nod their head in agreement with (at least any pastors who are familiar with Ephesians 4). But how many of us is really comfortable in that kind of role? I know a lot of pastors who are interested in making a name for themselves - for all the right reasons. They love God, love people, and truly want to do great things. But along the way they use people to help their own ministries be extraordinary. As a result the pastor's ministry isn't nearly as extraordinary as it could be, and the world suffers from a limited number of extraordinary ministries.
It works in corporate America too. You see a lot of corporations that exist to make a CEO look great. Those corporations will always be limited by the vision, gifts, and personality of the one leader in charge. But when the CEO exists to help employees have extraordinary influence, that corporation is unlimited in its potential.
So what kind of leader are you? How do you view the people around you? Why would they say you believe you exist?
Slowly but surely, I'm learning the culture at McKinney, and beginning to observe some of the things that make things tick around here. I'll try to identify a few of them over the next couple of weeks and talk about them because they're interesting, to me at least.
Today I had a conversation with the executive pastor, and he mentioned a little about the philosophy of ministry that pastors work by at McKinney. I'd heard it before, but he put it especially succinctly today.
"You see it two ways: Some pastors believe people exist to help them have an extraordinary ministry. Other pastors believe they exist to help people have an extraordinary ministry. We want to be the latter."
That's good stuff that most pastors would nod their head in agreement with (at least any pastors who are familiar with Ephesians 4). But how many of us is really comfortable in that kind of role? I know a lot of pastors who are interested in making a name for themselves - for all the right reasons. They love God, love people, and truly want to do great things. But along the way they use people to help their own ministries be extraordinary. As a result the pastor's ministry isn't nearly as extraordinary as it could be, and the world suffers from a limited number of extraordinary ministries.
It works in corporate America too. You see a lot of corporations that exist to make a CEO look great. Those corporations will always be limited by the vision, gifts, and personality of the one leader in charge. But when the CEO exists to help employees have extraordinary influence, that corporation is unlimited in its potential.
So what kind of leader are you? How do you view the people around you? Why would they say you believe you exist?
Every had a day like this guy?
Wow. I've argued balls and strikes before. But I can't imagine ever losing it to this degree. Phil Wellman, manager of the minor league Mississippi Braves went bonkers on Thursday, and put on a show that is worth watching. At least he didn't say "buns."
Chuck Swindoll has a Potty Mouth?
In the "sometimes I'm ashamed to be identified with other Christians" file, the loonies at VCY Radio Network have dropped Charles Swindoll's - yes, Chuck Swindoll's program "Insight For Living" from their radio lineup because of "crude" "vulgar" and "from-the-gutter" language. The words in question? "buns," "heck," "balls," and "crap." You can read a portion of the press release here.
It seems to me that VCY Radio Network was looking for something to get their panties in a wad about. I wish they had called me - I can think of several things that offend me a lot worse than the word "heck." Pharisaic legalists who legislate extra-biblical offenses just to make sure nobody in the world is attracted to the people or God of the Bible come to mind...
It seems to me that VCY Radio Network was looking for something to get their panties in a wad about. I wish they had called me - I can think of several things that offend me a lot worse than the word "heck." Pharisaic legalists who legislate extra-biblical offenses just to make sure nobody in the world is attracted to the people or God of the Bible come to mind...
Moving...
We closed on our house today around noon. We clean tomorrow and move in on Saturday. Thus begins a whirlwind of a week of unpacking, finishing up things at Fellowship, and launching things at McKinney.
I'll be around, but if I post anything it will be short and sweet. Just didn't want you to start wondering where I went.
UFC and Me
What do I have in common with Dana White, the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? (My mom will be so proud!)
Besides the obvious hairline similarities, and the fact that his biceps measure roughly the same as my thighs, nothing... except that Ryan Dobson talked about both of us on his podcast this past Monday. Granted, White gets the lion's share of the broadcast, but at least I got a mention.
Who knew evangelism on the golf course could be the application for a podcast about UFC?
If you have a couple of minutes, check out Ryan's site. He's doing some really great stuff in the area of helping young men be men. I could blog for weeks about the problem of pacificity in today's men, Dobson is doing something about it.
Thanks for the discussion Ryan. I'm jealous to not be a teenager anymore - the man camp sounds like a blast.
Transitions
I'm by no means the expert at pastoral transitions, but I have done it a couple of times. Being as I'm in the middle of one right now, I thought I'd share some of my observations.
1. The leaving pastor usually overestimates the amount of time the church will need him on staff to transition. When we left the church in Arlington to come to Fellowship, we gave them almost 30 days notice because we wanted to make the transition easier. In reality, that makes the transition a lot harder for everyone involved - it's like ripping a band-aid off a little bit at a time. Once you've announced your transition, you need about a week to pass the baton and a week to say goodbye. Beyond those two weeks, it's virtually impossible to do any good.
2. Even if you're not planning a transition now, you should be planning for your transition now. All of us is going to transition out of our role at one point or another. If you truly care about the ministry you're leading, you should always have one or two people trained to the point that things could go off without a hitch if you keel over tomorrow. As I look back at some of the ministries I've been able to be a part of in the past, it's pretty obvious where I've done this well and where I've done a lousy job. You don't want the ministry to take a giant step backwards when you leave, so start preparing leaders now.
3. Leave on good terms. Even if you're leaving a ministry because of conflict, you should leave as best you can on good terms. There's never a reason to air your dirty laundry to the congregation or others. You don't have to lie to someone who asks, but be general enough in what you say that you don't become a diviscive force as you leave. "This just isn't a good fit for us anymore" is a much better answer than "Pastor Larry is a crook." Pastor Larry will still be around after you leave with the power to clear his name of anything you say about him. You won't have that luxury. If there's a major issue that the governing body at the church needs to know about, by all means let them know, but after you've resigned, you have a responsibility to let them decide whether or not to go public with that information.
4. Clean up before you go. One of the worst experiences of my ministry life was starting a ministry where the guy before me started all kinds of projects and left them for me to finish. He thought he was doing me a favor by planning all kinds of events so I wouldn't have to, but I ended up executing the events that he planned. Finish everything you can so the new guy/girl can start with a clean slate.
5. Offer your assistance, but don't stalk your successor. In every position I've left, I leave behind a small folder trying to catch my successor up on the "state of the ministry." I leave him the previous year's calendar, pertinent phone numbers, and a list of activities and programs we've done with contact information in case he wanted to use it. I top that folder off with a letter from me that includes my current contact information. If he needs my help, I invite him to call me. Otherwise, I leave him alone. Believe it or not, I had one predecessor who called me once a week for four months at a past position just to see if I needed any help. Those conversations were weird, awkward, and completely unneccessary.
Transitions can be great for both parties involved, provided they're handled in a careful and professional manner. If I get time later this week, I'll talk about transitions from the other side - how to transition in to a new role.
1. The leaving pastor usually overestimates the amount of time the church will need him on staff to transition. When we left the church in Arlington to come to Fellowship, we gave them almost 30 days notice because we wanted to make the transition easier. In reality, that makes the transition a lot harder for everyone involved - it's like ripping a band-aid off a little bit at a time. Once you've announced your transition, you need about a week to pass the baton and a week to say goodbye. Beyond those two weeks, it's virtually impossible to do any good.
2. Even if you're not planning a transition now, you should be planning for your transition now. All of us is going to transition out of our role at one point or another. If you truly care about the ministry you're leading, you should always have one or two people trained to the point that things could go off without a hitch if you keel over tomorrow. As I look back at some of the ministries I've been able to be a part of in the past, it's pretty obvious where I've done this well and where I've done a lousy job. You don't want the ministry to take a giant step backwards when you leave, so start preparing leaders now.
3. Leave on good terms. Even if you're leaving a ministry because of conflict, you should leave as best you can on good terms. There's never a reason to air your dirty laundry to the congregation or others. You don't have to lie to someone who asks, but be general enough in what you say that you don't become a diviscive force as you leave. "This just isn't a good fit for us anymore" is a much better answer than "Pastor Larry is a crook." Pastor Larry will still be around after you leave with the power to clear his name of anything you say about him. You won't have that luxury. If there's a major issue that the governing body at the church needs to know about, by all means let them know, but after you've resigned, you have a responsibility to let them decide whether or not to go public with that information.
4. Clean up before you go. One of the worst experiences of my ministry life was starting a ministry where the guy before me started all kinds of projects and left them for me to finish. He thought he was doing me a favor by planning all kinds of events so I wouldn't have to, but I ended up executing the events that he planned. Finish everything you can so the new guy/girl can start with a clean slate.
5. Offer your assistance, but don't stalk your successor. In every position I've left, I leave behind a small folder trying to catch my successor up on the "state of the ministry." I leave him the previous year's calendar, pertinent phone numbers, and a list of activities and programs we've done with contact information in case he wanted to use it. I top that folder off with a letter from me that includes my current contact information. If he needs my help, I invite him to call me. Otherwise, I leave him alone. Believe it or not, I had one predecessor who called me once a week for four months at a past position just to see if I needed any help. Those conversations were weird, awkward, and completely unneccessary.
Transitions can be great for both parties involved, provided they're handled in a careful and professional manner. If I get time later this week, I'll talk about transitions from the other side - how to transition in to a new role.
Tagged
Normally I'm one who hates these kinds of things, but I must be feeling gratuitous today because I've filled out two of them in a twelve hour period. This is it though, no more. Don't bother emailing me your forwards - I have my email set to automatically delete anything with "FW:" in the subject line. But because Lisa is a loyal reader and commenter, I guess I'll oblige. But I refuse to tag anyone else except Drew since he sent me one of these forwards earlier today.
I’ve been tagged. I was asked to share 7 little known facts about myself and then ‘tag’ 7 others. The only problem is trying to come up with 7 things my blabber mouth hasn’t already told you all!
1. I don't like dessert. Seriously. My favorite desserts in the world are blackberry cobbler and my mom's caramel apple pie, but when it comes right down to it I'd rather eat a second helping of the main course than eat dessert. It works out well, since Kari is the exact opposite.
2. I don't sing in the shower. I sing everywhere else, and was even paid to sing at some points in my life, but I'm not a big shower singer. It's honestly because I'm afraid someone will hear me singing in the shower, even though I don't mind them hearing me sing at other places.
3. One of my biggest phobias - if you can call it that - is drinking after people. I'll kiss my wife, but I won't drink after her. It gives me the willies just thinking about it. Don't ask why. I think it's the whole backwash thing, but the whole idea grosses me out.
4. I hate working out, but like being in decent shape. So, I bribe myself with little things throughout the day in order to force myself to do other things that I like. For example: I do fifty pushups every morning before I get in the shower. If I do my fifty pushups, I let myself drink a Coke on the way to work. If not, it's water all day.
5. I looove yard work. I've been miserable for the last 18 months in an apartment where we pay someone else to do our yard work for us. We're moving into a new house next weekend, and I can't wait to move in because I'll get to mow the yard. I've even tried to scheme a way to get to the house before the movers so I can mow the yard before they get there. Yep, I'm sick.
6. I sang first soprano until my Junior year of high school. Two hundred years ago, I would have been rich beyond belief for keeping a high voice so late. This way, I just got tougher.
7. I eat Taco Bueno at least 5 times per week. I know where every Taco Bueno is within a ten mile radius of my house, school, office, and new office. That's right - I checked out TacoBueno.com to get the lay of the land before I even signed the job offer letter. I love that place.
I’ve been tagged. I was asked to share 7 little known facts about myself and then ‘tag’ 7 others. The only problem is trying to come up with 7 things my blabber mouth hasn’t already told you all!
1. I don't like dessert. Seriously. My favorite desserts in the world are blackberry cobbler and my mom's caramel apple pie, but when it comes right down to it I'd rather eat a second helping of the main course than eat dessert. It works out well, since Kari is the exact opposite.
2. I don't sing in the shower. I sing everywhere else, and was even paid to sing at some points in my life, but I'm not a big shower singer. It's honestly because I'm afraid someone will hear me singing in the shower, even though I don't mind them hearing me sing at other places.
3. One of my biggest phobias - if you can call it that - is drinking after people. I'll kiss my wife, but I won't drink after her. It gives me the willies just thinking about it. Don't ask why. I think it's the whole backwash thing, but the whole idea grosses me out.
4. I hate working out, but like being in decent shape. So, I bribe myself with little things throughout the day in order to force myself to do other things that I like. For example: I do fifty pushups every morning before I get in the shower. If I do my fifty pushups, I let myself drink a Coke on the way to work. If not, it's water all day.
5. I looove yard work. I've been miserable for the last 18 months in an apartment where we pay someone else to do our yard work for us. We're moving into a new house next weekend, and I can't wait to move in because I'll get to mow the yard. I've even tried to scheme a way to get to the house before the movers so I can mow the yard before they get there. Yep, I'm sick.
6. I sang first soprano until my Junior year of high school. Two hundred years ago, I would have been rich beyond belief for keeping a high voice so late. This way, I just got tougher.
7. I eat Taco Bueno at least 5 times per week. I know where every Taco Bueno is within a ten mile radius of my house, school, office, and new office. That's right - I checked out TacoBueno.com to get the lay of the land before I even signed the job offer letter. I love that place.
A Lousy Day on the Golf Course is Better...
It was 82 and sunny today here in Dallas, with a slight breeze that kept the flies away - a perfect day on the golf course. Now if I could only hone in on my golf swing...
I had a boss one time that hated the fact that I love to play golf. He saw it as a waste of 4 hours that could have been spent in the office instead. Though I was sensitive to his position on the matter, my comment to him was, "I've shared the gospel more times on the golf course than in my office at the church."
It's true. Although I love to play with friends - especially with friends from the church, I try to never show up to the golf course with a full foursome, instead opting to pick up a random extra guy at the course. Other times like today, I enjoy being the random extra guy who joins another group because I know for four hours I have a captive audience.
I used to hate the first hole with an unfamiliar golf group because the polite thing to do is to introduce yourself. Then, someone asks the question, "what do you do for a living." I used to hate that question because I was afraid it would put a damper on my cigar smoking, f-bomb dropping stranger friends. Now I love the question. Usually, when the strangers find out, they'll apologize for their friends' language, and begin to ask more questions when I don't immediately condemn their friend to hell for the word he said after his sliced tee shot.
I've found I'm usually invited to share the gospel by the third hole. No, usually not in such obvious words, but I've found by the third hole someone nearly always asks me what made me want to go into ministry. So I get to explain the gospel by hole three, and spend the next fifteen holes talking them through it. And since you have to stop every four or five minutes to hit, the conversation never gets heated.
Today was a good day. I showed up by myself, picked up another guy at the clubhouse, and set out on our way. We were to the gospel by the second green. Then we spent the next sixteen holes talking through everything from grace and inerrancy to his questions about the Council of Nicea and his eastern mysticism view of Psalm 23. By the end of the day, he might have moved from an 8 on the "away-from-Christ" meter to a 6. He's not there yet, but maybe one of you will play golf with him one day and get to help move him closer. Meanwhile, pray for him if you think about it - his name is Forest.
I had a boss one time that hated the fact that I love to play golf. He saw it as a waste of 4 hours that could have been spent in the office instead. Though I was sensitive to his position on the matter, my comment to him was, "I've shared the gospel more times on the golf course than in my office at the church."
It's true. Although I love to play with friends - especially with friends from the church, I try to never show up to the golf course with a full foursome, instead opting to pick up a random extra guy at the course. Other times like today, I enjoy being the random extra guy who joins another group because I know for four hours I have a captive audience.
I used to hate the first hole with an unfamiliar golf group because the polite thing to do is to introduce yourself. Then, someone asks the question, "what do you do for a living." I used to hate that question because I was afraid it would put a damper on my cigar smoking, f-bomb dropping stranger friends. Now I love the question. Usually, when the strangers find out, they'll apologize for their friends' language, and begin to ask more questions when I don't immediately condemn their friend to hell for the word he said after his sliced tee shot.
I've found I'm usually invited to share the gospel by the third hole. No, usually not in such obvious words, but I've found by the third hole someone nearly always asks me what made me want to go into ministry. So I get to explain the gospel by hole three, and spend the next fifteen holes talking them through it. And since you have to stop every four or five minutes to hit, the conversation never gets heated.
Today was a good day. I showed up by myself, picked up another guy at the clubhouse, and set out on our way. We were to the gospel by the second green. Then we spent the next sixteen holes talking through everything from grace and inerrancy to his questions about the Council of Nicea and his eastern mysticism view of Psalm 23. By the end of the day, he might have moved from an 8 on the "away-from-Christ" meter to a 6. He's not there yet, but maybe one of you will play golf with him one day and get to help move him closer. Meanwhile, pray for him if you think about it - his name is Forest.
Finished.
If you're one of the two or three people who reads this blog on a regular basis (thanks Mom and Dad), and you've wondered where I have been (sorry for not calling), you'll be happy to know that it's finished.
"What is finished," you ask? Seminary? The job search? The search for a place to live? My leftover muchaco and bean burrito from dinner?
Yes, yes, yes, and... yes.
It's been a pretty eventful couple of weeks in the Freeland household. Two weeks ago I preached my final sermon and turned in the last paper of my seminary career. I floated across campus, and straight on to a golf course where I played 18 of the most blissful holes of golf I've ever experienced. I didn't play particularly well, but I did not once feel guilty for playing golf instead of studying.
Additionally, a few weeks ago Kari and I accepted the position of Pastor of Young Adults at McKinney Memorial Bible Church in Fort Worth, TX. Those of you who know me know that this type of position wasn't really even on my radar a couple of months ago, but after a few conversations with the executive pastor there it became clear that this was the perfect opportunity for us. We'll get to serve in an area we know a little about, and I'll be able to be mentored by an established senior pastor who is at a phase of ministry where he's passionate about developing other future senior pastors.
This Monday, we signed a contract on a house and close in two weeks. That's a pretty crazy time frame for packing and moving, so we're going to be blowing and going for a while. My poor wife is going to start sporting a hairline that resembles mine. But we couldn't be more excited.
I'll be back - I can't wait to start thinking through a new phase of ministry with you, and telling you about some of the cool things going on in Fort Worth.
Thanks to those of you who have been praying for us over the past few months. It looks like we made it...
"What is finished," you ask? Seminary? The job search? The search for a place to live? My leftover muchaco and bean burrito from dinner?
Yes, yes, yes, and...
It's been a pretty eventful couple of weeks in the Freeland household. Two weeks ago I preached my final sermon and turned in the last paper of my seminary career. I floated across campus, and straight on to a golf course where I played 18 of the most blissful holes of golf I've ever experienced. I didn't play particularly well, but I did not once feel guilty for playing golf instead of studying.
Additionally, a few weeks ago Kari and I accepted the position of Pastor of Young Adults at McKinney Memorial Bible Church in Fort Worth, TX. Those of you who know me know that this type of position wasn't really even on my radar a couple of months ago, but after a few conversations with the executive pastor there it became clear that this was the perfect opportunity for us. We'll get to serve in an area we know a little about, and I'll be able to be mentored by an established senior pastor who is at a phase of ministry where he's passionate about developing other future senior pastors.
This Monday, we signed a contract on a house and close in two weeks. That's a pretty crazy time frame for packing and moving, so we're going to be blowing and going for a while. My poor wife is going to start sporting a hairline that resembles mine. But we couldn't be more excited.
I'll be back - I can't wait to start thinking through a new phase of ministry with you, and telling you about some of the cool things going on in Fort Worth.
Thanks to those of you who have been praying for us over the past few months. It looks like we made it...
Happy Birthday P
I'll turn in the final paper of my seminary career this Friday. It's been a long hard four years (okay, five years), but we're finally here.Over the past several months people have asked me several times about the thing I've loved most about Dallas Seminary. It's hard to answer that question because I've truly enjoyed so many aspects of my time here. But this morning in chapel we celebrated one of the things that makes Dallas Seminary truly great.
This semester on Wednesdays and Fridays I've routinely shown up for my 1:00 class about fifteen minutes early, but I'm never the first to arrive. Dr. P. beats me to class every single day. There he sits, alone in the room, for who knows how long.
Dr. P. turned 92 years old today.
Dr. P. is Dr. Dwight Pentecost. He's been teaching seminary classes for longer than my parents have been alive. He has been walking with Christ for longer than my grandparents have been alive. He "retired" several years ago, but teaches every semester. When he retired, he told Dallas Seminary he would continue to teach, but wouldn't take a paycheck. The accreditation service disagreed, so every semester Dr. P. goes to the business office and picks up his salary - a nice, crisp, one dollar bill. And then he pins it up on the wall in his apartment to spite the people who demand he be paid for what he does.
Because Dr. P. is one of the giants of dispensationalism - the system of theology that DTS is known for - many people throughout time have disagreed with his perspective. But nobody can deny that Jesus Christ oozes out of this man. And every Wednesday and Friday, Dr. P. opens his Bible and begins to teach about the life of Christ. He doesn't just know the text... he knows the Savior.
The opportunity to be surrounded every day by men who, like Dr. P. have dedicated their entire life to walking with Jesus Christ and teaching others to do the same is a one of the privileges I'll truly miss when I pull out of the parking lot for the last time. They've made me who I am. I stand on their shoulders. And I hope in seventy years to have an ounce of the impact in the lives of others that they have had in my life.
Happy birthday Dr. P.
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